<p>I have been contacted by "College Made Simple" a division of College Planning Network. This company features Scott Weingold and states they are willing to do a free consultation to see if they can help figure out all the financial aid issues. They claim there are people they can help (obviously for a fee) and others they can't. Some of their info makes sense. Anyone ever worked with them or heard about them. Any feedback would be appreciated.</p>
<p>Here you go:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/812856-college-planning-network.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/812856-college-planning-network.html</a></p>
<p>What did they say that “made sense”?</p>
<p>They explained the different types of loans and how they work; they suggest making sure we consider picking some schools where my son will be in the top of the applicant pool because he is most likely to get the best financial offer from such schools; they explained the value of filing the FAFSA application as early as possible – using estimates initially – so that his application is considered early when the financial aid office still has money to work with; and to make sure the FAFSA is correct as incorrect information will cause a delay in consideraton of his application. They claim to know legal and ethical ways to reduce one’s EFC. They mention the tax benefit of using equity in your home vs. regular loans. And they will refund their fee if they aren’t able to improve your financial aid situation (although I don’t know what their end product is measured against).</p>
<p>They also claim that filing for ED will not produce the best financial aid offer as the school knows the applicant is fairly well locked in. </p>
<p>So any of this wrong? Do schools really limit FA offers to ED applicants and/or are they more willing to consider appeals during RD?</p>
<p>Everything you’ve mentioned is something that I’ve learned about by reading the Financial Aid and Parents forums here on CC. Either that, or the “How to Pay For College Without Going Broke” book. The CPN advisor may be more convenient, but they won’t offer you any more information than what you can get through self-education. Before you sign up, try reading the book, looking through the Financial Aid forum, and posting a few descriptive questions if you’re not able to find answers to a specific question like how to reduce your EFC. </p>
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<p>Sort of. If all of your child’s applications are RD and/or EA, you’ll be able to compare aid offers from different schools. Sometimes the top choice school is less generous than a lower choice, and the student opts for the more generous school because they’ve shown that they really WANT that student. With ED, you won’t be able to do that kind of comparison. The FA offer you get during ED might be the same offer that the ED school would make if the student applied RD, but during ED you have no way of knowing that a better offer from an entirely different school is lurking out there somewhere. </p>
<p>Also, you can be released from ED if the offered aid package doesn’t make the school affordable. Schools don’t want to admit an ED applicant and then have them skitter away because the aid offer is insufficient. On the other hand, “affordable” here is defined by the school, and not by you the parent. Some schools are more generous than others. Many have estimators that give you an idea of how much aid you’ll be offered, and how much in grants, loans, and/or work study. There would be no point in applying ED to a school which you know going in will not award enough money.</p>
<p>My feeling is that about 99% of people, with assistance as needed by posting on this forum, can figure out the FAFSA on their own. It’s honestly not that hard of a form, and I wouldn’t recommend paying anyone anything near $300 to “help” you with it. It might not be a scam, but you can get most of the information that I read in your first post by looking at the FAFSA form itself! And the rest of it can be found just by making a thread and asking right here, or by just googling the word “FAFSA”.</p>
<p>I have heard college financial planning presentations that seemed to promise way too much and courted unethical behavior if not outright endorsing it; I have also heard presentations that gave good advice and would help some people and if I fell into that category I would not hesitate to consult them (much like the accountant that does my taxes every year).</p>
<p>I would look for other individuals working in this field, use the free consultation offered and then make a decision. I know professionals in this field that have received glowing reviews from families they’ve worked with in my area but some of the loudest voices out there (positioning themselves to look like the saviors of college finances) definitely rub me the wrong way.</p>
<p>It’s also true the information is out there - just like tax forms or researching stock purchases etc. - but for some people the time constraint won’t make that approach the most effective if an affordable, ethical option for professional help exists.</p>
<p>I am curious if there was any follow up with these College Planning Network folks. I am being asked to join a video conference to give advice on financial aid for my daughter who is a year and a half away from starting college. I am just doing some research on this company, and wondering if anyone had any further experiences with them? </p>
<p>I know this is my first post, but I’m not a marketer. I am just starting this process for my daughter, and found this site/forum while checking out this company. So hi everyone. What you’ve already posted here has been helpful.</p>
<p>I did the “video conference”, which was a prerecorded presentation and then the free phone consultation. It seems good except for the $3000 price tag and the $30/mo for 4 years. I’m in the same boat as you and I would certainly like experienced professional assistance but not sure what the exact value is personally. I’m in the process of figuring this all out!</p>
<p>We just completed our ‘video conference’ with CPN last evening… and faced with the over 3,000 price tag… I started researching a little more. That led me to College Confidential… and these forums which I knew nothing about. Is it possible that I could save the money and get the information through this website? Or is it truly worth the cost.</p>
<p>mracollege, starting to read College Confidential is initially very intimidating. There’s a tremendous amount of knowledge with lots of unfamiliar abbreviations and acronyms and arguments (and alliteration 
). But you will be more than rewarded if you keep on reading and asking questions here. Save your money, and use the free and knowledgeable resource.</p>
<p>This is my first experience using college confidential and besides being overwhelmed as to where to look for information here, I have also participated in the free webinar with college planning network and the free phone conference. I am now completely overwhelmed as to what to do next. Do I continue to research for further free information for finding schools, FAFSA, SAT/ACT, and what the colleges will provide based on need, etc. HELP please, my daughter is completing her sophomore year in HS and I know I need to start, but where. Is CPN the way to go, $2600 plus $30/mo?</p>
<p>Save your money, you will need it! </p>
<p>Websites such as Collegeboard, Petersons, Princeton Review, Collegedata, are most helpful as are many books in the “Education” section of big box stores. </p>
<p>There are many helpful long time posters here on College Confidential who can help you out, probably give better advice than your son/daughter’s guidance counselor. </p>
<p>“Paying For College without Going Broke” Princeton Review, Kal Chany, buy it !
