College Financial Aid Application Tips For Parents

(CBS) — Billy Downing, CEO of The ESM Group, a worldwide strategic college counseling service, dropped by the KCAL9 studios on Thursday to offer tips on the financial aid process for parents of high school seniors who are trying to figure out not only where their kids will go to college, but also how they will pay for it.

A couple of key pointers:

-Apply for aid early. There is a big pile of money early, then it starts to dwindle and by the end of the admissions process very little remains.

-Look outside of California for a school. There is a group of big-name out-of-state schools that will cost you less than many CSU or UC's schools.

For more info, visit esmcollege.com.