Clear guidance. Honest strategy. Advocacy you can trust.
College Funding Advocates was built on one simple belief: families deserve clarity, strategy, and confidence when trying to determine how to pay for college. For most families, college is the largest investment they will ever make — and yet the process is confusing, overwhelming, and often stacked with hidden pitfalls. We exist to change that.
We help families save ON college, not just FOR college. That means smarter planning, better positioning, and a clear understanding of how colleges make their final decisions. Our work is grounded in strategy, transparency, and advocacy — not guesswork.
College isn’t just an academic decision — it’s one that can impact your family’s future as well. How you play “the game” can change how much you pay for college.
We guide families through this maze of college applications with clarity, structure, and proven strategy — so students can focus on opportunity, not stress.
Rick Bagby is the Founder and Managing Partner of College Funding Advocates. His career spans leadership roles in education, athletics, business, and nonprofit development — all centered around helping young people find direction, opportunity, and confidence.
His work in college planning began through families in his nonprofit program — and grew into a full professional practice built on strategy, advocacy, and heart.
College Funding Advocates is rooted in the story of PJ Trendowicz, #21 at BC High, who tragically drowned two weeks before starting college. His impact — his leadership, his kindness, his drive — shaped the culture of the Black Jacks program and continues to shape Rick’s mission today.
PJ’s legacy is a reminder of why this work matters: Every student deserves a future filled with opportunity, and every family deserves a clear path to get there.
We do not fill out FAFSA or CSS Profile forms — instead, we guide families through the strategic elements that determine outcomes.
Families deserve honesty. They deserve clarity. They deserve a partner who understands both the costs and the human sides of the college journey.