A Debt-Free Approach to Higher Education

A Debt-Free Approach to Higher Education

In previous articles, I talked about how summertime is the best time to work on planning your teen’s future. There are many different tasks you and your teen can take on. Click here to read Post-High School Planning: What Your Teen Needs to Do Now, where I share several ideas. An important step in planning is to determine how you’re going to pay for your teen’s post-secondary education. A parent reached out to me after her teen got accepted to her dream school, asking for my help with finding...

The Cost of College – Sticker Price vs. Net Price

The Cost of College – Sticker Price vs. Net Price

Despite a long-term increase, college enrollment has fallen over the past decade. There's a widespread perception that college tuition is too expensive. For most of the US, college tuition has outpaced inflation. Blame has been placed on a decline in state aid to colleges, as well as an increase in administrative staff. More employees = more costs.  As a parent, you can’t stop colleges from raising prices, but you can better understand what components make up the overall cost and how to reduce...

Why Sending Your Teen to a Community College Can Save You Thousands

Why Sending Your Teen to a Community College Can Save You Thousands

Footing the bill for your child's college education is one of the most expensive parts of being a parent. However, many parents are slashing those expenses in half by sending their teens to a local community college for the first two years of their college career and later switching to a four-year college to complete their Bachelor's degree. How can a community college save you a bundle? 1.    Tuition. According to an article published by US News, the average annual cost of tuition for a...

Understanding Your Student’s Financial Aid Options

Understanding Your Student’s Financial Aid Options

Awhile back, I interviewed Educational Consultant Jim Anderson of Making College Worth It.  One of the biggest ah-ha’s I got from my meeting with Jim was learning about the CSS Profile. I didn’t know about it at all before I met with him. It turns out for financial aid that some colleges require FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and some require a CSS Profile. CSS stands for College Scholarship Service. FAFSA provides federal aid through grants and loans. The CSS Profile...

Navigating the Confusing Financial Aid System

Navigating the Confusing Financial Aid System

How to pay for college is probably the number one stressor for parents. In my last post, I shared part of my interview with Jim Anderson of Making College Worth It. Jim helps parents find the right school based on their child’s interests and what the parent can afford.  Last week, we focused on what parents should consider throughout their child’s life to help pay for college. You can click here to read that blog in case you missed it. In this week’s blog, we focus on the types of...

Easy Tips to Help You Reduce the Amount of College Debt

Easy Tips to Help You Reduce the Amount of College Debt

Tax time is over. Even if you are getting money back, it’s still probably not enough to cover your child’s college tuition. Here lies the main stress that many parents face when it comes to sending your child to their ideal college. How am I going to pay for it? How much college debt will I or my child have to face in order to get their education? This is why I am excited to share my interview with Jim Anderson of Making College Worth It. Jim helps parents find the right school based on their...

How to Encourage Your Child’s Heart Without College Debt

How to Encourage Your Child’s Heart Without College Debt

A mom posted this question in a Facebook group: “How do you encourage your kids to follow their heart but not into debt?” It’s a tough question. On one hand, we want to encourage our kids to live their dreams. On the other hand, we also envision them buying a house, raising a family, and retiring at a decent age. I know I would have a hard time seeing my kids struggle to make a living. Here are some of the many comments the mom received on her Facebook post: “It’s impossible.”  “I tell my...

A Career Decision That Turned into $80,000 in Debt

A Career Decision That Turned into $80,000 in Debt

A parent shared with me that her first child, John, always wanted to be an anesthesiologist. Ever since he was in middle school, John was sure that was the career he wanted. The parents felt confident about his choice because that was what he wanted to do for so many years. So, their son went to college to be an anesthesiologist. But, a couple years into college, he realized he didn’t like anesthesiology. There were parts of the studies and the career John didn't love. He just wasn’t...

How to Avoid Putting Your Retirement On Hold

How to Avoid Putting Your Retirement On Hold

A parent once told me...... “I am facing retirement in less than two years. I wish I put my children’s hopes and dreams into perspective. College kids aren’t the only ones who take out education loans. More parents need to understand the impact of their child’s future on their own hopes and dreams.” Debbie, Parent   My husband and I dream of traveling more in retirement. We hope to get an RV and travel all across the United States. While we are on target, we need more savings to retire....

The Secret to Saving Money When Paying for College

The Secret to Saving Money When Paying for College

The number one challenge for parents with teenagers is paying for college. Let’s look at the numbers. $20,000 (average cost of college per year) x 4 = $80,000 That is if your child goes to school for just four years. Research shows that the average length has gone from four to six years. If they go six years, you are looking at the cost of $120,000. I’m not a math whizz, but I know that’s enough money to buy a vacation home or travel through Europe a few times! College, no doubt, is a huge...