The Top 6 Reasons to Use a College Planner: For Parents
(1) College planners help you save money!
- College planners help your family find schools that fit within your budget
- They also help you to create a funding plan that maximizes financial aid, and helps you to pay for college in a tax-favored way.
- College planners work with your family to create a funding plan that accounts for various and changing family scenarios. We help you consider your long-term financial plan, including funding college for all of your children.
- Because college planners help students to select a career path or industry prior to applying for college, students start college knowing what they want to major in. This keeps them on a more direct path for success and saves them both time and money that they might have spent switching majors.
(2) College planners help you save time!
- Time is money. Consider the number of hours you might spend in the process of researching the college application and funding process. Every family’s puzzle pieces fit together differently. The information readily available is not tailored to your family’s unique situation. For example, you might spend hours researching a grant only to discover that your family is not eligible for it or it doesn’t meet your family’s needs. A college planner can save you time by advising you on which programs your family is eligible for and by creating the best funding plan for your family.
(3) College planners have the most up-to-date information and expertise.
- Times have changed. What it takes to get into college changes each year. A successful college applicant profile now looks vastly different from what it looked like when you applied to college. Each student is also unique and comes with different strengths and interests. College planners get to know your student and combine their up-to-date knowledge on college admissions with your student’s strengths to create a solid college plan.
(4) College planners facilitate the conversation.
- At College Planning Source, the parents who work with us often tell us that their teenagers will “listen to someone else over us.” Teenagers sometimes take advice from perfect strangers over their parents. 😉 College planners serve as a third party who your student can trust and open up to. We help to advocate for and advise your student so you don’t have to deal with unnecessary conflicts in the process. It’s your student’s last year at home before college! It can be helpful to have a third party to facilitate the conversation and keep the peace.
(5) College planners educate parents and students on their options.
- With an awareness of the variety of colleges out there and their varying costs, specialties, and environments, college planners can help families build a list of colleges which will best support each student. It’s common to hear about Ivy Leagues and other well-known institutions, but would those necessarily be the best fit for your student and for your family financially? We can help!
- College planners also educate students about their career and major options. We serve as each student’s advocate, and help them discover how their passion can meet a sustainable career. When students have a career path set before they apply for college, they can also start participating in activities related to that career path. This gives them a competitive edge in the application process, as it shows some exposure and passion for certain areas.
(6) College planners help parents have more peace of mind, too!
- While working with a college planner, you can rest assured that your student is in good hands through the college application process. You can also ensure that you are in good hands! The college application process is an important time for your student, and college planners can advise you on how best to support them through it.
