The journey from high school to college is a significant transition for students and their parents. This four-part series focuses on the crucial aspects of guiding your child through this transformative period with trusted resources.
What will you find in this series?
This series provides parents with the knowledge and tools necessary to facilitate a smooth and successful transition for their children during this critical time.
The College Talk with Your Kids
This post shares the importance of early college conversations with your kids about college and what parents can afford. I share a college selection game that is an ideal icebreaker for these conversations.
College is an investment in your future self. The post introduces valuable tools like the PayScale ROI Interactive, allowing users to evaluate the return on investment for various majors and career paths.
This post also includes the U.S. Department of Education's College Preparation Checklists, College Affordability & Transparency Center, and other college comparison tools.
Your Price for College
This informative post tackles the intimidating sticker prices often associated with college education.
Drawing data from the National Center for Education and Statistics, I highlight that private universities' net price (after discounts) is nearly half the original sticker price, making them competitive with public universities.
I help parents understand why and how modern-day merit-based aid is more like a coupon and share the different student loan types with guidance for making a financially informed choice.
A Primer for Parents on the FAFSA and CSS
The FAFSA and CSS Profile requires the completion of detailed forms that collect information on the student's and their family's financial situation, encompassing income, assets, and other relevant details.
I share the step-by-step guides for completing the FAFSA and CSS Profile applications.
Choosing Your College
Choosing the right college goes beyond financial considerations. This post delves into these crucial aspects.
I also share the Your Financial Path to Graduation tool from the CFPB to compare financial award letters, providing insights into net prices and aiding informed financial decision-making.
Please share this post with parents who have college bound children in high school.