Published: October 13, 2009 12:27 am      

BUSINESS Q&A: Youngstown man helps families find college money

Andy Leardini used to be a bank loan officer.

His partner used to work at a college’s finance department and also was a loan officer. Between the two of them, they believe they know all the ins and outs of finding money to pay for college.

Leardini of Youngstown has created a service where he and his colleagues visit families and homes and for a one-time fee of $250, help to sort through the challenging, complicated paperwork to find money to pay for college educations. Recently Leardini took a few minutes to answer some questions about his business, called the College Financing Group.

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QUESTION: As a mother of two sons in college, I can’t believe you would want to live in that crazy world of college financing.

ANSWER: That’s why I got into this business. It’s truly broken. Every school processes financial aid a little bit differently so there’s not a set model for families to work with.

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Q: So where did you get your experience?

A: I spent 10 years at M&T Bank in their educational lending area and saw over the course of time in visiting financial offices across the state that families were having a difficult time navigating the financial aide process. They (the schools) seem to want to make it impossible as far as I’m concerned.

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Q: When I was helping my sons fill out their loan and grant applications I didn’t feel like I had a lot of options. Did I?

A: Every family is unique. Their financial situation is unique. Sometimes, by working with me, we can discover opportunities to increase the financial aid offerings.

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Q: What is it that surprises you most about what people don’t know?

A: It’s really all about what people can afford. That’s the number one thing. The way things are set up today is that the parents will owe the majority of the money. But, there’s a lot of options out there. Remember, it’s a very emotional decision to make. You want to look at a lot of schools and you probably want to consider what’s the best return on your investment.

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Q: Talk more about it being emotional.

A: The parent wants the best for their child. They only have to make their decision once or twice in their life. Depending on the number of children the cost of a four year school can range anywhere from $19,000 to $55,000 per year. It’s a lot for a family. It’s a very stressful process.

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Q: So what exactly do you do?

A: My goal is to minimize the time, minimize the stress and save the family money, so when the student gets to school, the parent will have a clear understanding of how they will pay for the loan.

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Q: My sons and I just keep taking out loans. Is that what most parents today do?

A: The federal loan limits have changed a little bit. They’ve increased. But, the cost of education has increased at a faster pace. Under the federal program the student can only take out (through a Stafford loan) $5,500 a year as a dependent student. It doesn’t go that far, unless you have scholarships or grants or mom and dad contribute a whole bunch of money.

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Q: There is all kinds of talk about the government acting on the high cost of education. What do you know about that?

A: This administration understands that college has to be more affordable and I think there will be changes in the federal loans and grants programs to make college a little more affordable.

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Q: You have two little boys, one 3 years old and a 1-year-old. What do you anticipate by the time they’re in college?

A: My guess is that colleges are going to have to change the model. They cannot continue to increase the cost of education at the rate they have in the past.

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Q: Any advice for parents helping their kids into college?

A: Do your research early. Look at the college application process as a business. Try to set up appointments. Try to have educated conversations to see what they can offer up front. There’s a lot of different kinds of colleges for students and families to look at. The earlier they understand the process the better they’ll understand which college is the most affordable.

Editor’s note: Leardini will be speaking on how to make college affordable at several upcoming events including 7 p.m. Nov. 9 at Tonawanda High School in Tonawanda; and at 7 p.m. Dec. 2 at Wilson High School. For more information call 745-7286 or visit www.collegefinancinggroup.com.