A Tuition Score is a unique and comprehensive preparation tool for families with children in the college planning phase. The Tuition Score takes the overwhelming and extraneous amounts of information and narrows it down to the most critical aspects of college spending specific to your family.
There is no other college preparation tool on the market that merges financial methodology with educational guidance in the way that the Tuition Score does.
What does My Tuition Score mean?
A Tuition Score represents knowledge, preparedness, and financial health relative to the college investment.
Your family’s Tuition Score will be a number ranging between 1 and 2100. The higher the number, the higher the likelihood of a positive return on investment when spending on college.
What will the Tuition Score Report include?
Your Tuition Score Report will include crucial information such as:
- Your family’s Expected Family Contribution (EFC)—the minimum amount your family is “expected” to contribute towards the cost of college— and more importantly, an explanation of what it means, how it applies to your “actual” contribution amount, and how that will affect your overall cost to attend a selected school
- The money needed at the time college will begin. This is based on current and future available savings allocated for college, cash flow, need-based aid available (never guaranteed) at the selected school, historic school generosity percentages, and your EFC
- The total gross cost of the selected school, based on future projected costs for the years that your student will attend
- Up to 9 suggestions for colleges in your desired geographic area that most likely provide a return on college investment upon graduation—i.e. you will experience a higher likelihood of getting placed in a job in a chosen field at, or near, the top of the pay range
- Tips on the entire college planning process, including myths versus truths. These tips help families easily avoid costly mistakes in the complex financial aid process
- Our proprietary college loan manual which highlights your college loan options, providing a full analysis of each
- A full scholarship overview of what is available to your family and where to get these monies
- A complete and updated list of the Top 250 Need-Based Aid Generous Schools
- Valuable information that can unlock exciting, money-saving opportunities at higher priced schools your child may not have considered
- A deep discount on personalized email assistance with the entire college planning process
Why is it important for me to get My Tuition Score?
Getting your Tuition Score is the single most important step you can take in the college planning process. The accompanying report goes beyond providing you numbers related to financial aid, such as your EFC, and actually explains them.
It will indicate how prepared your family is by assessing your current financial health, savings patterns, and “college knowledge,” and will identify critical areas for improvement.
In addition to financial benefits, you will gain tremendous Peace of Mind.
As any student applying to college will find out, they will have to begin the process by filling out forms, and more forms. The financial aid documents alone can take hours to sort through. The Tuition Score helps families spend their limited time in the most efficient way possible.
Families are required to submit a FAFSA to initiate the financial aid process. Some more selective universities will require you to fill out a CSS Profile as well. Additionally, many schools have their own specific financial aid forms to fill out. Each college has its own individual way of awarding aid, both need-based and merit-based.
Taking into account that multiple methods are used to calculate a student’s EFC (Expected Family Contribution), it is critical to understand these terms, determine the appropriate forms to fill out, as well as discover what other scholarship and loan opportunities exist. If you are missing information, you are missing opportunities.
How is My Tuition Score calculated?
Your Tuition Score is determined through a complex algorithm calculated through a series of questions. Each question has an assigned value.
While dozens of variables make up the basis of the score, the result is adjusted accurately and consistently to reflect specific institutions and career paths, all the while gauging the likelihood of achieving the best case financial scenarios.
One of the major components in the scoring is financial health regarding the college investment. Items like maximizing cash flow, managing investment dollars, limiting the amount borrowed, and borrowing the right way all have an impact on the score, and therefore, a major impact on real-life financial health.
For example, the average family’s initial Tuition Score, which can be obtained as early as when a child is born, will be 1104.
By the time a family is actually ready to start spending money on college, and they follow the improvement suggestions in their Tuition Score Report, they will typically raise their score to over 1400. This 15% increase may generate a near-term savings of at least $19,000, or long-term savings of at least $50,000!
How much does My Tuition Score cost?
Families can obtain a Tuition Score and a family-specific report for FREE.
The full, comprehensive and all-inclusive report can be obtained for $79. In addition, you will receive five updated versions of the report absolutely FREE.
