<p>I really sympathize with your brother's situation. I don't know about whether he needs a financial planner. The only thing that I wanted to add is that you mentioned that he owns his own business. I am not sure of the impact of that in dollars, but many schools ask for a business/farm supplement. We had to fill this out. It is an additional form for those that own their farms or businesses. The schools want to know the value of his business. I don't think that it has near the impact that other assets (ie:home equity) would have, but I am not sure about that.</p>
<p>Also, don't discount merit aid possibilities with a 3.0. I don't know whether knocking, say, 7500 off a 38000 bill would put a significant dent into the bill, but it is possible to get that grant. You might look for schools that offer $$ for doing community service, if she has done any of that. You could get 7500 in merit $$ based on community service.</p>