by Tom O'Hare | Feb 2, 2024 | College Planning, Financial Aid
By now, you have read or heard the U.S. Department of Education’s financial aid ship has suffered another setback.
This year’s financial aid process, already suffering from delays, confusion, and heightened anxiety for students, parents, guardians, and schools, has been hit with another blow.
This week, the U.S. Department of Education announced that they are again delaying the delivery of critical results for ALL completed and filed FAFSAs to ALL schools until mid-March. Initially planned for tomorrow, an error was discovered two weeks ago, affecting the methodology used to calculate eligibility for need-based aid. Reprogramming is needed. The error would jeopardize millions of applicants’ eligibility for institutional, government, and private scholarships if not corrected.
The delay will hamper the ability of Financial Aid Offices to deliver Award Letters to prospective incoming students and families. Award letters are critical to evaluating tuition assistance and your ability to calculate the school’s net cost in the final race to be the right fit. Returning college students are less affected as their information is sent later in the Spring.
What to do while you wait?
- Continue to monitor the status of your Admission Application Requests.
- Please log into your college portals and follow up on information from the Admissions and Financial Aid Office.
- Use the Comparison Spreadsheet provided to track and monitor the net cost of a school based on tuition assistance received to date.
- Attend Accepted Student Day Programs. A day set aside for you and everyone in the family to evaluate a school’s offerings, experience the campus, and meet faculty, coaches, and advisors before making a final decision in mid-April.
- Do not fall prey to scammers promising to help you figure out how to beat the system, increase your eligibility, or get an answer quicker. Call Me.
- Keep the hunt on for private scholarships – time invested = funds awarded
- The Elephant in the Room: The Annual Deposit Day to secure a set in the Fall Freshman class is May 1st (or earlier). Due to all the delays, a school may extend this date to help families make their final selection.
- UPDATE: Monday – February 5th – Reports are coming out that some schools are moving their deposit date to June 1 – As you narrow your list and await word on eligibility for need-based financial check with your schools to determine there specific date!!
You have all worked very hard to reach this point. Be patient with yourself, each other, and the Financial Aid community. They are just as stressed during this time.
If you have questions, need to relieve some stress, and, most importantly, share insights if needed as you make your final “right fit” choice, reach out!!
Tom
Article Updated on February 5th
by Tom O'Hare | Jan 24, 2024 | College Planning, College Readiness, Financial Aid, Uncategorized
As soon as the ball dropped and we entered 2024, the wheels of motion went into action to begin the annual performance review process. Human Resource Departments working with Department Heads, Managers, and employees across organizations hailed the end of another year with an eye on the new—a time to assess the successes and shortcomings at multiple levels: organization, department, and workforce.
A good review process can be a very effective exercise for all involved. It helps identify an employee’s strengths and weaknesses during the year and map out key performance indicators for the new year. Employees use the time to run their “how am I doing” checklist with an eye on a possible promotion, salary increase, and incentives to retain valuable talent.
What if there is nothing to offer? How will an organization retain its key performing employees? What happens when health, dental, 401 matching, free coffee, gym, and parking incentives don’t work? The fear of losing employees, not to mention struggling to recruit, becomes very real.
What to do?
The SECURE 2.0 ACT has created a new opportunity for employers to meet the emotional and financial need-pain point of each employee facing the economic challenges of the rising cost of college and education debt. Young recent graduates, parents of high school and college-age students, and those who pursue life-long learning all experience stress and worry about managing their financial well-being. Saving, planning, funding college, upskilling, managing educational debt, and budgeting for life’s needs create stress and anxiety, often resulting in questionable financial decisions.
Employer programs offering education enrichment, guidance, and financial support can cure many employee pains. Here are four benefit programs every employer and member-driven organization should consider offering.
- Allocate education assistance benefits to tuition reimbursement or pay down education debt.
- Shift the employer matching contribution of a 401(k) and 403(b) to a pay-down payment.
- College planning assistance through dedicated 1-1 advising and counseling programs or subscription-based e-learning portals.
- Access to education debt advisors to assist with program clarity, mediation, and guidance.
Offering programs through an organization’s EAP Program, managed by Human Resources and delivered by industry experts, sends a message of commitment to a workforce and, in return, is rewarded by a motivated and loyal workforce.
