LeveltheField

LeveltheField College Grants • FAFSA Entry • CSS(college board) Entry • Soccer Recruitment

02/13/2026

Parents of College-Bound Students — Are You Financially Ready?

Have you completed your FAFSA yet?
If your child is applying to private colleges, have you submitted the CSS Profile?

Many families don’t realize that Parent PLUS Loans are now limited to $20,000 per year, with a lifetime maximum of $65,000 per student — and that cap is not per parent.

There are many colleges and universities that offer huge financial aid packages in the form of grants not loans that do not require repayment.

The good news:
There are lots of Universities that! nearly grant full tuition, while others cover between 10-90% — and these opportunities are more common and plentiful than you might think!

Let’s help your student find the right school that offers both an excellent education and strong financial support.

Are You Ready for the 2026 Financial Aid Reform?Major changes are coming, and it’s essential for parents to be informed....
11/27/2025

Are You Ready for the 2026 Financial Aid Reform?

Major changes are coming, and it’s essential for parents to be informed.

Beginning July 1, 2026, significant updates to federal student aid will take effect for new borrowers, including:

Lifetime Caps on Federal Loans: Students will face new aggregate limits on the total amount of federal loans they can borrow during their academic career.

Parent PLUS Loan Limits: Parents will no longer be able to borrow up to the full cost of attendance. Instead, annual and lifetime borrowing limits will apply to Parent PLUS Loans for each child.

Updated Repayment Options: New federal loans will fall under a revised set of repayment plans, replacing several of the current income-driven options.

Tighter Pell Grant Eligibility: New rules may make qualifying for Pell Grants more restrictive for some students.

These changes will significantly affect how families plan and pay for college. Now is the time to understand the new rules and prepare accordingly.

Register for my seminar to learn about these major upcoming changes. Please click the link below
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/7h12MXbxTzqWLHjoMSli0w

11/27/2024

#3 Helping families with FAFSA and CSS profiles.

Question:
Should I apply to the FAFSA or CSS Profile?

Answer:
As a general rule, you should always apply for as much financial aid as you can. At a minimum, you should complete the FAFSA as soon as possible. Your expected family contribution and when you complete your application will determine how much you get. This should always be your first step.

The CSS Profile offers different aid than FAFSA. This means you will unlock more financial aid, than what’s available at the federal and state level. If you can aAord to pay the fee or you qualify for fee waivers, the CSS Profile is a great extra step. But not every school requires the CSS Profile, so you’ll want to investigate any institution you’re interested in before filling out an application.

Please reach out to me for any help or questions you have!

Part 2 of CSS/FAFSA
11/21/2024

Part 2 of CSS/FAFSA

11/21/2024

Hi Everyone, As a lot of you know, I am now helping families navigate through the FAFSA and CSS process. By helping you through this confusing process, and helping build your son/daughter's FAFSA & CSS profiles. This will enable you the parent to maximize your demonstrated need for college aid.
These two profiles make up the most important components for financial aid.

Most, if not all colleges, use FAFSA when calculating financial aid and the SAI.(student aid index). This determines what your contribution will be

The CSS profile, on the other hand, is mostly used by private colleges/universities to review and verify uploaded income and asset information. Since the process for financial aid has become more challenging, understanding how to build your FAFSA and CSS profiles has never been more important than now.

My goal is to share what I have learned, and help your family navigate these complex systems. While simultaneously targeting colleges that meet demonstrated need, with need-based grants. (not loans) This will ensure the maximum amount of grant dollars to your student.

There are over 100 colleges and universities that cover almost the entire cost of college for eligible students meeting demonstrated need. The 100+ colleges that I am referring to have need-blind and need-aware admissions.

There is a BIG difference between the two. I have done the research and I can provide a roadmap of colleges that are affordable through NEED-BASED GRANTS, not loans, based on your demonstrated need. Besides these 100+ schools that meet your full financial need, there are hundreds of other schools that will meet 50% to 95% of your demonstrated need.

Regardless of your family's financial circumstances, I can show you that a four-year college education is not out of reach. Many parents mistakenly believe that they cannot afford to send their child to certain colleges. As a result, they either guide their child toward community college or state schools. The 2025/26 FAFSA is coming December 1st while the CSS profile started in October. NOW IS THE TIME ... don't delay, reach out to me for more details.

You can reach out to me @levelthefieldllc.com or call me at 973-715-0721.

Thanks,
David

01/29/2024

Hi Everyone,
With FAFSA and the CSS profile well underway I am here to help.
Lots of parents don't know or understand the SAI which is the Student Aid Index. This determines what you will contribute towards your child's education.

