Are you freaking out about college tuition? 

Wondering how to pay for college without losing your home or your retirement?

For many of us just thinking about it brings up feelings of dread and inadequacy. Perhaps downright denial as the cost of college tuition keeps spiraling upward at an ever increasing rate.

Folks, rather than bury your head in the sand, it’s time to get pro-active and take a look at where you stand and how to optimize your financial situation – whatever it is – to get the most out of the college financial application process.

And while I’m an expert on navigating K-12 public school options, I’m still learning when it comes to financial planning towards college. That’s why I went to SmartTrack College Funding to work with the experts, who reviewed my financial picture and set me straight.

For instance, here’s a little shocker I learned.

Did you know that the generous savings account your grandparents set up for your kids and fund every year will actually be factored into your Expected Family Contribution (EFC – the amount you will be asked to pay for tuition based on your entire financial picture) at 20%, but if it was held in YOUR name it will only be factored at 5%?*

(Oops, sorry kids. Your account is MINE now!)

That’s just one of the many things I learned after working with my SmartTrack College Funding Coach, who helped me know which assets to move around and where, in order to minimize the sting of what colleges will expect me to hand over to them for tuition.

*Caveat: Before you start moving money around, you really need to check in with your SmartTrack College Funding Coach for the best strategies that work for your particular financial situation. To get started with your FREE assessment, use this special link.

I can hear you now, “But it’s WAAAAYYYYY too early to be thinking about that stuff, I mean, I just got my kid into middle school. We don’t even know where he’s going to high school, let alone college!!”

Folks, the prep time comes earlier than you think. (Are you listening my middle school families?)

So I sat down with Cyndi Menegaz of SmartTrack and had a little chat about all of this college financial planning intel. She’s got a lot of great info and a special deal for my GoMamaGuide families. Take a look:

Video Link: https://youtu.be/6-iK2GAmetM

Don’t despair, get prepared. Get SmartTrack.

They’ll help you figure out:

• How to pay for college
• How to pay LESS for college (yes!)
• How to maximize merit and financial aid

Don’t pay “retail” tuition. Learn how to mitigate red flags in your financial profile and lower your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) tuition calculation. Get help with your FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). Utilize SmartTrack’s online suite of college funding tools and handy resources, and work with a personalized SmartTrack College Funding Coach who will walk you through the financial process to save you money.

Schedule your FREE 15 min call! 818-552-0800 and mention GoMamaGuide.

To get started, sign in to your FREE SmartTrack account at:

https://collegefundingkit.com/gomama

**Specifically targeted for my 8th-10th grade families, but it’s never too early to prepare. Call for your FREE assessment today. 

Guys, your kids will be doing SAT/ACT test prep, they’ll be doing college essay prep, and parents if you’re smart, you’ll be going to SmartTrack to do financial prep.

Or, you could skip this step and just hand over all your hard-earned $$$$ to tuition!