The MEFA Podcast

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.

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.

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.

The BabySteps Savings Plan is Massachusetts’ first statewide seeded college savings account program. BabySteps jumpstarts families into saving for their children’s future college and vocational costs as soon as they enroll. On this episode of The MEFA Podcast, MEFA's Associate Director of College Planning Jonathan Hughes discusses the first year of the BabySteps Savings Plan, what was learned in the pilot program, how to program makes saving for college more accessible, the work done with community-based organizations, and why it’s important to start saving for college early. Jonathan also discusses changes to the SAT, including the discontinuation of subject tests and the optional essay, and answers listener’s questions about finding an academic fit for college and applying for fall semester student loans. Jonathan is joined by MEFA's Director of College Planning, Julie Shields-Rutyna, and Deputy Treasurer and Executive Director for the Office of Economic Empowerment, Alayna Van Tassel. If you enjoy the MEFA Podcast, please leave us a review.

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.

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.

College is an investment, and it's important to start saving for it as soon as you can. On this episode of The MEFA Podcast, MEFA's Associate Director of College Planning Jonathan Hughes breaks down everything you need to know about saving for college, including the two Massachusetts's college saving plans, The U.Fund and The U.Plan, as well as the BabySteps Savings Plan. Jonathan is joined by MEFA's Director of College Planning, Julie Shields-Rutyna, and interviews Yiming Shuang and Christine Jauregui of Inversant. If you enjoy the MEFA Podcast, please leave us a review.

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.

Saving for college may seem like an overwhelming task, but with the U.Plan Prepaid Tuition Program, you can get a head start on paying for your child's college costs by locking in current rates for tuition and mandatory fees. On this episode of The MEFA Podcast, MEFA's Associate Directors of College Planning Jonathan Hughes and Jonathan Sparling explain how the U.Plan works and interview a real life saver who used the U.Plan to pay for her child's college. They also provide an update on college's plans for reopening in the fall and discuss the new MEFA Loan rates. If you enjoy the MEFA Podcast, please leave us a review.

The current pandemic has left many students unable to visit college campuses or take campus tours. Students may now be wondering how they will narrow down their college choices without having these crucial experiences. 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 researching colleges when you can't visit campus, including how to know if a college is a good investment, online tools you can use in the absence of campus visits, and what resources colleges are offering prospective students to help them get a feel for campus. If you enjoy the MEFA Podcast, please leave us a review.