Frequently Asked Questions

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1.  What is the fee for the initial consultation?

Your initial consultation has no cost. We want to become more familiar with you, and we want you to become more familiar with us and our team. Once we know more about you and how we can help, we’ll decide together what next steps are logical.

2.  How do you get paid?

If you decide that you want to work with us, we get paid when you choose to implement a strategy. Then we are compensated by the financial institution(s) with whom we place your business.

3.  Is it too early to start planning?

The old adage, “don’t put off until tomorrow what you can get done today” seems applicable. The sooner you start this planning, the more strategies that are available for your consideration and the better they are able to be optimized.

4.  Is it too late for us?

While we work with families who have children of all ages, and it’s never too late to begin planning. It is really about making the finances you have work for you to create liquidity and/or cash flow in order to pay for college.

We already have a financial advisor.  That is great and I am sure this is not the case for you, but we have found that the majority of advisors do not specialize in College Funding.

5.  What other services do you offer besides College Financial Planning?

We offer additional services to help manage your financial needs such as insurance, investments, financial planning, and other financial services-related strategies.

6.  How do I start the process of applying for scholarships?

There are several avenues you should investigate.  Generally, your child’s high school will have resources available for researching scholarship opportunities.  In addition, there are national websites, like FastWeb.com and Scholarships.com that allow students to search for scholarships. 

7.  When do I start the process of applying scholarships?

The answer is that it is never too early.  Many families wait until the second semester of the child’s senior year.  There are many scholarships for which great students can qualify during their sophomore and junior year of high school.  A number of years ago, we even had a sixth grader qualify for a $25,000 scholarship for winning a national science fair.

8.  Couldn’t I do this myself?

Yes! In fact, most of our clients could do this themselves. However, most of our clients lack either the time, the interest or the expertise to do their own financial planning. Plus, our team has become experts in college funding and financial planning. We believe that we can help you do it more efficiently and more effectively, which ultimately saves you time and money.

9.  Where do I find a schedule of your upcoming classes and workshops?

All of our workshops are shown on our website. 

www.cornerstonecollegesolutions.net

10.  Can I attend a workshop where my child is not a student?

Yes! It is free and open to the public.  Please just let us know if you are planning to do so, so that we can be sure to have enough materials and/or let you know if the class is cancelled or changed.

11.  When are the initial consultations scheduled and how long do they typically last?

We schedule the initial consultation within normal business hours, Monday-Friday 9am to 5pm. We allow 60-90 minutes.  Saturday by appointment only.

12.  What if my situation is too complicated?

Remarried, Separated, Widowed, Business Owner, Grandparents, Guardians, Trusts, Special Needs Child? We have seen it all.  We would be more than happy to sit down with you and evaluate your individual situation.