There's more to picking a college or university. And what's overlooked is probably more important than what people tend to focus on.

1. College Search DIY
Submitted by Larry Frank Sr. on Fri, 10/17/2014 - 12:00pm
A college search is a journey of discovery for your kids. Hiring a private
college counselor deprives them of that, and costs you money that should
go toward education savings. Work with your child using this do-it-yourself
guide on finding an ideal college.
Many private counseling services claim they can save you money and find
the right school for your student. I’m always a skeptic primarily because
the journey of exploring options and making decision is a valuable lesson
that can last a lifetime. Besides, the counseling firm often looks at the
same resources you have access to.
Having gone through this with two of my own children, and being on the
inside as a financial planner, I suggest you skip hiring a counselor and
save yourself the fees and probably other hidden commissions.
There are two search phases, in order of priority: career search and
college search. Start in the junior year of high school, or even the
freshman year.
Career search phase. This comes first, if your students are not sure
about what they are interested in. It is common. How would they know
what kind of jobs and careers are out there? They’re only teens, with
scant life experiences.
One great resource to help students see what types of jobs may fit their
interests and personalities is the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude
Battery test (no obligation to the military is involved in taking it).
The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook is
another useful government site. Your children can get detailed information
about a job such as wages, work environment and how to get training.
College search phase. Plenty of online resources exist to help your
student find colleges with programs in their area of interest. The College

2. Board, which administers the SATs, has one. Once you narrow down the
schools, you can contact their regional college representatives. Each
admissions office often has someone nearby, usually a graduate, who
can give you insights and suggestions about that college.
Determine what’s affordable. Use the College Affordability and
Transparency Center to get a better idea of what tuition and fees are.
You can also go directly to a college’s website and type “cost of
attendance” in the search box.
Talk with the career counselors at your youngster’s high school
during freshman year. The counselors can tell you what qualifications
different schools require, such as types of classes your student should
take in high school to have a competitive application. Don’t wait until the
last year to attend the programs your high school career counseling
center have.
Find all you need to know about Free Application for Federal Student Aid
(FAFSA) at Student Aid. Before each January, use the FAFSA4caster to
estimate their eligibility for student aid for the next school year. There are
proper ways to maximize aid eligibility.
Try Googling for scholarships, many for ethnicities (often as little as one-eighth)
and academic study. The National Merit Program offers many
scholarships for good Preliminary SAT (PSAT) scores. Most colleges
have their own scholarships and grants, too.
The process of college search is important for the students. Private
consulting services do not add much value to what they should do as a
part of soul searching endeavors. Use free resources already available
to you, and save your money for what you really need it for – tuition.
Follow AdviceIQ on Twitter at @adviceiq.
Larry R. Frank Sr., CFP, is a Registered Investment Adviser (California)
in Roseville, Calif. He is the author of the book, Wealth Odyssey. He has
an MBA with a finance concentration and B.S. cum laude in physics with
which he views the world of money dynamically. He has peer-reviewed
research published in the Journal of Financial Planning.
http://blog.betterfinancialeducation.com/.
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3. Topic:
College Funding
Costs
Scholarships