Our services are available online, by phone, or in person!

Why college planning? Because each family not proactive about its financial readiness for college risks serious damage to its financial future.

Enlightened College Planning helps families avoid the most common and costly mistakes in college planning. We provide little-known financial strategies for saving you money, strategies that maximize your financial aid eligibility and gift aid, and minimize total expenses. Our planning strategies are achievable and relevant to your specific circumstances. We make college more affordable for parents and students by:

• Guiding you on the steps to take NOW to lower the cost of college.
• Helping the student to make the best career and college major choices through a unique process of school selection.
• Helping you understand the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and how your family’s EFC (Expected Family Contribution) will impact financial aid and college affordability.
• Helping you to maximize gift aid and scholarships.

We build on the valuable services offered by school counselors and youth advisors. Parents and students need specific information on how to lower their out-of-pocket expenses for college. Our strategies are based on approaches with a proven track record for helping families minimize the cost of a college education.

Our introduction, a private workshop, and a private follow-up consultation are free of charge. These will include many of the following items.

We Provide:

• Career Suitability and College Major Assessment

Through a combination of personality and work-style tests, we help students choose the most suitable career and major even before enrolling in college. These assessments reduce the uncertainties facing most students as they begin college. They also lower costs by reducing time required to graduate and can facilitate the transition from college to job after graduation.

• Getting Ready for College and the College Application Process

We guide students through the steps of high school coursework, aptitude tests, and record-keeping that promote their successful college applications. We also help them through the many deadlines and steps involved in the application process.

• The "Aid Eligibility Comparison Report," which:

Shows the factors determining your college costs
Displays the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) for each college you consider
Gives accurate cost-of-attendance estimates for your specific colleges
Allows us to make a realistic projection of the impact on future financial goals.

• The "What-if Analysis," which

Indicates how proposed financial changes might affect your aid eligibility

• The "College Overview Reports"

This report for each college provides admission requirements, basis for selection, admissions procedures, freshman class profile, student body characteristics, and all the information needed for comparing college costs, determining financial aid, and other measures key to making the right decisions for the student’s and parents' financial future.

• The College Visit Scoring System

How do I evaluate the various colleges?

We have a system that can be used to score EVERY college visit based on the most important information to use in comparing schools.

• Planning for Retirement—Plan now or Later?

What will the parents’ finances look like at retirement? 
How much from retirement savings can the parents commit to College Expenses without risking retirement income? 
Are there better options than the ones you are currently considering?

Parents and students will be advised on strategies that could maximize their dollars by minimizing financial inefficiencies.  They learn how much easier it is to avoid the losses than it is to pick the winners. 

We can project retirement income levels based on a comprehensive analysis of current or expected incomes, savings, and investments, including the effects of likely increases in tax rates and inflation. We can compare the effects of alternative strategies should you decide to make changes to your current plan.

For a direct contact with Enlightened College Planning, connect with:

Ken Walton, (641) 472-1421 or kenecp108@gmail.com.

For additional reading, SEE THE WEBSITE OF OUR COLLABORATIVE PARTNER ( Collegeplanningamerica.com ).