Why Education Planning?

- by our President & Founder, Lori Warren

Prior to becoming an Education Specialist, I spent several
years as a financial planner in the Idaho Falls and Salt Lake
City areas.  In that time, I met with hundreds of families in
varying degrees of financial 'health'.  However, by 1997 I'd
noticed one pattern that seemed to continue to repeat itself.

There was an endless stream of parents coming to my office who were in their mid to
late 50's - just about the time in life they should have a serious nest egg put away for
retirement - who were nearly penniless.

Further investigation revealed that many of these parents had done all the "right"
things.  They'd planned for their future, saved for their childrens' education and still
ended up spending their last dime to pay for the ever increasing costs of college.

After still more investigation, I learned that these families had all made the same
fundamental mistake.  They all assumed that there was a system in place to take
care of their student.

The system that currently exists does two things.  It handles as many students as
possible, as quickly as possible - nothing more.

High school guidance counselors carry a student load that makes it impossible to
offer much help.  College admissions officers aren't going to help students weigh the
benefits of other schools.  College financial aid officers are tasked with spreading
limited resources among an ever increasing number of students.  There is no
single person or agency working  to make sure YOUR student is going to
the right college, preparing for the right career, and that your family is
paying as little as possible.

Someone needs to manage the process.  The problem is that most parents are
completely lost when it comes to the challenges of preparing their student for college,
identifying schools that meet their student's needs, assisting with admissions
paperwork and applying for financial aid.  And with the growth of the internet, the
problem has become worse instead of better.  Now there are so many sources for
information available that it's almost impossible to tell the good advice from the bad.

One sure recipe for failure is to leave it all up to the student.  If parents don't
understand all of this, what hope does their student have of figuring it all out?  
Families need expert guidance from experienced people who are dedicated to
helping them achieve their goals.

Providing that assistance is our mission.  I thank you for the opportunity to assist
your family.

Sincerely,
Lori Warren
Education Specialist

My College Answers
Strategic Planning for College Admissions & Aid