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Can You Afford to Pay for College?
Have you saved enough to pay for college? If yes, I applaud you. If not, maybe you’re just like me, hoping to find scholarships to help offset the cost and future debt for your kiddo. Paying for college is no small feat. Read on to find out where you can find money!
I hear many of stories of how people pay for 100% of college with grants and scholarships. I am in the midst of trying to figure out this process with my sons who are currently in college.
Paying for college is ridiculously expensive. For the amount it costs today, I could have gone to college 5 times over. It really isn’t fair to our kids but, unfortunately, it is the reality.
So, here’s our story. My husband and I have some money saved to pay for college, but we are hoping we have enough for all three of our boys. We pay for tuition, and the boys are responsible for the rest. (We spent years paying off my husbands schooling, so this limited the number of years that we have had to save for the boys’ college.)
Our oldest two both had part-time jobs. Our middle sone went to community college, and his older brother graduated from a nearby small private college.
We knew that we had to help them try to look for scholarships or we would burn through our savings pretty quickly. We started digging around the internet. Our middle son was an average student, so merit aid would not be an option. My guess is that this is the case for many American families.
Not everyone is cut out for AP classes in high school, and not all kids are skilled at taking standardized tests. So, the game was on, and I’m here to tell you what I’ve discovered. Hopefully, this will help you and your child!
First, let me say that finding scholarships is HARD WORK. It’s tedious, so be ready and be patient. There are a lot of scams out there, but there are also a lot of people trying to help by telling their stories of how they’ve found money.
There are some common threads among “the experts”. Since paying for college is such a huge burden, I’m sharing what I’ve learned here. *This post may contain affiliate links. My full disclosure policy is here.
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There’s a lot of information out there. Some good and some not so good. The more organized you and your child can be and work TOGETHER– the more success you will have.
I think this is really important. You and your child need to work as a team because the responsibility can’t be on them entirely. They are busy with school. Besides, we are smarter than they are, right? Ha!
I do think our kids need to have some “skin” in the game and understand how this all works. So, have that money conversation! Here’s my blog post about how that has worked for us so far.
How to get organized? You need a tracker of course! Simple, but useful. Below is what I am using right now to track the scholarships I find for my boys for which they qualify.
I’m sure by now that you are probably pretty organized after surviving elementary and middle school. But, I would suggest a separate binder/notebook or folder to keep your scholarship information.
Check out my parent toolkit for staying organized all through high school! All of this will help your teen be organized when applying for scholarships, filling out applications, etc. It all helps pay for college!
My friend Monica has put together an amazing scholarship tracker that keeps everything organized. Go to the bottom of the page after you click on the link, and grab one!
You may have heard – the best place to start is LOCAL. Have your student visit their guidance office for local scholarships. Check with your employer, too. If your employer doesn’t have a scholarship, ask if they could create one!
Also, research your child’s current or future college. Check their financial aid website. Most likely they have scholarships ready for you to apply for now and have other resources/suggestions. My son applied for one at his community college last fall. He didn’t receive anything, but you never know until you try!
Here is a post where I break down how we used scholarships, as well as other strategies, to graduate our oldest from college debt-free, and his younger brother out of community college and other trade school hours debt-free as well!
Here are some other places to look:
Chamber of Commerce
Library- they have scholarship books to check out
Local businesses- Call your favorite business and ask or visit their website
Financial Institutions
Local Community groups or clubs (Rotary, Kiwanis, church)
Alumni Associations
Educational Organizations
Civic Organizations
Here is a great place to find scholarships for your student🙂
How 2 Win Scholarships
Monica Matthews is a former teacher and a stay-at-home mom of three boys. She’s a mom who worked with her son to earn enough scholarships to attend college for free. She has parent, as well as student guides which are extremely useful and worth the $27.00. I’ve signed up for her newsletters and she’ll let you know when to apply for scholarships. She always has up to date information on her blog. Here is the link to her scholarship tracker which we use and love!
The Scholarship System– Jocelyn Pearson. She has a free webinar you can register for here. She paid for 100% of her college expenses through scholarships. Jocelyn has definitely done her homework and has created a 2018-2019 Scholarship Guide. I liked her webinar. Very honest and tells it like it is. I took her course, and it has been really helpful over the years since my oldest son started college.
JLV Counseling– Jessica has 10 years experience as an admissions officer. Her website has information on scholarships, college essays, test prep and has a newsletter you can subscribe to. I like how her site is easy to navigate.
