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Let us help you understand the cost of college and reach your affordability goals.
Your Personal Professional Financial Aid Counselor
At College Costs Consulting, we provide the tools, guidance, and support you need to navigate the college financial aid landscape.
Our expert guidance ensures students and their families understand the aid process, including discussing a school's cost of attendance,
using net price calculators, understanding how your income and assets affect aid eligibility,
and support with filling out the FAFSA and CSS Profile applications.
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Meet Mike
Mike Goodwin has over 30 years of experience in higher education, serving at both public and private colleges in counseling, student development, and financial aid. He's also a parent of two daughters who have been to and through college, which equips him with experience on both sides of the financial aid table.
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The mission of College Costs Consulting is to utilize all of these experiences to help families achieve their personal and financial objectives and guide them through the financial aid process labyrinth.
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Mike's background
Mike's career has always focused on helping others overcome obstacles to reach their goals. As a mental health clinician at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) and Associate Dean/Director of Counseling Services at Southern Vermont College, he's helped students and parents work through challenges to succeed in college. Today, as a financial aid advisor at a private liberal arts college, Mike continues to use his skills to help families understand the financial aid process, discuss strategies, and consider personal and financial fit.
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Mike co-chairs FAFSA Day Massachusetts, a bi-monthly free-for-service event where financial aid professionals help families complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application. He also regularly consults with the Massachusetts Education Financing Authority (MEFA) on issues related to the CSS Profile aid application. View his episode from MEFA's "Ask the Expert" series here.
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Professional partnerships and awards
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National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA)
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Eastern Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (EASFAA)
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Massachusetts Association of Student Aid Financial Aid Administrators (MASFAA)
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Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority (MEFA) Ambassador - Financial Aid 101 Presenter
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MASFAA 2024 Edward M. Kennedy Public Service Award recipient
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Dani, Class of Williams '28
Thank you so much! You have been so helpful and reassuring to my parents and I. Thank you again for being so patient and accomodating to us!
Tina, Mom Williams '26
Mike helps to humanize a very numerically based process. :)
Lisa, Mom TBD '29
I want to express my gratitude for your time and expertise!
You made the whole process easy and clear.
Kim, Mom Williams '24
​I just wanted to sincerely "thank you" for all your support while Jonah attended Williams College. He is our eldest of four and the first to attend college, so I didn't know a lot about the financial aid process. Nevertheless, you answered all my questions in a timely manner and made the process a little less stressful for me.
Paul, Dad Williams '22 and '23
Mike has provided invaluable support and advice from the college application process through graduation. His expertise and guidance were helpful, but his listening and empathy made all the difference.
Frank, Dad Williams '21, Ithaca 23' and Middlebury '24
Mike has a knack of breaking down the complicated applications and expalining the process clearly. He's a great listener but will call you out if your expectations are out of whack. I appreciate his commitment and working with me and my sons over the years.
Susan, Mom Vassar '27
To find someone who is well versed in financial aid and counseling was like stumbling across a unicorn---and to think that this unicorn took the time to help me renews my faith in humanity (and personal prayer magic ;->)
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Some things and people come into our lives when we need them. I will simply reiterate that I feel grateful and lucky that we crossed paths.
Blair, Dad Williams '26
We just received word on our appeal for this year. Can't thank you enough, brought tears. We are so grateful for your time. You are a good human.
Ted, Dad
Smith and Trinity colleges '28
Having our twins apply to college was stressful enough - but thinking about how we would afford it was overwhelming.
Mike laid out the FAFSA and CSS Profile process, discussed net price calculators, and broke it all down. We learned that we could make our kid's dreams come true.
Dianne, Mom Williams '28
As a solo parent navigating a lower-middle class, the college financial aid journey has been very stressful. The process of Inquiring about financial aid felt like a power differential between myself and financial aid officers,
and I felt quite vulnerable.
I spoke to several aid officers at several different colleges, and many came across to me as cool and calculative, except for Mike Goodwin, who was empathetic, informative, supportive, and “human.” I felt heard and understood, that he was on my team rather than feeling on opposing sides. I am grateful.