Contact GetCollegeFunding                                          Address, Phone, Email, Map

So What's Next?
Where Do We Go From Here?

We hope you're learning some useful things about the College Funding process and that you've received your free downloads by now.  If you’ve clicked around our site a little you now have a better understanding of the types of families we serve, how we work, the services we provide, who we are and even some of our guiding values.  And be sure to read some of the testimonials written to us by families who have gotten to know us.

We would love to have the privilege to personally meet with you to see how we might help your family with your College Funding needs - or if you're remote to us then we want to offer you a free Tele-Consultation.  Either way, we want to educate you with the facts about College Funding and we want to help you assess your family's situation.


If You Would Like To Explore Working With Us . . .

Attend A GetCollegeFunding Seminar

We conduct College Funding Seminars throughout the year at schools, churches, our Dana Point office and now over the Internet.  We also speak to organizations, clubs and private gatherings.  There is never a fee of any kind to attend our seminar.  Our first mission is to educate the public with the facts of College Funding.

To see a listing of our public Upcoming Seminars and Internet-based WEBinars, click here for dates, times and locations.

To view our Seminar Agenda & Presentation (PDF format), click here.

NEW:  To view (and listen to) our Online Seminar (animated PowerPoint AND full audio), click here.

To Register Online for an Upcoming Seminar, click here or call our Seminar Registration Hotline at 949-226-7158.


For Any Questions Regarding Our Seminar
'College Funding:  The Missing Link in
Planning for College'

Please Call Us at 949-340-2675 or eMail Us


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Meet With Us For A Personal Evaluation

After you've attended our seminar (live or online) we would like to meet with you for a Personal Evaluation of your family's College Funding/Financial Aid situation.  To optimize your Personal Evaluation whether it be live or a tele-consultation, we ask that you complete the 'EFC WIZARD' (free download Item #1) and email us your data record before we meet (or discuss on the phone).  Please send it at least a couple of days before your appointment. 

You can expect to spend about 15 to 30 minutes entering your data into the 'EFC Wizard' program and just a few seconds to email your record to us.  For a small investment of your time we promise you a tremendous return with regards to the detailed information and direction we will provide to you - and at no cost!

We want to make sure you know exactly what results to expect when you decide to take the time to meet with us for your Private Consultation:  If you will make the commitment to complete the 'EFC WIZARD' and email your data record to us, then you can expect from us a thorough explanation of your EFC calculation AND all the ramifications it has to your family's College Funding situation!  And we will tell you if there's anything you can do to reduce your EFC.  This is our commitment to you.  And there's never a fee of any kind to meet with us.

If you’re married, please try to attend your Personal Assessment Consultation with your spouse.  The information you receive will be most effective if both of you are present.  We understand it can be a challenge with your busy schedules, but we want you to both understand this important element that involves your family's finances to such a significant degree. 

It’s beneficial if you’ve attended our College Funding Seminar, but not necessary.  And remember - if you're outside of the southern California area or if it's more convenient to "meet" over the phone, that's not a problem.  We are happy to offer you a Tele-Consultation.



'So How Do We Complete Our 'EFC Wizard' and
Email Our Data Record To GetCollegeFunding?'
Here's Your Step-by-Step Instructions:

 

  • STEP 1.  Get your free downloads

  • STEP 2.  Install the 'EFC Wizard' program (Item #1) on your hard drive
    (This takes only a few seconds)

  • STEP 3.  Open the program

  • STEP 4.  Gather the necessary documents for data entry (See    IMPORTANT NOTE    below)

    • Most recent Federal Income Tax Return - specifically, you'll need:

      • 1040 Form (both pages)

      • Schedule A (if you itemized deductions)

      • Any W-2 Forms

    • If your student filed an income tax return, please have it available also

    • You do NOT need any 1099 Forms 

    • You do NOT need statements from your bank accounts, investments, retirement accounts, etc.  Estimates for assets are fine for the initial analysis

        IMPORTANT NOTE 
      Your financial aid eligibility will be determined largely by your income in your 'Base Year'.  Your Base Year is the calendar year before your child graduates from high school.  So for instance, if your child is going to graduate from high school in 2010, your Base Year is 2009.

      When completing the 'EFC Wizard', please estimate to the best of your ability what you anticipate your income will be for your BASE YEAR.  Often your most recent tax return is a great place to start, but please adjust as appropriate.  When asked about assets, declare your current assets.

