College Financial Aid

Friday in the USA Today Newspaper Money section there was a short piece about Financial aid policy experts fears that the system is too complicated for many families to even consider or navigate. It is true that the system is complicated. They would like to eliminate the complicated FAFSA Application I do not believe that they will be successful. When has the government ever simplified anything related to Taxes or income? I believe they would be lucky to shorten the form. If it gets to simple than the colleges will probably institute their own forms which would mean many conflicting forms and systemss and that could acttually make the process MUCH MORE COMPLICATED. Right now its obligatory just for the government programs but most private funders use it as the basis of their decisions as well. I do not believe that that would continue to be the case if they eliminate or overly simplify this current application process.

There are people or companies like ours that can help families navigate the process and even estimate what the financial aid picture will look like under the currents situation. We can even help a family determine not only what they are currently eligible for but we can also help determine what we might be able to reduce it too by making some legal changes to a family's financial picture. It only takes a bout 10 to 15 questtions to analyze or estimate the current situation and then we can do a series of what if analyses to determinge if we can improve on that current sitiation. The estimate of current eligibility is done at no cost and the what if analysis is an option.

How can we help you?

www.columbusfinancialplanningpros.com

Struggles saving for retirement and college

A recent Putnam Investments Reseach Study has confirmed what many of us already know. In the absence of a true pension plan at work saving for a young childs college education at the same time we are trying to save for our own retirement is a daunting challenge! To make matters worse, almost 50 private lenders and non profit lenders have quit writing student loans in the past year. Some of this is aggravated by the bank lending mess we are currently in. Some of todays headlines suggest that the mortgage lending mess is not yet at the bottom.

Now more than ever we need to be able to look at all possible avenues for obtaining college funding. We need to be thinking scholarships and grants first, followed by maximizing our eligibility for Need Based Financial Aid. Some forms of Financial require repayment and some do not require that the money be repaid.

Several dozen extremely well endowed colleges and universities are prepared to guarantee that if you are admitted. you will be able to graduate Student debt free. You will still have to contribute the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) but after that the College or University is prepared to kick in enough Financial Aid or Work Study income to allow the student to graduate without student loans.

There are perfectly legal techniques that we can often use to increase a students eligibility for Need Based Financial aid. That is one of the services that we offer our clients.