Paying For College Without Going Broke, 2017 Edition (College Admissions Guides)

A relative told me about this book. So glad that I bought it. It will really help with filling out the FAFSA form,figuring out exactly how much it's all going to cost and where to look for alternative funding. The part about your starting to plan early will help with my other much younger child. If you child is a sophomore you need to be reading this - don't wait like I did. I waited way too long to start planning. Wished I would have bought this book about a year ago. I could have saved myself some headaches on the base income for the FAFSA. Now at least we have suggestions on how to adjust things to take advantage of all this book has to offer. Even took it to my accountant to discuss my taxes. He is getting a copy of the book too. Wish we would have had stuff like this when I was in high school. It would certainly have helped my parents out alot. It has updates every year because things are changing so fast so be prepared to get the most up to date version that is out. Good stuff, thanks so much author!!!

Great book easy to read and understand, a must have if you have kids going to college in the near future.

I cannot possibly convey how much this book helped myself & my parents to navigate the ridiculously complex waters of the FAFSA and PROFILE. Our financial situation is complex and we were entirely unfamiliar with the federal system. My parents used this book step-by-step and found it explained every mystery. It even lets you know when something you think doesn't make sense in fact DOESN'T MAKE SENSE! A huge relief when you're staring, cross-eyed, at a section that seems redundant or illogical. They speak in plain terms, go in-depth into each question on both forms, and give great examples.There are a wide variety of financial aid assistance manuals. This is the only one I would buy if I had to do it over again. HIGHLY recommend.

After borrowing the 2009 version from the library, I purchased this 2012 edition. I am impressed with the book's emphasis on planning ahead. It is easy to read, suggestions are plentiful and I highly recommend it for parents with children in middle school or just starting high school. My first takeaway from the book was learning about the first base income year which starts when the child is midway through their junior year of high school. Second was learning how to improve the chances of getting financial aid by planning ahead. Note that this book is revised and updated each year to stay current. There's also a website to find the most recent changes in advice to families.

This book has clearly been "phoned in" for at least the past 10 editions. Apparently nothing gets cut, just added. It's now a bloated tome that makes simple concepts complicated, and complicated concepts unbearable. In the section "Looking Ahead", which promises a conversation about trends in college finance, I found this gem, which is indicative of the entire book: "Of particular note was Princeton University's announcement in January 1998 that it would be liberalizing its financial aid policies." Come on, man! This is the 2017 edition!