Savvy College Workshop

Four-Day College Planning Workshop is Now Virtual—Watch from
Your Home or Office on August 14-17, 2023.


Sessions will be recorded and replays will be available for 90 days.

4-Day Virtual Workshop: Build a College Planning Niche That Attracts Wealthy Clients

Challenge: You want to stand out against the competition and tap a lucrative market of wealthy families open to working with a smart financial advisor who can solve their problems.

Meanwhile…affluent families often overpay for college, take on too much debt, and hurt their retirement plans because they tumbled unprepared into the late-stage college funding pressure cooker.

Solution: Develop a “late-stage college planning niche” (not about 529s) that:

  • Allows you to deliver value, gain insight into a family’s finances, and relieve them of a huge, uncomfortable pain point…
  • Shows clients and prospects how to discover the true price of tuition, where to find scholarship opportunities, and how to maximize their chances of financial aid…
  • Builds your expertise on college planning and rewards you with wealthy, referring clients ready to have you manage all their assets…
Savvy College Planning is a Gold Mine

Savvy College Planning is a freaking gold mine for anyone willing to put in the work. I invested quite a bit of time going through Lynn's Savvy College Planning course and it is paying dividends. "I started using the program because it seemed like a good resource for information and guidance. Using just the tools provided by Savvy College Planning, we are now the "go-to" local resource for families during the college search process. We have expanded our services to include all things around affordable college solutions."

"The workshop presentations are easy to understand and use. And Lynn has been amazing, especially when I have a question. She's a wealth of information and easy to deal with. The ongoing updates in her newsletters always have some new quirk about the college planning process that we can use in our practice."

"We have been approached by several other advisors when the time comes for their children to apply for college. One of our biggest successes was helping one family find a school where they pay only $1,700 a year in tuition because they listened to us and cast a wider net looking for deals. Another student got a free ride because we dug around to find an opportunity most people don't know about. All thanks to Lynn and Savvy College Planning."

—Jack Shinn, Glen Rock, NJ

Looking for a new way to drive more business

"I decided to come to this workshop because I read some articles talking about how college planning is a pain point for parents, and I'm looking for a new way to drive more business in the door. I plan to use the information I learned here to do seminars and one-on-ones with existing clients as well. We already do workshops and seminars regularly on other topics, so this will be a good one to add.

"The most helpful part of this workshop has been learning about all of the different resources out there. They can sometimes be a little overwhelming for parents. Here, we can quickly jump online and go through live examples of the resources. It's fantastic.

"I still need to digest everything I've learned, but I know already that I'm going to schedule a seminar for around October 1 (when the FAFSA is due), for existing clients and hopefully a few prospects as well."

—Michael Chatterton, Chicago, IL

Becoming that trusted 'go-to' person

"I truly did gain a LOT of knowledge that I did not have before. Selfishly, I would have loved to known this info 18 months ago, BEFORE my older daughter started down this path. I feel so much more enlightened and knowledgeable."

"I am going to position myself as a trusted advisor in the ENTIRE college planning process. Not an expert on 529 plans (this is MUCH more powerful than setting aside assets in a 529 plan and 'hoping for the best')---this is about EDUCATION and EDUCATING my client base on the ENTIRE process.  Becoming that trusted ‘go to’ person and using my stable of experts to back me, especially Lynn and all of her vast resources and knowledge."

"It was money well spent."

—Advisor X, Lake Oswego, OR

Incorporating the workshop information successfully

"The workshop was extremely worthwhile and has already brought in a new client who will likely invest several hundred thousand dollars with me. My staff is working on creating an intake questionnaire for the new college planning analysis we are developing and I have enlisted a couple of existing clients who have agreed to be test cases. I am also going through my existing client database to identify families to invite to the college funding seminars that we are going to begin hosting in mid-August.  I am very excited about the material I learned at the workshop and I am already incorporating the information into my practice, as you can see. The cost of the workshop was paid the following week with new business related to college planning."

—Melinda Olbert, Oklahoma City, OK

Four Reasons to Build Your College Planning Expertise…

Few advisors realize the business-building potential of acting as a college-planning advisor to affluent families. It’s the perfect engagement that allows you to deliver value, gain insight into a family’s finances, and relieve them of a huge, uncomfortable pain point.

Developing your technical skills around late stage college planning can be a primary driver of your business. Here are four reasons to pursue this niche:

  1. The Wealthy Want Help. The parents most eager to learn how to stretch their college savings as far as possible are high income, highly educated, and used to paying for expertise. In other words, your ideal clients.
  2. Grandparents Want to Help the Kids’ Kids. Affluent grandparents are also keenly interested in finding college answers for their grandkids. They’ve got the money and the desire to help out. They’re good prospects, too.
  3. You Face Little Competition. In the crowded advisory field, it’s hard to differentiate yourself. Knowing the details of late-stage college planning can be a tremendous advantage and attract much bigger assets.
  4. It’s a Huge Opportunity to Help Boomers, Gen Xers, and older Millennials. Paying for college (as opposed to saving for college—an important distinction) is the only big-ticket item that has been ignored by the financial industry, despite a massive market. This represents a huge opportunity for you to meet a range of prospects with assets and financial planning need.

