See What Clients Are Saying About Our Services

"I saw an advertisement for Ed Bove's Beacon College Planning Workshop and decided to attend, not expecting much as far as trying to get financial aid. I thought I made too much money and would not be eligible. After listening for about 30 minutes I said to myself -"Hey this guy really makes sense."

Even after I signed up for his program I still had my doubts since I owned a company, two houses and had a little bit of money in the bank. My wife and I met with Ed and his calm factual approach was refreshing. I put one son through college, had a daughter in her Junior year of college and received no financial aid submitting all the paperwork on my own. My last son was late in his senior year and I thought it would be more of the same.

Ed helped us to complete my third child's application, essay and all the necessary financial aid forms. When we opened the report from the college, we were in disbelief that we received $11,000.00 in grant money. Money that did not have to be paid back.

My only regret is that I did not hear of Ed Bove five years ago and had to pay full price for my first two kids' education."

Tony R.
Sparta, NJ

"I could not have confidently filed my daughter's FAFSA application without Beacon College Planning and Ed Bove's expert service and knowledge. It is critical for me to get every dollar I can.

Because Ed is also a tax professional he just knows all the potential pitfalls and knows what it takes to get it right the first time you submit -- and as he warned us in the Free Seminar I took last year, that can be very costly as it takes weeks to re-submit and when the federal dollars are gone for that year they are gone.

Just as importantly, Beacon files the application directly through to the Universities and Colleges on your list, and knows if other forms are used to decide ... I did not realize they all need the FAFSA as a starting point for that whole process at each individual school financial aid office, so it was just imperative that I get this right.

As I am a single parent and my ex is not involved in the process, I could not afford to make a mistake. I highly recommend Ed Bove and Beacon for this critical last step in getting your son or daughter not only accepted into a school they want to attend, but in a way that you have a chance to pay for it without ruining your retirement. Thank you to Ed and his wonderful staff!"

Nancy C.
Montclair, NJ

"This past December Ed Bove came highly recommended by a friend.  We actually began receiving Mr. Bove's help and guidance kind of late in the college financial planning game.  Unfortunately, like many, we thought we had more time.  That was about 17 years ago!  Our daughter Leah grew up fast  in the physical sense.  We never thought for one second that she would be graduating high school and going to college so fast.  Were we prepared?  No, not really.

Our first meeting with Ed was in the beginning of January.  We had to hurry up and give him our financial information and what was to be filed to the IRS in order to have him work on the FAFSA.  The deadline was approaching quickly, Jan. 31.  We knew this was one important step in the college process.  The FAFSA results would determine what we were financially responsible for and how the remaining college years were going to play out for us.  We heard that many people do not always fill out their form correctly and miss out on additional financial awards.  Thank goodness Ed took this chore from us.  I heard from others that this process can be a nightmare.  Mr. Bove met the January deadline and de-stressed us with his professional advice.

The entire process took about three office visits and two phone conference calls.  Remember, we got in late, with our college planning and the timeline that was descending on us was tight.  We met again to find out what the FAFSA results were, and to review the comparatives done by Mr. Bove regarding all the colleges our daughter applied to.  We also brought our daughter with us at this time, because she was going to be introduced to a special computer program, which would become a tool for her to use.  This was done in another room by a former high school counselor.  Our final visit was to learn about our financial options.  Mr. Bove actually had options that the average person would never have dreamed possible!

As you can see, I feel hiring Mr. Bove was an asset, by providing us a pain free and easy way of getting through the whole college process.  All we really needed to do was keep Mr. Bove abreast of what the colleges were offering in the way of scholarships...and having our daughter decide upon which college she really felt suited her best.  For Leah...her decision is St. Joseph University.

Thank you Ed Bove.  You were worth the money!

Sincerely,

Elaine R.
Monmouth Junction, NJ