• Colorado College is choosing not to participate in the US News college rankings going forward, as they feel it doesn’t align with their values as an institution. This further highlights the lack of real value in these rankings systems and the need for a better way to assess the value a school provides, while also considering the cost. –WSJ article HERE or Higher ED Dive article HERE
• The Biden administration’s student-loan forgiveness plan is currently in a phase of both sides making arguments to the court as to the standing of the lawsuit holding that program up. If the suit is allowed to proceed, the focus will be on whether the Department of Ed. has the authority to make decisions with such sweeping consequences.
• How to assess the likelihood the colleges you’re discussing with clients will actually admit and accept their students in the first place.Using the Advanced Search function to finds affordable schools and scholarships.
• What is the Student Aid Report (SAR), what’s in it, where does it come from, and why should we care?
• Our merit Transparency Report and why a school’s transparency with regard to how they award merit scholarships is important.
• Review of how to use the How to Pay functionality in CAP.
• Modeling what-if cases to show the impact of changes to income and assets.
• How other real estate and business interests impact a family’s financial aid eligibility.

Recommended Reading:

• Our Merit Transparency White Paper: Link HERE
• Our Journal of Financial Planning cover story from 1/2021 on the impact of COVID on the financial health of colleges and other considerations for college planning in a pandemic: Link HERE

•  1-to-many Implementation call on 3/8/23 –Register Here
• Make sure to follow us on Youtube to see all of the videos we’re putting out on timely topics for the college planning process