The MEFA Podcast: Recent Episodes
MEFA
Host Jonathan Hughes is joined by MEFA’s in-house loan product experts, Frank Cavanaugh and Meg Villavicencio, and MEFA’s Director of College Planning, Education, and Training, Julie Shields-Rutyna. Frank and Meg discuss private student loans, including when families can start applying, what determines if applicants are approved, what kind of rates and terms they may qualify for, and how to compare loan options. Jonathan and Julie answer listeners’ questions about assets on the FAFSA and d
Students from Amherst Regional High School, Franklin County Technical High School, and Tewksbury Memorial High School share how they decided which colleges to apply to, what is was like to do virtual college visits, how cost factored into the college decision, the process of writing the college essay and applying for scholarships, the financial aid process, and how they finally decided on a college.
Host Jonathan Hughes is joined by Betsy Mayotte, President and Founder of The Institute of Student Loan Advisors (TISLA), who discusses when Federal Student Loans will re-enter repayment, what this means for borrowers, and what borrowers can do now to be prepared ahead of time.
Timestamp (00:00) Intro (01:55) Answering FAFSA Questions (12:45) Returning to Repayment
Host Jonathan Hughes is joined by Apelila Joseph, MEFA Pathway Program Manager, who discusses how Grade 12 students and their families can make a plan to pay their college bill, including the use of savings, payment plans and student loans, and how to be a wise borrower if they do borrow student loans.
Timestamp (00:00) Intro (01:11) Verification (08:05) MEFA Mailbag (13:04) Pay Your College Bill
Host Jonathan Hughes is joined by Stephanie Wells, Director of College Relations for MEFA, who discusses what Grade 12 students and their families can expect to see on financial aid offers, including grants, scholarships, and work-study, and what the difference is between each type of loan that may be listed on a financial aid offer.
Timestamp (00:00) Intro (03:32) Net Price (08:01) MEFA Mail bag (12:01) Financial Aid Offers
Host Jonathan Hughes is joined by Jim Slattery, Senior Director of Financial Aid at Northeastern University, who discusses why some colleges require the CSS Profile, the differences between the CSS Profile and the FAFSA, how non-custodial parents file the CSS Profile, and why it’s in families' best interest to provide financial aid offices with as much information as possible.
Timestamp (00:00) Intro (01:15) Resuming Repayment (07:47) MEFA Mail bag (11:11) The CSS Profile
Host Jonathan Hughes is joined by Shaun Connolly, Communications Associate at MEFA, who discusses how he opened a U.Fund 529 College Investing Plan for his son, how he saves for college, and how he created a college gifting page to encourage friends and family members to contribute to his college savings account. If you enjoy the MEFA Podcast, please leave us a review at trustpilot.com/evaluate/mefa.org
Timestamp (00:00) Intro (01:14) College Savings (09:54) MEFA Mailbag (13:15) College
Host Jonathan Hughes is joined by Nick Charrette, Assistant Director of Veterans Upward Bound, who discusses what Veterans Upward Bound offers, the different types of GI Bills, and how veterans can maximize their education benefits. If you enjoy the MEFA Podcast, please leave us a review at trustpilot.com/evaluate/mefa.org
Timestamp (00:00) Intro (01:15) Understanding MA State Financial Aid (12:44) MEFA Mail bag (15:23) College Resources for Veterans
Host Jonathan Hughes is joined by Kevin Fudge, Higher Education Expert, who discusses why families should consider affordability when exploring college options, why it’s important to focus on career goals when making post-secondary plans, and how college-going trends have evolved. If you enjoy the MEFA Podcast, please leave us a review at trustpilot.com/evaluate/mefa.org
Timestamp (00:00) Intro (01:02) College Financing Events (07:00) MEFA Mailbag (12:18) Trends in Higher Education
Host Jonathan Hughes is joined by Jennifer Bento-Pinyoun, Director of MEFA Pathway at MEFA, who explains how students and counselors can utilize MEFA Pathway, and Cheryl Nelson, Counselor in the Lunenburg School District, who explains how she uses the platform with her eighth and ninth grade students. If you enjoy the MEFA Podcast, please leave us a review at trustpilot.com/evaluate/mefa.org
Timestamp (00:00) Intro (00:40) Get to Know MEFA Pathway (14:07) MEFA Mailbag (19:20) Interview w
Host Jonathan Hughes is joined by Mary Rubenis, Outreach Manager of Attainable at MEFA, who explains how individuals with disabilities can save for qualified expenses in an Attainable account, and Sarah Lazare, Director of the Banacos Academic Center at Westfield State University, who explains how students with disabilities can prepare for college success. If you enjoy the MEFA Podcast, please leave us a review at trustpilot.com/evaluate/mefa.org
Timestamp (00:00) Attainable (11:28) MEFA
Host Jonathan Hughes is joined by Charlie Maynard, co-founder and CEO of Going Merry, who explains explains how to search for scholarships on Going Merry, what makes Going Merry different from other scholarship search engines, how they act as a resource for school counselors, and the importance of applying to both local and national scholarships. If you enjoy the MEFA Podcast, please leave us a review at trustpilot.com/evaluate/mefa.org
