Category Archives: college guidance

college guidance, college planning, financial aid, parenting

Should you co-sign on a student loan?

 

student loans

As a parent, you probably want to do anything within your power to make your child’s dream of college come true. Hopefully you’ve saved up enough money to help them afford tuition, but that college fund may not stretch nearly as far as you once thought it would. Tuition rates continue to rise and finding grants and scholarships take some work on the part of your college-bound teen. For the vast majority of students and families, taking out loans is the only recourse. But some private loans will require you to co-sign on your child’s behalf. This complicates things, and could cause a host of problems. But, should you co-sign on a student loan?

It’s important to remember that any loan offered by the federal government will never require you to co-sign.

Those loans make up the bulk of the borrowed money for any student, and they come with low interest rates and controlled payback periods. In addition, some federal loans won’t accrue interest or require any payments to be made until after the student graduates. Federal subsidized Stafford loans do not charge interest until graduation. Unsubsidized Stafford loans begin charging interest on the day they are disbursed.

If you’re being asked to co-sign, that means it’s a private loan.

You must make sure that your child has looked for all government loans first before going this route.Repaying a private, co-signed loan is also far less flexible. You may have to start paying it off immediately, and the lenders don’t always offer the same deferment and forbearance options as the government. This makes it much harder to manage repayment, which also greatly increases the chance of a loan default. If your child does need some sort of deferment, they’ll often be charged a fee to do so. Overall, this option is far less favorable.

Co-signers are held responsible.

Keep in mind that as the co-signer you will be held responsible if your son or daughter fails to make payments. In fact, the lending institution will consider you 100% liable for this money, just as if you personally borrowed it. You don’t ever want to think about your child running into these sorts of problems, but it happens all too often to be ignored. Not only will they hold you responsible, but just as with those title loans in Arizona that went into default they will hit you with legal action if you fail to pay. That means action from the IRS, penalty payments and a massive dent in your credit score. This can bring about a whole host of emotional issues within the family, and the financial strain just isn’t worth it. All in all, consider co-signing to be an absolute last resort move.

Parents can co-sign on a student loan.

There are some positives to be found going this route. First of all, your student will be able to secure a lower interest rate, thanks to your involvement. Even if your college-bound child has been saving diligently, chances are he or she has not built up much credit to date, if any at all. If you have a solid credit history, you should be able to help your child secure a far lower interest rate by co-signing. And that means the cost of the loan will be lower over the life of the repayment period. In addition, by co-signing you are helping your child establish his or her own credit history. This process is crucial, as it will help them get future loans. Building credit often starts by opening up credit cards, and that comes with all sorts of other issues. By going this route you’ll work together to build your child’s credit.

Parents do have another option-PLUS loans (Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students).

To qualify for PLUS Loans, parents must have children who are enrolled at least half-time at an approved educational institution. The maximum allowable amount that can be borrowed for a PLUS Loan is the difference between the cost of the student’s attendance and any other financial aid the student receives (a number set by the school’s financial aid office).Unlike Stafford Loans, PLUS Loans feature neither a grace period during which no payments are due nor any period during which interest doesn’t accrue. The upside of this choice is that you control the repayment and do not have to rely on your student’s job procurement after graduation, or their ability to repay their loans.

college guidance, college planning, parenting

5 Ways for students to avoid college sickness

 

college sicknessWith tons of college students crammed into dorms and classrooms, it’s not surprising that ailments spread like wildfire on campus, especially when you add sleepless nights, high stress, poor diet, and a general lack of physical fitness to the equation. And yet, the college students in your family need not succumb to the illnesses that plague their peers on campus, even if they are so caught up in their studies that they make health their last priority.To avoid college sickness, here are just a few pieces of advice you can instill in your kids  before they leave home:

  1. Prioritize R&R. Burning the midnight oil and letting anxiety rise without respite are two great ways to ensure that your body forces you to take a time out by contracting an illness. While students might not think that they have the time in their busy schedule to get the rest and relaxation they need, it often boils down to a matter of planning and prioritization. Sure they could stay out late with their friends, or they could choose to go out for a little while and then come home and hit the hay for a full night of rest. Taking time to relax with some yoga or even a couple chapters of fun reading (not related to a class) is possible when studying is done in a timely manner instead of put off until the last minute.
  2. Drink plenty of fluids. Proper nutrition is essential to good health, but one of the best lines of defense against illness is a large daily dose of fluids to keep a body hydrated and flush out toxins. Water is generally best, so let students know that soda and coffee don’t really figure into the eight-glasses-a-day rule.
  3. Use hand sanitizer. In general, the best way to keep kids from spreading germs is to have them wash their hands frequently throughout the day. But college-age kids might not be keen to run to the restroom between every class. For this reason, mini bottles of hand sanitizer are a great option. They can fit in a backpack or purse and keep hands that touch food and faces from transmitting the germs their classmates inadvertently share.
  4. Get a flu shot. Your teens have no doubt had all of their immunizations by the time they head off to college, but flu shots must be received annually in order to protect students from this virus. Shots may not be fun, but if they keep your student from spending a week in bed with a fever, body aches, and all manner of other symptoms they’re well worth a momentary sting.
  5. Keep regular doctor visits. Good health is an ongoing process, and it requires the help of professionals not only when something is wrong, but for regular checkups and preventive care. Since your teens will probably remain on your insurance during their time in college, find them a doctor in their area that’s on your plan and remind them when they’re due for a physical. And for times when they’re unable to avoid illness, put the number of the doctor or your policy provider’s premier patient line on speed dial.

 

college guidance, college planning, dorm life

Stocking up on college wardrobe essentials

 

Your teens would happily waltz off to college wearing the torn jeans and stained tees that saw them through high school. But as a parent you know the power of first impressions, and you want your kids to set their best foot forward when they enter the ivory tower of learning. They have all semester to prove that they’re bright, insightful, and motivated to work hard, but if they show up to class in clothes that you wouldn’t even donate to charity they will be making a bad first impression. It’s important that you take the time to help them find wardrobe essentials that are comfortable but appropriate.

Here are just a few suggestions of college wardrobe essentials for your college bound teen.

college wardrobe essentials

Get rid of the worn, ratted clothing

The first thing you should do is get rid of the raggedy old jeans and tees that seem to have become the staple of every teen wardrobe. Even if all you can get your teens to agree to is a brand new and cleaned up version of these outfits it will be an improvement over the gnarly threads they currently sport. But if at all possible, you may want to push them to expand their style borders and adopt a few pieces that will help them to appear like they’re serious about their education. It’s not as though they have to wear a prim and proper uniform, but wardrobe selections are not only important with college staff, they make  either positive or negative impressions with other students.

Take some professional attire

In truth, it’s not a bad idea to have at least one suit handy for situations like internship or job interviews, and a few business-casual pieces couldn’t hurt either. Slacks can provide a nice change from jeans for guys or girls, as can buttoned shirts, which can be just as comfortable as other options while looking a lot more put-together. A jacket can add finish to any outfit. Remind your teens that there are ways to make these pieces portray their personality by dressing them up with accessories (scarves, jewelry, cool kicks, etc.). They can work to make a wardrobe appear more polished while still showing off the style that they rank as a top priority when it comes to creating great outfits.

Don’t forget to pack climate appropriate clothing

Another thing to consider when selecting an appropriate college wardrobe is the climate your students will live in. If they’re used to the temperate climate of sunny southern California, they may have a rude awakening when they head off to college in Michigan or New York. So it’s important to outfit them with all the cold-weather clothing they’ll need to survive their jogs across campus in below-zero temps. This could include long Johns, wool socks, and an arctic parka, as well as gloves, hats, and scarves. Rather than letting them pack bikinis and gowns for prom that they’ll never use, store their less useful clothing at home so they can come back for it later and send them to college with a wardrobe that truly suits the needs of their new environment.

 

college guidance, hooking up, parenting, social networks

The hooking up culture

 

Hooking upIs dating gone? What about courtship? According to a recent NY Times article and most college students it’s a dinosaur. They have random “hook ups” with people they meet–which can include anything from making out to oral sex to intercourse. Parents need to know and understand this new culture in order to prepare their students for college. As I’ve said before, preparation is much more than academics.

