While families know they’ll pay for college textbooks, the actual expense may be seen as, “OMG, ONE more thing I have to pay for?!?” When families may already feel limited in savings and income to pay for rising college tuition, planning ahead can help reduce stress. Knowing the average annual textbook expense at potential colleges,…
Tag: Financial aid
What’s College’s Value Given Today’s Prices?
Choosing a college based on price or which campus offers the greatest amount of financial aid can seem like a foreign concept to many families. However, as tuition continues rising annually and parents face the quandary of balancing saving for retirement and paying for college, at the same time their income seems to be shrinking,…
Reviewing The Week In Education: March 31-April 6
Highlights in Educational and College Admissions Happenings for March 31-April 6: In College Admissions: The last of the college admissions acceptances and denials were returned to anxiously awaiting Seniors and their parents. Creative Marbles Consultancy’s Commentary: For students denied admissions, speculation about why s/he was denied has ranged from “only the Asian kids in my…
Are Families “Shopping Around” For the Best College Deal?
The growing gap between the rate of inflation and increasing tuition, since 1985, may cause families to more carefully consider the worth of a college education, and “shop around” for the “right” campus.
College (Un)Affordability: Real, Perceived or A Little of Both?
We’ve been hearing questions from increasing numbers of families about paying for college, as we also posted earlier. Many of the families asking questions are professionals, college educated, with two incomes and making the same dollar figure of salary as past years, but find these same dollars aren’t stretching as far as in the past.…
College and The Middle School Years
Middle school parents’ sixth sense about positioning their ‘tweens for college often becomes more pronounced, as families are considering choices for high school. Often, the question, “Which high school will best prepare my student for college?” is introduced into the discussion. Parents begin paying closer attention to stories about so-and-so’s daughter’s boyfriend’s cousin’s neighbor…
“I Got In. Now, How Do We Pay for College?”
“How do I pay for college?” is an often heard question from Senior parents at this time of the year. As college acceptances and financial aid award letters arrive, the reality of an imminent, multi-thousands of dollars per year over multiple years expense may be blossoming in the consciousness of families, especially when a…
Not Every Student Loan Balance Is In the Six Figures or Overdue
Contrary what the media often reports, not all student loan balances are unmanageable amounts. Further, since not EVERY student loan borrower is delinquent on payment, adds credence that not all student loan balances are unwieldy. Graphs from The Federal Reserve Bank of New York, February 28, 2013
Dialogue: A Key to Affording Rising College Costs
Parents fret over the costs of college; so do students. However, each party’s reactions to concerns over the multi-thousands of dollars per year costs of college can differ. The degree of challenge in working together to pay for a college experience can depend on the family’s communication patterns, which may determine the ability to…
More About Waiting for College Admissions Decisions: Is The Glass Half Empty or Half Full?
Perception can change everything. I was complaining recently about something not going my way, and a friend reminded me about the neighborhoods in Syria being bombed daily, a roof over my head from the recent winter rain storm, you get the picture. My friend got me thinking–how do we maintain a realistic view without falling…
Need Based Financial Aid Explained
Paying for college can sometimes be a separate worry from concerns about admissions. Often, parents ask us nervously about how to afford college, as well as the family’s chances of actually qualifying for any financial aid. I find that parents are most concerned about need based aid, given the family’s income and asset values. The…
Guest Post: The Savings for College Challenge, Part 4 – Saving for College vs. Saving for Retirement
About the authors: For over 25 years, Cynthia S. Meyers, CFP®, MBA, has assisted people with their Lifetime Financial Planning–helping to build and preserve wealth in every area of life. Jenny Hood, CFP® has been a paraplanner with Cynthia S. Meyers for five years and enjoys being a part of the financial planning process. ____________________________________…
Affording College Expenses = Planning, Planning and More Planning
Many families believe their income is too high to qualify for any financial aid, so begin making alternative plans to pay for college, and don’t complete the required forms to apply for financial aid–including the FAFSA. Regardless of the family’s perception or stories they’ve heard about other people’s experiences, always fill out the FAFSA. Let…
Wrapping Your Arms Around College Costs
Parents often remark that they don’t want money to define their child’s choices for college, and then proceed to ask me questions about financial aid and scholarships. The sense of an impending expense in the thousands of dollars can make any normal human being nervous. Teens can often react with guilt and fear, that they…
The Many Meanings of “I Don’t Know”
“I don’t know” is a common answer to a variety of questions, when I talk with teenagers and their families about college and education. What I’ve come to learn is that “I don’t know” has a different meaning, depending on the question.