College Cost Reduction Advice From Financial Aid Officers May Not Have Family's Best Interest Says Author, Ryan Clark

Online, June 28, 2011 (Newswire.com) - The cost of living is irrefutably increasing. In the United States alone, families are bracing themselves for soaring prices of food and other necessities, including college education. At present, paying for college for one student takes from the family savings $50,000 to over $200,000 - with 6%-10% periodic increase - depending on the institution a student goes to.

As a result, families are scouring their state for various college cost reduction programs. The glaring truth, however, is that there are steps in the college process that parents unwittingly take that end up costing them thousands of dollars.

Authored by Ryan Clark, MBA, CCPS, a nationally recognized college aid expert, the book, "College Aid For Middle Class America: Solutions to Paying Wholesale vs. Retail." exposes the underlying truth not commonly seen with Financial Aid Officers. Sadly, many families are not aware of the hidden agendas of these Financial Aid Officers and end up taking the wrong steps when it comes to the financial aid process.

"My intent is to bring to light the bias that does exist and that parents should be aware of. If you depend on the colleges to give you financial advice, you will not receive unbiased information and I suspect not receive all the financial aid that you deserve," Mr. Clark says referring to the process of filling out financial aid forms.

Detailed in one of the chapter of the book, "College Cost Reduction", the college's financial aid administrators (FAA) or financial aid officers (FAO) usually do a good job balancing the needs of families with the limitations of the college. However, like any business, the colleges have financial and budgetary constraints that limit FAA generosity in dispersing financial aid. However, the FAO's main objective is to get the best student into his or her college for the least amount of financial aid.

Parents have the false impression that the financial aid award given by the colleges will leave them with no unmet or additional financial need. Guidance counselors wrongly assume that the FAO will put the best interest of the students before the college's own financial interest. FAOs from a college who come to a high school are paid by the colleges and, therefore, always have the colleges' best interest in mind. Their loyalties are with their schools - not their applicants.

In addition, CollegeAidForMiddleClass.com advises that to ensure that families do not lose out on acquiring college grants as financial aid; parents must get as much information as they can, from as many resources as possible.

"Most middle-class families wrongly assume they make too much income to get aid, so they don't apply for it," says Mr. Clark. "Every family's situation is different."

To discover more insider tips to about the Financial Aid game, families and students can download free chapters from the book, "College Cost Reduction: Eleven Foolish Things Families Do That Cost Them Thousands Of Dollars" at http://www.collegeaidformiddleclass.com and educate themselves to avoid making the common mistakes that will cost them their financial aid.