Consider adding a college planning resources to your EAP. Pivotal College Years is an online college planning portal for students, parents, and recent graduates. The portal is a single source of information before, during, and after college. Valuable resources are available through the online College Planning Portal, Workable College Planning Workbook, and our YouTube Channel, all of which provide support and guidance throughout a family’s college planning journey. Learn how you can bring this valuable resource to your organization.
by Tom O'Hare | Dec 21, 2023 | College Planning, College Readiness, In-School Persistence
The first semester of the new college school year is in the books. Finals are over, grades will be posted, and for many students, they will learn how their transition to college life is progressing. It’s time for the Christmas break!
Christmas is a beautiful time. It is a time for family and friends to gather and celebrate the holiday spirit. For new first-year college students, the break is a vital time to relax, refuel, and re-energize. For many, this first significant break is a time to question their college path and whether they will be successful.
For parents, the Christmas break is their first time to be with their student for any extended time since move-in day. There are many questions to explore regarding a student’s new college experience. College academics, study demands, roommates, and social life are just a few pressing thoughts a parent has about their new college freshman.
Parents, too, are excited to see their students. As the dad myself (four), I have arrived on campus anxious to learn everything, only to be greeted by a month’s worth of laundry and an exhausted human being. Thoughts of talking to my daughter or son about classes, professors, clubs, and social activities on the ride home turned to silence as they slept, and I stressed!
Students returning home during this extended break bring a variety of emotions and excitement with them. Minds are full of accomplishments, good times, names of new friends, and thoughts about next semester.
Pause the Questions
Challenging courses, issues with fitting in, food selection, and other concerns can affect students. Even the slightest negative feeling of not being the best can create anxiety. Understanding how to approach the conversation is a challenge for any parent.
Parents instead need to restrain the impulse to press for details and turn on their good listening skills. Yes, the instinct is to inquire and even push for information. Your students react like they have entered the jury box and are about to go through an inquest.
Instead, resist the temptation, listen, take mental notes, and watch for behavioral changes. Celebrate the holiday. There will be time to open up the conversation. Students who are struggling want to talk; it’s just a matter of timing!
6 ways to avoid conflicts with your returning college student.– Psychology Today
After They Recharge
You will find that once a student has had a chance to recharge their battery with food and sleep and a few phone calls to catch up with their close high school friends, the signal will flash that it is time for the conversation. How you begin will be critical to the outcome. You may have covered the topics during Thanksgiving, but things may still be happening. Ask open-ended questions, not those that allow for a yes or no answer.
- What new professor or class are you finding interesting?
- Tell me about a new classmate that you have met.
- How is the food in the dining hall? How does it compare to my cooking?
- What interesting clubs have you checked out?
- What course gave you the hardest time?
- What has changed since Thanksgiving?
From their reactions, you should have a line on whether you should dig deeper. If the combination of your observations and conversation leads you to believe there might be some more concern, superficial or severe, then it’s time. If needed, plan a second time to talk and reassure them that whatever the turn of the page offers, they have 100% support and that things will be OK.
Returning To Campus
Students returning to campus typically bring clean laundry, snacks, and forgotten items from when they initially moved in. As they return, it is also important for students to understand that they have resources to help overcome obstacles BUT thy need to be their own personal advocate – Resources if needed:
- A visit to the Academic Support Center to seek out help with overcoming a drop-in grade, help with time management or writing skills.
- Resident Life to manage dorm room and roommate concerns**
- The Dining Hall Manager discuss dietary needs
- Visit Student Life and Student Affairs to search out Clubs, Organizations, and even a part-time job.
- Important tips and ideas to support your 1st year student home for the holidays.
** Dorm Room concerns that may require a request for a room transfer or new roommate should be handles during the break!
Parents, your role is to tether the line a wee bit to allow your students to take the lead to empower themselves. However, if a concern requires your assistance, don’t wait. Coaching and guiding your students through an issue whiling monitoring a positive outcome is critical.
Finally, a lot of parents express concern about “never hearing from my student”. Before a student returns to campus work out a plan on when to connect. Reassure your student your not looking to invade their new level of maturity, but you want to hear how things are going. Whether texting or call figure our frequency and time. Peace of mind to all.
When May rolls along, and your student has returned after having a successful year, all you’ll need to ask is, where are you working this summer
Foot Note: The average withdrawal rate of 1st year students has risen by 8.1% to 28.1% nationally with over 43% of all students who start never finishings. Academic readiness, ability to pay college costs and social/emotional wellbeing of a student are the three most common reason why student leave. Keeping an open dialog, using resources and staying ahead of concerns can keep a student progressing to their end goal – a degree. .