Scholly.com–
“Scholly was created by Christopher Gray who won $1.3 million in scholarships through hard work, grit and determination. Realizing how broken and time consuming this process was, he and his team created Scholly to make things a lot easier for you.
Whether you prefer the mobile or web app, Scholly helps you fill out 8 simple parameters, and then our comprehensive and constantly curated scholarship database delivers a verified and personalized list of scholarships. Our platform also gives you access to management tools and scholarship essay resources to help you manage deadlines, track progress and win the money you deserve.” There is a monthly fee.
Scholarship Owl
“Scholarship Owls is an innovative platform designed to dramatically speed up your scholarship application time. All you have to do is fill out one application, and they will do the rest. They will match you with the award opportunities that best match your personality, grades, lifestyle, and more. Once you’ve narrowed down your options, they will take the information from your initial application and put it into the appropriate places on the scholarships of your choice.”
TUN
TUN stands for The University Network. It is a fairly new website. What I like about their scholarship tool is that you can search by GPA, scholarships to apply to by month, state, student interest and what year your student is in school. They also have information on student jobs, a textbook save engine, career advice etc.
College Board Scholarship Search
“Use this tool to find scholarships, other financial aid, and internships from more than 2,200 programs, totaling nearly $6 billion. Scholarship information is based on the College Board’s Annual Survey of Financial Aid Programs. Not only does it help you search for scholarships, but also provides loan information, calculators, and information for high school students and the college application process.”
FinAid Scholarship Search
“FinAid was created by Mark Kantrowitz, a noted financial aid and college planning author. Mark was also publisher of FastWeb, the largest and most popular free scholarship matching service. Previously, he was a research scientist at Just Research, the US software laboratory for Justsystem Corporation of Japan. Mark has earned the praise of numerous college administrators, journalists and students and families for his dedicated work on the FinAid site; also, not surprisingly, he managed to fund his own schooling without spending a single cent of his parents’ money.”
Scholarships.com
“U.S. Department of Labor Search more than 7,500 scholarships, fellowships, grants, and other financial aid award opportunities. You can: Look through the whole list of scholarships arranged in order of closest deadline, you can narrow your list with “Search by keyword.” or enter a keyword about the type of award you’re looking for and use the filters to see only awards for certain award types, locations, level of study, and more.”
Books to Read
I highly recommend, as do “experts”, the Ultimate Scholarship Book 2023. I am going through this now and found quite a few in about 20 minutes. What I like about this book is that it is broken down by state, interest and there’s a huge section of just “general”.
I flagged them with post-it notes and added to our scholarship tracker. I write down the name of the scholarship, when they are due, and the amount my sons could earn. Yes, this is a lot of work, but free money works for me!
Have you read my book? Here is the blog post I wrote to go along with it. It includes lots of freebies to print out and use with your teen! There are things that your teen can do to help pay for college, or at least make it easier to get money via scholarships etc…
If you managed to read all of this, you can see that working with your teen and/or college student is all about teamwork. Come up with a schedule of when you both can work on finding scholarships, applying and completing applications. In the beginning, it feels awkward, but once you go through the process a couple of times, it becomes “old hat” and exciting to wait for the results.
So, let me know how it goes! Comment below. I’d love to hear your success stories and of course, please let me know if you have any questions. I’d be happy to help!
Every little bit helps when you are trying to pay for college! I will keep you posted on how my boys and I do with our own search.
FYI:
It is recommended that you get a power of attorney for the state that your teen goes to college in, as well as the state of permanent residence. Here is more info about each state’s requirements.
Grab both the health and financial power of attorney legal documents. We used them and printed these out for our two oldest boys while they were in college. It took less than 15 minutes to fill in the blanks, and print out!
I have heard horror stories about parents not being able to make medical decisions for their kids because this was not in place, so please do this for your peace of mind. *The cost of these forms is so much less than going to an attorney, which I checked into before doing this. And, talk about EASY!
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Why a rug you ask? When you are thinking about decorating a dorm room for a girl or a guy, the rug will pull the whole room together. Rugs for a teen’s dorm room will keep feet warm, add color or tone down a brighter room, and provide a bit of hominess for your teen when they create their “home away from home”.
If you missed purchasing a rug when you purchased items for your teen’s dorm room, this is almost a necessity because colder weather will be on its way soon.
Even with socks on, both of my college boys complained how cold the floor was before we got them a rug.
A rug is a great purchase because they can take it with them when they move into an apartment -depending on how well they take care of it. And, even if your teen is in a warmer state, a rug can pull an entire room together! *This post may contain affiliate links. My full disclosure policy is here.