Timestamp (00:00) Intro (00:45) Summer Melt (06:25)
Host Jonathan Hughes is joined by Stephanie Wells, Director of College Relations at MEFA, who explains how to compare college loan options, including the differences between Federal Direct Student Loans, the PLUS Loan, and private loans, as well as paying the college bill through a combination of past, present, and future income. If you enjoy the MEFA Podcast, please leave us a review at trustpilot.com/evaluate/mefa.org
Timestamp (00:00) Intro (01:03) Vaxmillions (06:00) Comparing College
Host Jonathan Hughes is joined by Jennifer Ma, Senior Policy Research Scientist at the College Board, who explains College’s Board recent Education Pays report, including patterns among U.S. adults with different education levels and disparities in college participation and completion across demographic groups. If you enjoy the MEFA Podcast, please leave us a review at trustpilot.com/evaluate/mefa.org
Timestamp (00:00) Intro (07:16) MEFA Mailbag (10:58) College Board Report
Host Jonathan Hughes talks with Dror Liebenthal, co-founder and CEO of bold.org, about how students can search for scholarships on bold.org, an innovative, streamlined, and secure service that matches students to exclusive scholarships. If you enjoy the MEFA Podcast, please leave us a review at trustpilot.com/evaluate/mefa.org
Timestamp (00:00) Intro (05:05) MEFA Mailbag (08:52) Bold.org
Host Jonathan Hughes is joined by Paul Curley, CFA, Director of 529 & ABLE Research at ISS Market Intelligence, who explains all you need to know about 529 accounts, including their history, how they work, what studies show about opening an account, and why it’s important to start saving for college. If you enjoy the MEFA Podcast, please leave us a review at trustpilot.com/evaluate/mefa.org
Timestamp (00:00) Intro (04:17) MEFA Mailbag (08:35) 529 Accounts with Paul Curley
Jonathan Hughes explains how students can present their best college admissions application. Factors include letters of recommendation, the college essay, and demonstrated interest. Jonathan is joined by Drew Carter, Senior Associate Director of Admissions at College of the Holy Cross, and Julie Shields-Rutyna, Director of Training and Education at MEFA. If you enjoy the MEFA Podcast, please leave us a review at trustpilot.com/evaluate/mefa.org
Timestamp (00:00) Intro (01:30) Interview wit
Jonathan Hughes breaks down uAspire’s recently published Beyond the College Bill report with uAspire’s Massachusetts Policy Director Anika Van Easton and Senior Vice President of Knowledge Holly Morrow. If you enjoy the MEFA Podcast, please leave us a review at trustpilot.com/evaluate/mefa.org
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(00:00) Intro (04:00) MEFA Mailbag (10:26) uAspire Report
PLEASE NOTE: This podcast was recorded in 2021. As of 2022, this program has been renamed from After the College Acceptance to How to Pay for College: A Guide for High School Seniors & Families. MEFA's Associate Director of College Planning and Content Creation Jonathan Hughes explains how MEFA’s How to Pay for College: A Guide for High School Seniors & Families campaign will help you with understanding financial aid offers, making the college decision, and paying the college bill. Jonathan is
MEFA's Associate Director of College Planning Jonathan Hughes explains how MassTransfer guarantees transfer admission from an associate to a bachelor's degree program and the powerful savings it offers for students and their families. Jonathan is joined by Mark Broadbent of Holyoke Community College and Liuginsa Rosa, student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. If you enjoy the MEFA Podcast, please leave us a review at trustpilot.com/evaluate/mefa.org
Timestamp: (00:00) Intro (03:5
Host Jonathan Hughes discusses the first year of the BabySteps Savings Plan, what was learned in the pilot program, and how to program makes saving for college more accessible Jonathan is joined by Alayna Van Tassel of the Office of Economic Empowerment. If you enjoy the MEFA Podcast, please leave us a review at trustpilot.com/evaluate/mefa.org
Timestamp: (00:00) Intro (06:23) MEFA Mailbag (13:40) BabySteps Savings Plan
Host Jonathan Hughes breaks down how to complete these forms, including maintaining confidentiality between parents, which parent completes the forms, how to determine the custodial parent, and how to keep the financial aid office involved. Jonathan is joined by Susan Beard of Wheaton College. If you enjoy the MEFA Podcast, please leave us a review at trustpilot.com/evaluate/mefa.org
Timestamp: (00:00) Intro (04:53) MEFA Mailbag (13:42) Filing Financial Aid Forms
Did you know that there are updates to the FAFSA every year? On this episode of The MEFA Podcast, MEFA's Associate Director of College Planning Jonathan Hughes breaks down what's new with the FAFSA, including a change to the income level at which families receive an automatic 0 EFC, an expansion of the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, a consolidation of FAFSA related websites, and an addition of an employer data base to assist with the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. Jonathan is joined by MEFA's Director of College Planning, Julie Shields-Rutyna, and MEFA's Director of Integrated Communications, Meredith Barnhart.
