Financial Aid is a complex topic and a huge concern to families. Our service helps to demystify this process and is a critical part of the college selection process. We try to put financial aid at the forefront of the planning process by explaining the variety of financial aid options. Once the family situation has been determined, we are able to use that information to find the “Best Fit” college financially as well as academically. This eliminates many surprises to the families when the financial aid award letters are delivered in the spring.
In addition to explaining how financial aid works, we use a 6 step process to help families find the path to the most affordable college.
Step 1: Establish how much can you afford to pay. Through a series of activities, we determine a realistic number.
Step 2: Calculate your Expected Family Contribution (EFC). By calculating an estimated EFC, we can determine the minimum amount the colleges will expect you to pay.
Step 3: Evaluate the student’s “Merit-Worthiness”. By determining if your student is in the top 25% of the applicant pool for each college, we can determine if he/she should be eligible for merit scholarships.
Step 4: Determine the student’s financial aid category. Once we know what type of financial aid a student may be eligible for (Financial Aid Category) we can determine what strategies a family can use to get the most financial aid.
Step 5: Build a realistic college list with affordability in mind. Through research, we construct a list of 6-10 schools that meet academic, social, and financial needs.
Step 6: Make the final college choice. Once the student receives admission and award letters, we help families evaluate the awards and determine which college is the best choice, keeping affordability in mind.
Scholarships: We also provide information about need-based, merit-based and private scholarships.
Financial Aid topics include:
- Merit Based aid vs Need Based aid
- Federal and State Grants
- Institutional Scholarships
- Private Scholarships
- Parent and Student Loans
- *FAFSA vs CSS Profile
- Gift Aid vs Self Help Aid
- Cost of Attendance (COA) Components
For Scholarship search websites, visit our Resources page.
(*We guide you through the process, but we do not fill out the FAFSA or the CSS Profile for the family)
