Wow !!!!! Shelly your professionalism and hard work ethic are a rarity today . You are a true Gem! Such a wonderful helpful lady and always working to help others succeed with their goals and education needs. Thank you for all you do! BonnieAnn Lowell read more

We hired Shelly (EDFIN) last year to resubmit our son's FAFSA application. We paid EDFIN $3250 in fees and saw no increase in benefits after Shelly ensured us that she would be able to get more aid for our son. The conversation that we had with Shelly is the main reason we moved forward with her service, along with many positive reviews and a referral. After not receiving any benefit from Shellys re-submittal, I asked for a refund of $1625, half of her fees, as we were more than willing to pay for the time she put into this. (Note, it took about 30min to fill out the FAFSA when we did it) Shelly told us she does not offer refunds, but did offer to resubmit the FAFSA for us this year for free, which we declined as we have no changes to our financials, and wanted others to benefit from our (negative) experience. Now that I know a little more about this process, have spoken with financial aid offices at two different schools, and have read the information on the Federal Student Aid webpage.... I feel like a sucker. With Shelly's education, experience and expertise, she certainly should have been able to tell us by looking at our information and the amount of aid that our son was already receiving, that no other financial help would be available. We provided all information to Shelly prior to her re-submittal. So what gives with all the positive reviews? Keep in mind mine is not the only negative one...LOL. It seems to me that most of the positive reviews come from people who have not filed the FAFSA and did not realize with a little effort and contacting a schools financial aid office, they could of saved the thousands of dollars that Shelly charges and very likely receive the same benefit. I surmise this after speaking with the person who referred us to Shelly and after reading most of the reviews. I would suspect, like us, most families are rushed, unsure, and a bit confused with the student aid process. Shelly certainly uses this to her advantage. Another family that we are friends with also hired Shelly, paid $6000 for their two students, and also saw no benefit. I assume if you have two applications, Shelly waives the $250 consultation fee. How nice. Expect their review soon. If Shelly responds to my review, she will likely say how she lowered our son's SAI number from approximately 110,000 to below 60,000 and this indicates more financial benefit available. While it is true that our number decreased, the two financial aid offices we spoke with told us that our son's number would need to be -1500 to 0 in order to receive any other aid. A SAI number can sometimes be reduced by correcting simple errors on the FAFSA form or reporting financials in a different arrangement, although no further benefit is available. Do a little homework folks, you do not need EDFIN. If you feel you absolutely need help with the FAFSA, there are much cheaper places than EDFIN, or contact your schools financial aid office. They will help you. Acronyms: FSA - Federal Student Aid (website - (https://studentaid.gov/) FAFSA - FREE Application for Federal Student Aid (Yes free) SAI - Student Aid Index (ranges from -1500 to 999,999) Agencies that review student financial aid services: ....and that I will be contacting. FTC - Federal Trade Commission Department of Education - Office of Inspector General CFPB - Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Federal Student Aid feedback center read more

Alert FRAUD ‼‼‼ Shelly Rufin owner of Edfin College Planning will take your money and not provide services. Do NOT fall for their advertisement. Do your research you will get the same amount of grants applying on your own. She changed my scholarship information making me think I would qualify for more and when I went through my school financial aid they had to correct all the mistakes she did. She fulled me DONT let her full YOU. ‼FRAUD‼ read more

Shelly was very helpful with me when I called to get information for a situation I had with my daughter who is a newer college student. Because I am not a college graduate and had no expertise or experience in this area, Shelly made it easy and clear as to what our next steps would be with the situation at hand. I appreciate her kindness and her eagerness to assist us, while we only contacted her for a consultation. read more

Excellent services provided for college students such as myself who need assistance with the financial aspect of college. Their services include, and are not limited to, FAFSA applications to overlooking financial awards. Through this they ensure that students receive the best financial benefits they need for the school year. As I have been helped by EDFIN for almost four years now, they have helped and guided me through college in that I wouldn't have to worry about my financial situation such as having to pay out of pocket for tuition. Additionally, any questions or concerns I would have would be resolved with their help. Overall, for students having doubts about going to college due to financial limitations, they should consult with EDFIN and find out how their services can help them. read more

