6 College Apartment Expenses Other Than Rent

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Teaching your child about finances doesn’t stop once they go to college. In fact, the stakes get higher and the lessons much more similar to real life. My son and his friends are moving into an apartment for his second year of college in the fall after living in the dorms his first year. His main focus is how to pay his monthly rent, but there are many other expenses he needs to be thinking about and planning for. Security Deposit Moving into an apartment requires a security deposit up front. This amount will be split among the roommates, but […] Read more »

5 Things You Need To Know About Private Student Loans

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One of the largest tasks to tackle when sending a child to college is figuring out how you’re going to pay for it. First, you fill out your FAFSA to determine potential financial aid from the government, then you fill out grant and scholarship applications until your fingers are sore, while at the same time going over and over your budget figuring out how much you can contribute out of pocket. When the dust settles, you may end up having to apply for private student loans. This is unfamiliar territory for many people who might wonder how private student loans […] Read more »

What Types Of Student Loans Are Available?

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There’s much to do to get my son ready for college, including the all important question of how to pay for his education. We will be paying for as much as we can out of our pocket while attends college, but there will be some amount of student loans that will need to be taken out. As we’ve navigated the financial aid process, we’ve learned quite a bit about what kind of student loans are available. Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) The first step in the college financial aid process is to fill out the Free Application for […] Read more »

Surprise, High School Freshman – Real Life Starts NOW!

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Last week we took my son to his incoming freshman high school schedule pickup and orientation. I repeated something that I said to him last spring when we were having some difficulties making him put forth the required effort on his school work. “This year you start high school. This shit’s for real. It counts forever.” I then went on to try to explain the chain of events that starts with day one of his freshman year. Hard work, good grades, and school involvement will dictate what college opportunities will eventually open up in front of him in a few […] Read more »

Preparing for the Ultimate Cost of Raising Children: The College Years

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If you have teenagers, you likely have been spending money on them for years. Clothes, food, toys, doctor’s appointments, camp sessions – it goes without saying that the costs add up pretty quickly. But the biggest expense of raising your children may be yet to come. While there is a wide range of costs depending on the specific college – from a local community college all the way up to a 4-year private university – it can generally be said that second education is extremely expensive these days. And while parents take a variety of approaches to their children’s college […] Read more »

An American Tale: A Life of Credit and Debt

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Credit Cards. In my college years, those two words meant freedom. They provided me with a sense of security. They allowed me to finally purchase anything I needed without having to ask my parents for help. Credit cards were the answer when I was hungry or late on a bill payment because my checking account was low. They provided a means of fun. I didn’t have to say ‘no’ to myself anymore. I could go out to dinner at a place that didn’t have a drive-thru. I could go on spring break to Florida. I could buy concert tickets when […] Read more »

Watch College Conspiracy (The Documentary Colleges Don’t Want You to See)

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I've always thought college tuition was out of control so when I sat down to watch this documentary I didn't think I would be surprised by the statements made but I was wrong. Being that a college education is considered "good debt" I thought it would be a good idea to share this video with all of you. It's only an hour long but very eye-opening if you have bought into the lie that it's a good idea to go into debt for a college education. Who's responsible for most of the problems with education inflation? Read more »