ask the experts

Our Marketplace experts are here to share with you the lessons they’ve learned from their decades of experience in helping students pay for college. Meet them below, and use the form or send them a Tweet to get your questions answered! They’re always happy to help you!

Check out the most recent questions and answers here.

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Use this form to ask our experts a question or to share a story about college, finances or student loans. We will be featuring some of your best questions and stories on the blog!

Meet the Experts

Expert: Jeff Sheely
Title: Director of Marketing, Overture Technologies
Contact Information: jsheely at overturecorp dot com, @overture_jeff
Bio: As the Director of Marketing at Overture, Jeff Sheely provides guidance to students as they navigate the process of paying for college. He graduated from Duke University in 2006 with a BA in Political Science/International Relations.

Expert: Tia Peterson
Title: Freelance Writer/Mom
Contact Information: tia at bizchickblogs dot com, @bizchickblogs, bizchickblogs.com
Bio: Tia Peterson is a freelance writer, blogger, and single mom living in Tucson, AZ. She graduated in 2003 with a Bachelor of Arts in Technical Writing from Oral Roberts University.

Expert: Adam Britten
Title: Senior at Syracuse University majoring in Marketing Management
Contact Information: adamjosephbritten at gmail dot com, @adambritten
Bio: Adam Britten is a senior Marketing Management major at Syracuse University. He works as a student social media strategist for the school, where he contributes to the management of @SyracuseU, the official Twitter account for SU. Next year, he is pursuing a Master of Digital Marketing at Hult International Business School in London. Read more about him on his personal website.

Expert: Suzanne Shaffer
Title: College Prep Expert, Parents Countdown to College Coach & CollegeParenting.com
Contact Information: suzannemshaffer at gmail dot com, @suzanneshaffer
Bio: Suzanne Shaffer counsels parents in the college admissions process and the importance of early college preparation. Her Parents Countdown to College Coach blog offers timely college tips for parents and provides parents with the resources necessary to help their college-bound teens navigate the college maze. She is also the College Prep Expert for CollegeParenting.com.

Expert: Doug Schantz
Title: Founder & Editor, CheapScholar.org
Contact Information: support at cheapscholar dot org, @cheapscholar
Bio: As founder of CheapScholar.org, a nationally recognized resource that provides families and their students with the financial tools, resources and knowledge to assist in their college education search, Doug Schantz knows how complex the world of financial aid can be to families and students. He thoroughly enjoys talking about topics related to paying for college, saving for college, scholarships, financial aid, education loans and just about any subject matter that you can think of related to college expenses.