July 25, 2025

What Business Owners Need to Know About FAFSA and College Aid

Jarad Stolz, CLTC, CRPC Blog aid optimization business owners, aid strategy for business owners, avoid overreporting aid, business income and fafsa, college aid small business, college cost business family, college list for business families, college net cost business, college planning entrepreneurs, college planning tax return, college strategy self-employed, css profile business, css profile business value, Diversified College Planning, fafsa business owner, fafsa business rules, financial aid business impact, k1 income college planning, small business aid planning, student aid index business income

Owning a business can help—or hurt—your financial aid strategy depending on how you report it.

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July 25, 2025

How Divorce and Custody Impact College Financial Aid

Mike Dusombre, CLTC, CRPC Blog 529 divorce planning, aid eligibility tips, aid strategy divorce, college aid custody, college aid tactics, college cost divorce, college planning blended families, college planning divorce, css profile divorce, Diversified College Planning, divorce and student aid, divorced parent college strategy, fafsa divorced parents, financial aid after divorce, financial aid separated families, financial planning college divorce, how to file fafsa divorced, parent financial support fafsa, remarriage aid impact, student aid index divorce, who files fafsa

For divorced or separated families, the right FAFSA strategy could mean the difference between aid or none.

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July 25, 2025

The Most Expensive Financial Mistake Parents Make Junior Year

Jarad Stolz, CLTC, CRPC Blog aid eligibility help, aid strategy juniors, appeal process tips, asset repositioning, avoid overpaying for college, college aid planning, college budget tips, college cost planning, college funding guide, college list building, college planning junior year, college savings advice, css profile junior timeline, Diversified College Planning, fafsa tips junior, financial aid strategy, financial planning college, high school junior parents, junior college checklist, junior year mistakes, merit aid deadlines, net cost awareness, net price comparison, student aid index

Waiting too long to start the financial side of college planning can cost families tens of thousands in lost aid.

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July 24, 2025

What Sophomore Families Should Be Doing Right Now to Save on College

Mike Dusombre, CLTC, CRPC Blog 10th grade college planning, aid maximization, avoid overpaying for college, career fit planning, college aid sophomore year, college aid strategy, college list building, college readiness, css profile prep, Diversified College Planning, early financial aid prep, fafsa timeline, financial aid questions, high school college planning, merit aid strategy, net price comparison, private college cost, smart college plan, sophomore college planning, sophomore family tips, sophomore financial aid, sophomore timeline, sophomore year checklist, start college early, student aid index

Sophomore year is a sweet spot for strategic college planning—if you start early, you’ll save big.

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July 24, 2025

What Private School Families Need to Know About College Financial Aid

Jarad Stolz, CLTC, CRPC Blog aid appeal tips, aid eligibility, aid for private school students, aid strategy for wealthy families, best private colleges for aid, college cost optimization, college financial planning, college net cost, college strategy private families, college tuition help, CSS Profile tips, Diversified College Planning, fafsa for private school, financial aid planning, financial planning for college, high income financial aid, how to qualify for aid, income and financial aid, merit aid private schools, merit scholarships, private school families, private school tuition, private vs public college aid, student aid index, tuition overlap

Paying private school tuition now doesn’t mean you’ll be disqualified from financial aid later.

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July 24, 2025

How Rising Interest Rates Could Impact Your Financial Aid Eligibility

Mike Dusombre, CLTC, CRPC Blog 529 plan impact, aid strategy, college affordability, college cost increases, college financial planning, college loan interest, CSS Profile, css profile schools, Diversified College Planning, economic impact on aid, fafsa and assets, FAFSA strategy, federal student loans, financial planning for college, high cost of college, home equity and financial aid, inflation and college, interest rates 2025, merit aid eligibility, private loan rates, rising interest rates, student aid index, student debt concerns, student loan costs, tuition planning

Rising interest rates don’t just affect mortgages—they could also change how much college financial aid your family receives.

