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FINANCIAL PLANNING

A GAME PLAN FOR PAYING FOR COLLEGE

Scholarship or not, every family needs a financial strategy for college. We have FINANCIAL ADVISORS on staff that can help you and your family plan early, so nothing catches you off guard.

THE SCHOLARSHIP MATH

A scholarship is not a college plan.

~2%

of high school athletes receive any athletic scholarship money at the NCAA level.

$18K

is the average athletic scholarship per year—well short of what most schools cost.

NCAA Division I~$18,000–$20,000
NCAA Division II~$7,000–$8,000
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Division I sports offer true full rides. Everywhere else, scholarships are split across the roster.

Football (FBS) Men’s Basketball Women’s Basketball Women’s Tennis Women’s Volleyball Women’s Gymnastics
$38K

is the average all-in yearly cost of college—tuition, housing, books, and travel.

National averages; figures vary widely by sport, division, and school.

THE PLAN THAT HOLDS EITHER WAY

A plan that works whether the scholarship comes or not.

The most expensive assumption in youth sports is that the scholarship will cover it. A real plan pays for college either way, and treats athletic money as a discount you hope for rather than a line you budget on.

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Closing that gap takes three things working together.

Know the real number, know what the offer is actually worth, and know what the years before college will cost you.

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LEARN MORE ›

Plan today to play tomorrow.

Four steps, starting with a free consultation.

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WHERE THE MONEY SHOULD SIT

Every savings vehicle has a trade-off. Most families are never shown all of them.

The account you save in changes three things at once: how the money grows, how much financial aid your athlete qualifies for, and what happens if they don’t need it. Here is the honest comparison — including the products people sell hardest.

VEHICLE HOW IT GROWS & IS TAXED EFFECT ON FINANCIAL AID IF THEY DON’T NEED IT THE CATCH
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Aid treatment reflects current FAFSA methodology: parent assets are assessed at up to 5.64%, student-owned assets at 20%, and prior-prior-year income at far higher rates. Many private colleges use the CSS Profile instead, which asks about home equity and, at some schools, life insurance cash value.

How we actually think about it

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THE QUESTION TO ASK ANY SALESPERSON
“What are the total fees and commissions in the first ten years, and what is my guaranteed value if I stop paying in year five?”

Ask it about every product on this page. A good answer comes in writing and in plain numbers. If it comes as an illustration full of projected returns, you have your answer.

This comparison is for informational purposes only and is not tax, legal, or investment advice. Every family’s situation is different — income, timeline, tax bracket, and goals all change which of these makes sense. Consult a qualified investment and tax professional before choosing or funding any of these accounts.

Do the math: the average offer still leaves a $20,000-a-year gap.

Closing it takes a plan built long before signing day—stacking academic and need-based aid, saving early, and knowing your real number before the first offer arrives.

RUN YOUR NUMBERS
READY TO BUILD YOUR FINANCIAL GAME PLAN?
Schedule your free consultation today and let’s map out how you’ll pay for college.
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