College Planning Strategies LLC For Families With
High School Sophomores and Below

Congratulations! By starting your college planning now, you will maximize your financial aid and tax deductions while minimizing your college expenses. Your whole family will also be able to rest more easily as your children pass through their junior and senior years. The following recommendations are strategies for helping reduce the high cost of college whether it is 3 years away or 18 years away.

Becoming an Attractive Candidate
Learn how to make yourself an attractive candidate to the various colleges where you will be applying. Increasing your community appeal elevates your chances of getting into the school of your choice. This also improves your chances of receiving college grants and scholarships. Student positioning can be as important to your family's financial bottom-line as parents filling out financial aid forms correctly. Make sure you are active in community groups and extra-curricular activities.

Strong College-Prep Curriculum and GPA
Your job is to take a solid base of classes that will meet college admission requirements and to get good grades. This will ensure that you will be able to get into the school of your choice and will increase your chances of a better financial assistance package.

Explore Your Strengths and Interests
Consider getting a job or internship in a field that interests you. Take personality and skill evaluations and Interview people with interesting jobs. Develop your hobbies and talents. Start attending career and college fairs. Start a file where you collect/note all of your successes, interests, awards, community service and anything else that may be related.

Tax Savings
There are powerful tax strategies for reducing college costs that work for nearly everyone over and above the Lifetime Learning Credit, Hope Scholarship Credit and student loan interest deduction.

529 Savings Plan
You should evaluate the pros and cons of implementing a 529 savings plan or prepaid tuition programs. Determine which strategy will maximize your chances of receiving the best financial aid package.

Calculate Your College Costs and Expected Family Contribution
How much money will your family need to pay for college? Start looking at the total cost of attendance of schools that may interest your child. Also, find out your family's Estimated Family Contribution (EFC), which is how much schools will expect your family to contribute each year toward the cost of your child's education. This is crucial in developing a funding plan for your family.

Develop Cash Flow Scenarios
Many parents temporarily convert short-term debt into long-term debt and take full advantage of low interest student loans. These cash flow strategies should take full advantage of tax deductions, exemptions, credits and exclusions to lower the cost of your out-of-pocket college expenses.

Learn to Use The Rules
Learn the rules and regulations that govern financial aid and how to use them to your advantage. Investigate the best way to position yourself to receive the maximum amount of college scholarships and grants so you will have less in loans to pay back.

The sooner you start your research and the sooner you attend our FREE College Workshop, the more cost saving strategies you will have available to you and the more easily you can provide for your child's education. It is more effective and much less stressful to start planning right now. The College Planning Strategies, LLC Smart Track™ Program can help.