My College Planning Team & TuitionFit Team Up to Save on College Costs

NAPERVILLE, IL, UNITED STATES, June 7, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Two companies that advise and assist families in their quest to find an affordable path to college – Naperville, IL based My College Planning Team (www.MyCollegePlanningTeam.com) and Iowa based TuitionFit (www.TuitionFit.org) – have joined forces to provide powerful tools and services to help parents navigate the college selection process and reduce the cost of attendance.

Jack Schacht, founder and CEO of My College Planning Team (MCPT), and Mark Salisbury, co-founder and CEO of TuitionFit, announced their partnership today.

“My College Planning Team is one of the largest college and financial aid consulting companies in the U.S. and Mark is a national expert on college pricing,” Schacht said. “We are enthusiastic about our partnership because TuitionFit is bringing full transparency to college pricing." Salisbury noted, "We enable families to find out what other students, with the same expected family contribution and academic profile, are receiving at the same or similar schools to which they are applying.”

For his part, Salisbury praised MCPT for its comprehensive approach to college planning – not just financial counseling, but also academic preparation and tips on finding the right college “fit.”

“Jack and his team of more than 50 college professionals are committed to providing free and affordable services to middle-income families struggling to pay for college,” he said. “The missions of our two companies complement each other beautifully. I’m truly excited about our partnership.”

Every year, students drop out of college because the finances just aren’t working for them. They leave school without a degree and with student loans that must be repaid. Nearly 40 percent of student loan borrowers have debt but no degree, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

In addition, the higher education landscape was upended by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many colleges and universities changed their admissions requirements – for example, not requiring standardized test scores – while families lost income and savings because of upheavals in the economy.

MCPT and TuitionFit step into the fray, providing the helping hand parents and students need to understand what to expect, how to take action, what to ask for and how to ask for it. In short, they work together to beat down the price of college.

About My College Planning Team

Jack Schacht, a serial entrepreneur in the Chicago area, came out of retirement in 2015 to found MCPT. Applying the same creative edge he demonstrated over decades of starting new enterprises, Schacht has assembled a team of higher education and financial experts that provides free webinars for college-bound students and their families on everything from how to start preparing for college as a high school freshman to how to make the most of campus visits.

In addition, families have access to affordable financial consulting so they can achieve the lowest possible expected family contribution (EFC) while maximizing tuition discounts and financial aid. Experts also help families complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and appeal financial aid awards.

About TuitionFit

Described by the New York Times as one of the most disruptive companies on the higher education landscape, Iowa-based TuitionFit was founded in 2019. While colleges are required to provide historical data on financial aid, TuitionFit lets families upload their financial aid award letters so they can compare offers in real time.

Families can also find colleges that have offered similar students a price in their price range. Premium services let families see those colleges’ exact prices and detailed breakdowns of offers. Guidance counselors can also subscribe to TuitionFit to search the entire dataset while advising students about college choices.

Salisbury, a champion of price transparency and equity in higher education, was assistant dean of Institutional Research and Assessment at Augustana College for eight years, where he had a behind-the-scenes look at the financial aid system. He and TuitionFit have been featured in Jeff Selingo’s book, “Who Gets In and Why,” and “The Price You Pay for College” by New York Times personal finance columnist Ron Lieber. Salisbury holds a Ph.D. from the University of Iowa in education policy and leadership.

Joanne Levine
Lekas & Levine PR
joannepr@aol.com