If paying for college feels like a mountain you're not sure you can climb — or one you haven't started climbing yet — this episode is exactly for you. In this episode of the Faithful Finance podcast, Emily Stroud and Alison Gengelbach dive into Secret #9: How to Save for College, Emily brings both professional wisdom and personal experience to this conversation — she's currently navigating college with her own daughter — and breaks down how to think about college savings strategically, faithfully, and without the fear.
From 529 plans to scholarship strategy, from managing your kids' expectations to making sure retirement doesn't take a back seat, Emily makes one of the biggest financial decisions of your life feel a whole lot more approachable.
She also shares the full story of how her daughter ended up at the University of Kentucky — and why turning down a near-full ride to a smaller school was actually the right call.
What You'll Learn:
➡️ Why education is "the great equalizer" — and how the "teach them to fish" principle applies to college planning
➡️ Why retirement savings must come before college savings — and the one thing you can't get a loan for
➡️ How to have the college money conversation with your kids early (and why managing expectations is a gift, not a letdown)
➡️ What a 529 plan is, how it works, and why it's one of the best tax-advantaged tools available for education savings
➡️ The new 529 rules that let you use funds for private K–12 tuition (up to $10,000/year)
➡️ What to do if your child doesn't use all their 529 funds — including the new option to roll up to $35,000 into a Roth IRA
➡️ How to calculate how much you actually need to save using savingforcollege.com
➡️ Why "the first letter isn't the final offer" — and how everything in the college admissions process is negotiable
➡️ How to give your kids "skin in the game" through scholarships, part-time work, and ownership over their own future
➡️ Why AP classes in high school can shave semesters (and serious money) off your college bill
➡️ How to evaluate colleges like a business decision — weighing cost, major fit, logistics, and scholarship potential
➡️ Why there's no single right path — trade school, community college, conservatories, and the military are all valid options
➡️ Why starting to save at birth is the ideal — and what to do if you're starting later
Resources:
Download Emily's free budget worksheet and other practical tools at: https://faithfulfinance.com/resources
Buy Emily's Book:
Purchase Faithful Finance by Emily Stroud on her website: https://faithfulfinance.com/resources/
Support the Show:
✅ Follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode
✍️ Leave a review and share your biggest takeaway
📲 Share this episode with someone who's feeling overwhelmed about paying for college
Connect With Emily:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EmilyGStroud/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilygstroud/
Threads: https://www.threads.com/@emilygstroud
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@faithfulfinancepodcast
Connect With Alison:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amgengelbach/
Credits:
A Faithful Finance production. Executive Producer: Emily Stroud
Produced by Greatlight Creative: https://www.greatlightcreative.com
Emily G. Stroud, MBA, CFA is a Registered Representative. Securities offered through Cambridge Investment Research, Inc., a Broker/Dealer, Member FINRA/SIPC to residents of: TX, UT, WV, NY, OK, PA, SC, TN, AR, AZ, GA, ID, IL, KY, MT, and NC. Investment Advisor Representative Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc., a Registered Investment Advisor. Cambridge and Stroud Financial Management, Inc. are not affiliated. Cambridge and Emily G. Stroud, LLC are also not affiliated. Check the background of this financial professional on FINRA's BrokerCheck: BrokerCheck.FINRA.org | www.FINRA.org | www.SIPC.org | Form CRS
From 529 plans to scholarship strategy, from managing your kids' expectations to making sure retirement doesn't take a back seat, Emily makes one of the biggest financial decisions of your life feel a whole lot more approachable.
She also shares the full story of how her daughter ended up at the University of Kentucky — and why turning down a near-full ride to a smaller school was actually the right call.
What You'll Learn:
➡️ Why education is "the great equalizer" — and how the "teach them to fish" principle applies to college planning
➡️ Why retirement savings must come before college savings — and the one thing you can't get a loan for
➡️ How to have the college money conversation with your kids early (and why managing expectations is a gift, not a letdown)
➡️ What a 529 plan is, how it works, and why it's one of the best tax-advantaged tools available for education savings
➡️ The new 529 rules that let you use funds for private K–12 tuition (up to $10,000/year)
➡️ What to do if your child doesn't use all their 529 funds — including the new option to roll up to $35,000 into a Roth IRA
➡️ How to calculate how much you actually need to save using savingforcollege.com
➡️ Why "the first letter isn't the final offer" — and how everything in the college admissions process is negotiable
➡️ How to give your kids "skin in the game" through scholarships, part-time work, and ownership over their own future
➡️ Why AP classes in high school can shave semesters (and serious money) off your college bill
➡️ How to evaluate colleges like a business decision — weighing cost, major fit, logistics, and scholarship potential
➡️ Why there's no single right path — trade school, community college, conservatories, and the military are all valid options
➡️ Why starting to save at birth is the ideal — and what to do if you're starting later
Resources:
Download Emily's free budget worksheet and other practical tools at: https://faithfulfinance.com/resources
Buy Emily's Book:
Purchase Faithful Finance by Emily Stroud on her website: https://faithfulfinance.com/resources/
Support the Show:
✅ Follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode
✍️ Leave a review and share your biggest takeaway
📲 Share this episode with someone who's feeling overwhelmed about paying for college
Connect With Emily:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EmilyGStroud/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilygstroud/
Threads: https://www.threads.com/@emilygstroud
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@faithfulfinancepodcast
Connect With Alison:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amgengelbach/
Credits:
A Faithful Finance production. Executive Producer: Emily Stroud
Produced by Greatlight Creative: https://www.greatlightcreative.com
Emily G. Stroud, MBA, CFA is a Registered Representative. Securities offered through Cambridge Investment Research, Inc., a Broker/Dealer, Member FINRA/SIPC to residents of: TX, UT, WV, NY, OK, PA, SC, TN, AR, AZ, GA, ID, IL, KY, MT, and NC. Investment Advisor Representative Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc., a Registered Investment Advisor. Cambridge and Stroud Financial Management, Inc. are not affiliated. Cambridge and Emily G. Stroud, LLC are also not affiliated. Check the background of this financial professional on FINRA's BrokerCheck: BrokerCheck.FINRA.org | www.FINRA.org | www.SIPC.org | Form CRS