December Newsletter 2014: Is College Worth It? Athletic Scholarships & More
December Newsletter 2014
It’s December!
Before taking that first winter sleigh ride, set aside some time this month to review your college financial plan. If you have a senior, it’s time to prepare for the FAFSA, which will be available in less than a month. If you have a junior, only a few weeks remain to clean up your finances and make the 2015 “base” year look as good as possible.
The new “Ivory Tower” documentary addressing the higher education crisis is out now and well worth watching. This month’s Featured Find is written by Andrew Rossi, the documentary film maker. He shares statistics that argue college is worth the cost despite the heavily publicized–and perhaps blown out of proportion–student loan debt situation. As quoted from Anthony Carnevale of the Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce, “The only thing worse than going to college is not going to college.”
Is your student’s college goal set, and they live and breathe school sports? This month’s Senior Scoop is specially tailored for them. We map out key steps for your athlete to target sports-oriented scholarships and point out fantastic resources.
We are excited to announce that Westface College Planningis growing. We have moved upstairs to a new, bigger office suite in the same building at 990 Industrial Rd. Give us a call to schedule a meeting or sign up for a workshop to take your next step on the path to creating a clear college funding plan.
Thank you for your business and referrals in 2014.
Happy Holidays!
Beatrice Schultz, CFP®
Westface College Planning
College Funding Specialist
650-587-1559
Featured Find: More College Debt May Not Be a PLUS for Parents
“The Department of Education will soon loosen the credit standards for parents looking to borrow to pay for college under the parent PLUS loan program.
The new rules will be published next month and will go into effect for the next school year.
Although this may look like a great solution for those struggling with tuition payments, some serious problems could arise, especially for students at historically black colleges. Before cheering the news, families and the government should be aware of the implications of the changes.The PLUS loan is a federal loan families can use to finance as much as the entire cost of college at an interest rate of 7.21 percent.”
Upcoming “Tackling the Runaway Costs of College” Workshops & Webinars
Most parents are not financially prepared to enter the most expensive time period of their lives: covering their child’s college education.
Our 1-hour workshops provide steps you can take right now to assure you understand the cost of attendance and how you can afford college without jeopardizing your retirement.
-
Tuesday, January 13th 2015
7pm – 8pm
Senior Scoop: How to Score an Athletic Scholarship
Seniors: Do you love nothing more than to strap on your athletic uniform and practice your favorite sport?
Do you think you might have a shot at an athletic scholarship? If so, it’s extremely important to do your research. Here are some general tips to find out if an athletic scholarship is right for you:
Start early. The National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) eligibility rules begin with 9th grade. Become familiar with the NCAA’s eligibility center and make sure you maintain your eligibility (if you haven’t already throughout high school).
Be realistic. In reality, only about 2 percent of teen athletes receive full or partial athletic scholarships, and the NCAA dictates how many scholarships a school can hand out.
Although the competition at a Division II institution might appear easier, NCAA rules set the number of scholarships even lower than Division I schools. Also, some sports offer better chances than others . Who are the athletes with the best chance of getting a scholarship? You might be surprised that it’s women rowers.
Continue reading Senior Scoop here.
College Smart Radio: Tackling the Runaway Costs of College
Curious what College Smart Radio covers? In this podcast, we dissected the inner-workings of financial aid with an official advisor from Georgia’s Albany State University.
Don’t miss out on this great information! Thanks for listening!
Advice & Insight
Connect With Us For The Latest News!
Are you following Westface College Planning online? If not, here are just a few things you missed:
Did you know Freshman typically gain more aid than their upperclassmen? See why on our Facebook page.
Learn how a new college grad generated $66,000 (without a degree!) on my LinkedIn Page.
Our Twitter page. forewarns degree-seekers of short-term degree options. They’re wrought with problems–both obvious and underneath the surface!
Our Google+ page highlights research proving grads in the tech field earn significantly higher salaries than non-grads.
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or connect with me on LinkedIn so you don’t miss any additional updates!
About Westface College Planning
If you are a typical parent with college bound students, you’re probably overwhelmed by all the research necessary to help your sons and daughters make the right choices and prevent overpaying for their education.
You are not alone!
Get the facts. Educate yourself to potentially save tens of thousands of dollars on a single college education. Parents of more than one child heading to college in the next few years, can save even more.
At Westface College Planning we work with families to help you plan for and navigate the “paying for college” process. We teach you how to minimize your out-of-pocket expenses, maximize financial aid eligibility, understand the best way to navigate through the college selection process and prioritize your sources of college funds to protect your life savings!
Sign up for a free workshop or webinar or call to schedule a complimentary college funding consultation today.
More information at westfacecollegeplanning.com.
Click here to reserve a spot on our newsletter mailing list.
You’ll receive our monthly newsletter updating you about imperative college finance information…
Directly to your e-mail!
Ready for your own success story?
If you’re a typical parent with college-bound students, you’re probably overwhelmed. You want to help your sons and daughters make the right choices and prevent overpaying for their education. You’re not alone! We’re here to help. Schedule your free consultation today – click below to get started!
Catch our free, on-demand webinar:
How to Survive Paying for College
Join Beatrice Schultz, CFP® for our on-demand webinar, where she provides parents with the exact steps that often greatly lower the cost of college, even if there’s little time to prepare.