By: 29 Good Reads About Kids And Money | Good Financial Cents

29 Good Reads About Kids And Money | Good Financial Cents — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 14:34:49 +0000

[...] You don’t have to pay for your child’s college education [...]

By: rocketc

rocketc — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 21:48:32 +0000

Mindy, you need your own blog.

By: Mindy

Mindy — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 00:01:07 +0000

First, I disagree with the getting a meal plan thing. I was forced to take it for my first semester and it costed over a thousand dollars. I once did the math and it came to be over 3 dollars per meal. (That is 14 meals a week, plus munch money (can get snacks to study or go to one ot the on campus restaurants like pizza hut). Ever hear of the freshman 15? I say meals plans are the reason for that. My roomate, who also had to use the meal plan, gained that freshman 15. I went to the campus dining area about 2 times out of the semester and gained nothing (though the meal plan money was wasted, food tasted gross, not healthy and cold and not worthwhile). Ramen noodles are way cheap. You’d be better off with making your own food, plus it won’t be cold or undercooked either. 2)I had to pay for college on my own, without parental help. Now? I just took out an 1800 dollar “loan” from my father!! (Not enought financial aid. Note to parents, don’t have over three children or the other children, like me, will suffer with lower financial aid. Plus get your taxes in order ASAP so your kids can get the FAFSA in earlier) 3)Not recommended to work over 15 hours a week or grades will suffer, unless you were taking the easy way out and took the well known, slack off easy type classes 4)Don’t even bother applying for online scholarships, I spent several hours and days applying for them and didn’t get even one. 5)taking a car: parking permit can be expensive plus gas and insurance, etc, not to mention having to move your car for snow plows and what not. However though, on campus jobs pay around 8 dollars and are mainly for work study students. You can get an off campus job or work study job for at least 8.50 an hour, often times more, like 12 dollars an hour. Good luck finding a job on campus that pays well and actually finding a postition to fill!!) 6)Work less and volunteer more. A large amount of scholarships and things like becoming an RA or CA look at the community service aspect a lot more than grades. 7)If possible, avoud the unsubsidiezed loans, that’s how you get into debt FAST 8)Work your butt of during the summer. At least that way you have enought to pay for at least half of the first semester 8)In most cases, buy used textbooks and sell the textbooks you don’t need anymore. (Do it over the internet to get more) 9)try not to buy anything at an on campus bookstore, very expensive 10)try not to do laundry often, though make sure laundry doesn’t smell. At my college it costs a dollar to wash and another dollar to dry, plus if a machine is broken and you used it, then you just lost money 11) If you get a dorm room, take your keys with you at all times, even when roomate is in the room. Key ins add up very fast. Plus you never know when roomate will leave; (in my case, roomy and I had same class we were going too and always walked there together. I went to bathroom, she thought I left to class already and she went without me, locking me out of the room. 12)Yes, becoming a CA or an RA (same thing), will save you money (free room an board, room size same size as the two roomates who share one, and they get a 1,000 dollars for their own use on whatever, spread over the semester; however, they cannot hold a job during the first semester, can’t be gone too often, have to be on call, and they have to talk to trouble makers in your dorm and what not) 13) Go to cheaper colleges for your generals, then transfer to a better place after that, even if you rack up a big bill. Getting a degree from a place with a horrible department of what you are majoring will not help you much in the future 14)Don’t expect to come out of college debt free. Most people who do only can because of different circumstances, one including parental help (moneywise). I know people also always say that there are thousands of scholarships that get unused out there, but the fact is most of them have a requirements. I know some that were for left handers, for example, or for some that were for obese people, etc. All you will do when applying or trying to find mroe scholarships = complete waste of time and effort. Lastly, shame on you parents who refuse to help your children pay for college (are you not aware that the FAFSA takes your income into account for a reason? That is another reason why my financial aid was so horrible. (My financial aid, FYI, consisted of 3 loans and work study. 1 subsized loan (I took), 1 unsibsidided loan (did not take, interest will kill you and I would have still had to borrow from my “father” in the end), and a SELF loan (would have helped me a lot but you need a cosigner and that no one would do). Then, of course, work study (my: on campus, 8 dollars an hour, can only work up to 13 hours a week and can only earn max of 1500 dollars a semester (then minus the tax amount). Not to mention, work study does not realy mean part work, part study. I think there was only one day for me where I did absolutely nothing. On the other hand, most days I am doing 100% work and no study) Keep these things in mind.

By: darlene

darlene — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 14:57:17 +0000

well Im not sure what country most comments are comming from.We are in canada and our son is going to school in the USA…hes received a soccer scholarship which covers 50% ofthe cost.We are middle class,and are very carful with our money we are covering his first year,spendging money comes from him,playing college soccer in USA was his dream,just not the same level in this Country.We are concerned about the US $ VS CAD$ as this will have a huge impact..we already host and intl student for extra income.Because our son ios not going to school in Canada there are lots of grants and such he is not eligable for,and of couse hes not eligable for any in the US,,hes doing really well there and will have 3 more years to go,,,,how else can this happen for him…even with a student loan,,,we also had a parent stay at home for 5 years..so there was no extra money to put away for college

By: Wally

Wally — Mon, 26 May 2008 17:31:21 +0000

If you think sending your kids to college will be an investment for your retirement age, you will be disappointed. That is the thinking of average family in third world countries. Your kids will have their own life to live. Prepare for your own retirement now, so that you will not be disappointed later in your life.

Comments on: You don’t have to pay for your child’s college education

By: 29 Good Reads About Kids And Money | Good Financial Cents

By: rocketc

By: Mindy

By: darlene

By: Wally