The MEFA Podcast

Episode #25. Host Jonathan Hughes is joined by MEFA’s in-house loan product experts, Frank Cavanaugh and Meg Villavicencio, and MEFA’s Director of College Planning, Education, and Training, Julie Shields-Rutyna. Frank and Meg discuss private student loans, including when families can start applying, what determines if applicants are approved, what kind of rates and terms they may qualify for, and how to compare loan options. Jonathan and Julie answer listeners’ questions about assets on the FAFSA and discuss steps a student needs to take after depositing at a college. If you enjoy the MEFA Podcast, please leave us a review.

Episode #26. Host Jonathan Hughes is joined by students from Amherst Regional High School, Franklin County Technical High School, and Tewksbury Memorial High School. These students discuss how they decided which colleges to apply to, what is was like to do virtual college visits, how cost factored into the college decision, the process of writing the college essay and applying for scholarships, the financial aid process, and how they finally decided on a college. If you enjoy the MEFA Podcast, please leave us a review.

Episode #24. Host Jonathan Hughes is joined by Apelila Joseph, MEFA Pathway Program Manager, and Julie Shields-Rutyna, Director of College Planning, Education, and Training at MEFA. Apelila discusses how Grade 12 students and their families can make a plan to pay their college bill, including the use of savings, payment plans and student loans, and how to be a wise borrower if they do borrow student loans. Jonathan and Julie answer listeners’ questions about how to pay the college bill and discuss FAFSA verification. If you enjoy the MEFA Podcast, please leave us a review.

Episode #23. Host Jonathan Hughes is joined by Stephanie Wells, Director of College Relations for MEFA, and Julie Shields-Rutyna, Director of College Planning, Education, and Training at MEFA. Stephanie discusses what Grade 12 students and their families can expect to see on financial aid offers, including grants, scholarships, and work-study, and what the difference is between each type of loan that may be listed on a financial aid offer. Jonathan and Julie answer listeners’ questions about why some colleges offer more financial aid than others and discuss how to determine your net price at each college. If you enjoy the MEFA Podcast, please leave us a review.

Episode #22. Host Jonathan Hughes is joined by Jim Slattery, Senior Director of Financial Aid at Northeastern University, and Julie Shields-Rutyna, Director of College Planning, Education, and Training at MEFA. Jim discusses why some colleges require the CSS Profile™, the differences between the CSS Profile and the FAFSA, how noncustodial parents file the CSS Profile, and why it’s in families' best interest to provide financial aid offices with as much information as possible. Jonathan and Julie answer listeners’ questions about if funds earned from a co-op are counted in the financial aid formula and discuss Federal Student Loan repayment resuming on May 1st. CSS Profile is a registered trademark of the College Board, with which MEFA is not associated. If you enjoy the MEFA Podcast, please leave us a review.

Episode #21. Host Jonathan Hughes is joined by Shaun Connolly, Communications Associate at MEFA, and Julie Shields-Rutyna, Director of College Planning, Education, and Training at MEFA. Shaun discusses how he opened a U.Fund 529 College Investing Plan account for his son, how he saves for college, and how he created a college gifting page to encourage friends and family members to contribute to his college savings account. Jonathan and Julie answer listeners’ questions about saving for college and discuss the two Massachusetts college savings plans, the U.Fund College Investing Plan and the U.Plan Prepaid Tuition Program. If you enjoy the MEFA Podcast, please leave us a review.

Episode #20. Host Jonathan Hughes is joined by Nick Charrette, Assistant Director of Veterans Upward Bound, and Julie Shields-Rutyna, Director of College Planning, Education, and Training at MEFA. Nick discusses what Veterans Upward Bound offers, the different types of GI Bills, and how veterans can maximize their education benefits. Jonathan and Julie answer listeners’ questions about applying for financial aid with international parents and discuss Massachusetts state financial aid programs. If you enjoy the MEFA Podcast, please leave us a review.

Episode #19. Host Jonathan Hughes is joined by Jennifer Bento-Pinyoun, Director of MEFA Pathway at MEFA, Cheryl Nelson, Counselor in the Lunenburg School District, and Julie Shields-Rutyna, Director of College Planning, Education, and Training at MEFA. Jennifer explains how students and counselors can utilize MEFA Pathway, the Commonwealth’s free college and career planning portal for students in grades 6 through 12. Cheryl explains how she uses the platform with her eighth and ninth grade students, what her favorite features are, and what advice she would offer to other counselors looking to get started with MEFA Pathway. Jonathan and Julie answer listeners’ questions about applying for financial aid with international parents. If you enjoy the MEFA Podcast, please leave us a review.

Episode #18. Host Jonathan Hughes is joined by Mary Rubenis, Outreach Manager of Attainable at MEFA, Sarah Lazare, Director of the Banacos Academic Center at Westfield State University, and Julie Shields-Rutyna, Director of College Planning, Education, and Training at MEFA. Mary explains how individuals with disabilities can save for qualified expenses in an Attainable account and all the benefits the account provides. Sarah explains how students with disabilities can prepare for college success and what specific programs Westfield State University offers to help students with disabilities navigate college. Jonathan and Julie answer listeners’ questions about what happens to a 529 plan and an Attainable account when the owner moves to another state. If you enjoy the MEFA Podcast, please leave us a review.

Episode #17. Host Jonathan Hughes is joined by Stephanie Wells, Director of College Relations at MEFA, and Julie Shields-Rutyna, Director of Training and Education at MEFA. Stephanie Wells 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. Jonathan and Julie discuss the VaxMillions lottery and how fully vaccinated individuals between ages 12 and 17 can enter to win a college scholarship in a U.Fund 529 account. If you enjoy the MEFA Podcast, please leave us a review.