The Answer to 'How do I pay for this?'

Achieve your family's education goals without sacrificing your lifestyle.

Contact a Certified Specialist

What is The Affordable College Plan©?

The Affordable College Plan© looks at your economy to make sure that you’re on track to Pay-for-College. To do that, we take a unique approach to college planning by solving the “Price Tag Problem”. As a result, you will see the impact that your Current and Improved Solutions have on your lifestyle goals. The Affordable College Plan© is a Community Resource Program for all who are aiming to achieve their education goals.

The Affordable College Plan©
Strategy Overview

FAFSA - The Free Application for Federal Student Aid

Improving your FAFSA reduces your Expected Family Contribution (EFC). This is a number that determines your required out of pocket cost for college before receiving any gifting from a school. As a result, you can save thousands in out of pocket cost through your FAFSA improvement alone. For some situations, however, a FAFSA play does not always decrease your EFC. Regardless, a Certified Pay-for-College Specialist can assist you by protecting your college assets in a FAFSA friendly area. Therefore reducing FAFSA penalties and securing your ability to pay for college.

College Selection

When it comes to college selection, many families don’t consider an Out of State or Private school because of the high sticker price. By solving the “how do I pay for this” question, those schools now feel within reach. What many people don’t realize is that those high sticker priced schools often give away the most money, resulting in a lower out of pocket cost for college. Additionally, we work with students so they have an understanding of their chosen school, degree and career path. This is to make sure, above all, that the student is where they’re supposed to be. Remember, our specialists solve the Pay-for-College Problem, not just the college selection problem.

Goal Planning

In addition to solving your family’s Pay-for-College problem, The Affordable College Plan© reduces the impact on your after-college lifestyle as well. That means we take into account not only your education goals but your lifestyle plans after.

  • Want to help with a future wedding? Check.
  • Want to plan that you’ve always dreamed of? Check.
  • Want to protect your savings from market crashes? Check.

Pay-for-College Timeline & Report

Your custom Pay-for-College Timeline will show each year of paying for college and where every dollar is coming from. You will be given an overview of how you currently sit vs. what it can look like. Additionally, this report will also show you the impact on your retirement and the ability to achieve your goals until then. All of which results in giving you clarity in paying for college.

Additional Benefits

Your family’s personal economy and after-college lifestyle should not take a back seat to achieving your education goals. Our Certified Pay-for-College Specialists design your custom Pay-for-College report around your comfort level. Secondly, it will illustrate the optimal way for you to accomplish different goals at once. Lastly, your custom Pay-for-College Solution finds money that is being used inefficiently and puts them towards FAFSA tools. This results in a positive impact while paying for college and for your after-college lifestyle.

Throughout the entire process, your family will receive educational content relevant to your family’s current situation. Your Certified Pay-for-College Specialist will provide you with the newest information that you must know about the college game. This content can range from what your student should be doing today and how to plan for the future to what the college world is going to look like.

Content and reminders are sent at specific times throughout your student’s educational career. This ensures you are always on top of the process with an advocate walking alongside you.

What is the Process?

Step One

First, learn about the new rules of the college game with multiple options for learning:

Step Two

Next, schedule time with your personal Certified Pay-for-College Specialist. At this time, you may ask any further questions and put together your custom Pay-for-College Solution.

Step Three

Lastly, receive your custom Pay-for-College Report and tweak the details with your Certified Pay-for-College Specialist.

The Heartland Institute of Financial Education sponsors our custom certifications required for all Responsible College Advocates© advisors. A Certified Pay-for-College Specialist is trained through the Heartland Institute of Financial Education. They will help you achieve your education goals without sacrificing your lifestyle goals and much more:

  • FAFSA Optimization
  • Timeline Reporting
  • Ongoing and Vital Communications
  • And more!

Your Certified Pay-for-College Specialist will walk with your family throughout the entire process, never once charging you any fee!

The Affordable College Plan© Impact