This week we covered:

• News that the Department of Ed. may be hedging their bets on the on-time release of next year’s FAFSA, which normally comes out on October 1, but could be as late January 1, 2024.
• New Feature: The College Money Report now requires parents to provide a phone number in order to receive their report, so you have another method for contacting them to discuss their results.
• We also had a few CAP members join us to talk about challenges and pitfalls they’re experiencing with clients this time of year, and how to navigate them:
• Chuck Bates of Houston, TX shared about the pressure colleges put on families to commit to their school using manufactured urgency around student housing, and how to manage this stressor with clients.
• Chuck also shared about a simple data entry mistake one of his clients made on the FAFSA, and how correcting it brought their EFC from over $700k down closer to $30k, and how to manage these types of errors.
• Chuck, Melisa Mieyr, and Jennifer Hartman talked about the challenges of submitted FAFSAs not reaching schools and getting lost in the ether. They described their approach to staying on top of these clerical issues and how to make sure they don’t adversely impact your clients.
• Last but not least: Don’t forget to join us on Thursday, February 23rd at noon ET for a webinar on SECURE Act 2.0 and other tax changes and opportunities for college planning, presented by our very own Dave Bowman, CFP®, CCFC. Register here, even if you can’t attend live, and we’ll send you the recording!

Here are some useful resources to check out this week:

• Education Department Hints at Possible Delay of FAFSA
• Why College Engagement Matters More Than Selectivity – This article was shared by Chuck Bates as a resource he sends to clients when helping them understand what makes a college valuable, especially if their student doesn’t get into the most “prestigious” school(s) on their list. Thanks, Chuck!

• Register Here  to join us for the next 1-to-Many Implementation call on 2/22/23.
• And don’t forget to follow us on YouTube to see all of the videos we’re putting out on timely topics for the college planning process