Prepare For College, LLC

Most families dream of sending their children to college, but when the bills come due, reality hits hard. Today, we’re uncovering why so many families struggle to pay for college and what you can do differently.

These scholarship letters of recommendations don’t just support your student; they sell your student to a committee who hopes their investment pays off. And the right letter can be the difference of being put into the “maybe” stack or the “yes, absolutely” stack.

Today we will talk about the complexity of some of the FAFSA rules when it comes to qualified and non-qualified retirement plans and completing the FAFSA. We are going to try to simplify the rules, calm the confusion, and help you make smart planning decisions for your family.

When most students think of scholarships, they imagine high GPAs, varsity athletes, or major academic prizes.But there’s a vast and often overlooked category of odd, niche, fun, “weird” scholarships that reward unique traits, hobbies, interests, or circumstances. These scholarships aren’t just gimmicks; they’re real money for school.

Today we’re digging into a big question family’s need to know: “Should My Student Consider A Non-traditional Educational Pathway Instead of Attending A Four Year Traditional College?”Are universities still teaching students to think critically, solve problems, and develop social skills that prepare them for real-world success? Or have they shifted toward a business model focused more on enrollment numbers and branding than on true education?

Most small business owners are aware that healthcare costs can consume a significant portion of their family's income. What many do not realize is that the tax code offers a powerful tool to shift those expenses from the personal side of the ledger to the business side. That tool is the Section 105 medical reimbursement plan, which allows a business to reimburse employees for health-care expenses on a tax-free basis. When structured properly, this plan can transform your family’s medical costs into deductible business expenses, resulting in substantial annual savings.

If you receive an outside scholarship, the college will review the scholarship and may apply a process known as scholarship displacement. Basically, the school reduces something in your aid package to make room for that new scholarship. In this podcast, you will learn what to do about this possible problem.

Today we’re digging into a big question families always ask: Do my savings and assets hurt my child’s chances of getting financial aid?" Some assets do count; others don’t. And here’s a surprise, parent assets usually count for a lot less than student assets."

Today, we’re answering a question a lot of parents and grandparents have: What happens if you change the beneficiary of a 529 plan to someone outside the family? Are there any tax implications, and if so, who actually pays the taxes and penalties?

Do colleges really have GPA requirements? And if they do, how much do those numbers really matter?