Financial Aid

“The world is full of people who have never, since childhood, met an open doorway with an open mind.”  ― E.B. White

Like most parents, we’re stressing about how to help our son get into college and then how we’re going to pay for it— but there is hope on both fronts.

Last night I attended an informative seminar on college financial aid at the Beacon School, where my son is a junior.

Cryptic acronyms like COA, FAFSA and SEOG were decoded;  tips for finding scholarships were divulged (check a school’s endowment and what percentage of that endowment underwrites scholarships);  and tactics for your savings were shared (move assets from your child’s name).

But the big takeaway for me was that seeming chestnut: Go for your dream.   Approach that doorway with an open mind.

One financial aid advisor recounted a great student whose parents tried to dissuade her from applying to a top echelon college solely because its costs– more than double the state school—far exceeded their ability to pay. She insisted on applying to, and was accepted at, both schools. Here’s what’s interesting: The elite private college offered her a much larger scholarship than the state school did, so it cost her parents less money to send her to the elite school.

As part of my lifelong commitment to leveling the playing field, FAMILY TRIBUTE FILM offers “scholarships” on college application videos for need-based students. We will gladly offer reduced fees, providing that the student’s high school corroborates the family’s financial need.

Read how a college application video can be an important part of helping your child stand out in college admissions. CLICK: What

Please contact me to discuss the possibilities.

917.447.1285

RichardBKaplan@verizon.net