<p>Does anyone have any experience using a College Planning company. They suggest that for a hefty fee, they can significantly reduce the expected family contribution (EFC).</p>
<p>I’m not sure about that company but there are things you can do. The problem is that they needed to be done atleast 2 years before you start this process.
Go to finaid.com and there is a section on making change to legally lower your EFC. One example is IF you need a car, pay cash, then the money doesn’t show up on the FAFSA form.</p>
<p>I do not want to toot my own horn,but I can help for free. Look up some of my posts so far. My daughter will make it thru grad school and owe about what you would pay for a decent used car. Even her loans have subsidized interest rates.
Just relentless searching on the internet is what did it for us.</p>
<p>Good question. I have been researching them now. They promise alot and its worth it if they can deliver. I’m just leary of anything that sounds too good to be true. Did you find out anything? As far as I can tell, they are a network of financial people trying to crave out a niche. I can’t find anything bad!</p>
<p>Agree with splatt11, finaid is a great site with LEGAL ways to lower your EFC. It’s really not rocket science, there are a few basic concepts based on how FAFSA and the Profile assess your finances. And yes, if your kid is currently a sr, his fr year FA will be based on 2009, so there’s nothing anyone can do about it at this time.</p>
<p>OP: Ask them if they ever sell life insurance policies. If they do, run.</p>
<p>Or look at it this way: Professionals who charge an hourly fee for their services know that they must provide you with results on a continuing basis in order to keep your business. This outfit is going to charge you a flat fee up front, without telling you what exactly they’re going to do. Ask if you can get a refund if you don’t like their plan once they reveal it. If they have a no-refund policy, run. Then go get yourself a copy of The Princeton Review’s “Paying for College Without Going Broke.”</p>