College can be expensive, but did you know there are many ways you can save on the cost? On this episode of The MEFA Podcast, MEFA's Associate Director of College Planning Jonathan Hughes breaks down the resources available to students in Massachusetts to help save on the cost of college, including Tuition Break, New England State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA), and Open Educational Resources (OER). Jonathan is joined by MEFA's Director of College Planning, Julie Shields-Rutyna, and Wendy Lindsey from the New England Board of Higher Education.
College is an investment, and it's important to start saving for it as soon as you can. On this episode of The MEFA Podcast, MEFA's Associate Director of College Planning Jonathan Hughes breaks down everything you need to know about saving for college, including the two Massachusetts's college saving plans, The U.Fund and The U.Plan, as well as the BabySteps Savings Plan. Jonathan is joined by MEFA's Director of College Planning, Julie Shields-Rutyna, and interviews Yiming Shuang and Christine Jauregui of Inversant.
College is an investment, and it's important to start saving for it as soon as you can. On this episode of Navigating the Course to College, MEFA's Associate Director of College Planning Jonathan Hughes breaks down everything you need to know about...
With so many options available and so many factors to consider, the process of applying for student loans can seem confusing. On this episode of Navigating the Course to College, MEFA's Associate Directors of College Planning Jonathan Hughes and...
With so many options available and so many factors to consider, the process of applying for student loans can seem confusing. On this episode of The MEFA Podcast, MEFA's Associate Directors of College Planning Jonathan Hughes and Jonathan Sparling break down everything you need to know about student loans, including factors to consider when comparing student loans, how some school may be delayed with their billing process this year, how to be a wise borrower, and how the process of applying for a loan works.
Saving for college may seem like an overwhelming task, but with the U.Plan Prepaid Tuition Program, you can get a head start on paying for your child's college costs by locking in current rates for tuition and mandatory fees. On this episode of The MEFA Podcast, MEFA's Associate Directors of College Planning Jonathan Hughes and Jonathan Sparling explain how the U.Plan works and interview a real life saver who used the U.Plan to pay for her child's college. They also provide an update on college's plans for reopening in the fall and discuss the new MEFA Loan rates.
Saving for college may seem like an overwhelming task, but with the U.Plan Prepaid Tuition Program, you can get a head start on paying for your child's college costs by locking in current rates for tuition and mandatory fees. On this episode of...
The current pandemic has left many students unable to visit college campuses or take campus tours. Students may now be wondering how they will narrow down their college choices without having these crucial experiences. On this episode of The MEFA Podcast, MEFA's Associate Directors of College Planning Jonathan Hughes and Jonathan Sparling break down everything you need to know about researching colleges when you can't visit campus, including how to know if a college is a good investment, online tools you can use in the absence of campus visits, and what resources colleges are offering prospective students to help them get a feel for campus.
The current pandemic has left many students unable to visit college campuses or take campus tours. Students may now be wondering how they will narrow down their college choices without having these crucial experiences. On this episode of Navigating the...
The current pandemic has caused millions of families to experience a change in finances, and that can affect how much a family can invest in a child's college education. As high school seniors evaluate their college financial aid offers and bottom line costs, they may wonder if they can request additional financial aid from the colleges offering them admission. On this episode of The MEFA Podcast, MEFA's Associate Directors of College Planning Jonathan Hughes and Jonathan Sparling break down everything you need to know about appealing your financial aid offer including how to appeal, who should appeal, how colleges are handling appeals, if you can submit deposits at more than one school, and what deferment might mean for your financial aid.
It’s a whole new world we’re living in as we navigate this current global pandemic and the restrictions that accompany it. In our first episode of The MEFA Podcast, MEFA's Associate Directors of College Planning Jonathan Hughes and Jonathan Sparling discuss how COVID-19 affects every aspect of college planning, from students already attending college to colleges making plans for the upcoming school year to parents just starting to save.
The current pandemic has caused millions of families to experience a change in finances, and that can affect how much a family can invest in a child's college education. As high school seniors evaluate their college financial aid offers and bottom line...
It’s a whole new world we’re living in as we navigate this current global pandemic and the restrictions that accompany it. In our first episode of Navigating the Course to College, MEFA's Associate Director's of College Planning Jonathan Hughes and...
Martha Savery and Meredith Barnhart, two college financing experts, answer frequently asked questions about paying for college.
Meredith Barnhart, Director of Integrated Communications, provides helpful advice for families who have middle school students as they look forward and plan for college The more families know, the better prepared they’ll be for all the decisions they need to make during the student’s senior year of high school.
Jonathan Hughes, Associate Director of College Planning, provides helpful insights into the college financing process and its common misconceptions.
Julie Shields-Rutyna, Director of College Planning, explains why middle school is a perfect time for families to begin planning for college.
College planning expert Martha Savery shares her advice for families with middle school students around planning and saving for college.