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Barnum Financal Group's Center for College PlanningHelping Families Navigate One of Life’s Biggest Financial Decisions

Paying for college is about more than tuition. The decisions you make along the way can affect your savings, your retirement, and your family’s financial future. Barnum Financial Group's Center for College Planning helps families understand their options, make informed decisions, and develop a strategy for college that works within their broader financial picture.

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The RealityCollege Is Expensive. Planning for It Is Complicated.

The RealityCollege Is Expensive. Planning for It Is Complicated.

Most Families Don’t Realize...

College may be one of the largest expenses your family will ever face. Yet many families enter the process without fully understanding what college may actually cost, or how the decisions they make today could affect their finances for years to come.

  1. The price you see may not be the price you pay.
  2. How you pay matters.
  3. College and retirement compete for the same dollars.
  4. Financial aid can be difficult to navigate.
  5. Small decisions can have long-term consequences.

The ReframeA Better Way to Think About College Planning

College Planning Isn’t Simply Choosing a School.

It’s one of the biggest financial decisions your family may make.

The goal isn’t simply to figure out how to pay the next tuition bill. It’s to understand the true cost of your options, identify available resources, and make informed decisions that balance your student’s education with the rest of your family’s financial priorities.

Done thoughtfully, your college strategy should work alongside your financial plan, not derail it.

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Our MissionHelping Families Make Confident, Informed College Decisions

College brings together some of the biggest questions families face:

  • Where should my child apply?
  • What can we actually afford?
  • Will we qualify for financial aid? How much should we borrow?
  • Are we saving enough?
  • And what does all of this mean for retirement?

You shouldn’t have to answer those questions in isolation.

We help families bring the pieces together; education, college costs, financial aid, cash flow, savings, borrowing, and long-term financial planning, so they can approach college with greater clarity and confidence.

Guidance for the Decisions That MatterHow We Help Families Move Forward

Guidance for the Decisions That MatterHow We Help Families Move Forward

We believe better decisions start with better understanding. Our role is to help you make sense of your options so you can move forward with confidence.Every family’s path to college looks different. Our guidance is tailored to the decisions, opportunities, and challenges you encounter along the way.

  • Understand what college may actually cost your family, not simply the published sticker price. We help you evaluate schools, compare potential costs, and put those numbers into the context of your overall financial situation.

  • Make sense of the financial aid process and understand the opportunities available to your family. From FAFSA and CSS Profile guidance to reviewing aid offers and potential appeals, we help you navigate the process with greater confidence.

  • Develop a strategy for bringing together savings, current income, financial aid, scholarships, loans, and other available resources while considering the impact those decisions may have on your family's future.

  • College doesn't happen in a financial vacuum. We help families consider education alongside retirement, cash flow, investments, and other long-term goals so today's college decisions support the bigger picture.

Educators first. We believe better decisions start with better understanding. Our role is to help you make sense of your options so you can move forward with confidence.

About The Center for College Planning

COMPLIMENTARY COLLEGE PLANNING TOOL
Compare College Offers Beyond the Sticker Price

Get the Cost Comparison Tool

Compare costs and financial aid from up to five schools, separate grants and scholarships from loans, and better understand what each option may actually cost your family.

Educational EventsWorkshops & Webinars
for Families

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Join us for practical, educational sessions designed to help families better understand college costs, financial aid, funding strategies, and the decisions ahead.

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for students and familiesHigh School College Funding Workshops

for students and familiesHigh School College Funding Workshops

We partner with high schools across Connecticut to help families better understand college costs, financial aid and the decisions involved in paying for college. These are complimentary virtual workshops.

  • Financial Aid and FAFSA Guidance
  • College Costs and Funding Strategies
  • Practical Information for Families
See the Calendar of Workshops
FOR SCHOOLS & COUNSELORSBring a Workshop to Your School

FOR SCHOOLS & COUNSELORSBring a Workshop to Your School

Give families in your school community access to practical college-funding information. Our team offers complimentary educational workshops designed around the questions students and parents face most often.

  • Available In Person or Virtually
  • Relevant Topics for Your Community
  • Presented by College Planning Professionals
Request Information

What Working With Us Looks LikesFrom the First Conversation to Graduation

 

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Every family's situation is different. Our process is designed to help you understand where you are today, evaluate the choices ahead, and develop a strategy that can evolve as your student moves closer to college.

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Step 1Understand Your Family

We start with your goals, your student, your finances, and what matters most to your family.

Step 2Analyze Your Options

We evaluate college costs, available resources, financial aid considerations, and the choices that may influence what your family ultimately pays.

Step 3Build Your College Strategy

Together, we develop an approach for saving and paying for college that reflects both your education goals and your broader financial priorities.

Step 4Coordinate With Your Financial Plan

We consider how college fits alongside retirement, cash flow, investments, and other financial goals.

Step 5Support You Along the Way

College planning changes as your student gets older. We remain a resource as applications, financial aid, school selection, and funding decisions become real.

WHY START EARLY?More Time. More Options.

WHY START EARLY?More Time. More Options.

You Don’t Need to Have Everything Figured Out Today.

But the earlier you begin planning, the more opportunities you may have to make thoughtful decisions.

Starting early can give your family more time to:

  • Understand what different colleges may actually cost
  • Build and adjust your savings strategy
  • Prepare for the financial aid process
  • Evaluate schools through both an academic and financial lens
  • Consider how college expenses fit alongside retirement and other goals
  • Reduce last-minute financial surprises

Whether college is several years away or applications have already begun, a thoughtful plan can help you understand your next move.

Speak With a College PlannerStart With a Conversation
About Your Family

You don't need to know exactly what college will cost. You don't need to have the financial aid process figured out. And you don't need to have every answer before reaching out.

Tell us where you are in the process, what questions you're facing, and what you're hoping to accomplish. We'll help you understand what comes next.

6 Corporate Drive, Shelton, CT 06484  ·  (203) 513-6266

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