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These are all approximately 5’ x 7’ for a typical tiny dorm room. Almost all of these rugs come in different sizes, and many come in different colors.
There are so many wonderful choices of rugs on Etsy! There is no way that I could just choose one. The wonderful thing about these is that many are originals and not that much more expensive than what you find elsewhere. Just remember that these are kids we are talking about, so decide how well your teen will care for this purchase.
Some other choices from different stores are:
Here is a great rug if the color scheme is pink or grey. This is such a muted and soft pink, it would be super soothing in a room.
This rug is like a fiesta on your floor! It is multi-colored, so it would go with so many color schemes, but probably would be best if the bedding etc were more neutral to let this be a focal point! It is circular which I love as well!
This is another multi-colored rug which would go with almost anything. I love the colors, and it would be a really pretty addition to any room. This one is costs a bit more than the others.
This lime green zebra rug comes in other colors and sizes, and would be a great addition to someone’s room who is a little bit adventurous.
Here is a beautiful blue/white rug that would add a bit of class to a room with almost any colors. It is gorgeous all on its own, and would compliment any decor!
This boho rug in muted tones of gray would also be a great fit for any color scheme. It is a bit more casual than the other choices.
This rug is perfect with its price and muted earth tones for any room. It has a mix of all sorts of tans in soft stripes. My boys even said it would be okay in a guy’s room.
Here is another rug with a more nautical theme. It is navy with double white stripes. The orange and blue ones would be great with a more plain guy room.
This final rug is another multi-colored choice. It would go with anything, and would really make the final touch in a dorm room.
I just came across this one from Urban Outfitters, as I was finishing this post. This rug is a splurge, but it is so unique!
Don’t forget to order a rug for the bathroom, if that is attached to your teen’s dorm room. Many of the above rugs come in a smaller size that would be perfect in front of the sink.
And, don’t forget a spot cleaner for rugs –this stuff is amazing!!
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Visit my Facebook page, and follow me on Pinterest and YouTube! I look forward to seeing you again! And, finally, if you feel like this post was helpful, please share it on your favorite social media platform! Thank you so much!❤️
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Does your child’s future include college? One big reason to begin making plans for college is MONEY!!! We are trying to help our kids as they go through college, by helping to prevent student loan debt or at least reduce it for them.
Something else to think about is that your child’s future will greatly be affected by the choices he or she makes today. These two factors were at the top of the list while our oldest son was deciding on a college. *This post may contain affiliate links. My full disclosure policy is here.
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**See my list of 5 things to do at the bottom!
This number is astronomical already and is growing with each semester. Make decisions based on the amount of money that you have saved (or not), the choice of a major, and what is the likelihood of earning enough income to make a decent living when college is finished. If you can limit or prevent student loan debt for your child, they will be so much further ahead in life!
Be very careful when reading the fine print on the documents that each school provides. If we hadn’t paid attention to our son’s financial package information, we would have accepted a student loan. It was right there in black and white, but if I hadn’t been checking through each item, I would have missed this line item.
I now know to look for it each semester and draw a line through it. Just because something is written down on proposed tuition paperwork does not mean that you, the consumer, need to utilize it. Look everything over very carefully! This is an easy way to help prevent student loan debt.
This is a very depressing reality! Make sure that you know approximately what a starting level employee in your child’s field of study will earn. It may not be enough money to live on when including loan payments.
Find someone who has recently graduated in the field that your child has chosen, and find out this what they get on their paycheck, so that you can discuss this with your student. This way each of you are aware as he or she moves toward their future. Making a good choice in the beginning of college is crucial.
The cost of college skyrockets after the first 4 years, so switching majors can really be a financial setback if done after the sophomore year.
This is because the cost of living has increased so much, and many items that were once much more affordable such as healthcare, are now no longer fitting into even a reasonable budget. This can be super frustrating for today’s graduates because how can they get ahead if they are already behind?!
2 out of 3 students graduating won’t find an adequate job, meaning one that would pay for a reasonable living as well as enough extra for loan payments… This goes along with what was said earlier. The fewer loans, the easier life will be moving forward. Read here.
Student loan debt amounts are staggering
If loans must be taken out, then really pay attention to the total. Parents may not be paying much attention to this because they know their student will ultimately be responsible for this amount. This is not reasonable or fair.
Please take care to be honest with your child about what you can and cannot afford from the very beginning. That is where the conversation needs to begin.
And, please don’t wait until your student’s senior year! However, if that is where you are, by all means, get started!
This is, in part, because parents did not want to admit that they couldn’t afford the school that the child wanted to attend. Please know that even though this might be embarrassing to have to admit, it will be so much worse if your child has to drop out because of something that could have been prevented by honesty in the first place.
