Multiple 529 Plans For College Financial Planning 2021

I was recently asked a question regarding multiple 529 plans as part of college financial planning in 2021.

As a general rule, I don’t recommend parents should utilize multiple plans. However, there are occasions that call for multiple 529 plans:

  • If your children are more than a couple of years apart in age, you will most likely have different investment objectives for their college savings. You may decide that one particular 529 plan has better equity-weighted investments (suitable for a young child) while a different 529 plan is more attractive for its conservative options (suitable for an older child).
  • If you have a sense of which particular schools, or types of school, your children are likely to attend, the choice of institution may influence your selection of a 529 plan. This is especially true if your state offers a prepaid tuition plan, or if you are considering the private-college Independent 529 Plan. A few of the 529 savings plans also offer extra benefits for students attending certain schools.
  • If you’re simply not sure about your choice of 529 plan, you can hedge your bets by spreading your contributions among two or more 529 plans. You might also achieve some more diversification in your investments by doing so, at least in regard to the fund managers handling your college savings.

When shopping for a 529 plan, you should always consider your own state’s 529 plan, even if you ultimately decide to go with an out-of-state 529 plan. Special tax or other benefits may be available for using your in-state plan.

In some states, you may be able to take full advantage of a state tax deduction by enrolling just one of your children in the state’s 529 plan, giving you more freedom to search outside your state for a 529 plan for your other child. In other states, however, the full state tax benefit is obtained only when both of your children are enrolled in the in-state 529 plan.

Contact us right now for a no obligation assessment to understand if we can increase your financial aid and reduce the stress of sending your child to college.

FAFSA4caster Does Not Tell The Whole Story

FAFSA4caster

The FAFSA4caster does not tell the whole story for predicting your college financial aid.  It is useless when it comes to their bottom line.  While this is a tool provided by the Federal Student Aid and available on their website it only gives an estimate.  The  FAFSA4caster does not factor in their eligibility for institutional grants   If the student is applying to colleges that require the CSS Profile, the FAFSA this even truer.  With that in mind, they will be in receipt of financial aid awards based on different figures resulting in disappointment.

Most importantly the FAFSA4caster  does not help you interpret the FAFSA questions any better.  Keep in mind, the CSS Profile will assess more information than FAFSA. In addition, the majority of financial aid estimators on the colleges’ websites are not accurate; therefore useless.

The most important factor in maximizing your financial aid is knowing how to properly interpret the questions.  This is where you can massively increase your award by working with a trained college financial aid consultant.  If you wish a true calculation of your aid eligibility, contact one of our staff.

What you need to know about financial aid for college
News Source: charlotteobserver.com

How Much College Can You Afford?

Many factors come into play when comes to how much college tuition a family can afford.

  1. What colleges is the student applying to?
  2. What is families’ liquid asset situation like?
  3. How much was saved for college?
  4. What financial aid forms are required?
  5. Many colleges require more forms than the FAFSA. Who is completing the forms?

The bottom line here is the correct interpretation of the questions and know what information you do not have to disclose. The more mistakes made, the less aid offered. Families that utilize a trained expert in the process will historically retain more aid.  That is where College Aid Consulting Services has been assisting families for 28 years to avoid the mistakes and maximize the Financial Aid available to them.  Contact us today to learn more.

Client Testimonial

“Our “miracle” was a direct result from working with College Aid Consulting Services. Our financial planner gave us his name via several of her clients who had highly recommended him. After an exchange of information over the phone, he assured us we would see substantial savings in college costs with his help. Needless to say, we signed on the dotted line. Immediately my husband and I were impressed with Ronald’s service – always returning our calls promptly and doling out calming advice. He assisted us with college applications, financial aid forms, and other related documents. The most exciting time in this process was near the decision deadline. Even though we had received a generous financial package, our expected family contribution was higher than anticipated. With Ronald’s insistence and editing, we drafted a letter of appeal which resulted in an additional annual grant of $3,000.00! Now that the dust has settled, we realize with another daughter being a high school junior, this process will soon start up again. Knowing that Ronald will be able to guide us, makes this a worry-free experience. We could not be happier with all of his help.”

~ Dana L.

12 Tips For Parents and Students On Paying Your Way Through College

These are our 12 tips for parents and students on paying your way through college in the 2018 and 2019 school year. Every year we consult with many families, single parents and even students who want to make college more affordable. These are the things we believe without fail you need to do to reduce the cost of college.

  1. Students should always walk into the financial aid office the first day they are on campus and ask if there are any “in-house” scholarships they can apply for. Many times there are and students are not aware that they exist.
  2. Pursue outside scholarships keeping in mind that they should never pay for a scholarship service.
  3. Set up a 529 plan for your student.
  4. Whenever possible purchase used textbooks and sell them when they are finished with them. You are never going to use them again.
  5. Utilize work study on campus whenever possible.
  6. Keep credit card debt at a minimum and always pay it down on time.
  7. Choose the right meal plan.
  8. Set up a student checking account. Most of them are free. Keep organized regarding their spending habits.
  9. Get the right cell phone plan.
  10. Utilize alternative transportation such as a bike, bus or rail system.
  11. Consider being a resident advisor. Many colleges will offer free or reduce room and board. If the college is close to family or relatives the student should consider living at home which is one of the most economical ways to get an education. If money is short in the beginning, the student should consider a community college. There are now many quality 2 year programs around the US that will allow a student to transfer their credits to a four-year school.
  12. Retain a trained expert in the financial aid process. These people can save families thousands of dollars in their 4-year education.

