Today we’d like to introduce you to Beth Romer.
Hi Beth, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My work as a scholarship strategist and college consultant began the same way it does for many parents. With questions and pressure. And a growing realization that the college process had changed dramatically.
When I applied to college years ago, the path was simple. Applications were straightforward. Costs were manageable. By the time my sons reached high school, college admissions had turned into a high-stakes, confusing, and emotionally charged process. GPA, AP and IB scores, testing strategy, application volume, and rising tuition all collided at once. On top of that came the biggest unknown of all. How to pay for college without sacrificing retirement or taking on crushing debt.
Like many high-achieving families, I found myself stuck in the middle. We earned too much to qualify for need-based aid but not enough to comfortably write six-figure tuition checks. Guidance counselors were overwhelmed by wearing so many hats today. Online advice was fragmented. No one could clearly explain how families like mine were supposed to win scholarships.
I refused to accept that unsurmountable debt was the only option.
With a background in education and over twenty years in corporate America, I approached the problem the only way I knew how. I researched. I organized. I tested strategies. Through trial, analysis, and persistence, I uncovered a truth most families never hear. Merit-based scholarships exist in massive numbers, and billions of dollars go unclaimed every year simply because families do not know how to position themselves to receive them. They do not know how to access them.
I built a system for my family. That system worked. Both of my sons graduated college debt-free.
What started as a personal solution quickly became a calling.
Seeing how many capable students and parents were overwhelmed, I began sharing my process. I created my first coaching framework, Smart College Coach, offering one-on-one guidance to families navigating applications, admissions strategy, and financial planning. My ability to simplify complexity, restore calm, and create clear action plans is key.
As demand grew, I recognized a larger gap in the market. Families did not need more generic college advice. They need a scholarship strategy.
That insight led to the creation of Romer Scholars, a firm dedicated to helping high-achieving families strategically secure scholarships and graduate debt-free. Working alongside school administrators, counselors, and college admissions professionals, I am widely known as The Scholarship Strategist.
My signature methodology, “The AWARD Protocol”, provides families with a structured, repeatable system to understand financial aid rules, identify the right colleges, target aligned scholarships, and execute with precision. Through this approach, I have helped hundreds of students significantly reduce college costs and reclaim confidence in the admissions and financial process.
Today, I serve families who value strategy, clarity, and return on investment. My day-to-day work goes beyond applications and awards. I help parents protect their financial future while empowering students to take ownership of their education.
Looking ahead, I am expanding my impact through scalable programs, professional licensing of “The AWARD Protocol”, and partnerships with advisors and educational firms nationwide. My vision is bold and specific. To change how families think about paying for college and to prove that debt-free graduation is not an exception reserved for a few, but a strategy available to those who know how to play the game.
My mission remains rooted in the experience that started it all. To simplify the college journey. To reduce stress. And to ensure families never feel powerless when it comes to education and money.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I started this work because I felt shut out of a system I was told would help families like mine. We did everything right. Strong academics. Planning early. Asking questions. Yet no one could explain how to pay for college without risking our financial future. Counselors were stretched thin. Online advice was fragmented. I heard “you earn too much” more times than I could count. I felt the pressure of protecting my children and our retirement at the same time.
That frustration forced me to learn the system myself. Through research, testing, and persistence, I built a strategy that worked for my family. Both of my sons graduated debt-free. The bigger challenge came next. Convincing other families that this was possible. Changing beliefs. Standing firm when shortcuts failed. Growing from a coach into a CEO without lowering standards. Every obstacle sharpened my clarity. My work exists because families deserve strategy, not guesswork.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I founded Romer Scholars to solve a problem I lived through myself. Families who earn strong incomes often receive the least guidance when it comes to paying for college. They are told to expect debt, drain savings, or sacrifice retirement. I specialize in helping those families take back control.
My work focuses on strategic college planning and merit-based scholarship positioning. I help families understand how colleges award money, how students earn scholarships aligned with their strengths, and how to build a plan early enough to win. I am known for simplifying a complicated system and replacing panic with clarity. Families come to me when they want structure, honesty, and results.
What sets my work apart is strategy over volume. I do not believe in chasing hundreds of random scholarships or relying on generic advice. I use a proprietary framework, the AWARD Protocol, to guide families through financial aid rules, college selection, scholarship targeting, and execution. Every plan is intentional. Every action has a reason behind it. That precision is why my students graduate debt-free.
Brand-wise, I am most proud of trust. Families trust me with their finances, their children, and their future. I protect both sides of the equation. The student’s opportunity and the family’s long-term financial security. My brand stands for calm leadership, high standards, and responsible outcomes.
I want readers to know this. College debt is not inevitable. High-achieving students do not lose scholarships because they are unqualified. They lose them because no one shows them how the system works. My work exists to change that reality. My services range from one-on-one strategy to scalable programs and professional licensing, all built around the same mission. Help families pay for college with intention, confidence, and control.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I always felt a pull toward impact and responsibility. I am one of six children, raised in the rural mountains of Western North Carolina, where community was not an idea. It was survival. You learned early who needed help and who stepped up.
Personality-wise, I was observant, organized, and driven by purpose. I paid attention to how systems worked and where they failed people. In high school, student government gave me early exposure to leadership and service. It showed me the real needs behind the scenes and taught me how much influence one committed person holds.
Service followed me into adulthood. I volunteered with the American Heart Association, served as an Ambassador for the Western North Carolina Alzheimer’s Association, and worked with Rotary International. Those experiences shaped how I lead today. I do not separate success from service. I believe leadership carries responsibility.
Looking back, my trajectory is clear. I have always been motivated by helping others move forward with confidence. The work I do now is simply the adult expression of who I have always been.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://romerscholar.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/iambethromer
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iambethromer
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iambethromer