Real life happens! We had my husband’s student loans to pay off. Then real life happened, as in we had bills to pay… We don’t have that much saved in the way of college funds for our boys, and they know that good grades etc. will really help with getting good financial packages from schools.
It has helped that we have been honest and realistic about their choices about where they can go and what we can afford to pay. We have also been very upfront with them about the fact that they are in charge of all their spending money once they are at school as well.
I think back to when I first graduated. I truly lived paycheck to paycheck. I paid a little more in rent than I should have, but it was in a safe neighborhood, and that was important to me living in a big city for the first time in my life.
I literally lived on about $1.00 a day after all my expenses were paid. I lived on pasta and tuna at night, and knew to the ounce how much salad I could put in my container to stay at less than $2.00 each day for lunch in the cafeteria.
I couldn’t afford to buy enough groceries for both dinners and lunches. I ate a lot of oatmeal! I didn’t even have any furniture, and I slept on an air mattress for months.
A fact that is is so sad is that many young adults consider their loans to be a life sentence because it is so hard to get rid of! Please read this sobering article. Help your child now to make a good decision for their future!
I came from a nice home with most everything I wanted as I was growing up. But, I was READY to grow up and move on. I’m not sure about today’s young graduates when it comes time to move on. Parents make it really easy for them to stay home.
But, here’s the thing. Getting a couple of roommates and striking it out on their own-even if they are super poor– is probably the best thing that we can do for our kids. At the very least, help them out at first, but work out a plan with your child for how they will gradually move out and on:)
I read a story the other day about mother giraffes. As soon as her baby struggles to his feet, the mom knocks him down. The baby struggles up again. Mom knocks him down again. It happens again and again.
Is the mom being mean? No! Because, guess what? Pretty soon the little guy gets stronger and stronger and more sturdy. And, then, he can stand on his own with no struggling or wobbling. He has learned, and she has done her job by preparing him.
Loan forgiveness is very rare. It is NOT something these kids should be counting on at all. Their plan needs to be to work, work, and work some more maybe at a main job with 2 or 3 side hustles to get their loans paid down.
The real world is manageable, but our kids need to have a plan and be mentally strong and able to handle it by being prepared.
Now is definitely the time to start the process of preparing your child to go to college to get a great education and graduate with little to NO debt. You and your teen have to get into the mindset that this is a challenge that can be met.
Be proactive. You and your child have to be on the same page or at least supportive of each other’s efforts. Take the time to get informed. Do some research. You can start now wherever you are, however old your child is. The sooner the better!
1. Fill out the FAFSA! Due each year October 1. Fill out every year that you will have a child in college, beginning the fall of senior year in high school.
2. Grab my high school survival kit for yourself. This will help you and your teen get organized throughout the high school years.
3. Read my book: College Bound: The Ultimate List of Conversations to Help Your Teen Through High School.
Here is the the blog post I wrote in addition to the book.
4. Apply for scholarships. Start now. It will make a huge difference! We have graduated 2 sons debt-free with these tips.
5. One more thing that you can do is to hire a college and career counselor.
What they do is help you to formulate a plan based on your child’s strengths and talents. They take into consideration their passions and what they DON’T like as well! I am now training to do just this for College Ready Plan. I would love to visit with you and your teen about what their future holds. Sign up for a free discovery call today!
How about you? Are you helping your kids? Do you have any good ideas for the rest of us?
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Read my book about college and life prep? Here is the blog post that I wrote to go along with the book with some great freebies for you to download and print for your own family.
And, my friend, Rachel Skelly Murphy wrote a great book called, I Am Not Your ATM.
Visit my Facebook page, and follow me on Pinterest and YouTube! I look forward to seeing you again! And, finally, if you feel like this post was helpful, please share it on your favorite social media platform! Thank you so much!❤️
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How can you keep your child safe at college?
This is something that I think we all worry about when our kids are gone to college or out into the real world. This worrying will never stop for us, but we can rest a little bit easier if we prepare our kids. Here are some easy ways to keep a child safe at college -or as safe as possible without the bubblewrap!
These are discussions that should probably start a little bit at a time in middle school as they start to go out with friends. We trained our boys to always be aware of where they were. To look for exit signs. To pay attention to where they were going, and listen closely to directions.
Our kids are getting drilled at school, and we need to talk with them about things that are happening in the news, and have them think about what might be the best thing to do in each situation.
I have come up with some safety ideas that will hopefully ease my mind as well as yours! *This post may contain affiliate links. My full disclosure policy is here.
