Twelve Tips for Cutting College Costs

By Susie Watts

Who isn’t feeling the economic crunch? “Budget” is a new word in most of our vocabularies. College funds have dwindled, investments have taken a hit, and job layoffs add to feelings of economic instability.

Going to college in a recession has raised concerns for many families.

It has led some parents to discourage their children from applying to schools they don’t feel they can afford, even with financial aid and scholarships.

“The dream of going to college doesn’t need to turn into a nightmare. No one wants a student to be saddled with debt, but there are creative ways to avoid that, even in these tough economic times,” said Susie Watts, founder, College Direction.

Twelve tips Watts has for parents to cut college costs include:

1. Encourage high school students to study hard and make the best grades possible in challenging classes. Students should also try to get the best SAT and ACT scores. Often times merit scholarships are based on these two factors.
2. Start searching for scholarships early in high school. Many are available to students from 9th through 12th grade.
3. Make sure students meet all deadlines for signing up for the SAT and ACT as well as for scholarships. Don’t incur late fees or lose out altogether.
4. Look at schools where your student can graduate in four years. Most students take five or six years. This can add two additional years of tuition and living expenses.
5. Help students find schools that are a good match. Transferring to another school can lead to lost credits and additional expenses.
6. Consider a wide variety of schools, including both public and private. Some families have found private schools to actually cost less than some public universities.
7. Borrow all the federal money you can before turning to bank loans.
8. Help your student find textbooks that are used by looking online. Students sometimes can even share a book with another student.
9. Explain unusual circumstances to the financial aid director in a letter or negotiate a financial aid package.
10. Allow your student to take more responsibility for his or her education by contributing summer earnings or money made from part-time jobs for college
    expenses.
11. Consider a community college. Students can take their core requirements and then transfer to a four year school or add to their college credits by taking courses in the summer. Community college is a real bargain.
12. Teach your college-bound student to budget for weekly, monthly, and yearly
    expenses. This will not only save you money, but it is an important lesson that will last a lifetime.

About the author:
Susie Watts is the founder of College Direction. She has been working with students for more than twenty years preparing them for the SAT and ACT and providing college search, applications and admissions assistance. Our goal is to help students become successful college applicants.

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