| Don't Get Lulled Into A False Sense Of Security! | | | | 3. Start Looking For Private Scholarships. |
| Most parents (and people) get a strange disease | | | | I'm not a big believer in allocating a whole lot of time |
| called "summer fever" right around June. Symptoms | | | | searching for private scholarships since they make up |
| include leaving work early, taking half-day Fridays, | | | | approximately 1% of all the funds available for a |
| playing golf and tennis, being more active than usual, | | | | college education. |
| and... | | | | However, like the lottery - "you gotta get in it to win |
| Blowing Off Every Important Financial Decision Until | | | | it!" So a little leg work is recommended. And your |
| After The Summer's Over! | | | | chances of succeeding far outweigh your shot at |
| This is a big mistake. Panic attacks and nervous | | | | hitting any lottery! |
| episodes start occurring sometime in August as a | | | | Have your child ask their high school guidance |
| result of this. | | | | counselor what local scholarships are available, and |
| Don't Let This Happen To You! | | | | grab any and all applications for all the programs that |
| Don't misunderstand me. Go out and enjoy your | | | | they think they have a shot at. Then, fill 'em out, |
| summer. | | | | even if you think you don't have much of a shot! |
| Live life to the fullest. Take long weekends and | | | | You never know! |
| vacations. But, don't forget to start planning for your | | | | 4. Start Setting Up Your Income, Assets & |
| child's college education! | | | | Personal Finances To Get The Maximum Amount Of |
| Here's a checklist of action items you should be doing | | | | Money From Each School. |
| right now if you're the parent of a college-bound | | | | Do you have money saved in your child's name? Are |
| high-school junior: | | | | you planning on putting money into your retirement |
| 1. Start Visiting Colleges And Universities That Your | | | | plan this year? Do you know how much your home is |
| Child Is Interested In Applying To. | | | | really worth according to the financial aid formulas? |
| Most high school students base their decisions on | | | | If you're not sure what the answer should be to the |
| where they want to go to college on "word of | | | | above listed questions, you've got to find out! |
| mouth". | | | | Screw any of these up and you could "lose" $1,000's, |
| They listen to what their friends say is a good | | | | if not tens of thousands in financial aid! |
| school, or they consult college guides, magazines, and | | | | You must take control of the process, and |
| guidance counselors. | | | | understand how the formula works. It's all a big |
| Whichever way they decide on their college choices, | | | | game. You've got to learn the rules of the game and |
| they must visit the campuses of these schools first | | | | then play it! |
| to get a good feeling for what each school is like. | | | | Then, and only then, can you use legal and ethical |
| Do they want a small town or big city environment? | | | | strategies to reduce the amount of money the |
| Big or small class sizes? Fraternities or sororities? | | | | schools will expect you to pay. |
| Warm or cold weather? What are the people on | | | | 5. Don't Procrastinate. |
| campus like - cool, nerdy, whatever? Does the school | | | | This is the most important point on the entire |
| have a big-time sports tradition or a smaller program? | | | | checklist. It's also the hardest one to adhere to. |
| These questions can be answered best by visiting | | | | We're all human; we struggle with planning. As the |
| the schools, and now is the time to do it before they | | | | ancient Romans said, "Quidam snoozius, loozius!" |
| apply. | | | | (OK, I made that one up. It's pretty lame. Did I fool |
| 2. Have Your Child Take A Good Test Preparation | | | | you?) |
| Course To Get A Better ACT/SAT Score. | | | | All kidding aside, if you let "summer fever" take over, |
| The good colleges are getting more and more | | | | and decide to put off doing anything until "after the |
| competitive. If they receive applications from two | | | | summer's over"...You're Gonna Lose A Lot Of Money! |
| students with the exact same grades and similar | | | | I cannot be more clear than that! |
| extra-curricular activities, guess Who They're Gonna | | | | Since the financial aid your child will be awarded is |
| Pick? | | | | based on the current tax year, it is imperative that |
| Duh. Hello?? The student with the higher scores. | | | | you start your planning NOW! Failure to do so WILL |
| Sometimes an ACT/SAT score of one or two points | | | | cost you a lot of money, both in actual dollars AND |
| can make all the difference between getting into an | | | | lost opportunities for your child. |
| "O.K."school and a prestigious university. | | | | Don't follow the crowd on this one - you want to be |
| The small investment you make in a good test | | | | ahead of the curve! Don't blow things off until |
| preparation service will pay off in high returns for | | | | another time. You'll compromise your child's future. |
| your child. | | | | |