UDATED 11/21/2025
by Tom O'Hare | Dec 19, 2023 | College Admissions, College Planning, Financial Aid, Uncategorized
Celebrate the New Year by completing and filing the Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) – Gradually!
Every student and family who has already applied to enroll and is still considering or will be returning in September of 2024 must complete the application to receive need-based financial aid.
Whether it is a four-year public or private school, community college, or an accredited skills-based institution, filing the FAFSA Application is critical to awarding financial aid by any of the over 4000 eligible institutions.
However, the application, historically available on October 1, was delayed until December 31, 2023. The US Department of Education has been working to complete initiatives targeting efforts to simplify questions, improve the communication link between the IRS and the Department of Education, and increased eligibility for the Federal Pell Grants Program.
Other changes include:
- Eliminating the multiple student-in-college discount
- Introduction of new terminology: calculated results will be known as the Student Aid Index (SAI), and parent(s) a contributor
- In the case of divorced and separated families in the past, the parent responsible for completing the application was the person the student lived with 51% of the time during the year. Beginning with the 2024-2025 FAFSA, the determining factor will be the parent who provides the student with the greatest financial support, regardless of living arrangements.
- There will be an increase in the income protection allowance, elimination of annual retirement contributions, and many untax income criteria.
- Students can send completed results to up to 20 colleges and universities simultaneously.
While students and parents await the opening of the FAFSA window, each should register and obtain their FSA ID and password. It’s the golden ticket to launching the application and e-signing at the end. Once received, save it in a secure location, as it will be needed to complete annual FAFSAs and access the studentaid.gov website.
One final note: The 2024-2025 FAFSA will be rolling out on December 31, 2023, describing it as a soft launch. The US Department of Education recognizes families’ urgency but raises cautionary concerns that the system may experience delays and minor bugs. DOE will not send FAFSA results to colleges and universities until the end of January, and they are encouraging families not to rush to complete the application once the window opens.
Every student and family who has already applied is still considering or will be returning in September of 2024, regardless of income, needs to complete the application to receive need-based financial aid or discuss extenuating circumstances that may prevent a student from attending a post-secondary institution.
Go to wwww.studentaid.gov to learn more about registering for your FSA ID and more information on completing the FAFSA.
by Tom O'Hare | Nov 24, 2023 | College Planning
Need help with how to finance your education after high school? Check out the many game changing options available to residents of Massachusetts.
4-Year Public Institution – apply to and receive an acceptance to attend any of the 4 UMASS Universities or 16 State Universities and pay in-state tuition, fees, and housing.
Mass Transfer Program – begin and complete an associate’s degree at any of the 15 Community Colleges and be eligible for reduced tuition and fees when transferring to obtain your four-year degree at one of the state’s 20 public colleges and universities.
Community College – enroll at any of the 15 colleges to boost your academic profile and obtain additional credentials or the business skills to help run your business.
MassReconnect – individuals 25+ a chance to start or complete a degree or gain valuable credentials at a reduced cost when enrolling in one of the 15 community colleges across the state.- learn more
MassGrant – valuable financial aid awarded to eligible MA residents enrolled full-time (12 credits) at any approved public, private, certificate, associate, or bachelor degree-granting institutions in Massachusetts. Awards may vary based on a student/family’s demonstrated need calculated when completing and filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Mass Grant Plus – financial aid awarded to eligible MA residents enrolled full-time (12 credits) OR part-time at a public college or university offering a certificate, associate, or bachelor degree-granting program. Awards may vary based on a student/family’s demonstrated need calculated when completing and filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
MassGrant Plus Extension –the program provides free tuition and fees to MA residents who qualify under the Federal Pell Grant Program. The MassGrant Plus Extension program will now cover a student/family’s demonstrated need, the Student Aid Index (SAI). Provisions of the program also include a $1200 award for books and supplies. The program does not cover housing or living expenses.
In addition, middle-income students enrolled full-time (12 credits) with family incomes from $73,000 to $100,000 will now be eligible for reduced out-of-pocket tuition and fees to 50%.
To qualify for many of these valuable resources, students and their families MUST complete and file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA Application will be available on December 31, 2023. Download the 2024-2025 Financial Aid Checklist today to take steps to be ready to file FSAFA!!
High School Completers – under the guidelines of the MA “High School Completers” Program, eligible non-US citizens and undocumented students can receive in-state tuition rates and MA state financial aid benefits. Eligible students must complete the Student Application and Affidavit Form and the MA Student Financial Aid (MASFA) Form. Student who are covered under this benefit are not eligible for traditional need-based financial aid from the US Department of Education.
