Jeff Levy

Jeff Levy has been an educational consultant for 16 years. He is based in Santa Monica, California and Stonington, Connecticut. As co-founder of Big J Educational Consulting, he helps high school students realize their college dreams and advises parents on how to make college affordable. Before becoming a college consultant in 2008, Jeff spent nearly three decades working in the film and television industry as a gaffer (officially the chief lighting technician) on movies, TV shows, documentaries, commercials, and music videos. Jeff’s knowledge of financial aid began as the parent of two daughters whose college education he didn’t think he could afford, and then deepened at UCLA Extension as he transitioned careers and earned his Certificate in College Counseling. He is a founding member of IECA’s Subcommittee on College Affordability and Financial Aid, a founding member of IECA's Government Relations Committee, co-founder and co-facilitator of IECA’s Associate and Student Members’ Roundtable, and for the past eight years has been the financial aid instructor at IECA’s Summer Training Institute. In 2014, Jeff became a Certified Educational Planner, the highest credential in the profession. He co-wrote UC San Diego Extension’s financial aid curriculum and has been Grown & Flown’s financial aid specialist since 2019, reaching an audience of over 900,000 followers. He has been quoted in the New York Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe, NPR’s All Things Considered, and many other publications and podcasts. Jeff was the 2023 winner of IECA's Steven R. Antonoff award for leadership and contributions to the profession.