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Have some conversations with your teen before they leave for college.
Discussions: About date safety. About “no means no, no matter when she says no”. About having a campus buddy. About being aware of their surroundings. About locking up medications.
College can be so much fun, but our teens need to be make aware of all of this and more. Talk with your teen!
Drink scrunchie -Do you worry when you know your teen is headed out? This nifty little drink cover will keep anyone from easily putting a pill or powder into a drink. It can be worn AS a scrunchie until it is needed! Guys need to use these too, and they could have it in their pockets until needed. Rape is a serious issue, and this is a great defense against it. It comes in 4 colors.
This bracelet is the bomb for your daughter! -And, here is the necklace. These are a little more pricey. They are are pretty, though, and if needed, they would be great to have around. She can just push the button, and it activates a GPS device. No one would ever know!
This hair clip is actually a survival tool! It can be so many things… bottle opener, box cutter saw, screwdriver, wrench, and more! It can also be put on a keychain, just in case.
Here is a great tool to carry for safety. It has pepper spray and a stun gun. It is small enough to carry in a purse or pocket.
Here is a tiny portable charger for your teen’s phone. This is something that they should have charged at all times. If your teen has their phone, they can call for help, take a photo (or video) of their attacker or situation, and find their way home with its built-in GPS and flashlight.
This small device adds onto a lock for a door for more security. This would be good for anyone who would like some added security!
And, here is a door stopper alarm that your teen could put under their door at night if they wanted to fell more secure.
ICE : Personal Safety App -This will: share your Real Time Location with someone you trust -they can see your current location using this app or any web browser. Keeps track of important medical or support information on Lock Screen for First responders and Doctor.
(There are lots of safety apps. Be sure to check into these to get the best fit for your family.)
Guy or girl, they need to be prepared. No matter what we envision for our kids’ relationships, I want them safe.
Once your teen turns 18, a lot of things change for both you and your teen. Check out this post to be sure that you both know the legal ramifications for this big birthday.
Here is an entire post about travel safety for our teens (and ourselves!)
A road distress kit is an easy thing to throw into the back of your teen’s car -just in case!
Anti touch opener -This is great to have in the car for opening doors etc without having to touch them -if covid continues to be a thing…
If your teen is anything like mine, they wear shorts year round. If they end up in a bad situation during cold weather, an emergency blanket is a great thing to have! They fold up tiny, and can also be something that is thrown into the back of the car.
Mental health safety for your teens
Here is a first aid kit for a dorm room or car -full of supplies that might be needed.
Our son had to purchase a safe for his meds after he them stolen. This is a must if your teen takes any sort of prescribed medication!
**Here is some advice from my son who graduated from college last year to your teens going into college, he was president of his fraternity for 2 years, and saw a lot of things… Remember that no one and no club should ask you to do things that you would not normally do. This should be a red flag.
If you have never had an alcoholic drink before, then don’t have a bunch all at once. No one should be making you drink. If you get into a situation that is uncomfortable, say that you have to use the bathroom, and use that opportunity to leave wherever you are.
If, for some reason, you cannot leave, text someone, anyone, for help. Tell them exactly where you are and what the situation is.
This company has great plans for keeping your teen safe online as well as limiting their screen time, if that is something you are concerned about.
Be sure that your teen knows these basic rules for online security.
Make sure that your teen is aware of the ramifications of sexting. Even if you are sure your teen isn’t doing this, they still need to be made aware -just in case. It is a serious crime, especially once they are 18…
Best Year Round Posts for Parenting Teens and Tweens: 50+ Titles!
Mental health safety for your teens
Visit my Facebook page, and follow me on Pinterest and YouTube! I look forward to seeing you again! And, finally, if you feel like this post was helpful, please share it on your favorite social media platform! Thank you so much!❤️
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Do you have a college freshman? A new 18 year old? Get ready for things to change in more ways than one. Your parental rights are about to change or actually be gone!
Did you know that you have will have no rights to their school information like grades, financial aid etc?
Did you know that once your kiddo is turns 18, you will not be able to even make them a doctor’s appointment or call with an insurance question about your own child?!!! Whaaaaaaat?
What happens when your teen turns 18? I’m here to help…
I found this out the hard way when I called to doctor to find out some info about one of my boys’ doctor appointments. They wouldn’t tell me anything! Keep in mind that this was our pediatrician, who I had known since the morning my oldest was born almost 25 years ago…
In addition to all of the dorm room supplies and school supplies and other miscellaneous stuff, you need to be aware of some really important terms: FERPA, HIPAA, and Selective Service to name a few.
