The Duggars and CollegePlus

[mrs.b]

My criticism is mostly of CollegePlus and not the naive families. Looking at the CP website today, their marketing has become vague. I wouldn't be surprised if they're monitoring this thread. They'll probably change their website back.

DF is not a business or even a non-profit organization. It's not in competition with anyone.

No offense intended, but I think you might be giving a little too much credit to the importance of this discussion. Many companies rearrange their websites on a regular basis; it may have just been time for theirs. Whatever the reasons for a change, even if it is based on this discussion (which I personally feel is a longshot, but to each their own) changing strategies based on market movement is a time-tested business maneuver. I'm uncertain what relevance that has on the discussion?

Thank you for clarifying that criticism is not aimed at the consumers, though I foresee continued dispute with the connection of being naive. Like every other family finance decision, some people choose to pay others for a service that could do themselves, while others choose to invest the time and effort to do it themselves. Like mowing grass or hiring a neighborhood kid, hiring a contractor versus renovating ourselves, paying someone to change vehicle oil or getting greasy. That argument has been made numerous times throughout the thread and overlooked. Saving money or hiring someone elses' services is a finance choice, rarely naivety. Again, though, that is personal perspective, and the root of that debate is what frequently comes to play in political discussions.

CP offers a niche service. The niche itself is minuscule in the grand scheme of the overall higher education market. They cater largely to a homeschool / high school group interested in seeking college credit at the same time. The service they offer, while you may not see the value, is clearly of value to others because they hire them, recommend them to others, and maintain subscriptions. If they were a predatory service, they would have complaints. On the contrary, they are accredited with the Better Business Bureau and have an A+ rating with no complaints for three years. CollegePlus! Review - Educational Consultants in Spring Branch, TX - BBB Business Review - BBB serving Central, Coastal, Southwest Texas and the Permian Basin Likewise, I could not find evidence of Attorney General complaints.

While I do not personally find value in CP's services because my personal circumstances did not include me in their niche, others seem to based upon strong defense of their services despite knowing about free planning alternatives provided by peers (fellow consumers) here. That is not naivety, that is personal choice. That, and the lack of consumer complaints also appears to demonstrate that their niche service offering is legitimate and of value to their consumers. That is simply business and the free market at work. For consumers that need similar services but cannot afford the price tag, they'll merely keep looking and likely end up here or one of the other forums or websites that offer the free DIY version of what CP provides. The choice is driven by the marketplace. CP's claim of providing Christian services is irrelevant; if their consumers found it of no value or immoral, they would stop spending the money, file complaints, and steer others away. In the varied searches I've done as I've watched this thread meander along its various tangents, I have yet to see evidence of that.