Tara Piantanida-Kelly
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Consultant:
I started my career in college financial aid in 1992. After working my way up to a Financial Aid Director's position, I created my financial aid consulting firm, Financial Aid Solutions in 1995. From 1995 to 2005, I provided onsite consulting services for colleges in the San Francisco Bay Area. I moved from the Bay Area in 2005, but continued to offer remote consulting in 2008 and 2009. As of 2014, I again offer my services for onsite and/or remote consulting to colleges and families throughout the United States. Trainer: I have a passion for training college and university personnel on the various facets of college financial aid administration. Author: Although I've worked in the financial aid industry for over 20 years, but I never really saw the process from a family's point of view until my daughter was ready to go to college. As a financial aid professional, too many times I've sat across the desk from a family and/or student as they ask for financial help to stay in school, and too many times I've seen students have to leave a school that they love, but simply can not afford. It's sad, and it happens every day. I was determined not to let that happen to my daughter. Using my industry knowledge, I determined what OUR ESTIMATED FINANCIAL AID AWARD WOULD BE at each college BEFORE WE EVEN VISITED. I didn't want my daughter to fall in love with a school that we couldn't afford. When my family and friends asked how I (a widowed mom with two kids) could afford to send my daughter to an expensive private college, I explained how I researched and found the best college - at the right price - for my daughter. I wrote it all down, and it became my book, Tips and Strategies for Selecting the Best Value in a College: Financial Aid Solutions for Mid-Income Americans. I hope that the information it contains saves you as much money on college as it saved me! |
