Our G.R.A.D. Plan Story - Past, Present & Future

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I’ve recently read that college is the first savings priority for some families, above even retirement.  As a mom and a financial services professional, I had to let that sink in.  And let me be the first to tell you, after rereading that over and over, that still doesn’t make any sense. My mortgage company a few years back sent a flyer indicating if I’m equity rich that I could turn that equity into cash for college tuition. No. Just no.

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It also doesn’t make sense to go into a significant amount of debt for college.  What makes sense? Proper planning and much introspection.  This program will explore what that looks like from birth to college (and everywhere in between).  At the core, this plan is meant to be a highly personalized tool to guide your family to make the right choices, academically and financially.  It solves the “where do I start the college search” by including organizational tools, budget strategies, and checklists all in one place.  It will be best to share your workbook results with your high school counselors to empower them to be a better resource to help find the college fit – again both academically and financially.  This tailored approach should lead to more meaningful discussions and better outcomes. Alternatively, students, if you haven’t won the counselor lottery in your high school – your generation could easily navigate discussion boards and other online resources to look for the best college fit. So, be encouraged in developing your roadmap regardless of where your starting point is (and, if applicable, please do recommend some positive social media groups or websites for your parents as they might need the technology help). Also, your public library should have a vast array of materials. You’ll learn we do not use the term dream college here. Parents and students alike will explore tough questions such as is a four-year degree right, what type of school best suits our needs, or perhaps skilled trades might be the best fit? If you find this speaks to you, pay it forward – purchase this as a gift for someone who could benefit. If you are an educator, have your school purchase this for each student. If you’re a financial advisor, train, think and teach your valued clients using this planning tool. Together, this is how we bring Wall Street to Main Street as an affordable benefit for everyone. I am excited to have pioneered this and, as it evolves, I hope one day you hear about this solution from your financial advisor or on the news and it expands by helping families beyond what I imagine and dream of today. Why, you ask? One fact stands out...alarms are ringing everywhere and everyone who is involved with your financial circumstances must be on board with your financial plan for college.

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What will this program not do?  It will not provide best practices to get into Ivy or other elite colleges.  There are many college resources for those that pursue that route. However, your completed workbook will guide that journey. The program itself will also not fix the broken system of the nominal increases in federal and state grants for those who need it the most, the application process that’s like a full-time job, the rising cost of colleges, the college loan debt families incur along with the consequences, the high interest rates on (federal) student loans, etc etc. This full program and workbook could lend itself to part of the conversation for the solution. It is my biggest hope that someone who reads this has the power to help fix the system and one day I hope and pray I will get that call.

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Rather, this program will allow you and your family to take a deep dive into achieving goals and dreams by analyzing what comes after high school and not incurring life altering debt.  We start with a well thought out plan, discussing college planning more in depth, one family at a time, one situation at a time, as each is unique.  That conversion should always begin with, this is where you are now, this is where you want to be, and this is how we’ll get there.

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To Dreaming!

Lori Hall

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