We hear these stories every day. Mom, Dad, and high school junior visit a college. Junior is thrilled with the school–loves everything about it. Mom and Dad discover too late what it will cost them.
Summer time, a great time for reading a book and going to the pool, is also a great time for families to work college visits into their summer travel plans. Colleges plan special visit days over the summer to show off their best sides with tours of their beautiful campuses, dining halls, and recreation facilities. And while many questions will occur to you about dorms, dining halls, academics, and student life, we wanted to share some questions from a financial perspective you’ll want to have answered.
Remember: The FAFSA for the 2025-26 school year will open on December 1, 2024. Now, let’s take a closer look at the mistakes you want to avoid while filling out
Every year, students and their parents complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Every year, parents wonder, “What’s the point?!” The FAFSA is a tool used by the
How does your home equity affect your student’s financial aid? And what do the following words all have in common: tedious, cumbersome, difficult, time-consuming, and sometimes expensive? They are all words which can describe the “College Scholarship Service PROFILE” or CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE® offered by the CollegeBoard.org and your home equity plays a role. Not to worry, we have you covered.
Determining financial aid is based on a family’s “need.” Need is determined by looking at a family’s income and assets (and, in some financial aid applications, expenses like medical bills).
Do you have a high school junior who is college-bound? This is an important time to get a handle on the college planning and financial tasks ahead for your family.
March 15th is typically a time when financial aid award letters from colleges are received by families. They have already been through the college application process in the fall and hopefully they got everything in on time. They also should have already applied for financial aid via the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)—ideally by January 15th for those that are seniors in order to meet the priority filing deadline for financial aid that is as early as February 1st. Your student has been accepted, you have the financial aid award letter, and you are struggling to compare one to the other to find the best fit your for family. What to do?
Did you know no actual mythological stories exist about the unicorn? “The truth is, unlike almost every single other mythical creature, the unicorn does not appear anywhere in any culture’s actual mythology.”¹ Was it possible this creature actually existed? What the heck does this have to do with college?!
We’re searching for the Unicorn University—not the myth—the one perfect for you.
The United States is home to approximately 6,000 colleges and universities. Having that many schools to choose from can be both a blessing and a curse. Yes, every student can
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Capstone Wealth Partners is a fee-only independent Registered Investment Advisor in Columbus, Ohio. We are financial planners for college-bound families.
The Capstone Blog offers up our best ideas on how to save and pay for college, all while staying on track for a confident retirement.
