Raquel Nejako, director of New England College Planners
Barnstable Patriot
“Being Educated on Becoming Educated”
by Paul Gauvin
It takes an education to get an education.
That probably sums up the raison d’etre of New England College Planners (NECP) of 10 Cape Drive, Mashpee, a firm with regional reach dedicated to teaching high school students and their parents how to jump the vexing hoops and leap the complex hurdles of college placement and financing.
The two major components of placement, says Raquel Nejako, director, of Osterville, are academic and financial, the former a student responsibility and the latter usually a parental concern. New England College Planners works with both toward a common goal: Suitable, affordable college placement abetted by input from an extensive consulting staff of educators and seasoned financial advisors.
Nejako, a California native who once managed actor/director Clint Eastwood’s Mission Ranch restaurant in Carmel, and is responsive to her clients’ “make my day” plea, is helping 60 area scholars achieve the academic and financial requirements for a desired placement or agreeable alternative.
In a nutshell, NECP interviews students to pinpoint academic strengths and weaknesses and shapes the college and scholarship search processes, backing that up with SAT (Standard Achievement Test) prep courses, comprehensive help in the application process and “best fit” matching the student with colleges and affordability.
NECP also has proprietary computer software that allows students to explore schools by programs, size, location, career path, cost and scholarships.
For the parents, NECP evaluates family finances to help in trying to lower EFC (expected family contribution), decide how to fund a child’s education on a tax-favorable basis, prepare the student’s yearly FAFSA (Free Application for Student Aid) forms and negotiate for a more favorable financial aid package if applicable.
NECP has access to extensive research on how various colleges formulate and distribute student aid, what percentage they offer versus the expected family contribution, and where a particular student might best fit financially and academically.
The firm opened its Cape office two years ago as an extension of a Los Angeles-based national college planning service operated by Nejako’s brother, but is now independent.
“One thing I’ve noticed in this round of students is that more than a handful are inquiring about study abroad,” Nejako said. “I think the biggest reason is cost. Education is less expensive in other countries. McGill in Montreal, Canada, for example, is about half the cost of a U.S. college of similar standing.”
She said private schools can run from $38,000 to $65,000 a year with many public institutions hovering in the $40,000 area.
The search for placement, Nejako said, is complicated not only by the rising cost – surpassing normal inflation as are health care costs – but also by the exploding number of students applying. “Forty percent won’t even get in even though they qualify,” she said.