This week, we have a guest discussing how to prepare for and pay less for college; Dr. Rebecca Sandidge, Vice President for Enrollment Management at Oglethorpe University, joins and shares her perspective and knowledge from an expert in college admissions and enrollment. Rebecca shares how to maximize your aid across various buckets of money available to college students and their parents. We discuss the alphabet soup of federal loans and grants and explain FAFSA, EFC, and SAI. Rebecca also explains the discount rate at private universities, which was 56% in 2022-2023. She wraps up by sharing how parents and kids can mentally and financially prepare for the college admissions process mentally and financially, and what parents vs. students should focus on to divide the labor. We discuss the ROI of investing in SAT or ACT test prep, how early to get started, if the cost of college is negotiable, and more!
Show References:
- Gafutures.org
- Fastweb.com
- Oglethorpe University’s Flagship 50 program
- Your high school college counselor at your child’s school
- Public library and librarians