Saving For College: Five Helpful Suggestions for Every Parent

Most mothers and fathers hope their children eventually go to college. Some parents start preparing for this at an early age, sending their kids to exclusive private schools, opening savings accounts, or encouraging athletic abilities (dreaming of sports scholarships).  Preparing for the day your child will go to college is a wise move financially. Whether you are a new parent with an infant, or a mom/dad of teenagers, here are five suggestions to help you.

1. Do not neglect free savings options. Look into websites like Upromise.com, where you are able to save a small percentage back on purchases at stores or with major credit cards. Signing up is easy, and you can add your credit cards to your account. If you shop online, you are able to get even more cash back for college. Another great thing about Upromise, is you are able to transfer your funds into your state’s 529 savings plan.

1. Participate in some kind of savings plan for college. State 529 plans are a good option because they are the savings/interest is not taxed, and when money is taken out to pay for college costs, it is tax-free. Also, 529 plans are not treated as student assets on financial aid forms; therefore, they will not affect or lower your child’s government financial aid.

1. Encourage your child to get a part-time job in high school. This helps him/her in two ways. First he/she can save some of the money towards college expenses. A child should learn about college costs, and be able to feel like they are making a contribution. The job should not take away from the child’s schoolwork or activities, but merely contribute to their learning experience. Secondly, if your teenager is interested in a particular field, have them get a job or apprenticeship in that field, so they can figure out whether that is really what they want to go to school for.

1. Encourage your child to keep his or her grades up and be involved in extracurricular activities. All of this matters for scholarships and what college he or she will be accepted to.

1. Look into colleges that offer tuition breaks for lower-income families. Just recently, Harvard announced that it would give children from families that earn below $60,000 a year free tuition (of course, the child still has to be accepted to Harvard.) Other schools, including Princeton, offer similar tuition breaks.

As a final note, do not neglect to fill out the Federal Application for Student Aid on time. Paying for college does not have to be overwhelming to your family.