These programs are game changers for students and families residing in Massachusetts. Regardless of education path and career, every student and family should investigate the wealth of resources available here in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, including scholarships, financial aid, and tuition assistance. Learn More
These programs are game changers for students and families residing in Massachusetts. Regardless of education path and career, every student and family should investigate the wealth of resources, including Scholarships, financial aid, and tuition assistance available here in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Learn More
Individuals and families in other states should check with the agency overseeing Higher Education or Post-Secondary tuition assistance, scholarships, and financial aid resources. Many states have similar programs for their residents.
Have a questions on how to make a higher education work for you.. call. Were here to help you navigate the funding, finding, apply and enrolling!
Article Updated 1.11.2024
by Tom O'Hare | Nov 24, 2023 | College Planning, College Readiness, Uncategorized
Originally published 2021 – Revised 2023
What Lies Ahead After High School?
Many high school students, parents, and young adults ponder this question. What direction should I take? Follow everyone or go on a different path? Finding the right one can be the key to future financial and personal success. Thankfully, there are many choices.
Attending College right out of high school has historically been the path everyone has been encouraged to follow. The Higher Education Act of 1965 was a catalyst in moving a country to adopt the mindset. The expansion of student financial aid programming, the strengthening of veterans’ benefits, and the greater need for professional workers all came with the signature of President Johnson.
In 2023, new approaches to education and careers after high school are available. Today, conversations are shifting to embrace the needs of individuals and workforce needs. Affordability in higher education, gaps in our skilled workforce, and the critical importance of supporting young minds who need a pause after twelve years are just a few of the pressing reasons.
Beginning as early as middle school, we must shift the narrative to the importance of introducing to young minds different roles, jobs, and professions for Today and Tomorrow. Parents must be encouraged to develop their students’ authentic educational and personal abilities and stop chasing prestige and vanity. Educators and thought leaders need to step back from the buzz of STEM and STEAM, which often forces students into boxes and fuels the competitiveness of higher education. Local, statewide, and national government leaders need to re-evaluate funding allocation. Businesses that generate enormous profits at the risk of students’ mental well-being need to recalibrate their so-called mission. Let’s celebrate lifelong learning as a catalyst for social and economic success.
Which Path Will Be Yours?
High school to 4-year College – yes, continuing the traditional route designed by our educational system is the path for 80% of a graduating class. Students work in high school, developing a range of academic proficiency and personal character to be ready. Meeting the demands of this path can be challenging, emotional, and competitive. For 20% who feel the social need to follow the herd, ultimately leaving after their first semester or year, we must proactively support and encourage different paths.
Technical to Skilled – students enrolled are traditionally on a skilled or specialized/ trade career path. Currently, qualified professionals are aging out of the workforce, so where will the next plumber, electrician, HVAC, and others come from to cover continued consumer and business demands? The absence of trained, skilled professionals will slow the economy and increase service costs. Apprenticeships and certification programs after high school allow individuals to pursue their interests to secure financially and personally successful careers.
Associates to Bachelors offers students who aspire to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree but need time to hit their academic and personal stride can succeed through a 2+2 program. Beginning at a community college can boost a student’s academic and personal readiness and provide a very affordable path to a four-year degree. Students start at Community College full-time and transfer to a four-year public or private institution upon completion.
Work, Earn, and Learn for many individuals allows them to pause, enter the workforce, earn a little, and get a feel for the future. The delay can be to start their career and pursue a college degree, associate, or bachelor’s degree. Joining a business and transitioning one’s technical and interpersonal skills can be a perfect way to benefit from employer-based tuition assistance programs.
Military is for a select group of men or women willing to commit to serving their country in one of the many branches of the Armed Services. This calling sometimes begins as a member of the JROTC program via a military academy or post-high school. Individuals select from various Military Occupational Specialties (MOS), including communications, technology, cyber security, defense, engineering, infantry, and special operations.
A Gap Year today is no longer the idea of pack backing nationwide. Students who take a break can pursue volunteerism, job training, internships, or externships to explore and gain from different learning experiences. These include programs like Year Up and the Gloucester Biotechnology Academy.
Exploring and analyzing the various paths should be guided by an individual’s education to a career plan. A plan that considers all life-long learning opportunities now and in the future, financially affordable and unique to a student and their family.
As the parents of four, each who took a different path, I understand how emotional and daunting advising one’s student can be. guiding and advising our children can be. Have questions, need to compare notes, schedule a time to talk.
