The MEFA Podcast

Episode #16. Host Jonathan Hughes is joined by Jennifer Ma, Senior Policy Research Scientist at the College Board®, and Julie Shields-Rutyna, Director of Training and Education at MEFA. Jennifer Ma 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. Jonathan and Julie discuss new college loan rates and answer listeners’ questions about letters of recommendation. If you enjoy the MEFA Podcast, please leave us a review.

Episode #15. Host Jonathan Hughes is joined by Dror Liebenthal, co-founder and CEO of bold.org and Julie Shields-Rutyna, Director of Training and Education at MEFA. Dror Liebenthal explains how students can search for scholarships on bold.org, an innovative, streamlined, and secure service that matches students to exclusive scholarships. Jonathan and Julie discuss vaccine requirements at Massachusetts colleges and answer listeners’ questions about financing off-campus housing. If you enjoy the MEFA Podcast, please leave us a review.

Episode #13. Host 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 report discusses the hidden hurdles of indirect expenses. Jonathan also answers listener’s questions about negotiating merit aid and using a student loan to study abroad. He’s joined by MEFA's Director of College Planning Julie Shields-Rutyna, who shares information about an upcoming event that will offer free help to families with completing the FAFSA. If you enjoy the MEFA Podcast, please leave us a review.

Episode #12. PLEASE NOTE: This podcast was recorded in 2021. As of 2022, this program has been renamed from After the College Acceptance to How to Pay for College: A Guide for High School Seniors & Families. You've received your college acceptances and financial aid offers. Now what? On this episode of The MEFA Podcast, MEFA's Associate Director of College Planning and Content Creation Jonathan Hughes explains how MEFA’s How to Pay for College: A Guide for High School Seniors & Families campaign will help you with understanding financial aid offers, making the college decision, and paying the college bill. Jonathan also answers listener’s questions about the U.Plan, applying for financial aid with international parents, and upcoming webinars. Jonathan is joined by MEFA's Director of College Planning, Julie Shields-Rutyna, and MEFA’s Director of College Relations, Stephanie Wells. If you enjoy the MEFA Podcast, please leave us a review.

Episode #11. Did you know that in Massachusetts there are opportunities to reduce college costs as you earn your degree? The program is called MassTransfer, and it provides several benefits for students transitioning from a Massachusetts community college to a Massachusetts 4-year public college or university. On this episode of The MEFA Podcast, 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 also answers listener’s questions about the CARES Act, tax forms related to the U.Plan, and if saving for college will affect your financial aid. Jonathan is joined by MEFA's Director of College Planning, Julie Shields-Rutyna, Holyoke Community College’s Coordinator of Transfer Affairs & Articulation, Mark Broadbent, and University of Massachusetts Amherst student, Liuginsa Rosa. If you enjoy the MEFA Podcast, please leave us a review.

Episode #8. ***Please note that some details about the FAFSA in this episode are now outdated. Please reference mefa.org for updated information.*** Did you know that there are updates to the FAFSA every year? On this episode of The MEFA Podcast, MEFA's Associate Director of College Planning Jonathan Hughes breaks down what's new with the FAFSA, including a change to the income level at which families receive an automatic 0 EFC, an expansion of the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, a consolidation of FAFSA related websites, and an addition of an employer data base to assist with the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. Jonathan is joined by MEFA's Director of College Planning, Julie Shields-Rutyna, and MEFA's Managing Editor, Meredith Clement. If you enjoy the MEFA Podcast, please leave us a review.

Episode #7. College can be expensive, but did you know there are many ways you can save on the cost? On this episode of The MEFA Podcast, MEFA's Associate Director of College Planning Jonathan Hughes breaks down the resources available to students in Massachusetts to help save on the cost of college, including Tuition Break, New England State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA), and Open Educational Resources (OER). Jonathan is joined by MEFA's Director of College Planning, Julie Shields-Rutyna, and Wendy Lindsay from the New England Board of Higher Education. If you enjoy the MEFA Podcast, please leave us a review.

Episode #5. With so many options available and so many factors to consider, the process of applying for student loans can seem confusing. On this episode of The MEFA Podcast, MEFA's Associate Directors of College Planning Jonathan Hughes and Jonathan Sparling break down everything you need to know about student loans, including factors to consider when comparing student loans, how some school may be delayed with their billing process this year, how to be a wise borrower, and how the process of applying for a loan works. If you enjoy the MEFA Podcast, please leave us a review.

Episode #2. The current pandemic has caused millions of families to experience a change in finances, and that can affect how much a family can invest in a child's college education. As high school seniors evaluate their college financial aid offers and bottom line costs, they may wonder if they can request additional financial aid from the colleges offering them admission. On this episode of The MEFA Podcast, MEFA's Associate Directors of College Planning Jonathan Hughes and Jonathan Sparling break down everything you need to know about appealing your financial aid offer including how to appeal, who should appeal, how colleges are handling appeals, if you can submit deposits at more than one school, and what deferment might mean for your financial aid. If you enjoy the MEFA Podcast, please leave us a review.