Strategic college planning, financial aid guidance, and complex situations
For parents who want to reduce stress and avoid costly mistakes.
No cost. Always confidential.
A recent client was admitted to University of Miami through Early Decision and is now set to save $250,000 over four years!!!
It’s about making smart financial and strategic decisions that impact your family for years to come.
Strategic College Planning: Develop a financially realistic college plan before decisions become overwhelming or expensive. This includes 10th & 11th grade planning for financial aid applications.
Financial Aid Guidance: Navigate FAFSA, CSS Profile, appeals, award letters, scholarships, and student loan options with expert guidance.
College Cost Reduction Strategies: Build a smart college list, understand net costs, and identify opportunities to potentially save thousands, sometimes even hundreds of thousands, over your child's college years.
Divorce & College Planning Expertise: Understand how separation, divorce, remarriage, multiple households, business ownership, and complicated financial situations may impact financial aid and college affordability.
Serving families virtually throughout the United States.
Most parents feel overwhelmed by college planning.
Between financial aid, FAFSA, scholarships, student loans, college lists, deadlines, and rising college costs, it can feel difficult to know what to focus on first.
You do not have to navigate this process alone.
We help families prepare early to maximize financial aid, create financially realistic college lists, understand merit aid opportunities, and avoid costly mistakes before senior year.
We help families navigate FAFSA, CSS Profile, financial aid forms, scholarships, award letters, appeals, and student loan planning.
We specialize in helping families navigate more complex financial aid and college planning situations, including FAFSA after divorce and planning between two households.
We also help families reevaluate financial aid situations and reapply each year, discuss appeals, review student loan options, and prepare for future years of college costs or graduate school.
Many parents begin with either a free introductory call or a personalized College Planning Strategy Session to help determine the best next steps.
Families in all 50 states * FAFSA, CSS Profile & Appeals * Divorce & College Planning Specialist
Clients have saved tens — sometimes hundreds — of thousands
At College Financial Prep, we believe college planning is about far more than simply filling out forms.
It is about helping families:
reduce stress and confusion
make informed financial decisions
avoid unnecessary student loan debt
understand financial aid opportunities
strategically prepare before deadlines arrive
create financially realistic college lists
feel supported throughout the process
Every family situation is different, which is why we offer different levels of support depending on your goals, budget, and comfort level.
Not every family needs full-service support — but most families do need guidance.
A personalized starting point for families looking for expert guidance and clear next steps.
Topics may include:
Financial Aid & Tax Return Planning
Projecting college costs
FAFSA/CSS Profile reviews
Merit aid opportunities
Scholarship planning
College list strategy
Student loans
Divorce and college planning considerations
Affordable support for parents who want guidance, education, and community throughout the college planning process.
Topics may include:
Financial aid planning
FAFSA & CSS Profile guidance
College Lists
Scholarships
Appeals
Student loans
Divorce & college planning
For 12th grade families who opt for additional, custom, hands-on support navigating financial aid and paying for college.
Support includes:
Strategy Planning
FAFSA/CSS Profile
State aid forms
Verification
Award letter analysis
Appeals
Scholarship search
Student loan guidance
Ongoing, private support
Shout out to Vicki Vollweiler, MBA, CDC of College Financial Prep! If you have a child heading to college you must call her! She's an amazing advocate with much wisdom and a heart of gold. Vicki understands the intersection of the college application process and related finances (including the FAFSA), co-parenting, and the complexities and stress of both. She has helped my son on his path toward his top school, and helped me to get him there with my sanity intact. Cannot recommend her highly enough. - R.S, NJ
College planning can become significantly more complicated after divorce or separation. Questions often include:
Who files FAFSA?
How are college costs shared?
What if communication between parents is difficult?
What if one parent refuses to contribute?
As a divorced parent myself, and mediator, I understand these concerns both personally and professionally.
College Financial Prep provides compassionate, strategic guidance designed to help families reduce confusion, minimize conflict whenever possible, and make informed financial decisions for their child’s future.
Whether you are just beginning the college planning process or feeling overwhelmed by financial aid, college costs, or planning after divorce, College Financial Prep is here to help.
Regardless of Household Income
Families throughout the United States have trusted College Financial Prep to help guide them through the financial side of college planning with compassion, expertise, and personalized support.
“We are on track to save over $200,000.” A divorced family worked together strategically to reduce costs at their son’s top-choice college.
“We received an additional $40,000 in financial aid after filing an appeal.” Families are often surprised to learn that award letters can sometimes be reviewed and appealed.
“I finally felt less overwhelmed.” Many parents tell us they simply wanted someone knowledgeable and trustworthy to guide them through the process.
College Financial Prep exceeded my expectations and was more than worth the investment. Vicki called my son's school with me, asked questions I wouldn't have thought of and protected me from potential financial liability I couldn't have foreseen. She helped make a complicated situation simpler. I slept better last night because of her.
Jodi R., CT
Our experience with College Financial Prep has been great; far exceeding our expectations! Vicki’s knowledge and engagement continues to be a value to us through this process and continues to be following the acceptance letter. I have used other providers for my oldest daughter, now graduating college and Vicki is definitely superior.
College Financial Prep is always available when we need, flexible in scheduling, offering great direction and advice, and an overall pleasure to work with.
L.F. Huntington, NY
We believe families deserve access to helpful tools and information, even if they are just beginning to explore colleges and college costs. With these strategic timelines, families better understand what to focus on and when throughout the college planning process.
Whether you need a quick strategy session or comprehensive support, College Financial Prep is here to help your family move forward with greater confidence and less stress.
Founder of College Financial Prep & Author of College Planning for Divorced and Widowed Parents
Families come to me when they want more than general advice — they want expert leadership and a clear strategy.
With years of experience helping families navigate financial aid, scholarships, appeals, and complex co-parent dynamics, I help parents make confident decisions that reduce both financial and emotional stress.
This is not one-size-fits-all planning.
It’s personalized strategy designed around your family’s real situation that can save clients tens of thousands and sometimes hundreds of thousands on the cost of college.
“We Saved Over $200,000 on Our Son’s College—Together.”
Janet and Mark were somewhat amicably divorced and both remarried when they came to College Financial Prep. Their shared goal? Give their son a top-tier education without sacrificing their financial stability.
By working collaboratively and strategically, we helped them build a smart college list, apply for merit aid, and target schools with generous financial packages. The result? Over $200,000 in savings at their son’s #1 private college.
Even in divorce, aligned planning can lead to major savings—and a debt-free future for you and your child.
Have concerns about paying for college? Schedule a free 10-minute call to learn how we can help you and your family save money.