Dream BIG – College is Possible With Proper Planning

Too many families and students fail at the college game. It’s true. They fail by giving up before they start. Overwhelmed by out-of-control college costs and the general feeling of just not knowing where to start, they simply “give up”.
Sometimes they “give up” by thinking smaller - “I really want to go to Cost-A-Lotta U, but it’s so expensive. I’ll just go to the community college/local State U”.

Sometimes they just quit trying and end up limiting their college opportunities and a better future.

What a waste!

No matter how much money you make or have, there is money out there for your circumstances so that you pay a lot less for college. You just need to know what type of family you are so you can begin outlining the right type of plan that will help you reach your college goals.

There are three types of families out there and you are one of these three:

No Need Families - they are about 10% of the families out there. Based on their income and assets, colleges believe they can pay the full bill. But, with proper planning, they don’t necessarily have to.

Some Need Families – they are about 80% of the families out there. Depending on the cost of attendance of a college, they will qualify for “SOME” financial aid based on their financial need. With proper planning, they can often reduce how much the college will expect them to pay – so that they can pay even less.

All Need Families - they are about 10% of the families out there. Based on their income and assets, colleges will believe they can pay very little towards the college bill. With proper planning, they can hone in on the colleges that have more of the financial aid resources they will need.

One strategy that works for students regardless of what type of family they come from is that students with terrific grades and test scores will get better scholarship and financial aid offers.

So pursue your best dreams and, with proper planning, you could be rewarded with scholarships, grants and aid monies to attend the four-year college of your choice.

But, without your efforts to excel, this college dream can’t happen.

Your Assignment:

1. Take the time to dream big; what do you want to do with your life? What kind of lifestyle do you see yourself having?
2. Now figure out what pieces will have to be in place to achieve that dream. A bachelor’s degree? An advanced degree? Work experience?
3. Get the best grades possible in the most challenging classes you can handle at your High School. Take AP or IB classes whenever possible.
4. Prepare for your standardized tests - you should be studying 15 to 20 minutes per day in preparation. Daily preparation over a longer period of time (3-4 months prior to the test) will do more to boost your scores than “cramming” a week or two before the test.
5. Remember, we don’t run out of money, we just run out of ideas. College is possible, we just have to come up with the creative ideas needed to find the money you’ll need.