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- 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?
- 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.
