Hartford Business Journal

www.HartfordBusiness.com February 27, 2017 • Hartford Business Journal 3 Noll pitches college planning as next major employer benefit By Stan Simpson P ictures of Jeffrey Noll's wife, two sons and a dog adjoin the walls in his Spartan Farm- ington Avenue office in West Hartford. Family is at the core of Noll's professional and personal life. As president and founder of College Planning USA, Noll's future is influenced by how well he can assist other families in finding the right fit for their child's college education. This West Hartford native began his career in the mid-1990s working the prop- erty and casualty insurance business for the Arthur Noll Agency. Life insurance and employee benefits were other services he pro- vided in his father's business. In 2000, Noll said he had an epiphany, of sorts. He saw more clients adding their teenage children to their car insurance coverage and absorbing the dramatically increased premiums. "They've got a teen driver,'' Noll said he thought at the time. "What's the likelihood that the child is going to college — and that they're like most families out there who have not been able to save for college? … And they're stressing out about how they're going to do this.'' So, Noll added col- lege-planning services to his insurance work, helping families with the financial-aid pro- cess and in lowering their out-of-pocket expenses. After the Arthur Noll Agency was sold in 2008, Jeff Noll started his own business — College Tuition Planners. His services expanded from helping families with financial aid to assisting them secure SAT and ACT-preparatory classes, essay writing guidance and navigating the admissions process. Noll was now knee- deep in the world of college planning. A few years after starting his venture, he renamed the business College Planning USA. The forte now was a one-stop shopping opera- tion, advising families on how to choose the right fit for college — based on the criteria of academics, social and financial assistance. "What's one of the biggest stressors families have?," Noll, 48, asked. "It's finances. And one of those stressors is how to pay for college. Stress creates all sorts of health issues.'' From an employer's perspective, that may mean increased absenteeism and decreased productivity. Noll, leveraging his experience in employee benefits, began introducing his ser- vices to Fortune 500 companies and other cor- porate leaders. He encourages them to include his firm's services — with a discount — as an employee benefit under their financial wellness or employee-assistance programs. It's akin to a business offering gym memberships, weight- reduction counseling, or smoking-cessation pro- grams as quality-of-life options to employees. Noll's business concept is starting to gain traction. Two major anchor clients are a Hart- ford-based national health insurance compa- ny and a New York-based benefits provider. Noll said his firm now works with 3,000 fami- lies; referrals are mostly word-of-mouth, through employee-benefit provisions, or via workshops and webinars. There are 18 employees and offic- es in Austin, Texas and Portland, Ore. Fees can range from $150 an hour or ser- vice packages up to $2,500. Noll estimates he saves the average family $13,000 a year in col- lege costs. It may be as simple as highlighting how a less-expensive state school may be a bitter fit than a pricier private school; or how a private school with a large endowment may actually be less expensive than a state school. It all depends on a family's financial situation and the student's academic record. Noll — an accomplished chef and active sportsman — enjoys skiing, bicycling and participating in triathlons. He shared his own college journey as an example about making a wise choice. A 1987 graduate of Hall High School in West Hartford, Noll initially attended Boston University for a year before transferring to Itacha College. He graduated from Itacha in 1992 with a degree in finance. For him, Ithaca proved to be a much better fit academically, socially and financially. Continued 860.871.1111 Toll Free: 800.741.6367 nemsi.com License #'s: E1-104939 • S1-302974 • P1-203519 • F1-10498 • SM1-192 • MC-1134 MECHANICAL • ELECTRICAL • PLUMBING • SHEET METAL • BUILDING AUTOMATION • FACILITIES SERVICES FACILITY SOLUTIONS…ONE SOURCE The company that builds and installs the critical systems in virtually every type of facility is the same company you can rely on to maintain them. For over 50 years, our clients have trusted us to deliver end-to-end facilities solutions, so they can focus on their core business. We design, install, maintain, and protect systems in: Industrial Facilities Manufacturing Facilities Commercial Facilities Higher Education Facilities Healthcare Facilities Pharmaceutical Facilities Stan Simpson Jeffrey Noll recently held a college- planning workshop at West Hartford town hall, where he provided advice for students and their parents. P H O T O | S T E V E L A S C H E V E R

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