So You’re in NCAG? Here’s Why Finology Software Is Right for Your Firm
NCAG members help families answer the first half of the college affordability question: how to pay for school. The second half arrives after graduation, when the family asks what the loans will actually cost them. Finology Software answers that half, with the same care you bring to the first.
Who NCAG members are
The National College Affordability Group brings together college admissions and financial professionals: CPAs, CFPs, CLUs, RIAs, independent educational consultants and high school counselors. Members keep current through NCAG’s webinars and E-Alerts, its annual conference and the NCAG Certification.
The loan questions your families bring in 2026
The rules changed on July 1, 2026. Parent PLUS now has limits of $20,000 a year and $65,000 per student, a $257,500 lifetime limit covers a student’s own federal loans, and the repayment menu for new loans is RAP and a tiered Standard plan. Families want to know two things: how much they can borrow, and what each choice means for the payment later.
Here is what Finology shows for a common case, a parent with $60,000 in Parent PLUS:
| $60,000 Parent PLUS at 8.94%, parent earning $75,000 | Monthly payment | Total paid |
|---|---|---|
| Left as Parent PLUS: Standard 10-year (the only plan offered) | $758 | $90,973 |
| Consolidated: ICR | $681 | $98,034 |
| Consolidated: Standard stretched to 30 years | $480 | $172,867 |
The cheapest monthly payment is not the cheapest path: stretching a consolidation over 30 years drops the payment to $480 but costs $74,833 more than ICR. That is the conversation families remember, and it is one you can have in minutes.
For the same family, the free SAI calculator estimates the 2026-27 Student Aid Index: two parents, a family of four, $120,000 adjusted gross income, comes to an SAI of $19,897, above the $14,790 line where Pell Grant eligibility ends for 2026-27.
“Using Finology Software has been an excellent way for us to incorporate student loan planning into our broader holistic financial planning process. Most planning software doesn’t have the capability to do detailed student-loan calculations, so Finology Software is much needed!”
Brittany BrinckerhoffHilltop Wealth Advisors · review on Trustpilot
Alex Bottom at NCAG
Alex Bottom, founder of Finology Software, spoke at the NCAG Annual Virtual Conference on May 12 and 13, 2025, and will present to NCAG members again in November, at NCAG’s monthly member webinar. The session covers what college affordability looks like after July 1, 2026: the new Parent PLUS limits and the $257,500 lifetime cap, how the 2026-27 Student Aid Index and the loan payment fit into one plan, and how a planner can answer a family’s loan questions in Claude, ChatGPT or Copilot with a free Finology login. Watch NCAG’s member communications for the date and link.
Hear Alex on student loans
- Podcast: The New Rules of Student Loan Planning, with Alex Bottom and Ryan Galiotto, CFP®, on Rory Henry’s Holistic Guide to Wealth Management (October 2025): parents and retirees carrying education debt, the new repayment rules and borrowing caps.
- Webinar: Navigating the Current Student Loan Landscape, Ryan Galiotto of Etch Financial with Alex Bottom, recorded for Etch University (March 25, 2026).
- Webinar: Turning Student Loan Rule Changes Into Growth, Alex Bottom with Invent’s Eric Varela on scalable student loan planning.
- Conference: the NCAG Annual Virtual Conference, May 12 and 13, 2025, where Alex Bottom spoke to NCAG members.
More coverage is on our press page.
How Finology fits your practice
- Import the federal loan file. The family downloads the MyStudentData file from studentaid.gov; you drop it in, and every loan, balance, rate and payment count is read in seconds.
- Model every plan the borrower can elect. RAP, the new tiered Standard, IBR, PAYE and ICR, with each excluded plan named and the reason given.
- See the whole cost. Monthly payment, total paid, amount forgiven and the estimated tax at forgiveness, side by side.
- Hand the family a report with your firm’s name on it.
- Ask in your own AI. Connect Claude, ChatGPT or GitHub Copilot with your Finology login and ask about a client in plain language; every number comes from the same verified engine.
NCAG member offer
Frequently asked questions
What is NCAG?
The National College Affordability Group is a professional association of college admissions and financial professionals, including CPAs, CFPs, RIAs, independent educational consultants and high school counselors. It offers webinars, E-Alerts, an annual conference and the NCAG Certification.
Is there an NCAG discount on Finology Software?
Yes. NCAG members get 25% off their first year of Finology Software through January 31, 2027. Ask NCAG or email info@finology.tech to claim it.
Can Finology Software model Parent PLUS loans?
Yes. It shows which plans a Parent PLUS borrower can elect, what consolidation changes, and the monthly payment and total cost of each path, computed from the family’s real loan file.
Does Finology Software estimate the Student Aid Index?
Yes. The free SAI calculator estimates the 2026-27 Student Aid Index, and the advisor app models the loans that follow.
Related: Parent PLUS has a ceiling now · The $257,500 lifetime cap · SAI calculator
- So You’re an NICCP Member? Here’s Why Finology Software Is Right for Your Firm
- So You’re a CCFC? Here’s Why Finology Software Is Right for Your Firm
- So You Trained With the Student Loan Help Network? Here’s Why Finology Software Is Right for Your Firm
- Employer Student Loan Repayment Is Now Permanent. Here Is What It Does to a RAP Payment.
Show every client the plan that saves them the most
Every number sourced, every path compared. Model RAP, the new Standard, IBR, PAYE, ICR and PSLF side by side.