As a senior in high school, Shelly has lifted a lot of the weight off my shoulders by helping me with financial aid, guiding me through the steps of applying to colleges, and much more even while having a busy schedule and helping many other students. read more

EDFIN College Planning is a fabulous organization offering a much needed service. The cost and competition for a quality college education continues to rise. As a single mom on a fixed budget I struggle with planning for my child's education. My daughter is smart and curious and deserves the advantage that higher education will offer. EDFIN provides financial planning, student counseling and test preparation. It is never too early to start planning for your child's future. Shelly Ruffin is passionate and driven to see our kids succeed. It is an amazing thing that you do. Thank you! read more

PLEASE STAY AWAY!!! This is a SCAM! Completely unprofessional and extremely deceptive. My husband and I ended up spending $6200 total for our two daughters to get financial aid. We paid $5000 upfront ($2500 per daughter) and an additional $1200 for any questions that we had after the fact. Every time we had a question or needed help with an application, Shelly would charge us additional fees to speak to us for just a few minutes. Once she collected her fees upfront, she no longer had time to talk or review anything. Shelly Ruffin at Edfin college in Temecula, promised that with her 28 years of experience, she would get us scholarships, grants and aids. Despite the fact that we told her we already had applied through FASFA and got denied, Shelly reassured us repeatedly that she knew of ways to get us financial help. She stated we would get far more results than what we were going to pay her, because she had so much more experience. In the end, she misrepresented and misreported our financial info to all the universities to get us qualified. But once the universities verified our income, all financial aid was disqualified. Shelly claimed the university personal did not know what they were doing, and that she would appeal it. It's been 5 months and we still haven't heard back. We requested a refund and her response was that she was working with other applicants and would get back to us... we never heard from her again. We got absolutely NO results, NO feedback and NO financial aid. We are considering taking legal action to prevent her from doing this to others. Its NOT OKAY to cheat innocent people in these trying times. I just wish I had read her Yelp reviews before approaching her with her so called expertise. read more

Wow.. Just Wow!! To further show how shady Shelly is...in regards to her response to my review, our reasons for not using her company a second year is Absolutely false. She charges way too much in my opinion for what they do, and to clarify, my daughter transferred to Chapman University in Orange County to be closer to home and cheaper for us as a family in travel expenses. You can't trust a person who shows poor character and is completely dishonest ("In my opinion"!) read more

Contact Shelly at EDFIN College Prep. She is fully dialed in! Step on her moving sidewalk. She will customize a plan and guide you every step of the way (student AND parents). She customizes every client's gameplan based on individual needs and fully leverages ALL options. read more

Shelly with EDFIN COLLEGE is very passionate, inspiring and motivating. She is very helpful and give a lots of information to reach your goal. So if you want to dream big just go to EDFIN. I highly recommended! read more

Knowledgeable and experienced expert. With proper preparation, Parents will save a lot of money in the future read more

Shelly is very passionate about the work she does helping youth, young adults and families with their planning needs. She is well respected in the community and continues to contribute value in everything she does. Amazing professional! read more

Shelly is very knowledgeable in the college applications process. On top of being professional she is caring and friendly and a nice person to talk to. We learned a lot about how she can help with getting financial aid from just one hour meeting and it's very crucial to have it done professionally in order to save a lot of money. read more

I used Shelly Ruffin with EDFIN Collgeg Planning Esperts to help my Granddaughter get into a college. Ms. Ruffin is a professional expert in here field. Very pleased with her help. Outstanding knowledge and Ms Ruffin helps you to understand the process of picking the right college for your student. Ms. Ruffin is friendly and a nice person to talk with. Thank You Shelly . read more

I really appreciate all the help Shelly has given me! I am currently in a community college and am about to transfer to a university and she has really made the transition smoother! I can't thank her enough for the patience she has had and taking the time to walk us through each step! Thank you Shelly, as well as the whole EDFIN employees because you truly are a backbone to the company as well! read more

