It is January, so you know what that means. We are now approaching a stressful time for most high school seniors: college acceptance season. As students sit home and wait for their email to buzz or the postman to deliver a large package (not a small envelope—they never want the small envelope from a college), they relish, “Did I do everything right? Were my SAT scores high enough? Did I participate in the right clubs? Did my essay adequately convey my humble, yet confident, yet extroverted personality?” Well, we’re here to tell you to breathe. It will be okay. The college admission process has developed a lot over the past ten years, and more and more families stress whether or not their children will be…
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This is the One Question I Always Get Asked at Workshops
When I am presenting workshops several times a month, there are several commonly asked questions parents tend to have. What I like to do from time to time is have a Q & A at my workshops regarding the most pressing concerns. Over the past few months (October-November) I have met with many families with children in middle school. The most common question that parents ask is this: “When is the best time to start the college planning process?” I have seen a common trend of parents starting this process earlier and earlier; so what is the best answer to this question and why is it so important? The answer is simple: START. RIGHT NOW….
Holiday Discount BIGGER Than BLACK FRIDAY or CYBER MONDAY!
Happy Holidays from our family to yours. I wanted to discuss the biggest, most valuable deal you can get for your student. Most families are still getting over the big deals from Black Friday and Cyber Monday, but let me point out an even greater deal – saving $144,000 on college. Most families get excited when they find a “doorbuster” Black Friday special on their new TV, but I get excited when I save families $21,000+ per year on college! There are 5 simple steps to receiving a discount on college: Working right – good grades, high SAT/ACT scores, extra-curricular activities, sports, etc. Preparation and planning (starting in 9th grade) Research to find the “best…
Free $50 Gift Card!
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College Planning with Major the Lion
Post by College Planning Experts.
New Scholarship for Families Who Make Up To $150,000
Parents, here’s an interesting fact: in the past 10 years UC schools have increased over 190%, CSU’s have increased by 145% and some private schools have skyrocketed up to $70,000 per year. So, parents if you have a college bound student or a student in college already, then this article is just for you. The Middle Class Scholarship is a new program starting this academic school year giving undergraduate students a scholarship for attending a University of California or California State University. This scholarship can range from $2,189 to $4,877. Isn’t this something to celebrate about? All families qualify for some type of financial aid; you just have to know how. The Middle Class Scholarship (MCS) will lower tuition at UC and CSU colleges by…
Summer Workshop: Learn how to get FREE money for college
After speaking at hundreds of universities and high schools across the nation and helping thousands of families, I believe that there are 10 core mistakes largely responsible for why most families NEVER receive the FREE money that’s available to them. One of the biggest challenges parents face is not taking the time to understand the current college system. So, what are the 10 core mistakes most parents make while going through the financial aid process? Assuming that they won’t be eligible for financial aid because they own a home or make over $40,000 per year. Focusing their time and energy searching for private scholarships instead of spending their time learning how to qualify for “need-based” or merit financial aid. Assuming only minority students, athletes, and…
2014 Student Loans Continue to Rise, Should You Be Worried?
Students who plan on taking out government loans could pay nearly $2,000 more starting July 1st. Just yesterday Congress set the new interest rate for federal student loans at 4.66% starting this fall. The students who are most affected by this change will be the incoming 2014-2015 students, as well as current freshmen in college. What does this mean for students who plan on taking out loans? The interest on student loans can increase by nearly $2,000 over the life of the loan. The new rate of 4.66% was established and announced by Congress just this week on Wednesday, May 7. This increase, although important, isn’t the only area of concern parents should be aware of. In 2014 the national student loan debt exceeded 1.2 Trillion…
More Scholarships and Grants, Less Loans
I want to congratulate all high school seniors on all of their hard work during school. Just a couple weeks left until graduation and the start of their next chapter begins! Now it’s time to save on the cost of college and pay for it without sacrificing all of your life savings or retirement funds. This is the time of year when most parents of high school seniors are filled with mixed emotions. Some are great, some are exciting, and others a bit nervous or anxious. Sending your child off to college is an extremely delicate subject especially when deciding on the best way to pay for college – one of the most talked about subjects. As the prices of college tuition may scare you, always remember in today’s economy their is a…
How To Negotiate The Best Deal On A College Education For Your Child
When you went to purchase or lease your car – did you accept the first offer they made you, or did you look at their price as a “starting point” for negotiation? What about when you bought your home? Did you purchase it at list price, or did you muster up all of your negotiating skills to try to get the seller to come down in price? So why is college any different? Even the cheapest state schools today will cost you about $10,000 between tuition, fees, books, room and board, and miscellaneous expenses. A private university can easily cost you $40,000 per year and up. Now multiply those amounts by 4 years. And that doesn’t even include graduate school (God forbid!). A college education…
