A Quick Introduction

Over the years, my primary focus has been helping families rather than just completing forms. The most important part of this process isn’t that nasty five-letter word called the FAFSA. Although it can pack a lot of punch, families should understand its purpose, content, and how each element complements the other. It is not about hiding money, cashing in retirement savings, or borrowing beyond your means. Most of all, it is only a tiny part of a much larger and sometimes perplexing process that frustrates, stresses, and sometimes terrifies families that fear the unknown. 

The most satisfying part of my job is knowing how to listen to and help others. It is about advising about how to complete the required forms and what I do can help educate the next generation.

I no longer worry about competition, information overload, or free advice. My greatest concern is to ensure that families are better educated and advised on how to get on the right path to college.

Let's Start by Learning More About My Background

Howard Freedman has achieved an impressive professional resume that created the foundation for Financial Aid Consulting. Over several decades, his leadership and accomplishments in financial management, financial aid consulting customer service, management, software consulting, and problem-solving have sharpened his analytical and negotiation skills while saving organizations millions in operating expenses. In turn, these skills have been transformed into helping tomorrow's generation of students and their families to benefit from the best financial solutions for attending college.

After founding Financial Aid Consulting, Howard took a break. He was recruited to become the ACCESS program manager, providing financial aid services and scholarships to a diverse population of over 2700 high school seniors in the Boston Public Schools. Through his leadership and rapport with students, guidance counselors, and school administrators, financial aid consultations and scholarship applications skyrocketed to their highest level in the program's history. For that, he has proudly earned an extraordinary recognition citation from the Massachusetts House of Representatives. After ACCESS, he returned to his passion as a financial aid consultant in private practice.

He is also a public speaker and highly acclaimed author of Making College Happen, The Realities of Coping with College Costs, available on Amazon.com. This unique publication is one of the best ways of understanding the daunting and stressful process of dealing with teenagers and their quest for a college education. It is also a reference that minimizes information overload by taking each reader through the full circle of dealing with their emotions, family communications, campus visits, investments, financial aid forms, scholarship searches, awards and appeals, and determining how to finance college.

Before his financial aid career, Howard was recognized as Man of the Year by the American Payroll Association and was honored with a citation from the Massachusetts State Senate. He later received the Whatever Takes Award from his former employer, InPower, a software developer, for consulting excellence, client support, and service. Numerous other leadership, writing, and public speaking citations from different organizations are added.

He has authored numerous articles for national publications and trade journals addressing financial aid, meaningful college topics, self-development, post-graduate success, and editorial commentaries. A vast collection of his articles is shared on this website.

Howard received his BS in Business Management from Northeastern University and an MBA from Suffolk University in Boston. He graduated from the College Board’s Financial Aid Institute and completed ongoing financial aid training. He is a member of MASCA, Massachusetts School Counselors Association, MASFAA, Massachusetts Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, where he served on the newsletter and technology committees and the Plymouth Area Chamber of Commerce.

Enjoy this website, especially his creative slideshow, A Humorous Path to College, which follows next in the About Us section of this website.

Sincerely

Howard