Learn the strategies and skills you need to become an expert on late-stage college planning, including:

The Main Sources of College Money

  • College planning – a desperately needed service…
  • Why most families are doing it wrong…
  • The four main sources of college money…
  • Types of colleges that love high-income applicants…
  • Who gets awards from prestigious private universities…
  • The latest trend in scholarships at state universities…
  • What kind of federal and state aid your clients may qualify for…
  • How you can help…

Pinpointing Your Client's Chances for Financial Aid

  • How parent and child investments impact financial aid…
  • What parents can do when assets are in a child's name…
  • What kind of colleges care about home equity…
  • How divorced and separated couples can enjoy a financial aid advantage…
  • How grandparents can safely help with college costs…
  • How to cement client relationships and attract prospects with a simple financial aid tool…

Learn the Tools You Need to Help Families

  • Discover how a federally mandated college pricing tool can be a game changer for your clients and prospects…
  • Assess the odds of a client's teenager receiving a merit award or financial aid at a specific school…
  • Discover how families can make better decisions when using valuable tools from sources like the College Board and The Chronicle of Higher Education…

Ways to Maximize Financial Aid

  • Effective strategies to maximize financial aid chances…
  • Affirmative action for high-income students (Yes, this exists!)…
  • Why school selection is key when seeking financial aid or merit scholarships…
  • Why your clients shouldn’t assume the first award letter is the final (best) one…

Savvy College Planning 4-Day Virtual Workshop
August 14-17, 2023

Learn More and Register

Please note, attendees who sign up after July 31 will have access to digital versions of the classroom material. Your hard copy materials may not arrive until after the workshop begins.

How Does a Virtual Workshop Work?

  • The workshop will be live-streamed and accessible from your computer/tablet
  • Attendees will be able to ask questions and interact throughout the presentation
  • Sessions will be recorded and replays will be available for 90 days
  • Workshop materials will be shipped to you
  • Holders of the CFP designation will qualify for CE credits (Note: To obtain credit you must either attend all the sessions live or take an assessment after viewing the replays.)

Agenda

Day One: Monday, August 14, 2023

Session One:  Introduction and Answering the Main Financial Aid Question
9:00 am – 10:30 am PT/ 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm ET

How late-stage college planning can boost your bottom line by attracting clients (parents and grandparents) and growing assets.

An overview of where parents with teenagers are getting (or not getting) advice on college and why there is a shocking information void.

  • Determining if a family will qualify for financial aid
  • Establishing a household’s Expected Family Contribution
  • Using an EFC calculator
  • EFC case studies: middle class, upper middle class and high-income families

Determining a Family’s Real Price

  • Engaging clients/prospects with net price calculators
  • Saving your clients’ money with net price calculators
  • Good vs. bad institutional calculators
  • Using a calculator to assess the home-equity impact on awards. (List of 100+ colleges home equity policy)
  • Using a calculator to assess the size of expected merit scholarships

 Break
10:30 am – 10:45 am PT/ 1:30 pm – 1:45 pm ET

Session Two: Main Sources of College Money
10:45 am – 12:00 noon PT/ 1:45 pm – 3:00 pm ET

Overview of the Four Main Sources of College Money:

  • Institutional scholarships/grants
  • Federal grants
  • State grants/scholarships
  • Private scholarships

Private Scholarships

  • The realities of private scholarships
  • Best sources of private awards

Federal Sources of College Money

  • Pell Grants, FSEOG Grants
  • Federal Direct Loans
  • Parent PLUS Loans
  • Federal repayment programs

Private loans

  • Who offers private college loans
  • Outside loan resources

Sources of Money at State Universities

  • Best strategies for affluent families seeking merit awards
  • Best strategies for middle-class families seeking financial aid
  • State award examples
  • Educational compacts
  • Residency requirements for nonresidents

Day Two: Tuesday, August 15, 2023

Session Three:  Money at Private Colleges and Universities
9:00 am – 10:30 am PT/ 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm ET

  • Best strategies for affluent families seeking merit awards
  • Best strategies for middle-class families seeking financial aid
  • Institutions with the best financial aid
  • Types of schools most likely to give merit scholarships to affluent students

Athletic Scholarships       

  • Realities of athletic scholarships
  • Athletic scholarship resources

 Break
10:30 am – 10:45 am PT/ 1:30 pm – 1:45 pm ET

Session Four: Evaluating Colleges
10:45 am – 12:00 noon PT/ 1:45 pm – 3:00 pm ET

  • What to look for when researching a college’s generosity (or lack of it.)
  • Demonstration of tools you can use at these websites:
    • College Board
    • COLLEGEdata
    • Federal College Navigator
  • Common Data Set

Savvy College Planning 4-Day Virtual Workshop
August 14-17, 2023

Learn More and Register

Please note, attendees who sign up after July 31 will have access to digital versions of the classroom material. Your hard copy materials may not arrive until after the workshop begins.