[Here is a great list of books for your young adult to read as they begin their early adult years.]
Once your child enters college, and especially after they turn 18, your parental rights will drastically change, as in disappear. Read on to find out what these terms mean, and how you can be prepared for the transition of your teenager to adulthood. *This post may contain affiliate links. My full disclosure policy is here.
There are lots more tips below the video as well as great gift ideas for 18 year olds!?
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FERPA stands for Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. So, let’s say that you suspect that your child has been skipping classes, or you want to make sure that your child didn’t drop a class and scoop up that money. You cannot find out from the college unless the FERPA has been signed!
FERPA is the law that protects student educational records. It includes protections for … a child’s education records, such as, report cards, transcripts, disciplinary records, contact and family information, and class schedules. Find out what FERPA compliance means, and how you and your teen can work together with this law.
This means that at the age of 18, all rights that you have had as a parent regarding these types of information transfer to your student.
There are exceptions when a school may, but IS NOT REQUIRED to-share this information about the student’s educational records. The exceptions include situations where the student’s health or safety may be at risk, instances of drugs or alcohol if the student is under the age of 21 and/or if the student is claimed as a dependent for tax purposes.
The point being, that unless your student signs the FERPA when registering for classes or at student orientation or at any time, then you may or MAY NOT be able to see your child’s grades, see their financial records at the school or be able to help make decisions regarding their health should a situation occur on campus.
It is a simple form that carries significant weight.
The truth is that your child will not necessarily know what this is!
Unless you basically make your teen sign the FERPA, then you will be out of luck when trying to communicate with the school if you want any real answers. Look for this when your child is uploading all of their info to their college once they are accepted.
Here’s another example of parental loss of power… Your child has gone to the health clinic at their college. You call the clinic to find out more information from them about the diagnosis because your child cannot tell you much since they didn’t really listen. No can do. Unless your child has signed the HIPAA and put your name on it!
HIPAA is another governmental term. The Health Information and Portability Accountability Act comes into action when your teen turns 18. Up until this point, you as the parent have signed the HIPAA form at all doctors visits. This includes dental, vision, and insurance information as well as primary care.
Your 18 year old will need to sign this form and list any adults who may be given information regarding their health. If you are not on that list, then you will not be privy to any of that information. (A really good description for an 18 year old to read about what the HIPAA means is here.)
Another option to consider is a durable power of attorney.
This would need to be signed by your teen once they are 18. This would be a really good thing to have in place if for some reason your child were to become incapacitated in some way. It is recommended that you get a power of attorney for the state that your teen goes to college in, as well as the state of permanent residence. Here is more info about each state’s requirements.
Grab both the health and financial power of attorney legal documents. We used them and printed these out for our two oldest boys while they were in college. It took less than 15 minutes to fill in the blanks, and print out!
I have heard horror stories about parents not being able to make medical decisions for their kids because this was not in place, so please do this for your peace of mind. *The cost of these forms is so much less than going to an attorney, which I checked into before doing this. And, talk about EASY!
One more tip that I would like to share, and you will laugh because it’s so easy… Have your teen memorize their social security number! This will come in handy in so many situations, especially medical ones!
Once your son turns 18, he needs to register with the Selective Service. He will have 30 days to do so. It is a federal offense not to register. He will be unable to get a driver’s license or apply for student loans or grants. There is a hefty fine of $250,000 and up to 5 years in prison for not signing up.
Conscientious objectors and disabled persons need to register as well. If the draft ever comes back, those individuals can can register their objections or disabilities then.
At this point in time, girls do not have to sign up for this.
Turning 18 has many implications.
Is 18 years old still a child? In most states, turning 18 means being an adult-age of majority. Some things to consider about turning 18 responsibilities…
As an adult, a person can buy property, vote, or even get married in most states. Jury duty is now a possibility as well.
As an adult, a person can now be put in prison if convicted of a crime, can legally gamble, and can now be sued. Not all fun and games for the teenager to adulthood transition!
Does my 18 year old need to get their own insurance?
A tool that young adults may want to take advantage of is life insurance. It all depends on circumstances. Some young people may be facing financial hardships or want to utilize life insurance as an investment tool. Here is a quick link to a guide explaining more about this.
One more thing that your 18 year old needs to consider. Sex. If your son or daughter is dating someone younger than them, which many of them are, then they can be charged with, and be prosecuted with statutory rape. This varies from state to state, and the description of what that means also varies from state to state.
