College Decision and Education
Using the College Pre-Approval™, we help families create a comprehensive college funding plan to maximize financial aid, minimize taxes, and save for a comfortable retirement at the same time.
Our goal is to help families examine their current financial situation and put together an executable college plan. It’s important to not only understand what it costs to send students to college, but also how they will pay for it. Your college plan should determine how to pay for all four years down to the penny, including student loans and their effect on your child’s monthly budget after graduation.
Families need to know how to shop for colleges that will provide them with the most financial aid based on the financial need of the family and/or the merit of the student. We recommend determining this before scheduling your college visits. After all, it's very important to set realistic goals to meet your entire family’s financial situation.
The College Pre-Approval™ Process
Step 1: Determining Available Personal Resources: Your family’s available personal resources include 529 plans, other savings, cash flow, other family help, and potential tax benefits.
Step 2: Establish a Maximum Student Loan Amount: As a rule of thumb, students should not take out more in student loans than their first-year salary will be in their chosen career upon graduation to avoid getting in over their heads.
Step 3: Shop for Schools Within the Budget: The next step is to research the net cost at different institutions and understand the role financial aid will play, whether it be needs-based or merit based.
With the College Pre-Approval™ software we can help estimate how much money they’ll receive BEFORE they even apply.
This knowledge allows families to decide which colleges are financially feasible before receiving the bill. We show families how not to be fooled by the “sticker price.” Many of the most expensive schools are also the most generous. Find out which ones apply to your student.
Regardless of your families’ financial situation we can identify the best fits for your student’s criteria that will also be the most cost-effective.
Used with permission of Capstone College Partners.