10 Minutes · Completely Free

Set your college budget before you build your college list.

Don't let your student fall for a school your family can't actually afford. Get a personalized College Affordability Report built around your real financial picture — so every school on the list is one you can say yes to.

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College Affordability Report
Prepared for: The Martin Family
College Savings $5,000/yr
Grandparent Help $1,250/yr
Parent Direct $1,200/yr
Parent Loan $6,182/yr
Student Loan $4,121/yr
Affordable / Year
$17,753
Total / 4 Years
$71,011
The Problem

By the time you know, it's often too late.

Families spend months on campus tours, essays, and applications — then discover during decision season that the school their student loves isn't one the family can actually afford.

01

The college list gets built with no number in mind

Without a budget set up front, it's easy to apply to schools that were never financially realistic in the first place.

02

Families borrow more than they need to

Without a clear picture of what's affordable, it's hard to know when a loan offer is reasonable — and when it's more than the family should take on.

03

The debt becomes everyone's problem

Graduating with an unmanageable loan payment creates financial stress that follows both the student and the parents for years.

Important

Choosing a school that goes beyond your planned budget will call for extra financial aid from that school, or a bigger financial contribution from the parents and/or student.

Your Free Report

Your personalized College Affordability Report includes:

One reference you can return to all through the college search — not a one-time estimate you forget by application season.

$

Your annual budget

The amount your family can comfortably put toward college each year.

4Y

Your 4-year number

The total affordable budget across a full undergraduate degree.

Where the money comes from

A breakdown across savings, monthly contributions, family gifts, and loans.

A borrowing guardrail

Guidance to help you avoid taking on more student debt than your family can manage.

How It Works

It only takes a few minutes.

01

Answer a few questions

Share your savings, monthly contributions, and how comfortable you are with borrowing.

02

We calculate your budget

No complicated formulas — just a realistic number built for your family.

03

Search with confidence

Use your report to focus on colleges your family can actually afford.

Who It's For

This report is perfect for:

Parents of high school freshmen through seniors
Families just beginning their college search
Parents asking, "what can we actually afford?"
Anyone trying to minimize future student loan debt

Need help paying for college? Once you know your number, Steve can help you build a funding strategy across:

529 plans Parent PLUS loans Private student loans Federal student loans Financial aid strategies
Student Loan Steve

Backed by Steve Witter, CFP®, CSLP®

Buffalo's first and only Certified Student Loan Professional™ — the same expertise behind every report, whether you're just starting to look at colleges or already repaying loans.

Start your college search with confidence.

Don't wait for acceptance letters to find out what you can afford. Know your budget first, and make smarter college decisions from the start.

Get My Free Report