How to Pay for College: A complete financial plan for funding your child's education

by Ann Garcia

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,

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.

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction, Personal Finance

213 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 19, 2022

Reviews

[Natalie Silver · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was thorough -- maybe more thorough than I am prepared for. I honestly didn't absorb a lot of the tax-intensive stuff. But the wide range of topics -- from college choice to admissions process -- was nice, and it gave me a place to start. It is definitely targeted towards parents, and I kind of wish there was a companion book to recommend to students (some of this one seemed a little condescending towards students, so I'm not sure I'd want to hand it off to my kid). I may come back to this as our kiddo gets closer to college time.

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very helpful infortmation. However, if you make more than 100K or have any type of asset outside your primary home, a large chunk of this book won’t apply. Go to an SAI calculator online first to figure out where you stand prior to reading this book. If you’re close to that 70K mark this book will help you find ways to lower your Student Aid Index. It was still valuable to help me find creative ways to fund college, understand the process, and encouraging your kids to do their part. Even if we only qualify for a $5K poopy loan.

[Jake Preston · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book as a primer on education planning considering quite a few of the families I serve will eventually be tasked with developing a payment plan for college. Garcia is clearly an expert in this field and conveys her tips and advice in a way that anyone can understand and implement. I look forward to recommending this far and wide.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve read a few books on this topic, and found this to be straightforward and helpful. Most importantly, it was the first time I learned about the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, which is relevant and potentially very helpful to me.