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July 21, 2025

Why Most College Aid Offers Are Misleading—And How to Decode Them

Jarad Stolz, CLTC, CRPC Blog aid letter analysis, aid package guide, avoiding aid letter mistakes, avoiding college aid traps, award letter translation, best way to compare colleges, college aid breakdown, college aid confusion, college award letter tools, college cost transparency, college cost worksheet, college money clarity, college offer breakdown, compare college costs, comparing college financial aid, deciphering student aid, decode college aid offers, Diversified College Planning, financial aid award explanation, financial aid letter red flags, financial aid offer help, financial clarity college, free money vs debt, grant and scholarship advice, grant vs loan aid, hidden costs in aid letters, how to analyze college aid, how to read college award letter, interpreting financial aid letters, misleading financial aid, net cost vs sticker price, net price comparison, parent plus loan pitfalls, private vs public aid offers, reading between the lines college, real cost of college, smart college decisions, strategic college choice, true college cost, understanding aid letters, what aid letters don’t say, what to watch in aid letters

Financial aid award letters can be confusing and even deceptive—here’s how to make sense of them.

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July 21, 2025

How to Prioritize Merit Aid When Choosing a College List

Jarad Stolz, CLTC, CRPC Blog academic scholarship tips, affordable private colleges, aid-aware college search, best return on college investment, building college list for aid, building strategic college list, choose colleges by aid, choosing colleges with aid, college budget planning, college cost reduction, college funding strategy, college list advice, college list financial guide, college search for scholarships, college selection tips, colleges with best aid, comparing college aid, customized college list, Diversified College Planning, Diversified College Planning blog, expert college planning tips, financial fit college list, financial strategy college, high merit aid colleges, high value colleges, how to get college aid, how to pay less for college, how to qualify for merit aid, merit aid eligibility, merit aid for high GPA, merit aid importance, merit aid optimization, merit aid strategy, merit aid tips, merit scholarships, merit-based aid guide, planning for merit scholarships, private school discounts, private schools with aid, saving money on college, smart college list planning, top merit aid colleges, top scholarship schools

Merit aid can drastically cut your college costs—if you know how to build a list with it in mind.

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July 21, 2025

How to Talk to Your Teen About College Without the Stress or Eye Rolls

Mike Dusombre, CLTC, CRPC Blog avoiding college planning conflict, best way to approach college talk, college advice for parents, college cost realities, college discussion tips, college list talk with teen, college money talk, college planning experts, college planning help, college prep tips for families, college readiness tips, cost of college conversation, early college planning, emotional college conversations, FAFSA family conversation, family college finances, family college planning tips, financial aid conversation, financial aid tips parents, financial planning college, helping teens choose a college, high school parent tips, how to discuss college with high schooler, how to guide a teen for college, how to support your teen’s college decision, how to talk to teenager about money, long-term college planning, merit aid discussion, parent college talk tools, parent student college talk, planning for college cost, private college cost, realistic college talk, reducing stress around college, SAI explanation, smart college money talk, student aid index, student goals and college, student perspective college planning, talking to teens about college, teen college talk advice, what to say to your teen about college

Having the college conversation doesn’t have to feel like pulling teeth—here’s how to make it meaningful.

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July 21, 2025

How to Appeal a College Financial Aid Offer (And Win)

Mike Dusombre, CLTC, CRPC Blog aid appeal deadline, aid appeal letter help, aid appeal process, aid award reconsideration, aid letter appeal, aid negotiation expert, aid reconsideration letter, appeal denied aid, appeal financial aid offer, appeal merit aid, better college offer, college affordability strategy, college appeal template, college financial aid appeal, college grant appeal, competing college offers, CSS Profile appeal, Diversified College Planning, FAFSA changes appeal, financial aid appeal tips, financial aid expert advice, financial aid process, how to get more aid, how to write aid appeal letter, income change aid appeal, increase financial aid award, institutional aid request, maximize college grants, medical bills financial aid, negotiate better package, negotiating college costs, professional judgment FAFSA, reduce out-of-pocket cost, SAI reconsideration, school aid reconsideration, smart college planning, strategic college aid, tuition discount strategies

Don’t accept a disappointing aid offer—learn how to file a successful appeal and unlock more

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