Episode 9: Supporting Students & Families with FAFSA Completion
Join us as we talk with Julie Shields-Rutyna, the Director of College Planning, Education, and Training at the Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority (MEFA). Julie brings her expertise to talk with College UnMazed about how counselors have dive deeper into the planning, saving, and paying for college for their students and families they serve.
Episode 8: Award Letters Insights for Informed Financial Decisions with TuitionFit
Join us as we talk with Dr. Mark Salisbury, CEO and founder of TuitionFit, to discuss the issues families face around determining the real cost of college prior to students applying and receiving award letters. The TuitionFit program helps families find real pricing information to make more confident, informed decisions when they need it. This was a very informative review of financial aid and scholarship award letters and how to help families navigate the system!
Episode 7: Tuition Exchange Programs & Paying for College
Join us as we talk with Jonathan Gowin from the NE Board of Higher Education about tuition exchange programs that enables thousands of students to enroll at out-of-state public colleges and universities at a discounted tuition rate. This program, and others like it, save families millions of dollars in tuition savings every year, with an average tuition break of $8,600.
Episode 6: Diving into Cost of Attendance versus Net Price: Helping Families Understand the True Cost of College
Join us as we discuss the real cost of college. While 91% of families believe higher education is an investment in a student’s future, only 52% of families say they have a plan on to pay for college. On top of that, the research from Dr. Lapan and Dr. Poynton showed that 60% are scared off by college’s sticker prices and simply won’t apply. Thus, it is important as practitioners to deepen the conversation between cost of attendance versus net price.