For anyone facing the prospect of sending a child to college, there are many things to consider. You’ll no doubt be assisting in reviewing school choices and finding out as much as possible about programs of interest. There are environmental factors to consider, geographic factors, and admission factors as well. But perhaps the most daunting thing you have to weigh when making a decision is the cost.
Whether you’re preparing to send a child to college or heading there yourself, it is the time of year when you need to begin diligently planning in order to be ready. While it may seem early when students won’t begin classes until August, time can get away from you quickly, and there is a really important step you must take to prepare.
When we started the Money Coaches, we did so because we felt that providing financial coaching filled a very real need and that it could benefit just about anyone. The way we thought it could help the most was as an employee benefit. While we are happy to help individuals, our main focus has been on working with companies to do just that. Why?
College is expensive. That might be the biggest understatement we could make. According to the College Board, the average tuition and fees for a private school were $34,740, for in state public schools $9,970, and for out of state public schools $25,620. Any way you slice it that is a lot of money! That makes it even more important that if you have young children, you begin planning for their future now.
The idea of heading back to school might absolutely terrify you. At one time, it might have even been impossible to imagine doing. But if you are like many, what once seemed impossible now might seem critical to your future success. It is becoming exceedingly more common to see people heading back to college under the label of “nontraditional student.”