I'm a fourth year college student at SDSU, I had gotten into some trouble with financial aid and wasn't receiving a single penny. I came here for just some advice on how to write an appeal letter and she provided so much more than I expected. It was a small investment for a lot more money back than I would have attained on my own. I was also able to get reimbursement for some of the money I had put in. She's pretty flexible in working out everything you need and giving you the best options possible. I definitely recommend her service, she's extremely qualified with a lot of experience and I definitely wish I had known about this sooner. read more

I am sure the EDFIN team was surprised to receive this review. However, you did not work diligently with our family. We had a few meetings that you continually asked us to leave you "reviews" in and we told you once we completed the process. Shelly, as I stated in my review and as we disclosed to you NUMEROUS times regardless of what you state our contract on file states, we specifically told you our daughter was an AVID student and this required her to submit for FASFA and apply for colleges all on her own. The one and only reason that we spent money on your services was to possibly get any further funding for our child that was possible outside her getting the standard loans, again as I stated was all based upon our financial status and income qualifications. Which, this being our first child and coming to you for your "expert services" would get nothing based on our financial status; you never once told us this to be the case. Your claim to fame states you have acquired most students college funding taken care of with the magic you work, that is the ONLY reason we went to you! You continually use the word "awarded", my daughter received admission/acceptance by no part of your doing, into all of the said colleges. She was not "awarded" any funds other than the LOANS she received from FASFA and the remaining was paid out of our pocket. As previously stated, the only money awarded to or for Savannah for any part of college was the $2298 that came weeks after she had already moved into the dorms at SFSU. We paid EDFIN for said services $2500, leaving us out $202. read more

I mean, I tried to be in contact with them, and I gave them deadlines and I don't feel like they did much. If you want someone to help you, go for it, but don't depend on them. I left a five star review but I don't feel like they did a 5 star job. Shelly asked me herself to write it while on a call with me and we had some time where we had to wait. It was kinda intimidating tbh. She's friendly and has a great personality. I don't doubt these are good people, however, the work they do isn't really much and I got my scholarships based off of me. I don't know what she really does, what she has done, and she hasn't told me what she did. I really have done everything myself, and I don't trust them so much anymore. I've worked with them a few years and I'm only really happy a good 10% of the time with them. Save your money for the actual college, not the college planner. Worst waste of money I could think of. Quick update: I lost $3,000 of aid due to those discrepancies that she made. read more

This is a SCAM! Completely unprofessional and extremely deceptive. My sister ended up spending $6200 for her bs services under the guise of helping my nieces get financial support. Every time we had a question, she would charge an additional fee to speak to us. They had reservations about getting qualified w FASFA but she promised that she would get us financial support with her 28 years of experience and she knew how to get scholarships, grants and aids. She misreported their financial information to get them qualified and once the universities verified their income, they disqualified all their grants. She took her fee up front, and said she would appeal the outcome. We never heard from her again. She avoided all our calls and disappeared! This is a Scam! She preys on people who are desperate and want the best for their children and milks every cent out of them and disappears. DO NO WASTE YOUR TIME HERE! Completely unsatisfied and felt cheated. We are reporting her to BBB. read more

***** ALERT FRAUD****** DO NOT HIRE SHELLY**** DM ME for more information. She will promise anything to help you and will do nothing a return. I am a NURSING student it's unfortunate that people like her will take your money when all you want is to do good.**** IN of the process of small claims if anyone wants to join and get her out of business DM ME. I tried multiple times to find a solution she odiously DO NOT CARE.... don't believe her recommendations she sweet talks to her customers. She will full YOU and tell you what you want to hear. Not to mention she's out of date doesn't even know all the rules for grands or qualifications. ******WARNING******* read more

This woman will not do what she advertises she will do. She will take your money though. She seems to be running a scam. I highly recommend that you do not use her services. read more

Shelly really is an EXPERT! I was referred to Shelly thru a co-worker who spoke highly of her. So, I called her, discussed the plan for our daughter's college goals & financial needs. I was amazed & pleased with her friendly, thorough & expert advice to help our daughter. Shelly & her staff are extremely knowledgeable and always return calls and answer emails in a timely manner. Edfin services are clear & the price is right. Shelly works hard & always has your best interest in mind! *****FIVE STARS!!! read more

