David Kozak, the founder and owner of Elite Collegiate Planning in Chester Springs, has been helping families navigate the often-challenging college financing process for a decade, writes Michael Bradley for Main Line Today.

“The first question I ask is, ‘Do you have your house in order, in terms of debt, cash flow, and earning potential?’” said Kozak.

He recently counseled the D’Antonio family, whose son, a Bishop Shanahan High School junior, was just starting his college search.

“We were thinking that we were okay and would be able to figure things out. But we realized we didn’t have a plan at all,” said Ann D’Antonio.

With help from Elite Collegiate Planning, the family was able to chart a course. They did not have a lot of savings, so they expected to incur some debt. However, Kozak convinced them otherwise.

Among other things, they refinanced their mortgage to take advantage of lower rates and the resulting lower payments. They also trimmed consumer debt by shedding all credit cards but one and meticulously tracking every expense.

Four years later, “We’re miraculously debt-free, and we paid for our kids’ tuition in cash,” said D’Antonio.

Read more about Elite Collegiate Planning in Main Line Today.