Navigating College Costs: A Comprehensive Guide for Parents

Welcome to Hot Topics! Host Gabrielle Crichlow and guest Shellee Howard discuss how to tackle college expenses while preparing your child for a successful future. If you're worried about affording college, this episode will guide you in establishing your child’s traits, identifying the right schools, and developing a financial strategy that leverages scholarships and grants.Who is Shellee Howard?Shellee Howard is the founder and CEO of College Ready, a college admissions and financial strategy consulting firm that helps families send their students to college without losing their mind or their money. After guiding her oldest son into Harvard as a Biology pre-med major and her second to graduate debt-free from the University of Alabama, she turned her hard-won experience into a proven, purpose-driven system. Over the past 18 years, College Ready students have earned more than $80 million in scholarships through personalized strategies and Passion with a Purpose community-impact projects. A two-time bestselling author, international speaker, and global education advocate, Shellee has been featured on FOX, CBS, NBC, and Inside Success TV’s Next Level CEO with Daymond John. She was just named 2026 Global Educational Consultant of the year.You can find Shellee Howard:On the web: https://www.collegereadyplan.com/On Facebook (personal): https://www.facebook.com/shellee.howard1On Facebook (business): https://www.facebook.com/CollegeReadyPlanOn Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/collegereadyplan/On X: https://x.com/GoCollegeReadyOn LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelleehoward/On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr_WodPHDfSWEbiPdsRDbyQOn TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@collegereadyplanPurchase Shellee's books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=shellee+howard&crid=R6Q34NN4HATZ&sprefix=shellee+ho%2Caps%2C238&ref=nb_sb_ss_p13n-expert-pd-ops-ranker_1_10Free gift # 1: Complementary 30-minute "Are you College Ready meeting": https://www.collegeereadyplan.infoFree Gift # 2: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cdPLB532DnuwWAXusr7Xk-TuP-Tm7UmG/view?usp=drive_linkWatch this episode on YouTube: https://youtube.com/live/R-wLboGEWzQRate this episode on IMDB: TBA********************************************Follow Gabrielle Crichlow:On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gabrielle.crichlowOn Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabrielle.crichlowOn LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrielle-crichlow-92587a360Follow A Step Ahead Tutoring Services:On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/astepaheadtutoringservicesOn Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/astepaheadtutoringservicesOn X: https://www.x.com/ASATS2013On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a-step-ahead-tutoring-services/On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@astepaheadtutoringservicesOn TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@asats2013On Eventbrite: https://astepaheadtutoringservices.eventbrite.comVisit us on the web: https://www.astepaheadtutoringservices.comSign up for our email list: https://squareup.com/outreach/a41DaE/subscribeSign up for our text list: https://tapit.us/cipPJOCheck out our entire "Hot Topics!" podcast: https://www.astepaheadtutoringservices.com/hottopicspodcastSupport us:Cash App: https://cash.app/$ASATS2013PayPal: https://paypal.me/ASATS2013Venmo: https://venmo.com/u/ASATS2013Zelle: [email protected] a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/hot-topics--5600971/supportOriginal date of episode: January 8, 2026