College Funding Professionals

Paying for college and exploring financial aid options can go from 0 to 💯 real quick.
One day, college feels doable, and in the blink of an eye, your focus is lost as financial anxiety creeps in.

That’s why College Funding is on a mission to simplify the process and keep your educational goals on track.

College Funding’s Financial Aid Roadmap
📍 First stop, FREE MONEY - Fill out the FAFSA annually to unlock financial aid options that don’t require payback.
📍 Next, discover and apply for scholarships and grants. Did you know nearly $100,000,000 in scholarship money goes unclaimed each year?
📍 Then, apply educational savings. Maximize funds held in 529 plans, Roth IRAs, and other educational savings accounts before considering student loans.
📍 But before turning to student loans, look for work-study options or jobs available on your college campus.
📍 Save loans for last, and don’t forget to compare the terms and conditions of various loan types.

Navigating your child’s educational future is only overwhelming when you don’t have the appropriate resources.
College Funding is here to help.

As a parent, being concerned about funding your child’s educational future is normal, but don’t push your retirement fund aside just yet. One of the most important rules to remember when choosing between the two is that you can take out student loans to fund your child’s education, but you can’t borrow money for retirement. Instead of pulling from your retirement savings, consider creating a budget timeline, opening a Roth IRA, and utilizing student loans.

Create a Budget Timeline – Before diving into where the funds will come from, first determine the cost of your child’s education. Compare price per credit, living options, meal plans, and work-study options. Knowing exactly how much you will need to cover takes out the guesswork for how much you need to save (or borrow), along with creating a reasonable payback timeline.

Open a Roth IRA – Roth IRAs are a great option for parents seeking to save for a child’s education AND their retirement. Unused educational funds will simply roll over as retirement savings.

Utilize Student Loans – Taking money out of your retirement should be the last resort. Utilize student or parent PLUS loans if needed to supplement the savings you’ve stashed away for your child’s education.

Whether your child is majoring in theater, dance, music, literature, or visual arts, don’t miss out on the unique funding opportunities available to you. Designed specifically with artists and creatives in mind, multiple scholarships and grants are looking to support upcoming talent. No matter the art form, a scholarship is available to fund your child’s artistic future.

The following grants and scholarships are among the most common:
• National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)
• Creative Capital Award
• Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts Grant
• Princess Grace Foundation
• Art Major Scholarships from the National Art Education Association
• Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant
• Theater Communications Group Scholarship
• Adobe Design Achievement Award

And that’s just to name a few.
Continue the search today with College Funding Professionals.