Making College Happen (Third Edition)

"""This book has been an essential tool, helping my wife and I to navigate the reality of sending our kids to very expensive private schools. We were extremely naive going into the process and now are much more prepared and comfortable with the logistics and details. Freedman breaks it all down succinctly and clearly. As a result, we have been able to take advantage of both income-based aid and programs in the merit-based aid world that are not entirely dependent on grades, such as geographic diversity grants. I highly recommend this book."" - Mike Mannis, attorney ""Great manual, very helpful. Making College Happen should be read by all parents by the student's sophomore year to get them to a selected college. I have been an attorney for over thirty years and am good at research, and yet I learned how difficult it is to understand financial aid. It is not an easy area to deal with and this manual really helped a lot, and it would help you too. I highly recommend it."" - Brian Mahoney, attorney ""This book is topical, well written and approaches the many aspects of financing a college education with honesty and an open mind. Highly recommended for any parent who is going through the sometimes scary and always confusing college application process. A unique holistic view that will help you lower stress levels and avoid costly mistakes when you're applying for college financial aid. As a financial advisor, I'll put it on my reference shelf and recommend my fellow advisors do the same."" - Harry Savas, financial advisor ""I found this book to be a 'must have' for any parent or grandparent who is interested in better understanding all the questions regarding funding their child's/grandchild's college education. Mr. Freedman unveils many surprising misconceptions around the most cost-effective options available to finance a college education and the risks associated with all the options."" - Marc Deshowitz, guidance counselor ""Making College Happen is a practical, well-organized guide that demystifies the complexities of how to plan for your student's continuing education. Howard's approach is refreshing and insightful, using his many years of experience as a financial aid consultant. He divides the process of planning and financing college into reasonable and timely steps to help guide families to make informative educational and financial decisions."" - Margaret Myers, retired principal ""Howard Freedman has done an outstanding job of helping to make college financing possible for my three daughters, even when obstacles made it look impossible. I recommend this book, which exemplifies his wealth of knowledge and dedication to his profession."" - Jack B Garvey, webmaster, Little Rock School District, Little Rock, Arkansas ""Making College Happen is an excellent testimonial to Howard's wealth of knowledge and commitment to providing the financial solutions to make college possible."" - Maureen O'Donnell, guidance counselor ""I am a high-school teacher and in Making College Happen I have found such a wealth of information for a parent who is in the middle of sending kids to college. You will never get this from a high-school guidance department; their focus is on acceptance rather than your funding. It is just an excellent tool for this process.'' - E. Campbell, teacher"