How to Pay for College: A complete financial plan for funding your child's education
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Description
Providing your children with a good education is one of the best gifts you can give. But it’s not straightforward. Education costs and student loan debt are skyrocketing. In some cases, college costs upwards of $300,000 for four years. And calculations for financial aid and merit awards are complex and opaque. How do you find the best education options that fit your budget and are absolutely right for your child? And how do you save for your kids’ college without wrecking your own retirement, or putting your other goals completely out of reach? Ann Garcia―known as The College Financial Lady―is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and college finance expert, and is here to help. In How to Pay for College, Ann shows you how to develop a financial plan for college that really works, including: How to save and how much to save. How to find good college choices that fit your budget. How to get scholarships and tax benefits. How to talk to your kids about the costs and benefits of going to college. Plus invaluable information and inside tricks to help you crack the college financial challenge. Detailed explanations of the key elements in planning for college―the FAFSA’s methodology, merit awards, 529 plans, AP credits, student loans, financial aid awards, budgeting, and more―are paired with worksheets and exercises to give you a full picture of your family’s college financial position. This definitive guide gives you everything you need to give your children the best education possible, at a price you can all afford. Read more
Publisher : Harriman House
Publication date : July 19, 2022
Language : English
Print length : 254 pages
ISBN-10 : 0857199293
ISBN-13 : 94
Item Weight : 13.6 ounces
Dimensions : 6.15 x 0.6 x 9.1 inches
Best Sellers Rank: #534,980 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #34 in College & University Financial Aid (Books) #57 in College & Education Costs #660 in Parenting & Family Reference
#34 in College & University Financial Aid (Books):
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Top Amazon Reviews
Format: Kindle
Ann Garcia has written a comprehensive, yet highly readable, guide to paying those massive college tuition bills. But this is definitely *not* a dry how-to paint-by-numbers drill. She anchors her guide around her very personal experience sending her own kids to a). an elite private college; and b). an out-of-state State University. She's surprisingly open and vulnerable about her decision-making. This makes her writing both straightforward AND compelling. I've sent my six children to six different colleges: private, public, in-state, out-of-state, regional, religious, etc. I WISH I had this guide 20 years ago, we would be ... well, I haven't calculated how much our family would have saved, but it's a lot. Did I say comprehensive? Check out the Table of Contents: 1. Why College? 2. What Does College Cost? 3. Developing a Plan 4. The FAFSA and CSS Profie (ugh! this chapter is worth the price right here) 5. College Savings Strategies 6. Different Scholarships 7. Student Athletes (personal hint: contact coaches when the child is in 10th grade) 8. Student Loans 9. Other Sources of Money 10. Your College Budget 11. Researching Colleges 12. Application Strategies (alone is worth the price) 13. Reviewing (and negotiating) Financial Aid packages 14. Developing a Cash Flow Plan (or, how to actually *pay* the colleges) There are tons of nittt-gritty details, like whether it's best to pay the college directly from a 529 or reimburse yourself or something else (hint: it's not what you'd expect). Or the details of the mysterious "Expected Family Contribution" formula in the FAFSA. Or where to find a scholarship for playing video games. Really! Not kidding! Ann really cracks the code. I really felt like I had Colonel Sanders' secret recipe. She also has ways to initiate the awkward conversations with your kids about how to pay for all of this. And she fills the book with worksheets. Lots of them. My only regret in buying the Kindle version is the Kindle worksheets aren't as easy to access -- an issue with my Oasis, not the book. But the worksheets and spreadsheets are available on her website, so it's all good. After reading her book twice, I've started giving copies to friends, family, and anyone who has kids of just about any age. Like another reviewer notes: just get it. It's the most affordable way to save tens of thousands of dollars you'll ever find!
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Reviewed in the United States on March 20, 2023 Reviewed in the United States on March 20, 2023 by Douglas Tengdin
Format: Paperback
This book is an outstanding resource for anyone navigating the college planning process. The way each topic is organized makes even the most complicated parts feel approachable and easy to understand. It’s written in a way that’s helpful for families who want need bearing and help understanding how This book gives you insider knowledge into how colleges think and make decisions so you can prepare and explore opportunities. I also appreciate how it takes a step back and challenges families to reflect on the importance of college itself—not just how to pay for it—and encourages families to explore their own values and affinities based on their unique situation and students' personality. This book empowers families to identify potential advantages and better prepare for this major milestone. Highly recommended for both professionals and families looking to make smart, informed college decisions!
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Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2026 by Holly R.
