Health & Fitness
BLOG: 10 Biggest Mistakes Families Make When Planning for College
Only 35 percent of four-year college students graduate in four years (35 percent used to be a big, fat "F" where I come from), and 40 percent drop out altogether, yet the same old myths persist.
With the school year begun…our phone is once again ringing off the hook.
For the past few years, schools have asked us to come speak to the families about the biggest mistakes parents make when planning for college. There are many, of course, so we picked the top three, then five, then seven...and this year, 10.
For the next 10 weeks, I will be highlighting each mistake…with other posts in between.
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It goes without saying that college access has never been higher, but the outlook for those who are uninformed and unprepared has never been lower. It’s not like in the day when you applied, and went. Or even like it was a couple years ago, when parents who put a child through the once fabulous government college system in four years. They think they can do it again.
With more government intervention, the process has gotten more complicated and fraught with problems. (Anyone surprised?) With only 35 percent of four-year college students graduating in four years (35 percent used to be a big, fat “F” where I come from), and 40 percnet dropping out altogether, I would say, “Houston, we have a problem.”
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Yet the same old myths and rumors persist, and families are confused.
Here is the list.
- Procrastination
- Four-year college is for everyone
- There’s plenty of financial aid for everyone
- Picking colleges is easy
- MISunderstanding EFC
- Allowing a 17-year-old to make a $100K+ decision
- Early admissions will get me in to my dream school
- Assuming you earn too much for financial aid
- Enabling students to accrue unreasonable debt
- Not seeking the necessary help to plan for college
For a chance to win a $1,000 software package, sign up for one of our free local seminars in your local school. This month, we will be in Newport Harbor, Edison, and El Modena. If you would like us to speak in your local high school, shoot us an e-mail, at support@getcollegefunding.org.
For free seminars, WEBinars, and useful tools to help guide the college planning process, please go to www.GetCollegeFunding.org, and sign up for our "10 Mistakes Most Parents Make When Planning For College."