Get the 2010 Edition and the 2011 Edition if possible. The 2011 Edition has dropped the calculations for your EFC (Expected Family Contribution) for the Institutional Methodology (IM) which many private schools use. Be an educated consumer, know how the financial aid formulas work: Federal Methodology (FM) and the IM. Keep buying the book as long as you have children going to college! :)</p>
<p>I found college confidential right when my daughter was applying to college. I wish I had found it sooner, I’ve learned a lot of things I needed to know after the fact. $3000 sounds like a lot although compared to the cost of college it isn’t that much. Why don’t you try these boards for awhile. At some point you’ll either feel like you’re learning enough on your own or you’ll still feel like you need the services of a professional.</p>
<p>As other posters have said above “SAVE YOUR MONEY!” Just read CC, the book, Paying for college…" and talk, if you can, to people you know who have kids in college already (sometimes they are not that forthcoming) and you will be fine. $3000 is an insane amount of money to spend for information that is readily available for FREE or the price of a few books.</p>
<p>Personally, I learned a TON about applying for fin aid, planning ahead and FAFSA reading this forum and Paying for College… Good Luck!</p>
<p>It may be worth it. It all depends on whether or not you want to do any research yourself. If you are willing to do the research, then you can save a lot of money. Read here - every day and you will end up more knowledgeable that your child’s guidance counselor. </p>
<p>However, if you prefer to have a professional do the work for you and you’d like to consult with that person, then the fee will be worth it to you.</p>
<p>Thank you everyone for all your help. I will try doing my own research. I have on my order list at Amazon, Paying for college w/out going broke plus a variety of other books concerning financial aid, writing essays for applications, college, scholarships, $66.00 dollars much more affordable. Will start there and the forums here and we should be able to get a handle on this. Hopefully as I learn I can provide information.</p>
<p>your local library system may have these books as well</p>
<p>viewed the online college made simple, college planning network last night. it sounds good. this is our first go around. our daughter will be a first generation college bound. people say to make your efc as low as possible, but they dont say how. our daughter was accepted to her number one college, an out of state college, and the tuition is very high. i have no idea what to do next. what loans are good or bad to get, our efc is pretty high, although I dont know how. we did the fasfa, the specific financial aide packages with awards shown wont come out until may. if we cant afford to send her there then she will have to go instate and start at the end of june. i did like hearing that they can help you lower the tuition you would have to pay to be cheaper then a private college, but not sure how. and dont know the cost of their help. advise please!!!</p>
<p>These things are great if the price were, say $300 instead of $3000. For something that is that expensive, it’s better to put the money towards the cost of college and buy a book and start reading. Get on the board here and ask questions. </p>
<p>Mary, in your case, your daughter is already accepted to a college. You say you don’t know what the package is yet. That concerns me. You should have gotten some preliminary information by now.</p>
<p>If your EFC is “pretty high”, you are not going to be eligible for the PELL grant which is the only pure money that EFC can guarantee. Your student will qualify for $5500 in Stafford loans in her own name. The rest is completely up to the college and your state. </p>
<p>Call up the schools where she has been accepted and get some estimate of aid that she might get. What colleges are involved? What is your EFC? How much are you able to afford?</p>
<p>This is my first post and I am just starting this process for my Son and daughter, and
I am curious if anyone has had any further experiences with college planning network? Is it worth investing $3,000 if they can save me thousands as they said they would?</p>