College Planning Services

Helping you give your children the education they deserve.

College Planning booklet [PDF]

College Planning is one of the most popular benefits provided to association members. The College Planning Division pays close attention to the needs and desires of each student and customizes a personal planner for each student. Features that are available for college students of any age include:

1. •A Personal Planner filled with important information.
   

2. •Review of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), to determine accuracy and thoroughness.
   

3. •A scholarship search, utilizing a rapid on-line service to determine all the scholarships that your student matches, for possible awards.
   

4. •The College/Career Exploration will assist the student in deciding on the appropriate college, based on specific needs and desires of the student.
   

5. •Assistance in locating grants and loans.
   

6. •An 800 number Hot Line that accesses a financial aid counselor.
   

7. •A conditional loan commitment to provide loans for up to the cost of education.
   

If you are like most parents, you see a college education in your children’s future. One of the most precious gifts you can give your children is the opportunity to attend college and receive the training and higher education that they will need to succeed in the high pressure world we live in. The ever increasing costs associated with attending college, and the idea of being able to afford it, makes college a seemingly unattainable dream. Knowing that a college education is so important, you continue to envision that eventuality.

Through research, you can determine what needs to be done. Why do you need a college planning service when there is nothing involved that you can’t do for yourself? Why use a college planning service when you read about scams in the media? Certainly, there are problem programs, but the media doesn’t tell you the entire story. You need to check it out.

It is true that you can complete this entire process yourself. The catch is, will you do it? Do you have the resources at hand to research the answers to all your questions? Do you have the expertise to understand and assimilate all the information that is available to you? More importantly, do you have the time required to accomplish these things in a timely manner, in order to meet deadlines? If the answer to all these questions is yes, then you need read no further. However, if you answer no, or if you are not sure, then you should continue.

The College Planning Division was established to provide assistance to association members in all areas of the college planning experience. Utilizing life insurance with a death benefit to insure that money will be there to allow a student to finish college, a cash accumulation vehicle to let money grow for future use and the College Planning Division to provide needed assistance is clearly a valuable asset.

Another reason for using the college planning services is the quality of the loans. It is true that loans are available from many lenders. But they do not all offer the extra borrower benefits that come with the loans available through associated lenders. First, there is a one-quarter percent interest reduction made when the loan is paid through an automatic deduction program. After 48 months, the interest rate is reduced by two percent for the remainder of the loan. These benefits represent a significant savings over the life of the loan. They are not available on loans from all lenders, or any Direct Loans. We do not make loans or promise loans on behalf of the lender.

We are happy to be in the position to help parents and students achieve their educational goals. A college education is one of the most valuable assets available today. It is definitely best to allow an expert to assist you in your effort to achieve it for your children’s future.