Sep 042008
 

Paying for College Education

As a single parent or even if you live in a two parent household, paying for your kid’s college education is a difficult thing to do. There are several ways in which not only you but your student can pay for college cheaper and faster. Your kid’s college education is important and you need to be on top of what will get him or her through the four years, or maybe even twelve years, the cheapest or fastest way possible. Knowing a few easy steps will be beneficial for both your financial obligations and their career after college.

One thing you can encourage your student to do is to take courses from the local community college. They complete their first two years at a community college and save thousands of dollars then move on to a traditional college. Make sure that all the credits they take transfer to a four year college or university and then they can finish out their last two years as a junior and senior at a college of their choice.

By going to community college the classes are smaller and your child will have more help than in a traditional four-year college where the classes can be upwards of 400 students large. They will have a chance to work on their GPA and other academic endeavors so that they may earn more scholarships and grants for completing the last two years of college.

Good Applications for College Education

Another way to save money is find the right courses for your student. Help them fill out their applications and put in as many applications as possible. Sometimes when a recruiter at a college cannot fill the quota they will reduce the tuition price or offer a grant to get your son or daughter into the college.

Your kid’s college education will depend on them as far as their work ethic and their ability to achieve. But if they have a good work ethic in high school and have the qualifications a college wants, the college will give them incentives for entering their ranks of academia.

Have your child look into work programs. Some corporations will pay for your student’s tuition given a promise to work for them for a couple years after they get out of college. These types of grants are usually for high school students that have a high ability and work ethic. You as a parent can help and instill a work ethic and develop academic ability in your child, while they are still in high school. This will give them a better chance to obtain these types of grants and be able to go to the college they want and have a future employer pay for it.

There are many ways to pay for your kid’s college education but look for the ways that are free first. Use only financial aid and student loans as a last resort. You don’t want your son or daughter’s day of graduation to include a field of worries about how they or you are going to pay back the student loans they got from their college education.

 


Aug 292008
 

You are a working mother, and you pay for kids education.

Maybe the kid is in a private school or the child is now a college age student and is attending a college or university.  You know that it’s a tough road to travel, trying to balance your finances, your life and trying to supplement the financial obligations to your child.  School tuition is not cheap and even well-off two-parent households have a hard time sending their children to private schools or to college.  It seems like an impossible task to provide for your child’s education when maybe you are even getting an education yourself at the same time.

pay for kids educationThere are ways to help with your money and your time when you’re trying to pay for your kid’s education.  You may already be working one or two jobs to pay for your own finances.  The best way to pay for your kid’s education is to pre-plan.  When the child is born, start a savings account or a pre-paid tuition account for them at a local college or university.  These types of programs will allow you to put a little money in each month so that when your child is ready to go to a private school or college you have the money ready for them.  This way you won’t have to take out any loans bearing a large interest rate or put yourself under financial stress trying to pay tuition.

Some states, such as Wyoming, offer single parents assistance when their own financial means cannot meet the tuition or book costs.  Check with your local department of family services or other child welfare service for more information.

There are also many online advice groups that can help you find out more information about paying for your kid’s education.  These networks of single mothers provide advice and information to other mothers that are facing similar hardships.  Online social networking of single mothers are a great way to make new friends and get great advice of how not only to pay for your kid’s education, but other trying matters such as balancing time, work, and a quality life for your child.

Tuition rates are going to go up.  Currently, in some universities the tuition rate has gone up 10 to 12% a year.  If your son or daughter has just been born, the tuition, which is already high, it’s going to be almost 180% higher than it is now when they are 18 years old.  It is time to start looking at your finances and putting away money now.

If you have low credit or bad credit scores, putting away money in a kid’s education fund is a great way to build your credit.  With a higher credit score, you can make large purchases like a home or car.  If the education fund that you have put in place does not pay for tuition completely, your higher credit score will allow you to get a lower interest rate loan to help pay for your child’s education.  Just because you’re a single mother is no excuse and your child can have a quality education they deserve when you can pay for kids education.