Format: Paperback
This is a must-read for anyone planning to send a kid to college or financial advisors working with clients who plan to send a kid to college. The book reads like a conversation with Ann, sharing strategies for how to pay for college with personal stories that bring the material to life. It is complete with worksheets that you can access online and complete with family members. My only regret is that I didn't purchase and read this book sooner. Updates for this book with recent federal law changes are in the works.
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Reviewed in the United States on August 6, 2025 by Kindle Customer
Format: Paperback
First things first: this is a tool that absolutely belongs in your toolkit as you research the college selection and financing process. It's on a short list with Ron Lieber's book, Jeff Selingo's work, and probably others I'm either forgetting or haven't gotten around to reading yet. I discovered the author on a podcast that I found to be very informationally dense, in a good way. She delivered a ton of knowledge in an hour, which is very useful when there is so. much. content. out there related to college selection and financing. My only real criticism is that she relies so heavily on her experiences from going through the process with her own kids that I found myself wondering if most of the rest of us would have the same experience. It would seem that a financial planner who 1) surely has been through this process with numerous clients over the years, and 2) has developed herself into an expert on college financing, ought to be able to lean on a lot more than personal experience when writing a book like this. A book that relies so heavily on one's personal experience demands, in my opinion, more transparency about that person's situation than is provided in this book. Having said that, the author generously provides spreadsheets to help you navigate your own process, so there should be no mystery as to where you and your family stand financially. I haven't spent a great deal of time with those yet, but I suspect they may be the most valuable thing I gain from this book.
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Reviewed in the United States on October 29, 2024 by Busted Stuff
Format: Paperback
"How to Pay for College" is an incredibly engaging and often humorous look at the daunting task of funding a college education. Ann Garcia combines meticulous research with dry wit, making this book an unexpectedly delightful read on a subject that often strikes fear into the hearts of parents everywhere. The advice is practical and useful. Ann lays out detailed strategies and timelines for families at all income levels and with kids of all ages. Her insights are invaluable whether you're just starting to think about college funding or have a tuition bill arriving next semester. Helpful worksheets help organize and simplify the various subjects. Financial planners will also find sound guidance throughout, as Ann deftly covers complex topics like financial aid formulas, tax implications, and long-term education investment accounts. Her expertise shines through on every page, demystifying the often opaque rules around grants, loans, and other funding sources. "How to Pay for College" is the ideal overview for anyone feeling overwhelmed by the staggering costs of higher education (though it doesn't have to be, and often won't be, as the book describes). Through plenty of real-world examples and step-by-step action plans, Ann transforms an anxiety-inducing subject into a manageable, and even entertaining, challenge. An indispensable resource.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2024 by J. Smith
Format: Paperback
Yes, selecting a college is complicated and figuring out how to pay for it can be daunting. But the author successfully breaks things down into smaller steps that make things seem much more manageable. The book covers conversations to have with your kid to help set realistic expectations, tips & tools for researching colleges, the best ways to pay for college (and pitfalls to avoid), practical applications strategies, and much more. I like how the chapters are relatively short and easy to read— it made all of the useful information more digestible for me. For several years I have been a volunteer helping high school kids through the college selection process at our local high school, and it can be hard to find useful resources. I like that this book covers a lot of of practical information without being too thick and overwhelming. I have already have book marked several sections with info I think will be helpful to share. I expect this will be one of my go-to resources as I guide kids & will be recommending it as a resource for parents. Whether your kid is in elementary school, a middle schooler or starting the college application process now, you will find tips in this book that are worthwhile to you.
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Reviewed in the United States on August 22, 2022 by Jonathan Epstein
Format: Kindle
This book piqued my interest because my oldest will be starting high school in the fall, and this upcoming transition has me thinking about the next transition—higher education! I appreciated the practical advice in this book, and I loved how Garcia used experiences from her own life (about getting her twins off to college), research-based data, and her knowledge as a financial planner to explain this complex topic. She offered a breakdown of how to pay for college over a broad swath of years and included tips for saving and investing for those with children of all ages (literally from infancy through high school). The book also included information on how to apply for college in addition to how to pay for it and tips on how to select the right school for your child and finances.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 26, 2025 by Silver Family
Format: Paperback
I can't say enough great things about "How to Pay for College." It's wonderful how Ann Garcia weaves professional wisdom as a long-time Certified Financial Planner and personal experience into the college planning process. As a fellow financial planner, I can attest that this book isn't fluff or a sales pitch. I got a copy for myself (as a parent of a high school sophomore) and then passed it along to a client whose daughter is entering college this fall. Such a helpful resource!
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Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2025 by Deb Meyer