Along with Michelle Kretzschmar at DIY College Ranking, I am launching a five-week course – Cutting the Cost of College – on April 16 that will provide you with a step-by-step blueprint on how to make college more affordable.
This class is recommended for the parents of teenagers, independent college consultants, high school counselors and financial aid professionals, who want to ignore the fluff and disinformation and learn what is absolutely critical to families who are eager to significantly reduce their college tab.
What’s Inside the Course
We’ve designed this course so that you can take the course at your own pace. All the materials will remain in our online classroom until the end of September.
Here is a rundown of what you’ll find in our course:
1. Weekly written lessons.
Every week we give you written lessons that share essential information that you need. In Week 4, for example, we provide a list of valuable online sites, along with instructions on how to use them, that families and consultants can turn to when creating college lists. At one of my favorite sites, you can generate lists of schools within a state, region or nationally by using such factors as how much a college spends on instruction per student and also on the salaries of new grads.
Here is a small snapshot of just a few of the lessons that you will gain access to if you enroll in the classroom: 
2. Videos.
Nearly every week we have one or more videos devoted to that week’s topic. In Week 1, for instance, Lynn explains what families need to know about how factors such as parent investments, divorce and student income/assets impact financial aid. In another video that same week, Lynn shows you how to use an EFC calculator which is the first step you should take before looking at any schools. In Week 2, Michelle shares what families need to know athletic scholarships. In Week 3, Lynn talks at length about how students can increase their chances of admission 
and award chances.
3. Discussion boards.
At the bottom of the lessons, participants have a chance to ask questions, post comments and share advice with their classmates. Some people in our first class that ended on Tuesday thought the discussion board was one of the best parts of the class. Michelle and I spend a lot of time answering people’s questions on the discussion boards.
4. Weekly webinar.
During our webinar, which takes place at 8:30 p.m. EDT on Tuesdays, Michelle and I answer college-related questions from class participants. It’s not a problem if you can’t watch the webinar live because it’s recorded and archived in our online classroom.
5. Handouts.
You will have access to many valuable handouts including the identity of the schools that offer the best financial aid, a list that details how many prestigious schools treat home equity in aid calculations and much more.
6. Lesson PDF’s.
Every week, you can download the written lessons so you can keep them for future reference. This is a hugely popular feature of the class!
What People Who Have Taken the Class Say…
Michelle and I worked many, many months to develop this class and we weren’t sure what the reaction would be to what we created. We were overwhelmed by the response to our first class that began in February and ended this week.
Here is just a tiny sample of the positive feedback that we have gotten from people who have already taken the course:
I wanted to tell you both how impressed I am with your class. I didn’t really know what to expect but WOW – it’s so comprehensive, clear, easy to understand with such in-depth information. I also wanted to say that I do realize how much work goes into creating this program – A LOT! I will recommend this course to all the parents in my classes at my son’s prep school. Fabulous job ladies!
– Robin Ryan, Career consultant and mother in Seattle, WA
Thank you so much for your time and expertise!!! I am just so thrilled to be a part of this class and to be learning so much!! It is awesome!!!
– Kathy Moore, High school counselor in Upper Arlington, OH
Your Lesson 5 alone is worth the price of admission and then some. I am going to implore clients to purchase your course above anything else. I will be your best salesman!
– Richard Kato, Realtor in Corona, CA
First of all, thank you so much for this course. I have learned so much about navigating the financial aid process from all angles. The various tools that you have provided are invaluable to families who are embarking on the college admissions path as well as for consultants like me. I must say that I have always talked about the importance of matching colleges on the list with financial reality. Now I feel that I can go into much more depth with the families with whom I work.
– Susan Eschenroeder, College consultant in Virginia
This course provides tremendous value to any family beginning the daunting college search process. I feel we are now armed with enough information to approach the process as informed consumers knowing that we will help our children make choices that are not only good for them academically and socially, but also financially for all of us.”
– Joyce Sandweiss, a parent in Houston, TX
Enroll Now…..
If you want to learn the absolute essentials about cutting your college costs, I’d urge you to take our five-week course. You can learn more about the class and register by clicking on 
this link to the Cutting-the-Cost of College Course.
If you enroll by April 5, you will receive a 25% discount on the class. Just use the coupon Earlybird.
I hope to see you in the class when it starts April 16.
Lynn O’Shaughnessy