  • STEP 5.  Complete data entry into the 'EFC Wizard'
    (This typically takes 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the complexity of your assets)

    • Be sure to click on all of the    Details...    buttons

    • There's no need to enter your family's social security numbers - even though they're asked for

    • Be sure to include (custodial) parent(s) names

    • Complete all data fields that are color-coded in red.  These fields are mandatory in order to email the data record to us when you're through


  • STEP 6.  After you've completed your data entry, to email your data record to us - click either:

    • The    E-mail a Record    button (when you first open the program) - OR

    • The    How to transmit this data via e-mail   button (Page 9)

  • STEP 7.  Enter    EFC@GetCollegeFunding.org    in the    E-mail my data to:    box

  • STEP 8.  Click the    Send My Data    button

If you receive an error message when you try to email your data record to us, it's because some necessary information (indicated in red) has not been completed somewhere in the data entry.  Please go back to Page 1, click the    Details...    button, and complete the required data in red.

  • STEP 9 (ONLY if there's a problem).  In the event that you still can't email your data record to us, here's an alternate method:

    • Open your email program (such as Microsoft Outlook)

    • Select 'Insert File' or 'Attach File'

    • Browse for - and select - the following file on your hard drive:

      C:\Think Ahead\Colaid 08-09\[LastName_FirstName].cac

      NOTE:  [LastName_FirstName] refers to your STUDENT'S name -
      for example,
                   student John Smith's file name would be Smith_John.cac


    • Send email to:  EFC@GetCollegeFunding.org




  IMPORTANT SECURITY NOTE: 
The 'EFC Wizard' automatically encrypts your data file
for secure transmission when you email it to us.  One of GetCollegeFunding's standard procedures is to handle your sensitive information with appropriate security measures.



After You've Sent Us Your EFC Data Record
You're Ready For Your Personal Evaluation

We will explain to you the financial impact EFC has on your current selection of colleges.  Many families learn some additional options that would have likely gone unexplored.  We can't over-emphasize the value to you of having this level of detailed information as you plan and prepare for your child's education!

The Earlier You Start PLANNING For Your
Family's College Funding - The Better!


Remember - the most common mistake parents make regarding College Funding is waiting until their student is a senior in high school to begin the College Funding process.  This is often way too late to optimize for College Funding and Financial Aid eligibility.

The 'Sweet Spot' to begin planning is the SOPHOMORE year in high school - and no later than early in the junior year!  Having said this, if your student IS a senior, please don't give up by doing nothing at all.  Our recommendation to you is this - before you click your mouse one more time, CALL US!  Let's talk!  We're not trying to frighten you - we just want to help you.  It's never too late to get started.

The most repeated comment we hear parents say is:  "If only we had this information a year ago!  Why didn't anyone give this to us earlier?"  We hear this frequently from parents of seniors after they've attended one of our College Funding Seminars - and even more often after Personal Assessment Consultations when parents see first-hand the impact of their late start.

To Request Your Personal Evaluation
Click here or Call Us at 949-340-2675


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After Your Personal Evaluation . . .

You will have a good sense of what degree of involvement your family needs from us.  We will discuss your 'next step' and all of your options - and if you would like more information about our CollegeFunding 'PLUS' we will be happy to discuss the details of this with you as well.  Either way we want you to leave with the assurance that we're always here to help you in any way we can with your family's College Funding needs.

If CollegeFunding 'PLUS' is right for you, we will have a second meeting within a week or so.  At that time you will receive your personalized College Funding Planning Guide.  We will lead you through the entire College Funding process - beginning right now and continuing through your child's college years.  You will find this guide to be invaluable in helping keep your family on track to achieve optimum College Funding results.

If you have found that the help we've provided to you and your family has been valuable, we would be grateful if you were to mention GetCollegeFunding to your friends and other parents with whom you come in contact.  Many families we help first hear about us through word-of-mouth.  And please don't hesitate to tell people about us who live outside of southern California.  We're equipped to offer College Funding assistance to families anywhere in the country.

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Your NEXT STEP - Summary

 

Don't just HOPE for a good College Funding package
PLAN for it


GetCollegeFunding Is Here To Help YOU

 

GetCollegeFunding Contact Information



Headquarters/Mailing Address

GetCollegeFunding, Inc.
24901 Dana Pt Harbor Dr
Suite #110
Dana Point, CA 92629

(In the lovely Dana Point Harbor
behind 'RJ's Cafe')

Office: 949.340.2675
Fax: 866.676.8679

Seminar Registration
24/7 Automated Phone Line
949.226.7158



Online Purchase Questions
service@GetCollegeFunding.org

Questions for OC Register Column
OCRegister@GetCollegeFunding.org


General Questions
info@GetCollegeFunding.org

EFC Analysis
EFC@GetCollegeFunding.org

Tom Bottorf
tom@GetCollegeFunding.org

Lawrene Bottorf
lawrene@GetCollegeFunding.org

Jim Wagner
jim@GetCollegeFunding.org

Eric Goodhart (Lunenberg, MA)
eric@GetCollegeFunding.org

Chuck Moore (Louisville, KY)
chuck@GetCollegeFunding.org

Jeff Boyd (San Diego, CA)
jeff@GetCollegeFunding.org

 

 

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or perhaps start over at our Home Page

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