Interview 139: Jonathan Hughes and Julie Shields-Rutyna on “Mefa.org”

  • Jonathan Hughes and Julie Shields give their backstory
  • Jonathan shares who MEFA is
  • Julie shares the timeline for applying for financial aid
  • Julie answers why financial aid offers do not always come simultaneously with admission decisions.
  • Julie answers why aid awards vary so much from school to school
  • Jonathan answers the question, what should students be looking for when they get an aid award?
  • Julie explains why some colleges package students with a Parent PLUS loan. She also explains what a Parent PLUS loan is.
  • Jonathan talks about MEFA’s cost calculator
  • Julie talks about the health insurance requirement
  • Jonathan talks about meaningful conversations students and parents need to have
  • Julie talks about when you appeal and how you appeal for more money
  • Julie talks about how to appeal, dos and don’ts of appealing for more money
  • Jonathan, how do families know what loans to borrow?
Jonathan Hughes and Julie Shields-Rutyna
  • Julie and Jonathan answer the question, how much loan debt should a student take on?
  • Julie talks about whether a student should use home equity or a home equity line of credit to pay for college
  • Julie also takes on the question of whether a parent should use retirement money
  • Jonathan answers how parents should allocate college savings all at once or divide them over four years.

You can also listen on Episode 316, Episode 318, and Episode 320