High School Curriculum

College financial education
for every year of high school

College Money Method’s College Financial Planning Curriculum guides students and families through their financial aid journey, breaking down the planning process into manageable lessons with actions appropriate for each year of high school.

Increasing support for the whole student

With the growing cost of college and complexity of the financial aid process, students and families are asking high school counselors for education, guidance and specific direction on paying for college and the rules of receiving financial aid.

With a diverse student community and commitment to equity, schools are looking for ways to better support the whole student, including financial well-being in the next stage of life – college. This curriculum does just that.

Comprehensive education plus planning for each year of high school

This series of interactive workshops introduces key topics on planning for the cost of college and the financial aid process in the appropriate school year. Each workshop builds on the last to guide families from year to year with timely knowledge and actions they need for greater financial aid success.

Moving families beyond learning to active planning

Every workshop comes with planning tools that allow students and their parents to move beyond passive learning and build a personal plan for college budgeting and the financial aid process.

The workshop format allows for information to fit that specific group of families, providing a personal approach for each session.

Partnership focused on your school, your students

I collaborate with the counseling team to customize the curriculum to fit with current support for financial aid and overall programming. I build on your strengths to provide families with increased knowledge about how financial aid works for different family types.


The Curriculum

Learning how the financial aid process works and exploring your financial fit

Families make assumptions about how the financial aid system works that can result in unfounded expectations about their eligibility, future award potential and financial fit.

Understanding how colleges assess your financial situation and aid eligibility

Given prior-prior policies, families need actionable information on how financial aid applications use income and assets to calculate expected family contribution and financial need.

Building financial fit and affordability into your school lists

While financial fit may be an important criteria, students and families find it difficult to understand how colleges’ aid policies match their financial needs.

Evaluating student loans and borrowing for your college investment

With loans a component of financial aid offers, many students do not understand how borrowing impacts their future financial wellbeing, leaving them to question whether or how much to borrow.

Succeeding with your financial aid applications

Financial aid applications – FAFSA & CSS Profile – are overwhelming and stressful for students and parents given the in-depth reporting requirements, financial terms used and need for accuracy.

Comparing financial aid awards and considering appeals

Awards can be confusing and leave students and families with an unclear about their true cost and investment for four years and navigating an appeal process for increased aid is challenging.


Interested in learning more? Contact me.