Also, sexting as an adult is a crime. It is distribution of pornography. Please make them aware of this! Here is a post with more info about sexting.
Are you wondering what you should be teaching your teen about money? Saving? Investing? This knowledge is so important for our kids as they leave for college and/or beyond. I so wish that I had known all of this when I was their age!
I have found this awesome resource. There is also this one. Both of these are full of much great information! If there is one way that we can give our kids a head start financially, these conversations and tools are a great approach. Help your teen know everything that they can about finances -this will give them so much power for their future!
All of this info is so important! Be sure that you and your teen have discussions about all of this over time. Turning 18 means a lot of new things. These are big topics, so don’t try to discuss it all at once.
Your role as a parent will definitely change, and that’s a good thing! Just know that as you lose your parental rights, they are gaining their rights as adults, and that’s a good thing too!
I feel your pain, but hope that this information helps you along this crazy journey as our kids become adults!
Let me know if you have any other questions about your teen turning 18, I am always searching for new topics to write about!
*Please contact an attorney for legal advice. I am not qualified to do that!
Is your teen away from you on their birthday? Send them a Sugarwish! This is a great company that I have developed a relationship with, and they are the bomb! You choose candy, cookies, popcorn, snacks, cotton candy or dog treats and then a gift size for your recipient. Or, you can send them a credit (in an email or text) for them to choose what they would like. Finally, Sugarwish will create a beautiful custom box just for them and include a gift card for the occasion. This is so easy! I have already sent 3 in the last month.?
And, here is a cute 18th birthday wish bracelet.
Hammock –
Laptop –
Almost Adulting -Great book!
How to Adult: Personal Finance for the Real World
A Whack on the Side of the Head: How You Can Be More Creative
Here’s an entire post of great books for navigating the next few years as a young adult!
15+ Best Gift Guides for Teens
29 Ways to Prepare for College
What Will My Freshman Really Need in the Dorm?
Ways to Help Support Your Teen Get Ready For Finals
Ways to Keep Your Child Safe at College
27 Books for a Young Adult to Read For Success
If you have a younger teen, check out my Parent Toolkit for Surviving High School
Best Year Round Posts for Parenting Teens and Tweens: 50+ Titles!
Make sure to visit my Facebook page, and follow me on Pinterest and YouTube where I share lots of helpful info for parents of tweens and teens! And, finally, if you feel like this post was helpful, please share it on your favorite social media platform! Thank you so much!❤️
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The FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Your child’s college career could hinge on this one form.
Do not make the mistake of not filling out the FAFSA! Even if you think you won’t qualify, fill it out.
Filling out this form will determine whether or not your student will receive Federal Student Aid, BUT it will also determine any monies he/she will get from the schools that they apply to as well. Most schools will require you to fill this out, so do it right away.
In other words, the information that is provided when filling out this form could help your family to get more money from different colleges! It is very important that you fill this out for many reasons. The due date is October 1, more on that below…
–The main purpose of the FAFSA is to determine your EFC. This is an acronym for the Expected Family Contribution. This is a number determined by your answers on the FAFSA. It is a calculated number that the government thinks that your family should be able to pay towards your child’s college, not the actual number that you will have to pay…
–It is most likely that the EFC is going away. This is because it is such a misunderstood term. It is still around until about 2023, and I will keep you posted here!
It will probably be replaced a “student aid index” or SAI. In some ways, SAI is just a new term for a similar calculation. The following link is a bunch of gobbledy-gook about the bill that might change things. Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021.
The number we received for our EFC would work if both my husband and I each had full time, high paying jobs, and we lived on pork and beans every night, and never did anything that cost any money! In other words, don’t expect for your EFC to be realistic! This is a whole other blog post topic –how are we going to pay for college?!
Are you looking for answers as you parent teens? Here are more than 50 posts with all sorts of parenting situations and answers for you…
–You need to fill out the FAFSA–no matter what! And, fill it out in a timely manner. In other words, do this on the due date, again, this date is October 1.
Yes, it does determine the need based federal aid money for students who need it. But, it also helps schools determine the money that they give out for merit based aid. This is FREE money for your student.
Schools give out the money on a first come, first serve basis, so if you want any chance of merit based aid, fill that puppy out.
–The FAFSA is NOT JUST for need based aid. We thought about not filling it out because we knew that we would not qualify for the need based aid. But, by just filling out the FAFSA, my son receives $1000 off of his yearly tuition. Even if he qualified for no other scholarships, they reward this amount for filling out the form! Check with your child’s college and see if there is a similar situation. Aid is often determined by the numbers that you put on this form. I will say it again, fill out the FAFSA!
