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making your
college dream affordable

A little more about me…

Growing up

I’m a first-generation college graduate who had to figure out the entire college application – and financial aid – process on my own.  I attended a diverse public school in the nation’s 4th largest school district (Miami-Dade, Florida), with only one college counselor for over 750 Seniors. As a self-proclaimed nerd, I did the research and created the spreadsheets to access financial aid and afford my college dream.

Career

After graduating from Harvard College, I completed my Masters at MIT and launched a start-up called CommonCampus, aggregating financial aid data from U.S. universities and making it available to high school counselors nationwide.  Now, I am bringing that knowledge directly to students and their families.

I work with 80 independent schools nationwide to offer a comprehensive college finance curriculum and individual advising to students of diverse economic backgrounds. I serve as an advisor to Miami-Dade and Broward School Districts – the nation’s 3th and 6th largest, respectively – on how to support the students through the financial aid process, including district-wide training for counselors and workshops for students.

As part of my commitment to having both current and accurate information and resources for the financial aid process, I attend the annual conference of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA). I also participate in ongoing training and the annual meeting offered by the U.S. Department of Education Federal Student Aid.

Volunteer

I volunteer as the financial aid advisor with Path to College, a South Florida community-based organization helping students who are the first in their families to attend college through a comprehensive leadership development program.

I am deeply engaged with first-generation students at my alma maters as both a mentor and financial coach.  I know how important it is for first-gen students to have role models to map out the new terrains of succeeding in college and creating a life full of opportunity. 

I previously served as President of First Generation Harvard Alumni, and I’m the Founder of First Generation Alumni of MIT.  In both of these leadership roles, I work across campus organizations, including Admissions and Financial Aid, to advocate for first-generation students’ financial well-being. 

I’m here to help…

My mission is to work with students and families of all economic backgrounds to afford the college dream. Let me create a program of services that fits your budget and show you how to get more money and invest in college more wisely.

Let me know how I can help.

Paul Martin
paul@collegemoneymethod.com