It is important to understand that different colleges meet different amount of financial needs. For instance, if your SAI is $25,000(this is the amount you pay towards tuition) but the school only meets 50% of your demonstrated need , vs a college that meets 95% of need, you will be paying a more towards your childs education from a school that only meets 50% of your financial need.

So let's use an example of Skidmore college vs RPI college with a SAI(student aid index) of $25,000

Skidmore meets 100% of demonstrated need

RPI meets 74% of demonstarated need

Skidmore will meet 100% of that $25,000 of need and the parent will not have to go into your bank to pay for tuition.

RPI* will meet 73% of that $25,000 so the parent would have to contribute $5750.

If you look at state schools. Those colleges do not meet a high percentage of demonstrated need for out of state students.
So though your kid might want to go to Penn State. You can find an alternate college, that you will pay a lot less for based on your demonstrated need.(sorry Lions fans)
Call me to set up an appointment or answer any questions.

*US News & World Report

For my soccer recruitment crowd. Little article I found on percentage of International Players playing in the NCAA Divis...
11/15/2023

For my soccer recruitment crowd. Little article I found on percentage of International Players playing in the NCAA Division 1 Men's Tourney! It's not always about D-1 its about playing time and education!

11/07/2023

Hi Everyone,

With my business and financial background, I have started to help families with their FAFSA and CSS profiles through the financial aid process. These two profiles make up the most important components of financial aid. Most, if not all colleges, use FAFSA when using calculations for financial aid and the efc.(expected family contribution) The CSS profile, on the other hand, is mostly used by private colleges/universities to review uploaded income and asset information. Since the process for financial aid has become more challenging, understanding FAFSA and CSS profiles has never been more important than it is now. My goal is to share what I have learned and help your family navigate these complex systems, while simultaneously targeting colleges that meet demonstrated need, with need-based grants. (not loans)

Do you realize that there are over 100 colleges and universities that cover almost the entire cost of college for eligible students meeting demonstrated need? The 100+ colleges that I am referring to have need-blind and need-aware admissions. There is a BIG difference between the two. I have done the research and can provide a roadmap of colleges that are affordable through NEED-BASED GRANTS, not loans, based on your demonstrated need. Besides these 100+ schools that meet your full financial need, there are hundreds of other schools that will meet 50% to 95% of your demonstrated need.

Regardless of your family's financial circumstances, I can show you that a four-year college education is not out of reach. Many parents mistakenly believe that they cannot afford to send their child to college. As a result, they either guide their children toward community college or state schools. Regardless of your family's financial circumstances, I can show you that a four-year college education is not out of reach. The new FAFSA is coming December 1st while the CSS profile started in October. NOW IS THE TIME ... don't delay, reach out to me for more details.

10/20/2023

Hi Everyone,
If you are looking for help when it's time for FAFSA, or if needing to get started with the CSS profile. Please reach out and I will be happy to get you thru the process!!

Tidbit for the week if you were expecting to fill out the FAFSA forms!!

There are some notable changes to the FAFSA process that will impact your financial aid process.

Here are some of the key updates:
FAFSA Opening Delay: For the past several years, the FAFSA has opened in October. This year, with all the changes, the FAFSA opening has been delayed until December.

FAFSA Simplification Act: The FAFSA Simplification Act will expand the Federal Pell Grant by linking eligibility to family size and federal poverty level.

Change in Parent Contributor Criteria: Effective with the 2024-2025 year, the parent contributor criteria have changed for students with divorced or separated parents not living together.

The student must complete the FAFSA with the parent who provided the greater portion of the student’s financial support in the 12 months prior to filing the FAFSA -even if the student does not live with that parent.

If neither parent provided support in that 12-month period, include information for the parent who provided the greater portion of support during the most recent year the student received financial support.

If both parents claim an equal amount of support, the parent with the greater amount of income or assets is the contributor.

10/06/2023

The CSS profile door opened on October 1st (As of October 1st, families can access the CSS profile). If you are seeking financial assistance for the 2024/25 academic year, it is imperative to complete this profile. I can help you navigate through this time-consuming process. With my banking/financial background and understanding of tax returns, I can ensure that everything is done correctly.
Please do not hesitate to reach out!!

09/28/2023

Lets talk about EFC(Expected Family Contribution) today!
When looking and deciding on potential colleges for your son/daughter based on affordability, you must make sure to check the net calculator of each institution, as well as enter all of your financial and asset information.
Once you complete these steps, you will have a much clearer picture on your EFC (Expected Family Contribution) for each college/university. In simple terms, it is what your family will be expected to contribute towards your child's tuition. In direct terms, it determines eligibility for federal student financial aid. Want to know more?! Please email or text me with any questions or if you are looking for additional information. Thank you!

Address

37 Holiday Road
Manalapan, NJ
07726

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