Two years ago this month, College Affordable proudly received its official 501(c)(3) designation as a public charity. Born out of a pilot project by Campus Bound, College Affordable’s mission is to help families reduce the cost of college, minimize debt, and expand higher education options through education and support on college financial matters. The program partners with high schools and community organizations to provide this invaluable service to students and their families at no charge and in an agnostic manner.  If you are a part of the community, you are eligible to participate.

Thanks to the generosity of donors, local businesses, outstanding school counselors, and the dedicated team at College Affordable, the program is building on its initial successes.

Highlights Include:

• Expanding Partnerships: College Affordable has partnered with 35 public and private high schools and community organizations across Massachusetts, from the North Shore to the South Shore, Boston to Northampton, and throughout Worcester County. Non-profit partners include Beacon Academy in Boston, Squashbusters, Camp Harborview, and more.
  
• Personalized Conversations: The team has had over 500 one-on-one conversations in the past year with families from diverse backgrounds, providing assistance on topics ranging from completing financial aid forms to advising on appeals, exploring eligibility for grants and scholarships, and recommending loan alternatives.
  
• Popular In-School Educational Events: In the past 18 months, College Affordable has hosted over 100 in-school educational events to inform parents and students about the financial aid system in addition to many webinars
• Hands-on Support: Through the Bridge to Equity program, in-depth support has been provided to over 200 students and their parents/guardians.  Eligible participants come from low-income families, those experiencing unexpected financial hardship or language barriers.
  
• Engaging Monthly Webinars: Monthly webinars on timely financial topics have proven to be extremely popular. This month’s webinar, focused on building an affordable college list, had over 1,000 registrants, demonstrating a clear demand for this type of support.

The most rewarding outcome is seeing tangible results, as students receive generous financial aid packages and avoid costly mistakes that could have led to missed financial aid, increased debt, or ultimately attending a college that wasn’t the best fit. 

During this tumultuous time in higher education and with families experiencing rising college costs and financial strain—families are finding the support College Affordable provides to be more valuable than ever.

If you’d like to learn more about College Affordable, please visit our website or follow us on social media. For more information, feel free to reach out to Gregg Cohen, founder of Campus Bound and College Affordable, at gregg@collegeaffordable.org or gcohen@campusbound.com, or Brian Gardiner, Executive Director of College Affordable, at brian@collegeaffordable.org. We’d be happy to connect with you!