Whether you have children in the crib or in preschool, one day you will be faced with the costs of higher education such as college and university fees. Don’t wait until the day comes to think about the cost involved, but start preparing for it beforehand. If you do this, you may be able to reduce those expenses significantly.
The time to start on that all-important quest to reduce college expenses starts when you child is in 7th or 8th grade. Your child should be able to easily secure a place in the line for grants and merit scholarships by sitting for the SAT or ACT tests. If they also take the special test prep class it will boost their results. Your child doesn’t have to be a genius to take advantage of a grant or scholarship. Students of average ability can boost their grades with a plan tailored to fit their strengths and weaknesses.
You can save thousands of dollars on your child’s education if they pass the Advanced Placement (AP) test; they will earn college credits automatically. They may even be able to enter college at sophomore level. Students should enroll in all the classes they can possible manage; there are so many available, thee is sure to be some to suit. They can also join the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) and earn credits for what they already know. Why pay more for your child to learn things they already know?
Teach your student to budget wisely once they leave home for college. It is possible to make do without all those credit cards offered on campus. While the free gifts may be tempting, they are only there as a hook to get the students’ application. Credit cards make it too easy to spend unwisely and end up with a big debt that is difficult, if not impossible, to pay off.
While many students set their sights on those big name colleges that cost the earth, a wise student will look into doing at least half their chosen course at a local college. This can save a great deal of money on course fees - and if that seems confusing, you can even get help to compare academic and scholastic levels of specific colleges through CAPlus, a Christian based organization in the Northeast.
Remember that the fees charged by private colleges are usually higher than public college fees, because they don’t get as much government funding. It may be possible for your child to attend college on a part-time basis and work to help pay fees.
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