It’s no secret that college is expensive. Parents of college
students or soon-to-be college students complain about the costs all the time,
and they’re not exaggerating. The College Board reports that the average cost
of college ranges from $9,139 all the way up to $32,231 per year, depending on
the type of college a student chooses and residency status. No matter how you
slice it, that’s pretty darn expensive!
Fortunately, many parents are relieved to find that, through
scholarships, they can eliminate some or even all of the financial burden of a college education; here’s how.
Tip #1: Get an Early Start
Scholarships don’t just happen. They are given to the most
worthy and promising students, so focusing on making your child into one of
those students, as early as possible, is key. For best results, place your
children in all the opportunity-providing programs possible, such as athletic
programs, the gifted track or honors program at school, and more. Get them
invested in volunteering and community service too, and you’ll find that not
only do you get a more well-rounded kid, but you also get a kid with a much
bigger chance of securing scholarships.
Tip #2: Apply Often
There’s a lot of competition for even the smallest
scholarships, so you can’t just have your child apply for a handful of
scholarships here and there and expect great results. Instead, encourage your
budding student to apply for every opportunity you come across, and search for
opportunities often! Obviously, high dollar scholarships are best, but truly,
any amount helps when you’re trying to pay for something so expensive, so apply
away.
Tip #3: Seek Financial Help
While scholarships are awesome and plentiful, there’s a good
chance that, no matter how hard you work, every dime of college isn’t going to
be paid for via scholarships. As such, you need some kind of plan in place as
to how you plan to pay for what’s left. The best way to get that plan is to
meet with a skilled financial advisor who can set you up with a realistic plan
to fill in the gap the scholarships leave behind and make the education dream
(and a bright future) possible for your child. #Naperville #EducationPlanning
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