In our recent post, California Conundrum, we shared some bad news: there are more graduating high school seniors in California each year than seats in the freshman classes of all 9 UC undergraduate campuses and all 23 California State University campuses COMBINED. Sadly (and frustratingly) for those of us who have been paying property … Read more
College cost is a complicated issue. Because cost is directly related to each family’s financial situation, it may be difficult to figure out what you’ll be paying for your child’s college education. In this first of a three-part series about college cost, financial aid, and merit aid, we’ve curated the most accurate resources to … Read more
College financial aid is complicated, and merit aid is one of the most misunderstood components. As we discussed in the first part of this series, some colleges give merit aid, and some do not. In this second of a three-part series about paying for college, financial aid and merit aid, I interviewed college financial … Read more
This is the final of our three-part series on paying for college, college financial aid, and merit aid. In this video podcast, Certified Financial Planner Aaron Kirsch interviewed me about college ROI – the return on investment of going to college, and more specifically, choosing a higher cost college over a lower cost alternative. … Read more
We’ve posted longer articles about college financial aid, but in this post, I just want to cover a few quick points: There are 2 kinds of financial aid: NEED-BASED aid and MERIT-BASED aid. Need-based aid is based on a government formula that will determine how much you can afford, based on your income and … Read more
When parents call us with questions about their child’s college application process, they usually have a handful of reach schools on their list – or sometimes more than a handful. They usually search for “the best” colleges, or “the top” programs their child is interested in pursuing. But the best way to create a college … Read more
The cost of college is a little bit like the cost of airplane seats – everyone pays a different price for pretty much the same experience. But unlike airplane seats, college cost isn’t based on when you buy it; it’s based on a variety of other factors. And it’s better for you to start your … Read more
For many families, the stress of paying for college has increased the anxiety level for the entire, already-stressful process. Helping parents navigate this part of the maze has become an ever-more important role for those of us who guide families through the college search and application experience. There’s a flood of information about there … Read more
College financial aid can be intimidating. We hope this post will give you some resources to get started, whether you have a current high school senior, or a younger student. If you have a high schooler who’s NOT a senior, start here: watch both videos, click all the links and download all of the resources … Read more
It’s mid-October, verging on late October (where exactly is that dividing line?). You’re looking for things to do to avoid working on your college apps, aren’t you? It’s really just the essays, right? Well there are lots of other ways you can be moving the ball forward as deadlines approach. Here are some suggestions: SEVEN … Read more