So glad I found out about Shelly's book "College Bound". I purchased a couple of them to give to my nephew and niece who will be heading to college soon. Their parents were thrilled to receive a thoughtful and helpful gift. I know it will guide them to follow important steps to planning for college. I also met Shelly who was kind enough to sign the books personally. She is professional and really knows her stuff and she is really easy to talk to! read more

Shelly and her team have been super helpful with helping me recieve financial aid and answering any questions I have reguarding college classes and transferring to a university. Im very happy i started going to her and will continue doing so. read more

Edfin Cash for College has been extremely helpful for getting me prepared each semester for college. They provide you with the knowledge and experience of the processes required to get you the classes and funding necessary to stay afloat! When I started out I found that often times there feels like an overwhelming amount of requirements and stress to tackle but Edfin makes all the difference and completely takes that stress off your shoulders! As a result of their help I have also received the money I need in order to take classes and take care of my semester's finances through financial aid! read more

Great service. Instead of worrying about all the financial stuff coming on to the school year, I was able to just focus on my education.They handled everything for me! read more

I've never written a review before but it's been a few years and I'm still mad. So I looked her up. Shelly charged me several thousand dollars as a student who needed help getting financial support and didn't help me at all or get me any money. Reading some of these other reviews it looks like she's scammed several other people as well. Do not use this "service." If you go into the collage your kid is attending you can get the financial help from the school counselor or your tax person. This really is a serious waste of thousands of dollars. read more

Check out what all of our clients are saying. We currently have 114 reviews on Facebook! Follow this link: https://www.facebook.com/EDFIN.NET We have video testimonials on You Tube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClCyz90gvCZROev9eJCp3hw Let them tell you! read more

Shelly and her Edfin team have been incredible! I was attending Santa Monica Community College with no idea how I was going to be able to afford to continue my education after I graduated. With Edfins help I was able to attend a CSU with all costs covered by financial aid and loans! I graduate at the end of Spring semester in May of 2017 and it would not be possible with out them! Thanks so much Edfin for making my dream of getting a BA possible! read more

After receiving multiple Facebook ads for Shelly's services, my parents decided to create an appointment for us to all sit down and discuss what she does. After an hour long appointment she convinced my parents and I to try out here services (and let me tell you I had already submitted my FAFSA). $2,500 later and we had her as "our personal college financial planner" and would help with any scholarships, grants, and loans. WHAT A JOKE! I literally did EVERYTHING myself. She did not lift a finger and still got all the money. I applied for 12 different scholarships, 2 different loans, and I got all my money without her help. One thing that she doesn't disclose is that most universities will have there own financial aid services that are more than willing to help you without the extra cost!! Not to mention when I got a FAFSA review document and needed help to fill it out, she would not do so. She said it is not in her powers to do that.... ummm excuse me then what the heck did we pay you $2,500 for?!?!?!!!!! I'm now going into my second year of college and we didn't use her this year and I got the same amount of money from the year before and a little more (WITHOUT HER HELP)!!!!! Do not I repeat do not use her "services" unless you wanna be out $2,500!!! read more

Shelly and her staff are so nice and so helpful when it comes to college planing. I have worked with her for two years on my financial aid and she helps answer all my questions and is very on top of my fasfa and other paper work. I've received a lot of grants both years with her and so happy that I have someone helping me through this. read more

I've have been in contact with Shelly regarding my daughter's future plans for college. Even though my daughter is only a 9th grader it's never too early to start planning her future. I've gotten so much helpful info from Shelly, I highly recommend her to any parent that's planning to send their kids to collage. read more

My friend, Shelly Rufin, helped my friends Leroy and Janice receive financial assistance for their daughter Joy. She is currently a freshman attending San Diego State University. They are glad that I recommended Shelly to assist them with their financial needs. Leroy told me he was impressed with her professionalism and great attitude. Shelly has been helping so many families for the past 15 years. I would recommend Shelly Rufin to ANYONE seeking financial assistance for college. Great job Shelly!!! read more

Shelly and her staff are all super nice and try to help as much as they can! they care about you and do their very best to help you out.