If you wish to consult with one of our fine experts, please contact our office for a complimentary consultation. Just like a great accountant for 28 years we have been experts in financial aid. We would love to look at your FAFSA and CSS Profile and see if we can help reduce the out of pocket expense even more.

Do You Know Your College Tuition Expected Family Contribution 2018?

expected family contribution

Do you know what your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) 2018 is? Most families don’t. Did you know that there are three EFCs in the financial aid process? Most families don’t.

The EFC(s) represents the families’ ability to pay for a college education. The Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is calculated via the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) is calculated via The CSS Profile under one of two formulas. The Institutional Methodology or the Consensus Methodology depending on the college. Families need to know that the three EFCs could vary widely. Moreover, many families are not told what their EFC is under the Institutional and the Consensus Methodologies by the college(S).

If you would like our staff to calculate your true EFC(s) and learn how to increase your financial aid eligibility, please contact our office.

2018 FAFSA Filing Is Approaching, What You Need To Know

2018 FAFSA Filing

The 2018 FAFSA filing is approaching here is what you need to know. Like for the current academic year, families can file the Free Application For Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as early as Oct. 1 (instead of Jan. 1 as families have done in the past) for the upcoming 2018 -19 school year.

What you need to know: Each college will have their own deadline and will vary from school to school and some deadlines can be as early as Nov. 1 and as late as of Apr. 1. The second deadline is determined by the family’s home state. Starting Oct. 1, families can check their state’s deadline here. Some states have hard deadlines and other states have suggested deadlines to make sure you get priority consideration for college money. There’s also a group of states that offer first-come, first-served financial aid.

If you would like more information on FAFSA and how to properly file your financial aid forms, please contact our office.

Do You Know Your EFC(s)

fafsa efc
The Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) is calculated by one of two formulas. The Institutional Methodology (IM) or The Consensus Methodology (CM). Each formula have their differences in what and how they assess certain information pertaining to income, assets, and other factors. Therefore, many times a family will have a different outcome in what they will receive in their initial financial aid offer from college to college that requires the CSS Profile form. For example, one of the questions on Profile will ask for the value of the parent’s total value of their 401K, 403Bs, SEPs, and IRAs. Many colleges claim that they do not assess retirement plans. Not true. Some do, some don’t. FYI, parents do not have to disclose the value of their retirement plans. Most parents don’t know this. In addition, many colleges will have their own addendum questions on the Profile which will affect the outcome of the student’s financial aid offer. Lastly, believe it or not, some colleges will not disclose their EFC. If you would more information on this topic and others, please contact our office.

FAFSA Changes 2017-18

Starting with the high school graduating class of June 2017, the timetable and tax year associated with the FAFSA changes 2017-18. The high school class of 2017 will be eligible to file the FAFSA starting on October 1st, 2016, three months earlier than in previous years. They will use 2015 Federal income tax returns (known as Prior-Prior Year (PPY)).

Take special note there is some uncertainty for the high school class of 2017. For example, the deadlines for institutional aid may change at some colleges. Also, students may initially receive estimated financial aid packages because college costs for the coming year may not be finalized and/or because state grant data may not be available. If this is the case, the families will subsequently receive confirmed financial aid packages. In addition, financial aid is based in part on the family’s income, and if that changes during that two-year period, the family could either lose money or have to file an appeal and go through a lengthy process to retain it. Instead of streamlining it, for a small portion of people, it adds an extra step if their circumstances change. Many things can happen in a year.

One thing that parents need to know is that they have the option to utilize their 2016 tax information to file FAFSA and the CSS Profile and they should if there is less income reported compared to 2015.

If you would like more information on FAFSA Changes 2017-18 and information on how to increase your financial aid options, please contact our office.

Why Hire A College Financial Aid Consultant?

Occasionally I am asked, why do I need to hire a college financial aid consultant when I can do it on my own or get help from the high school? My answer is always the same. Yes, you can do it on your own. However, what results do you want in your attempt to obtain more free money? Average or optimum? If the bottom line is the cost for your family, you need an expert. It is common sense here. The family is left at the mercy of two people in the process, the high school guidance person (who is not an expert about anything regarding financial aid) and the college. If would like more common sense advice regarding how to approach the financial aid process and make it work for you, contact our office.

What Do Colleges Consider When Deciding Financial Aid Award For Students?

Financial aid awards have many factors that come into play at various colleges when determining how much a student will receive.

First, what is the true need of the student based on the formula(s)? There are one or two of three formulas that will come into play. You have the Federal Methodology, Institutional Methodology, and The Consensus Methodology that will determine the true need based on the information provided on the FAFSA, CSS Profile, and or the college’s own institutional form.

Second you have the academic side. Colleges will offer scholarships based on a GPA and or the ACT and SAT results. In addition, because the admission game has changed over the years, if a college appreciates the student’s abilities, talents, and background, they will be desirous for that student to be a part of their incoming freshman class and therefor will offer more gift-aid.

Then you have the leverage component. If a student was offered a magnanimous award from another school other than their first choice, they may have the opportunity (if done right) to negotiate for a better award.

If you would like more information on how to retain a better financial aid package, please contact one of our experts.

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