–After the FAFSA is filled out, each college starts rewarding their merit based aid. This is determined by the FAFSA, GPA, and various other factors such as ACT/SAT scores and strength of resumes. This is where hard work during high school both in class and out will really help! Your student will start to hear back from colleges after they have applied. Each school will send out letters of acceptance and denial.
–In acceptance letters, colleges will include their financial aid package. These could just be estimates, so read carefully. Keep track of all offers, and use them to get colleges to compete with each other to get your student to attend their particular school. A financial aid package can be appealed and should be, if your child really wants one school, but got a better package from another, let their favored school know. This is expected and it can work!
–As your child finishes up the first semester of their senior year, send updates of their GPA and resume to each school for which they have applied. It is still early in the game, and this can help with a better financial aid package. If there a life changing experience has occurred, such as: divorce, a death in the family or some sort of accident, let the school know. This is information schools need that could make a difference to the bottom line!
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–FIRST, go to Fafsa.ed.gov and create a FSA ID for both you and your child. Then, fill out the FAFSA4caster. This will give you an idea of how to fill out the actual form when it is time. It will also give you an idea of all of the information you will need for filling out the dang thing! You will need your federal tax information, social security number, W2s, and any asset information. Filling out the 4caster will give you an idea of aid eligibility for decision making. Do this now, as in after you finish reading this blog post.
–SECOND, when you are ready, log back into the FAFSA website, and get this form filled out so that you can submit it any time after it is released, which is OCTOBER 1. It is a process, and not something that you want to think that you can do quickly some evening! Take your time. You might wait a week or two to complete it, maybe mid-October for the kinks to get worked out the first couple of weeks that it is available.
–DO NOT make any errors on the FAFSA! Triple check and then check again that you have entered everything on the form correctly. Have your spouse or significant other check it as well, a new pair of eyes can catch mistakes that you have overlooked the first 3 times that you checked for mistakes. Mistakes will lead to delays in your child receiving financial aid.
–Your child does not have to decide on a school at the time that you fill out the FAFSA, but fill it out anyway ON TIME. Here is a link with due dates for you to refer to. Once you have filled out the FAFSA for your oldest, then you will have to continue to re-submit yearly. (This is so that the government can check your child’s eligibility status, which will change if your finances change or you have more than one kid in college!)
–You can start the FAFSA and save your progress, if you need to stop for some reason. This is a nice feature. Because it does take a while to fill out!
There is a renewal option with some categories which will be pre-populated, but check all of this information carefully and make sure that it is all up-to-date. Most of the new info needed will be based on taxes paid.
Once the FAFSA is filled out, be sure that the colleges of choice are notified that you have submitted the complete form. This is also a good time to check each college’s website for admissions requirements and scholarship opportunities at the school. You really need to dig for this information sometimes, but is worth the extra effort. Every penny that your child is given is one less out of your pocket, or your child’s.
** Be sure that you fill out the FAFSA each fall that you have a student planning to attend college the following year.
Another form you may need to fill out is the CSS Profile, https://student.collegeboard.org/css-financial-aid-profile. This asks for lots more information than the FAFSA, but is necessary for many private colleges. This is how they decide to distribute their non-federal aid, in other words, merit based aid. It is $25 for the first college you have to submit this to, and $16 for each college after. I will say, we didn’t have to do this for my son who is attending a private school.
He received a much larger financial aid package from this private school than the local state school–many thousands more, so filling this out might be helpful, if they require it. Make sure it’s necessary before filling it out though.)
I will say that, in my opinion, getting student loans may not be worth it in the end. Is a gap year for better finances an option? Outside scholarships are great, but start looking before senior year. Weigh all of the options and do the math.
Will their major and work experience by the end of college provide your teen with a job that will give them the income needed to pay back their loans?
That is the low down on the FAFSA. It is not something to ignore or forget. It will make a difference to what your family will have to pay.
Fill the FAFSA out every year because financial aid is determined yearly.
How To Plan A College Budget With Your Teen
You Have An 18 Year Old: Be Aware Of These Little-Known Facts
27 Great Books For A Young Adult to Read For Success
Best Tips for Applying to College
29 Ways to Prepare For College
What Will My Teen Really Need in the Dorm?
Best Year Round Posts for Parenting Teens and Tweens: 50+ Titles!
Make sure to visit my Facebook page, and follow me on Pinterest and YouTube where I share lots of helpful info for parents of tweens and teens! And, finally, if you feel like this post was helpful, please share it on your favorite social media platform! Thank you so much!❤️
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