Hi I'm Heidi Johnson-Schmidt. I am currently going into my 3rd year at San Diego State University and majoring in Athletic Training. This past year I was accepted into the very prestigious and rigorous Athletic Training program at SDSU and as well held an internship with San Diego Sports Medicine. These accomplishments could not have been completed without the help from EDFIN cash for college. I began working with EDFIN at the end of my 1st year of college. I came to seek help from EDFIN because going into my 1st year of college, I had already accumulated $10,000 in student loans. Like most students I was unaware of the extra grants and financial help I could receive from my college. I did receive financial aid from my school, but it was not enough to pay for my living expenses, text books, and other school materials. At the time pulling out student loans seemed to be the only solution to my problem. This was until I started working with EDFIN. EDFIN helped me with my college finances and showed me all the many more possibilities of aid I could receive from my college than what I was currently receiving. For my 2nd year of college my tuition was 100% paid for and now going into my 3rd year, by working with EDFIN I have received the full amount of financial aid there is to offer. My tuition and living expenses will be 100% paid for and EDFIN is continuing to help me find scholarships to reduce my student loans. Without EDFIN, paying for my education would be very hard, frustrating, and would put a strain on my Education. So I would like to thank EDFIN for all their hard work and effort they put into helping me reach my educational goals. read more

Great service! Shelly was amazing in helping me get back on track for school and to finish graduating!! I will highly recommend! Made it easier to focus on school by not worrying money to pay for school. read more

Shelley was so helpful to me! My parents and I had literally no clue how this whole college application thing worked and she helped to guide us through the entire process step by step. I am now way ahead of the game on my applications and I don't have to stress or worry about them in the month of November. I will definetly recommend her to anyone who needs help with the application process or financial aid. read more

I want to start off by saying that Shelly, Susan and Willie are awesome. I came to them about two weeks ago regarding my sons college tuition. I wasn't able to pay the remaining balance on my sons first semester, so I had applied to many private loans which I was denied. Then I called everyone at my sons school to see what my other options where , but no one was able to help me. My mom is the one that saw their phone number on a poster and told me to call, I am so glad I did. For two weeks they worked their butts off trying to find a solution. Shelly filled out my sons FAFSA and thought that would take care of the balance, but the school said it wouldn't. So here she goes correcting the old FASFA that I had already filled out for my son. At this point we couldn't wait for the FASFA to kick in, so filled a petition due to my income changes in my house hold, but that would take up 10 business days to see if anything would change. We didn't have 10 days to wait since we had a deadline to meet and my son needed to register for his classes by today. I had text Shelly bc by then I was freaking out bc it was the day before the deadline. She texts me back and said she is working with the school and that she will call me later on today. I get a call later on that day from Susan saying that Shelly had some exciting news for me. Shelly gets on the phone and told me she called my sons school and talked to multiple people in financial aid and Bursurs office, until finally she talked to the accounts manager, which she explained to him that I had filled out a petition and faxed it at the beginning of the week due to my income changing and that we were not able to pay the balance off. The account manager said that he would lift the hold and that my son would be able to register for classes within the next 5 min. I was speechless all I could say is thank you so much, I really appreciate it. I truly didn't think that we would make the deadline, but she proved me wrong. I was so worried, but everyone kept saying don't stress we will find a way and sure enough they did. Once Shelly told me the good news, I could literally feel all the stress gone. Everyone treated my son and I like we were family, they took their time to find out what needed to be done. I will be a customer for life. There is no words to explain how I feel and what they have done for us. I am so thankful for all of them and their hard work. I would, will and have already recommend them to others. Thank you again. read more

We lost about $1,500 with this service. My son received the "Outstanding Achievement Award" in the Bourns College of Engineering 2 years in a row. The University gives this award to only 1 student in each major per year and this company couldn't get him any money in grants or scholarships...zero...nothing, absolutely, not one dime!!! They got him loans which anybody can get. You don't need to pay $2,000 to get loans! We complained a lot and finally got about $1,000 back after we paid about $2,500 at least. Very disappointing to lose money when you're promised so much. If a number one student can't get a grant or scholarship, who can? read more