Day Three: Wednesday, August 16, 2023

Session Four:  Evaluating Colleges, cont.:
9:00 am – 10:00 am PT/12:00– 1:00 pm ET

 Graduation Issues

  • Checking overlooked statistics - graduation rates
  • How to easily generate grad lists for hundreds of colleges for clients

Job Prospects for New Grads

Source of real job salaries for new grads majoring in specific disciplines at specific schools

 Break
10:00 am – 10:15 am PT/ 1:00 pm – 1:15 pm ET

Session Five: Understanding Financial Aid Issues:
10:15 am – 12:00 pm PT/ 1:15 pm – 3:00 pm ET

  • Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
  • CSS Profile
  • Assets that impact financial aid
  • Assets that don’t hurt aid chances
  • Marital status and financial aid
  • WaysWays to maximize financial aid

Grandparents and Financial Aid

  • Strategies for grandparents to avoid jeopardizing a grandchild’s chances for financial aid.
  • Financial aid rule changes that represent a welcome development for grandparents.

Day Four: Thursday, August 17, 2023

Session Six: Introducing College Aid Pro, late-stage college software
9:00 am – 10:00 am PT/ 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm ET

  • Using late-stage college software in your practice
  • Real-life examples of how advisors can easily use late-stage college software
  • How to use the software, including parent portal, as a lead generator
  • Demonstration of the software

 Break
10:00 am – 10:15 am PT/ 1:00 pm – 1:15 pm ET

Session Seven: Building Your Business Around Savvy College Planning
10:15 am – 12:00 pm PT/1:15 pm – 3:00 pm ET

  • Joe Messinger discusses how advisors can easily incorporate late-stage college planning into your practice and how to use the award-winning software College Aid Pro into your service offering and client deliverables. (All workshop attendees get a free two-month trial of College Aid Pro.)
  • Marketing your Savvy College Planning services via seminars and workshops: Overview of the Marketing Toolkit
  • Host seminars for clients, schools, and the general public
  • Workshop tips
  • First meetings
  • Pivoting from college planning to full client
  • Case studies

Presenters

 Lynn O’Shaughnessy

Lynn O’Shaughnessy

Your workshop will be led by Lynn O’Shaughnessy, one of the nation’s leading experts in the field of college planning. She is the author of an Amazon bestseller The College Solution: A Guide for Everyone Looking for the Right School at the Right Price . She is a contributor at CBS MoneyWatch and writes about college on her popular blog, "The College Solution." A former Los Angeles Times reporter, Lynn has written for and/or been interviewed about college issues for national outlets such as The New York Times, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Consumer Reports, USA Today, Money Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Newsweek, Associated Press, MSN Money, Huffington Post, Fox Business News, Smart Money, Reuters and The Early Show on CBS.

Sean Bailey

Sean Bailey

Sean M. Bailey is the editor in chief of Horsesmouth. Over the last 20 years, Sean has interviewed hundreds of advisors about “what’s working” in their efforts to grow their businesses. In his business development presentation at the four-day intensive workshop, he’ll lead you through in-depth case studies examining the prospecting side of walking families through college funding.

Cancellation and Refund policy

Your workshop registration fee is 100% refundable if you cancel and contact Horsesmouth’s Member Support team 30 business days or more before the event. You must call to receive a cancellation confirmation number. You can reach Member Support at 1-888-336-6884, ext. 1.

Cancellations received between 7-29 days prior to the event will receive a Horsesmouth store credit of 50% of purchase price towards a future event, subscriptions or products, minus $100 processing fee. For cancellations received 6 days or less prior the event, no refunds will be made nor store credits given.

Substitutions/name changes may be made at any time prior to the event without penalty.

Savvy College Planning 4-Day Virtual Workshop
August 14-17, 2023

Learn More and Register

Please note, attendees who sign up after July 31 will have access to digital versions of the classroom material. Your hard copy materials may not arrive until after the workshop begins.

Can’t Make It Now?

Click this link and we’ll add you to our workshop information list. When a new workshop date is announced, you’ll get notified.

FOR INSTANT SERVICE, Call Toll Free: 1-888-336-6884 ext. 1
(Outside U.S.): 1-212-343-8760

 

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