WGN Morning News: Matthew Sapaula talks Cash for College during Money Smart Week

As of Monday, April 19th, 2010, the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) has suspended all aid to applicants seeking Illinois public college financial aid.  According to the ISAC, they have seen a huge increase in the number of applicants this year due to students and parents seeking greater financial aid from the government.  The amount of aid being applied for cannot be supported, at this time, by the budget given to the ISAC from the Illinois government.

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How to Pay for College Without Depleting Your Retirement at College Smart Fair 2010

The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago’s Money Smart Week is coming up, April 17-24, 2010.  I am delighted to collaborate with the Illinois Students Assistance Commission’s College Smart Fair during Money Smart Week 2010.  I will be presenting How to Pay for College Without Depleting Your Retirement.

The ISAC is leading a strong initiative to help people pay for college in Illinois.  Here are the details for the College Smart Fair:

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20 Pearls of Wisdom for College Students and New College Grads

Recently, I was asked to speak at Northeastern Illinois University by Edmund Cruz, in the area of personal finance to their students and staff .  They were alert, attentive and eager to learn.  It was a joy to spend some time with them and tune into what is on their minds, as they move into the workforce.

Before I headed out there, I asked my friends on Facebook and Twitter to bless these students by sharing their own quick tip of life experiences and pearl of wisdom.  Thank you to my fellow Facebookers and Tweeps! (Yup, new social media lingo!)

Here’s what they had to share and if you’d like to add yours, please drop your pearl of wisdom to college students and new college grads in the comment section below! I will share it this weekend on the next podcast of Money Smart Radio and broadcast of the Real Estate on Radio Show on WLS 890 AM from 10am-Noon, this Saturday.

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College Financial Planning: How to Find Money When Your Savings are Down

Most high school students and their families get through their financial situations by “wingin’ it”.  That was me.  Never did college financial planning, scholarship planning or simply planning for college get any in-depth discussion.  I thought that since I was an All-Conference high school athlete that colleges would be sending me applications. WRONG!  In fact, I didn’t start thinking about planning for college until my senior year in high school…way behind the curve.  Ultimately, my college plan ended up enlisting in the United States Marine Corps, out of lack of knowing all my options, rather than making the right choice.

In 2009 alone, over 130,000 Illinois students got DENIED college financial aid. Over 40% of students alone who depended upon the MAP grant where threatened, to not get the money for college they needed to stay in school. 1 out of 10 students today have their education threatened to an already difficult financial milestone in life, which is finding the money for college. Lack of college financial planning and not having enough money is the #1 reason why students drop out of college and never finish their college education.

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WGN’s Chicago Now Talk Radio Show: Money Smart Tips to Build Again in 2010

Let’s Build Again in 2010…so what better way than to share some Money Smart Tips during the Chicago Now Show on WGN Radio 720 AM, TODAY (1/2/2010) from 11:30-Noon!

Here are some of the tough questions I will attempt to cover, regarding strategies in planning for retirement and finding money for our kid’s college education:

What does the President Bush’s Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 have to do with the way American’s are planning for retirement today?

Why is traditional ways of financial planning wasting time?

What are the 3 most fearful trends affecting our financial security and what should we do about it?

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130,000 Illinois Students Got Denied College Financial Aid – Will You Fall in this Trap?

Do you want your 8th-12th grade student sitting in this same position when it is time for them to apply for assistance?  Do you have a plan, at least in your head, how you are going to help your child through college?  Have you gotten confused how the college planning process works?

Well, we devoted a whole week on this topic during our daily radio show.  We had top college planning experts in the country dropping their words of wisdom on how parents can really make their child’s dream come true.  Click HERE to listen to those replays.

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Money for College AND Your Future

How do you help your child through college during this recession?  As if our savings and home equity was hard enough to build, it is all but gone today.  If so, how else can you help you children find money for college? Apply for financial aid? Where are you in your college planning?  Is it possible to still get money for college?

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