Expert Guide

Trombone Player Seeks College With A Marching Band

Published: Aug 28, 2025
Written by Editorial Team
5 min read

Watch as Kiera and her parents move through the college application process and figure out how to balance loans, scholarships and savings.

In this episode of “How to Pay For College,” Kiera has applied to eight schools and she’s narrowed her choice to two.

When you have an unusual talent – like playing trombone – you’ve got a leg up in terms of grabbing scholarships and grants. But there are still plenty of questions to answer. For example, is the money guaranteed for all four years? Is it enough to pay for college? How do you fill the gaps with loans and savings? And, who is going to be responsible for paying those loans when they come due? In this video series, HerMoney.com’s Jean Chatzky and Citizens Bank’s Christine Roberts dig in and help the family get the answers they need.