Meet a College Finance Expert Meet a College Finance Expert: Robyn MacAlpine Written by Robyn MacAlpineon September 16th, 2024 Prior to joining College Coach, I worked as a financial aid counselor at Curry College where my main responsibilities included supporting veterans who wanted to begin or continue their educational journey and reconciliation of all federal Pell grant funding. Before Curry, I served as a financial aid counselor at Northeastern University. While at Northeastern, I worked with a large student caseload and reviewed students for financial aid eligibility. I also supported our athletic director to appropriately award scholarships and was a member of several committees including the interview, merit scholarship, and general appeal committees. Learn More About Robyn college planner, educational consultant, financial planning, Our Meet a Finance Educator series introduces students and parents to members of the Bright Horizons College Coach finance team. Drop in to see what we do to relax, where we went to college, the best financial advice we’ve received, and how we work with families to navigate the college finance process. Whether you’re looking to appeal a financial aid offer, maximize merit scholarship opportunities, or spend your assets strategically, our college finance experts are here to help. Today we introduce Robyn MacAlpine. Where are you from, where have you lived, and where do you live now? I am originally from Hanover, Massachusetts and I currently live in Hingham, Massachusetts. I lived in Boston for many years after attending college in Fairfield, Connecticut. I’ve also lived in Ortigia, Italy (Sicily) and Dublin, Ireland while studying abroad. What are you reading, watching, and/or listening to lately? Currently, I am reading People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry. I am rewatching some of my favorite shows (Ted Lasso, Shrinking, The Mindy Project) at the moment because nothing new is intriguing to me. I am always listening to music, a wide variety of artists from John Mayer to Pink to Stick Figure to Chris Stapleton. What do you do for fun or to relax? I love trying new recipes and experimenting in the kitchen with different ingredients. In the summer months, I enjoy going to the beach and our local community pool. Exercising and walking are two other ways that I decompress. Where did you go to college? I went to Fairfield University for my undergraduate degree in sociology and anthropology with a minor in classical studies. I completed my master’s degree in education at Northeastern University. What would you like to go back and tell your high school self about the college application process? The college application process can feel overwhelming so try to remind yourself that everything on your list will get done. Ask yourself WHY you want to go to college and make sure the schools you are considering align with those goals. What jobs did you have as a student? As a student, I worked in the financial aid office. I also babysat for a family every day after the kids got home from school. Where did you work in financial aid? I worked in financial aid at Northeastern University and Curry College. My primary role at both schools was working as a financial aid counselor. I supported student athletes, managed the Pell grant budget, worked with students who had veteran’s benefits, and served on a number of different committees. I enjoyed helping families through the special review processes such as appeal requests and change in family circumstances. How do you encourage families to incorporate financial fit into their college search? I encourage families to start thinking about how much they are comfortable spending on college each year. It is important to remember it is a four-year commitment, and you need to be able to absorb the cost of four (or five years in some cases). What resources does the family have and what do they feel comfortable taking on in terms of debt? I want a family to feel confident that they are making a good investment based on what specifically works for their family. What aspect of the college finance process do you most enjoy working on? Getting to know a family and creating a safe environment to have an open conversation about their biggest concerns. I like to remind them of the things that they are doing well because sometimes that gets lost in all the frantic moments of the college application process. What is the advice you give students who are thinking about borrowing loans for college? I really like to involve students in the process and understand what borrowing now will look like in the future. I often use student loan calculators to project monthly payments – this can be an eye-opening process for both students and parents. What is the best financial advice you ever received? Don’t spend what you don’t have!
