Many families lose $10,000–$40,000 in tax credits, interest, and aid eligibility — not because they don't have the money, but because they spent it in the wrong sequence. We build the plan that catches all of it.
These aren't edge cases. They're the default outcome when you pay for college without a sequencing plan.
The American Opportunity Tax Credit is $2,500/year for 4 years — but only if $4,000/year of qualifying expenses were paid from non-529 sources. Pay everything from your 529 and you forfeit it. The first $1,000 of every year is 40% refundable, so even families with low tax liability lose real cash.
Skip the small monthly interest payments during school and your unsubsidized loan interest capitalizes — added to principal, accruing more interest. Compounds for the life of the loan.
Parent PLUS has a 4.228% origination fee and 9.07% interest. Nonprofit state lenders often beat both. PLUS by default — instead of by math — costs five figures across four years. As of July 2026, PLUS is also capped at $20K/yr and $65K lifetime per dependent student.
In states with 529 deductions, routing monthly cash through your state's 529 plan first captures the tax break. Skip the routing and you skip the deduction. Recapture rules vary; plan handles them.
We refresh each of these on a documented cadence — federal loan rates in May, FAFSA tables in September, IRS Pub 970 in November.
AOTC eligibility, 529 qualified expenses, double-count rules. Updated annually.
Student Aid Index calculation. Asset assessment rates (5.64% parent 529, 20% student).
~7,000 institutions. Cost of attendance, net price by income band, graduation outcomes.
Schools meeting ≥75% of demonstrated need. No-loan policies. Income thresholds.
13 states with student loan programs that often beat federal PLUS rates.
$20K/year, $65K-lifetime caps. RAP replacing IBR/PAYE/SAVE. Grandfathering windows.
All 50 states + DC. Deduction limits, in-state-plan requirements, recapture rules.
Subsidized, unsubsidized, PLUS rates by year. Annual + aggregate limits.
~270 schools requiring CSS Profile. Grandparent-owned 529 treatment varies by school.
No subscription. No card on file. One-time $99 for the full plan.
The plan details for a hypothetical NC family at Duke (where the family qualifies for Duke's no-loan tier) are public — same engine, real numbers, real scenario comparisons. Read them before you decide whether your situation warrants $99.
Semester-by-semester payment table, 529 strategy, loan hierarchy, tax + FAFSA timeline, state-specific optimizations, 5–7 strategy scenarios. Yours forever.
Read the plan details first. If the math doesn't obviously beat $99 for your situation, don't buy.