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College Planning Made Easy: An FPA Certificate Program

4.83 (6 votes)

The four-year sticker price of college now exceeds $300,000 at some of our most prestigious institutions. As a result, we now have over 44 million student loan borrowers in America and our outstanding education debt now exceeds $1.7 trillion. With these concerns in mind, college bound families are actively seeking out advisors to help them with funding the costs of higher education while staying on track for retirement. However, training on financial aid and late-stage college planning has long been overlooked by most advisor education programs.

The FPA is proud to partner with College Aid Pro™ to bring you this late stage college planning certificate course to help advisors better understand how to assist their clients with the important decisions around higher education costs and demystifying financial aid. A deep dive into both the technical aspects of navigating the college funding maze, as well as practical conversations and exercises to help advisors connect with their clients and unpack the behavioral and emotional aspects wrapped up in this momentous investment in their children and higher education.

  1. Not just education, but real solutions to help families.
  2. A proven system to deliver expert college funding advice.
  3. Resources to guide families through the college funding maze.
  4. Practice management workflows to show you exactly what to do.


  1. Project a family’s financial aid and out of pocket cost at individual institutions
  2. Create a college funding plan and ensure students graduate with manageable debt without robbing retirement
  3. Understand the key differences in the federal and institutional formulas used to determine a family’s expected family contribution (EFC) need based financial aid eligibility
  4. Income and asset strategies to maximize financial aid offers
  5. How to analyze, compare, and appeal financial aid award letters
  6. Cash flow and tax planning strategies for college
  7. Understand the pending changes and planning opportunities as a result of the FAFSA Simplification Act

Competency Level: Intermediate

FPA Competency: Critical Thinking, Client Communication and Care

CFP Board Topic: Education Planning, Career Development

CFP Board CE Credit Hours: 4.5

Joe Messinger, CFP®, ChFC, CLU

Partner & Director of College Planning

Capstone Wealth Partners, LTD

Joe Messinger, CFP®, ChFC, CLU, CCFC is on a mission to end the student loan crisis one family at a time. He created the innovative College Pre-Approval™ system and has trained thousands of advisors across the country on how to seamlessly guide families through the college-funding maze with confidence and ease. Messinger is a Co-Founder of College Aid Pro™, the award-winning FinTech solution that takes the hassle out of late-stage college planning. A proud graduate of Penn State University, he is also Partner and Director of College Planning at Capstone Wealth Partners, a fee-only RIA.

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Welcome! An Introduction from Joe Messinger
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College Planning Made Easy
Introduction to College Funding Landscape
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The Mechanics of College Funding
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The College Pre-Approval Process
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How to Find Schools that Will be the Most Generous with Financial Aid
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The Out of Pocket Cost
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Open to view video.
Paying For College Made Easy
Analyze and Appeal- A Deep Dive
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Creating a Smart Lending Strategy
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College Aid Pro In Action- A Case Study
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Incorporating College Planning In Your Practice
Practice Management- A Deep Dive
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Open to view video.
Certificate Program Examination
Certificate Program Examination
26 Questions  |  2 attempts  |  17/26 points to pass
26 Questions  |  2 attempts  |  17/26 points to pass
Program Evaluation
Program Evaluation
7 Questions
Certificate of Completion
Certificate of Completion
4.5 CFP CE credits  |  Certificate available
4.5 CFP CE credits  |  Certificate available