Insights and Strategies for College Planning
We invite you to join us for an engaging and timely discussion on college funding and student debt—topics that continue to impact our clients and their families in meaningful ways.
Breakfast options will be available starting at 9am with Networking Opportunity - Programming starts at 9:30am.
Matt & Bill will share practical insights and strategies across a range of key areas, including:
- 529 Plans – including effective gifting strategies.
- Student Loan Limitations
- Public Service Loan Forgiveness
- Price Discrimination 101 – How colleges use need- and merit-based aid to set prices student by student.
- Section 127 Plans – tax advantages of employer-provided education assistance
About the presenters:
Bill Smith bought a college financial aid software company in 2007. He worked with colleges to program their financial aid policies into online financial aid estimators known as Net Price Calculators. His clients included Amherst, Bowdoin, DePaul, Marquette, MIT, University of Arkansas, Yale, and many others. Bill became an expert at determining eligibility for need-based aid using both the FAFSA and the CSS Profile methods. He learned how colleges decide how much merit and need-based aid to award, and the mix of grants, scholarships, loans, and work-study. He sold the software company and began working with families to help them find affordable colleges in 2014. Bill is a frequent speaker at high schools and college admissions and financial aid professional associations. Bill's BA is from Williams College, he has an MBA from Northwestern University, and a Certificate in College Counseling from UCLA.
Matt specializes in helping businesses navigate qualified retirement plans, advising on plan design, investment due diligence, compliance, and employee education. He began his career in banking, where his work in underwriting and credit analysis shaped his investment perspective. In addition, he is passionate about college funding and enjoys helping students and parents navigate the challenges of paying for higher education. Matt holds FINRA Series 6, 63, and 65 licenses, Life & Health Insurance licensure, and earned his J.D., cum laude, from Suffolk University Law School.
