First, you find all the community colleges within driving distance and sign up to those for the first two years. Second, if the kid is fairly smart...sign up for CLEP and DANTES testing on five or six subjects. Almost all community colleges will accept a couple of these as part of the overall credit. Finally, maybe the kid realizes after two years that some technical area at the community college was better than wasting four years at a real college.
Community College for the basic courses, a State School for the last two years; Or online learning (from MIT, etc.)
DO NOT borrow money from the Federal government “Direct Loan” program! We did that for one year and they are a nightmare to deal with. But what did we expect from a bureaucracy created to fund 0bamacare?
We can, by pinching pennies, pay for about 80-90% of our son’s costs out of current income. The rest we are paying through our home equity line of credit. Lower interest rate and the interest is still tax-deductible as mortgage interest. It’s much better than the government route.
Do cost/benefit analysis on the degrees your daughters pursue.
If you don't do this, then you have no right to complain when they are buried in college debt and waiting tables at Applebee's.
Allow the promise of the web to full filled.
The Sate University Unions don’t allow classes to be taught online.
Don’t send ‘em to college. The return on investment is minimal to non-existent and you and they will have to suffer through a lifetime of leftist indoctrination.
My lessons learned from college financial aid?
No one pays the full amount, except for Bill Gates’ kids.
Do not have savings in the childrens’ names. It is taken right off the top before financial aid is calculated
Do not contribute to 529’s. It also is taken right off the top before financial aid is considered.
Or, in some states, after child is accepted at college and financial aid is calculated, open a 529 and put the maximum amount in. Withdraw it the next day to pay for college expenses. You still get the state tax deduction.
Assets, such as primary home, are less important, vs. W-2 income, which should be minimized.
Like most things the Gov’t does, its anti-family - its better off if you are divorced. Child can go with the spouse who has lowest income for FAFSA calculation
Now that the Gov’t controls education, financial aid and higher-education is like welfare, medicaid and foodstamps - the prudent and conservative pay more. Scammers pay less.
I have two in college. Both work. Both live at home. Both are going to a state supported school. My son is saving up to be able to pay next year to live on campus. They rent their books from Chubb when they can. Tuition and fees run about 4K a semester for each one. Book prices are Crazy! No Loans.
With what I made from my summer jobs, my parents didn't have to pay a dime.
Obama will be out in 4 years, and we're going to need good young officers to help rebuild the force.
Dear Mr. Stupid.
The simple solution to the problem is to get government “free money” and “bennies” out of the Colleges of our country.
When the students have to pay for their college (like back in the old days) the amazing fact would be that the price of college would revert to “supply and demand” and the old business saying “what the market will bear.”
Suddenly, the cost of college would almost have a free-fall to justifiable costs.
The second thing is that not everyone has to go to college. A good technical education in many cases is far better since the demand for skilled trades is far more reliable than the market for heavy thinkers and pencil pushers.
If you’re paying full price you’re doing it wrong.
Kids can work their way thru. They’ll value it more if they do. Help out, but no free ride.
Be flexible with school and degree. Few employers care where you went, just that you did and can finish long term hard projects. Go somewhere you can afford. There is a lot of free money out there if you’re willing to go to it.
Go somewhere cheap for the first couple years, taking classes taught the same everywhere. Finish somewhere special.
Get a real job which is willing to invest in you. Many will pay your way if you get a relevant degree.
I started my own business about six years before our kids started college. The turn in the economy cost a lot of our savings. The college accounts were the last to go...but they were raided.
I discovered that if your kids are good students, good citizens, and can sell their abilities to a college, there is a ton of financial aid out there.
I have two kids in college. They each work many hours a week on campus. Combined, their debt will be about $25k. Now our business is moving again...we will help pay off their debts in about five years.
It’s possible to do it. It just takes work.
wgu.edu