SEFS Can Help You:

  • Minimize the hassle and headaches of securing
    financial assistance

  • Navigate the complicated, confusing application process

  • Secure the maximum amount of financial aid available

  • Fund your child’s education without sacrificing your financial future

  • Place a valuable college education within your child’s reach

Strategic Education Funding Services

Making Education an Affordable Reality

SEFS helps families choose schools that offer the best financial packages and work to make college affordable, especially for those who are not eligible for “need based” financial
aid. SEFS advisors have the skill and
experience to steer you and your family
through the complicated world of
collegiate financial aid and help
you plan for a bright educational
future.

A college education is absolutely required to ensure your child’s future success. This is more than just a common belief; multiple research institutions and education professionals have investigated the long-term impact of not attaining a post-secondary education. Earning a college degree consistently adds $10,000-$15,000 a year to an individual’s net worth compared to people without a college degree. Over a lifetime, this amounts to a $1,000,000 difference in earning potential. Add to these financial benefits the intellectual growth and broad range of experiences provided by the college experience and it becomes clear that college is a necessary step toward successful independent adulthood.

Yet, for many families of soon-to-be college students the prospect of financing a college education is overwhelming and confusing, leaving them fixated on the price tag but unsure where to start looking for feasible solutions.

Tap into more than $140 billion of available financial aid

There is plenty of financial aid available for families at all income levels – and we can show you how to find it, even if you have the disposable income available to simply “write a check.” Financial aid goes to those who understand the process, not to those with the greatest need. Most families are either unaware of how to best take advantage of available resources, or they find their road blocked by the complicated and confusing application process.

More than 92% of people applying for financial aid do not receive it, or their reward package is significantly less then they expected simply because they didn’t fill out the requisite forms correctly.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the paperwork the U.S. government uses to determine each family’s financial aid package, is so complicated that many families get discouraged and choose not to fill it out. As a result, many families opt to re-mortgage their homes or sell off portions of their retirement nest eggs. But families do not have to sacrifice their lifelong dreams to pave the way for their child’s education.

The typical price tag for a 4-year degree

  • The average cost of attending a four-year private institution: $22,218 per year, an increase of 5.9% from last year.

  • The average cost of attending a four-year public institution: $5,836, an increase of 6.3% from last year.

  • In the past five years the average cost of in-state tuition and fees at public colleges has jumped 35% after inflation adjustment, according to the College Board, a not-for-profit membership association whose mission is to connect students to college success and opportunity.

  • In the past 25 years the average cost of tuition and fees has risen faster than personal income, consumer prices and even health insurance.

  • These estimates are for in-state tuition and do not include room and board estimates. Most state colleges and universities, which enroll 75% of all post-secondary students, estimate that these figures account for only one-third of the total cost in sending a child through college.

  • For out-of-state tuition, a family can expect to add $4,000-$9,000 to the tuition estimate even before factoring in room, board, and books.

SEFS helps you secure your child’s educational success without sacrificing your future financial goals.

For most families, structuring income and assets is a challenge. Highly trained SEFS advisors aid in transitioning funds and accounts to secure the best possible financial aid packages, and then we assist your family in planning for your continued financial success. Extending across the full term of your child’s college education and beyond, our complete financial services ensure your peace of mind.

SEFS does the work for you. We provide the following services:

Help you find the schools and financial packages that provide the best fit for your child’s educational needs and your family’s financial resources

Uncover all the resources allocated by each college or university for financial aid.

Negotiate the best financial aid package possible.

Carefully and accurately complete and file all the complicated financial aid forms for the school of your choice.

Make a college education affordable for your family, regardless of your specific circumstances

SEFS has the experience needed to negotiate beyond the traditional forms of financial aid. Our extensive experience provides us with an in-depth view of all types of available financial aid, including non-traditional forms such as grants, scholarships, and work-study.