Warning About Florida's "College Countdown"

Weston, Florida, February 19, 2008 -

We're very uptight about the State of Florida-sponsored "Countdown to College," a series of college financial aid form assistance workshops throughout Florida. The promotion is designed to help parents of college-bound teens fill out the Free Application for Financial Aid (FAFSA).

Although the event seems helpful on its face, we at CollegePlanningAdvice.com advise attendees to scratch below the surface to learn the true incentive of the event sponsors.

Check out who's sponsoring these events. USA Funds - a lender! Citicorp - another lender!!!.

Correct me if I'm out of line - wouldn't it be nice for your student to go to college without borrowing money from high fee, high rate lenders? Wouldn't it be great if you didn't burden your student with deceptive, low "teaser" rate payments that, after they adjust, create late payments, non-payments, defaults and ruin your student's credit rating for the indeterminate future?

I can predict exactly what will happen at these events. Parents will fill out their FAFSA. Then, they'll push a button and learn what their Expected Family Contribution is - in other words, the dollar amount that they will be expected to pay according to the FAFSA.

It won't be pretty. This number will be several thousand dollars per year, per child.
Parents will freak out. Then, I bet you dollars to donuts that these parents will rush to apply for high fee, high rate student loans, because they will not see any alternative to borrowing for college.

And with the friendly student lenders lurking nearby, these parents are fish in a barrel.

If you are the parent of a sophomore, junior, or, in some cases, a senior, you still have time to prevent yourself from being coerced like the attendees of the "Countdown." There are better, even free ways to pay for college, if you know the "rules of the game" about how federal grants are given, and to whom.

For more information, attend one of our three, free workshops this month:

* Tuesday, February 26th, 6:15 pm - Southwest Regional Library, Pembroke Pines;
* Wednesday, February 27th, 6:15 pm: West Regional Libary, Plantation; and
* Thursday, February 28th, 8:00 pm: West Broward Family YMCA, Weston.

Details are available at:

http://collegeplanningadvice.com

The workshops are free and nothing will be sold or "pitched." (There will be no loan applications to fill out, either.)

The secret to avoiding high fee, high rate and high payment student loans is to position yourself to qualify for maximum aid by Sophomore or Junior Year. But even if your child is a Senior, there are still alternatives to student loans.

Lockwood and Ratzan co-host "The College Planning Power Hour" radio show, Sundays, 10:00-11:00 AM on ESPN Radio AM 1400, starting March 2, 2008. Their firm, CollegePlanningAdvice.com is located in Weston, Florida and helps parents "Pay for College Without Going Broke."

For more information call 954.659.1234 or "info@collegeplanningadvice.com"