5 good reasons

why a school would prefer

CFA over other services.

Reason One: Information Verification^®

Schools often spend days verifying application data - a difficult, time-consuming process.

    Option one:

    CFA clients can choose to have us verify each family's income and expenses at 8 critical points. This headache can be completely eliminated.

    Option two:

    CFA clients can do their own verification online, electronically with their own Admin Panel. Eliminate stacks of forms & folders on your desk!

Reason Two: Current information

1. CFA's calculations are based on current income and expenses.

2. Expenses used in the calculation are basic living expenses, and the formula includes ceilings and warnings that insure against excesses.

3. We would not say our recommendations are higher or lower than those who based their recommendations on last year's income, just more accurate..

Reason Three: Flexibility

1. CFA's calculations can be customized on four levels.

2. Calculations are based on the applicant's local economics..

3. We tell you how much each family can afford, and you adjust the awards based on funds available and each family's unique needs.

Reason Four: Critical information

1. CFA's Financial Condition Indicator^® helps you better understand your families by classifying their financial condition as healthy, manageable, struggling, or unmanageable. Nobody else gives you this critical information!

2. CFA's calculations are based on current financial information, not on last year's tax returns. Our application creates a snapshot of the family's current financial status. When that status changes, they can notify us and we will amend their report and notify you!

3. CFA's reporting is instantaneous, online. No such thing as paying for expedited processing. The moment an applicant finishes online you receive an email notification that the report is ready. Applications that are mailed or faxed to our office are online within 3 working days!

Reason Fiver: Non-Intimidating / Non-Confrontational

1. Parents may be put off because some applications ask very detailed, and probably unnecessary, family information, such as children’s savings accounts, detailed information about non-enrolled children, parent birth dates, even disabilities and dependent adults.

2. The CFA online application takes only 20-30 minutes to complete. Other applications are often quite cumbersome, taking 45 minutes or longer, after collecting all necessary information. (one says “similar to gathering information to complete your taxes.”)

3. Some ask for written explanations of private investments, CD’s, securities, trusts, as well as medical expenses and conditions.

CFA asks about these things but not a detailed explanation, unless the amounts are excessive.

4. If a school chooses to use CFA’s verification, CFA will ask for verification of expenses that fall outside of normal parameters, but not for a written explanation, and not from every applicant.

In addition to this ... more reasons

An online tool box is available for schools who choose to do their own verification. From this tool box you can handle the entire verification process electronically. About 2/3rds of CFA clients do their own verification.

Information Verification® is an option in which we verify parent information, including all the communication back and forth with families, ensuring that 8 critical areas of financial information are accurate.

Accuracy: rated “very accurate” in 93% of cases by CFA client-schools.

Family Financial Condition Indicator® which rates each family’s financial health as healthy, manageable, struggling, or unmanageable. This enables schools to make informed decisions that will help guarantee that an aid-recipient family will remain enrolled year after year.

Speed. Applications completed online are ready for you the moment the applicant presses "submit." Mailed or faxed applications are ready within 3 working days.

Budget and debt reduction resources. CFA provides parents and families with these helpful resources.

Tuition Setting.  CFA is the only service that has experience in counseling schools in tuition-setting through comprehensive survey instruments.

Cost to the school / cost to the parents.

Actual Costs:

     *1st year +$40 setup fee. Schools without internet add $40/year.

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