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Paying for college is enough to frighten any parent. Who isn't feeling the financial crunch? College funds have taken a hit, investments have dwindled, and job insecurity add to feelings of economic instability. Parents with children headed to college in the next few years are wondering how they are going to pay for college. Here are some tips that should make paying for college a little easier. 1. Encourage high school students to study hard and make the best grades possible in challenging classes. Students should also try to get the best SAT and ACT scores. This may require test prep or tutoring, but it is worth the money. Often times merit scholarships are based on grades and test scores. 2. Start searching for scholarships early in high school. Many are available to students from 9th through 12th grade. Look into organizations that sponsor scholarships such as Rotary Clubs and the Elks. Even if the scholarship is a small amount, it may help to pay for books and supplies. This makes paying for college a little easier. 3. Make sure students meet all deadlines for signing up for the SAT and ACT as well as for college applications and scholarships. Don't incur late fees or lose out altogether. Those $16 late fees add up and don't help to cut college costs. 4. Look at schools where your student can graduate in four years. Most students take five or six years. This can add two additional years of tuition and living expenses. Schools that are committed to seeing their students graduate in four years can save you a lot of money. This will greatly reduce what you are paying for college. 5. Help students find schools that are a good match. Transferring to another school can lead to lost credits and additional expenses. Private college counselors have the expertise and time to help students find schools that are a good fit and where they will want to spend four years. 6. Consider a wide variety of schools, including both public and private. Some families have found private schools can actually cost less than some public universities. Private schools are also a lot more generous with financial aid and scholarships. 7. Borrow all the federal money you can before turning to bank loans. Money that does not need to be paid back is what you should go after first. 8. Help your student find textbooks that are used by looking online. Students sometimes can even share a book with another student. It's amazing how expensive books can be. 9. Explain unusual circumstances to the financial aid director in a letter or negotiate a financial aid package. Most colleges want to help you find ways to make going to their school possible. 10. Allow your student to take more responsibility for his or her education by contributing summer earnings or money made from part-time jobs for college expenses. This usually makes students a lot more serious about their education and paying for college. 11. Consider a community college. Students can take their core requirements and then transfer to a four year school or add to their college credits by taking courses in the summer. Community college is a real bargain and makes a lot of sense. Community colleges are less expensive and can cut college costs. 12. Teach your college-bound student to budget for weekly, monthly, and yearly expenses. This is an important lesson that will last a lifetime and cut college costs before they begin. No one wants a student to be saddled with debt, but there are creative ways to avoid that, and make paying for college a little easier. Take time to research all of your options so that your student can have the best college experience possible. The earlier you start the better.
Susie Watts is a private college counselor and the founder of College Direction in Denver, Colorado. Go to http://www.collegedirection.org and sign up to receive the free College Direction newsletter. There are some great ideas every month about paying for college. Susie Watts assists students with choosing a college, essays and applications, test prep, and college planning throughout the college admission process.
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