Our Services

​​We will teach you how to:
  • Minimize your out of pocket expenses.
  • Maximize the amount of financial aid eligibility.
  • Learn the best way to navigate through the complicated, overwhelming college selection process.
  • Prioritize sources for college expenses to protect your life savings.

Listed below are all of the services and guidance you will receive as we help you make the best financial decisions and be prepared with a comprehensive approach to college selection and funding.

Identify Financial Goals

Using the College Priorities Worksheet, identify and resolve your current objectives relative to college and life (retirement, home ownership, paying for college, starting a business, second home…)

College Funding Analysis Report

This report evaluates your family’s current financial situation, offers available options/strategies, and projects the amount of institutional funding that may be offered (based on each school’s past awards).

Merit Scholarship Report

Your student will be instructed on how to go about searching for private scholarships using the many available private and free websites.
In addition, we offer our own scholarship report. It will identify available scholarships by state, school, major and a variety of other criteria identified by the student and their family.
This tool uses a database of more than 16,000 scholarships. You will be able to identify qualifications, contact information, website address, and range of awards.

FAFSA and CSS/Profile Review

Council and review of the FAFSA and CSS/Profile application.

Award Letter Evaluations

We evaluate and offer an opinion regarding each institution’s offer of funding based on the student’s qualifications and the school’s past funding offers. We also suggest an appeal strategy for additional funding, if applicable.
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Retirement Ready or Not

This process will provide you with a projection of your retirement readiness. Without this knowledge, parents routinely OVERSPEND on college. They find out too late; their retirement dreams are delayed or destroyed.
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Aid Eligibility Comparison Report

View your calculated EFC and the award history of multiple colleges in a head-to-head format. It also forecasts your out-of-pocket expense at each.
This could save you thousands of dollars in errant assumptions about the true cost of college.
Additional reports entail a detailed EFC projection for both FAFSA and PROFILE, and a “What-Will-College-Cost Estimate” Report.

College Quick Reference Report

​consistently formatted data on more than 13,000 U.S. colleges and universities in an easy to digest and evaluate 2-page report.  They are key to efficient and accurate head to head comparisons.
While this data is available elsewhere, no single source provides a more convenient display of: Cost, Freshman Academic Profile, Size, Campus Characteristics, Extra-Curricular Clubs and Activities, Majors, Affiliations, Financial Detail, Award History, Admissions & Contact Data, etc.
  • Sample College Quick Reference Report

Student Aid Report (SAR) Review

We review and check the SAR for accuracy and suggest any necessary corrections and/or updates.

Communication Profile

​Online communication profile for parents and students to better understand each other’s strengths and how to communicate better together. The completed report includes individual strengths, a written description of general characteristics, and a list of do’s and don’ts for communicating with each other.
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The Funding Process

Details on the workings of the process, including:
  • What makes up the funding package
  • Vital statistics on over 1,600 institutions regarding percentage of need met and type of funding offered.
  • Explanation of special circumstances and how they may apply to your family.
  • Funding distribution procedures and their effect.

What-If Analysis

Changes in a family’s financial structure may result in greater financial aid eligibility.
This analysis will highlight the specific change and the financial aid eligibility impact.  It demonstrates the value of the recommendations, and can allow the parent(s) the opportunity to make an informed decision.
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College Visit Scoring System 

A way to measure how well every school you consider matches up to you and your student’s expectations. With this system and criteria ranking derived from the student’s education objectives, you’ll have a method of evaluating school that goes beyond visual impressions and prevents relying too heavily on recollection.
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​College Funding Plan

College funding recommendations​ and design including all sources of funds from income, assets, grants, scholarships and loans.

Professional Counseling

​Individual meetings to discuss:
√ Financial goals, retirement projections and improvement
√ College funding recommendations and design
√ Student Aid Report Review and/or Award Letter Evaluations and Appeal Strategy
√ Parent Cash Flow improvement
√ First Year FAFSA & CSS Profile preparation counseling 
√ Student Interview (Q/A, finance/expense insight, timeline, etc)

Career Assessment

Birkman ​

At Michigan College Planning we offer a Career Planning tool to help you conscientiously dial into what you are “wired to do”.  The Birkman Assessment tool helps you hone in on career possibilities that satisfy your individual needs and interest.  
  • The Birkman identifies 77 personality scores.
  • When personality data corresponds to a student’s academic profile the results can be profound.  
  • The Birkman can help you better understand yourself and help you uncover hidden talents and motivations.
  • The Birkman reports include: A Career Management report, Life Style grid and Areas of Interest report. 
  • For more than 60 years individuals and companies, including Google and Walmart, have been using the Birkman to help discover their perceptions, motivations and behavior related to work.  
     
    Understanding your Career path first is an investment in college savings.  Knowing upfront where your degree path will take you can save time and money in the college journey.  Let us help you find what you’re wired to do and your Career path!

Do What You Are 

Do What You Are takes you step-by-step through the process of determining and verifying your Personality Type. Then it identifies occupations that are popular with each Type and offers a rundown of each type's work-related strengths and weaknesses. 
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My Next Move

​My Next Move collects data including the knowledge, skills, and abilities required by more than 900 occupations in the United States. My Next Move enables you to explore occupations and find related information, job outlook information, salaries, and other related education and training programs.
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In addition, it offers a 60 question assessment targeted to help individuals learn what she/he likes to do. Based on the individual’s interests and responses, the information gathered will be used to suggest potentially suitable occupations and careers.

Big Five

Big Five measures what many psychologists consider to be the . Specific Big Five personality traits predict learning styles in addition to academic success.