Can You Afford College? 10 Tips for Parents
By GalTime .com. Posted on .
By Suzanne Shaffer, GalTime College Coach for GalTime.com
It’s no shock to any parent that the cost of college tuition has been rising steadily each year. With four-year college costs up in the hundreds of thousands, of dillars parents and students may think that college is out of their grasp. But nothing could be further from the truth.
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Families can make college a financial reality by using these 10 creative strategies.
1. Use AP classes to your advantage
Have your student register for as many AP classes as they can handle. Once they have completed the course, they can take the AP tests for each subject and “test out” of those before they go to college. The advantage? You save thousands of dollars on college credit hours.
2. Become the Sherlock Holmes of scholarship searching
In order to reap the rewards (that is, money), you have to do the work. Searching for scholarship dollars is one way you can help your student with the college process. Use online search sites, local resources, Twitter and Facebook to uncover scholarship opportunities. Remember that not all scholarships are academic. Your student should find some that are tailored to their interests and abilities. If you belong to a church, a professional organization, a sorority or fraternity or other niche organization, check to see if the group has a scholarship fund for affiliates and family members.
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3. Encourage your student to have an after-school or summer job
Summers and breaks should be used to your financial advantage. Your student can work and save money for tuition or incidental expenses (books, fees, travel, food, etc.). Research has found that those students who invest financially in their education tend to do better in college. Work-study programs can also supplement the cost of tuition.
4. Complete the FAFSA
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The FAFSA is mandatory if you want to receive any type of aid from the colleges and the government, including work study. Even if you don’t think you will qualify for government aid, colleges use the FAFSA when awarding merit aid scholarships. It’s free. Don’t make the mistake of dismissing it and losing out on aid.
5. Start with a two-year stint at a community college
Parents and students can save money by starting at a community college and transferring to a four-year college after completing wo years of basic courses. Since community college hours are much lower and most of the first few years of courses are basic, it’s can be a win/win both academically and financially. Additionally, students can take dual-credit classes during high school and chalk up more credits toward their college degree.
6. Consider a private college
