The MEFA Podcast

The MEFA Podcast

Welcome to MEFA's podcast series. Here you'll find conversations with our experts about every step of planning, saving, and paying for college. You can listen to each podcast right on this page, or through the podcast app on your iPhone or Android. Send us a question and we might answer it on the next epsiode.

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Podcasts Categories
Paying For College Planning For College Saving For College
The MEFA Podcast
Considering Cost in the College Decision

Host Jonathan Hughes is joined by Kevin Fudge, Higher Education Expert, who discusses why families should consider affordability when exploring college options, why it’s important to focus on career goals when making post-secondary plans, and how college-going trends have evolved.
The MEFA Podcast
Searching for Scholarships with Going Merry
Wednesday, August 11 2021
Host Jonathan Hughes is joined by Charlie Maynard, co-founder and CEO of Going Merry, who explains explains how to search for scholarships on Going Merry, what makes Going Merry different from other scholarship search engines, how they act as a resource for school counselors, and the importance of applying to both local and national scholarships.
The MEFA Podcast
Comparing College Loan Options
Friday, July 16 2021
Host Jonathan Hughes is joined by Stephanie Wells, Director of College Relations at MEFA, who explains how to compare college loan options, including the differences between Federal Direct Student Loans, the PLUS Loan, and private loans, as well as paying the college bill through a combination of past, present, and future income.
The MEFA Podcast
Is College Worth It? A Discussion with the College Board
Thursday, June 17 2021
Host Jonathan Hughes is joined by Jennifer Ma, Senior Policy Research Scientist at the College Board, who explains College’s Board recent Education Pays report, including patterns among U.S. adults with different education levels and disparities in college participation and completion across demographic groups.
The MEFA Podcast
Searching for Scholarships with Bold.org
Thursday, June 03 2021
Host Jonathan Hughes talks with Dror Liebenthal, co-founder and CEO of bold.org, about how students can search for scholarships on bold.org, an innovative, streamlined, and secure service that matches students to exclusive scholarships.
The MEFA Podcast
uAspire’s Report on Indirect College Expenses
Wednesday, April 21 2021
Jonathan Hughes breaks down uAspire’s recently published Beyond the College Bill report with uAspire’s Massachusetts Policy Director Anika Van Easton and Senior Vice President of Knowledge Holly Morrow.
The MEFA Podcast
After the College Acceptance
Friday, March 12 2021
MEFA's Associate Director of College Planning and Content Creation Jonathan Hughes explains how MEFA’s After the College Acceptance campaign will help you with understanding financial aid offers, making the college decision, and paying the college bill. Jonathan is joined by MEFA’s Director of College Relations, Stephanie Wells.
The MEFA Podcast
MassTransfer
Tuesday, March 02 2021
MEFA's Associate Director of College Planning Jonathan Hughes explains how MassTransfer guarantees transfer admission from an associate to a bachelor's degree program and the powerful savings it offers for students and their families. Jonathan is joined by Mark Broadbent of Holyoke Community College and Liuginsa Rosa, student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
The MEFA Podcast
Filing Financial Aid Forms with Divorced or Separated Parents
Thursday, January 07 2021
Host Jonathan Hughes breaks down how to complete these forms, including maintaining confidentiality between parents, which parent completes the forms, how to determine the custodial parent, and how to keep the financial aid office involved. Jonathan is joined by Susan Beard of Wheaton College.
The MEFA Podcast
FAFSA Updates
Thursday, October 29 2020
Host Jonathan Hughes explains what's new with the FAFSA, including changes to the EFC, the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, FAFSA-related websites, and the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. Jonathan is joined by MEFA's Julie Shields-Rutyna and Meredith Clement.