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The G&M Group
61-17 190th Street
Suite 204
Fresh Meadows, NY 11365
(718) 454-3644
info@thegandmgroup.com
| Great News For Parents Of College-Bound Students |
The G&M Group is one of the leading college financial counseling services in the New York metropolitan area. We know as a parent of a college-bound student, and you're probably wondering how in the world you are going to pay for it! You have every right to be concerned since the average cost of a 4-year college education today is between $40,000 and $200,000. If you're like most folks, you'll probably end up mortgaging your house to the hilt, or spending your entire life's savings to muster up enough money to send your child to college, or even worse, if you don't have a lot of home equity or money in the bank, you'll end up sending your child to the least expensive school rather than the best college they can get into. Either way, you'll probably end up feeling guilty, frustrated, and angry when you have to tell your child the truth - "I just can't afford to send you to the college of your choice, you'll have to settle for a state university or local community college." What if I told you that, in most cases, you don't have to make these painful decisions. . . By attending one of our free workshops you will discover how to beat the high cost of college. We know that this sounds too good to be true, but it really is possible! In fact, many families discover they can send their child to an expensive private university for less than the cost of a state college! |
SOPHOMORES - What You Should Be Doing Now...
Let’s keep it simple this month - Keep studying! The other thing you can be doing is volunteer – it’s a great way to identify your interests and develop skills.
JUNIORS - What You Should Be Doing Now
Now is the time to prepare a preliminary list of colleges to investigate and possibly attend. Look for qualities ranging from academics to dorm life. Also, be prepared to identify what’s important to you – a specific degree program, a big city or small town campus, a college that’s close to home or far away, an atmosphere that’s culturally diverse, a school with special recognition, etc… You’ll want to visit with your guidance counselor to discuss the list of colleges and see what insight they can give you about the schools on your list. Write to the colleges you’re interested in and ask for catalogues, community activity information, and special financial aid options that the school offers. You’ll want to register for the March SAT as well as look into purchasing a SAT prep guidebook and/or considering a prep course.
Important Side Note For Parents: If you're looking to reposition assets for your college planning strategies, doing so by the end of this calendar year could be extremely beneficial (seeing that the strategies would be in force prior to your"base income" year beginning). Check with your College Funding Advisor and they will be able to walk you through what needs to be done.
SENIORS - What You Should Be Doing Now...
The FAFSA should ideally be completed this month (and by February 15th at latest) – even though you will not have your updated tax information for another month or two. By submitting the FAFSA early with estimated numbers, the schools can now send you a preliminary offer. By waiting until April, you may lose out on financial aid funds from the colleges. You'll want to go onto the colleges websites and download any additional financial aid forms that the individual schools require and forward them to us. Also, do not wait until you are accepted for admission to complete tax returns and financial aid forms. We cannot stress that this needs to get done sooner than later. Also, grades still matter!!!
*If you are looking at making any changes to your finances for the purposes of college funding, you should do so PRIOR to the end of this year (before the FAFSA is completed).
C o l l e g e T i p s
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Top 10 College Lists: Most "Die Hard" Sports Fans 1. University of Georgia College Funding Tip of the Week TIP OF THE WEEK – March 24th, 2008 Honors Courses: The student should try and take as many honors or AP courses as possible throughout high school. Most colleges will find a student with slightly lower grades in a lot of AP classes much more desirable than a student with higher grades with a very easy workload. Hope you found our “Tip of the Week” to be informative and helpful. Until next week… Your Friends At The College Planning Network PS. As always, if you have any questions on how you're going to pay the upcoming astronomical costs of college, please do not hesitate to contact your College Funding Advisor. They can walk you through several different payment options to help determine the right one for you.
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