The Big Leagues
Howard Freedman
Copyright 2025 Financial Aid Consulting. All rights reserved. No portion of this article may be reproduced freely, electronically, by photocopying, or by any other means without the author's permission. Howard can be reached at finaidguy@gmail.com
Howard can be reached at finaidguy@gmail.com
by Howard Freedman
Financial Aid is a big-league game. Batters (the students) win if they step up to the plate and give it their best effort to complete their forms. If they don't, or at least try, they can strike out and are on their own when paying for college.
Those who require help submitting the needed financial aid forms can be better positioned to hit that home run by effectively planning and utilizing the support of a professional financial assistance firm like Financial Aid Consulting. You will understand this much better after realizing that paying for college takes much more than completing one form!!
I was fortunate to be a college grad earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees. As a student, I earned an undergraduate degree from Northeastern University in Boston, graduating without debt. To improve things, I lived at home, had a co-op job to earn extra money, and immersed myself in the real business world. I was fortunate to gain business experience, graduating with money in the bank, having the financial resources to put a hefty down payment on a first home, and a financial cushion when saving for that rainy day.
I later went on to graduate school at Suffolk University's Executive MBA program, subsidized mainly through my employer if I got As and Bs and provided them with value-added services that were expected. The MBA program also taught me about teamwork, problem-solving, and taking my business knowledge to the next level. Yes, the good old days are over, and today, very few students graduate without debt or pay so little for an excellent education. That is why there is a greater need to help students beyond completing forms.
Today and soon, there will be more career choices and higher-paying jobs, yet a college education will be more costly, while debt rises to scary proportions. That new home, car, and other material must wait as college loans are repaid. The perplexing part is that colleges continue to operate, raise their prices, and attract new students even if students and their families are willing, yet sometimes unable, to pay for them. Although many colleges recognize this problem and are trying more innovative solutions, this will not happen overnight.
After college, I was blessed to have great careers at Fortune 500 and smaller private and public companies. I managed and directed financial departments, consulted for a software company, and managed the ACCESS program in the Boston Public school system on my own, developed customer service functions for many employers and clients, and instituted cost-effective process innovations. These were then applied to providing consulting services to clients that needed more objective support and resolutions to their problems. During that time, I also discovered my writing and public speaking skills to make my readers and clients learn and think about topics that would open new doors.
I worked hard and adorned my walls with citations and awards for professional services, public speaking, and professional contributions. I also received citations from the state legislature, a beautiful gold clock from Tiffany's, and many letters of appreciation from satisfied clients. Despite the glory and personal recognition, I realized that I wanted to move on by helping families and their students succeed.
Only a few pictures remain on my office walls, yet they serve as motivators and reminders that you can succeed at anything if you put your mind to it.
My mission today has never been to increase the salaries I previously received but to deliver the best advice to make college more affordable at a fair price. I have been doing this for many years and am very proud of it.
Some describe me as kind, thoughtful, compassionate, knowledgeable, and fair. Others refer me to friends and relatives to provide more challenges and opportunities that are the most satisfying. In any event, I have never taken any client for granted and have strived to provide outstanding services regardless of their financial situation.
Another goal is to share this website so that the next generation of students and their families can better understand my background and its value. They will likely be saddled with debt and incur greater financial challenges than ever. Yet, they can learn to cope with and satisfy their debt with the right services, such as financial consulting and assistance.
My pleasure will be the opportunity to show you how to play the game and win when it counts.
Sincerely,
Howard Freedman