According to the article in the Times hooking up is destroying today’s young adults:

Blame the much-documented rise of the “hookup culture” among young people, characterized by spontaneous, commitment-free (and often, alcohol-fueled) romantic flings. Many students today have never been on a traditional date, said Donna Freitas, who has taught religion and gender studies at Boston University and Hofstra and is the author of the forthcoming book, “The End of Sex: How Hookup Culture is Leaving a Generation Unhappy, Sexually Unfulfilled, and Confused About Intimacy.”

Parents MUST be aware of the current “hook up” culture and have some serious talks with their teens. Steer them away from one night stands, make out sessions, and sexting. Inform them of the changes that have occurred (if they don’t already know) in how people meet and get to know one another. Consider this story in The Atlantic:

This was a routine she repeated for months. Every weekend night, and on some weekday nights, she would drink so heavily that she could remember only patches of what happened the night before and then would have sex with the same fraternity brother. One night, she was talking with someone else at the frat when the brother interrupted her and led her upstairs to have sex. On another occasion, they had sex at the frat, but Nicole was too drunk to find her clothes afterward, so she started walking around the house naked, to the amusement of all of the other brothers. She was too drunk to care. Eventually, everything went dark. Next weekend, she returned to the frat.

When I asked Nicole if she was still hooking up with the same frat boy, she shook her head. She explained that the entire time she was having sex with him he never once spoke to her or acknowledged her outside of his fraternity’s basement. Not in the library, not in the dining hall, not at the bookstore.

I later told Nicole’s story to a close guy friend. “What a jerk, right?” My friend, also a frat brother, objected: “After the first time, it starts becoming the girl’s fault, too.” Nicole and the frat brother were just hooking up, after all—what didn’t I get?

Make your girls (and boys) understand that “hooking up” is NOT the road to a lasting relationship. Help them know how to stand up to peer pressure and encourage them to seek out relationships, even if it’s not the norm and it takes time.

This Friday night on 20/20, Denice Ann Evans, producer of the award-winning feature documentary: Spitting Game: The College Hook Up Culture, will talk about hooking up, the use of social media, texting and sexting on college campuses. It’s an interview you don’t want to miss. Record it if you have to but watch it with your teen. Education is much more than academics. Parenting your college-bound teen requires that you invest your time to understand the obstacles that your teen will face as they enter college.

college guidance, college planning, parenting

Working part-time during high school

 

The Essential Guide to High Schooler's Prepping for College

As a parent, you’re not only responsible for helping your teen get into college but also for making sure they’re prepared for it. From money management to studying skills, college requires a diverse set of skill sets. Just getting good grades in high school won’t effectively train your student for the demands of university life.

Perhaps balancing after school activities, household chores and a job will:


Encourage Exploration

Teens who work during high school — at the city swimming pool, mayor’s office or local burger joint — will gain valuable insight about themselves, their working habits and career aspirations. Their career choice may change, but it’s what they learn that’ll prove useful in college. Part-time work can help a teen discover and develop his or her natural traits, such as leadership, communication or team player abilities. By the time they get to college, working teens will already be experienced and ready to make decisions about classes, majors and career choices.

Resume Building

Some teen job seekers aren’t sure what a resume is, don’t think they need a resume, or aren’t sure what to include.

Even though, a resume isn’t required for a lot of teen jobs, a resume can bolster the chances of getting hired. Plus, the teen will have more information to put on the resume than one might think. Even if, it isn’t formal work experience, it doesn’t matter — include other types of work like house sitting or volunteering experiences.

Apply for jobs by making a list with your teen:

  • Name, address and contact info
  • School, work, volunteering history
  • Skills and experience
  • Accomplishments such as awards, sports, honor roll, etc

Develops Independence

A teen who’s expected to balance homework, after school activities, a social life, and work will have to learn time management and responsibility. If handled properly, this can provide teens with a great opportunity to mature and find their independence. As parents, we often try to micro-manage our kids’ lives as a way to lead them down the right path. Do that, but when they hit a certain age, you need to cut the cord. Let them make some of their own life decisions, even if it means guaranteed bumps in the figurative road of the future. They’ll learn from those mistakes and be grateful you let them.

They Learn to Communicate

If you have a sometimes strained relationship with your 15-year-old — and who doesn’t — it can make you wonder how one would handle a working relationship with co-workers or a boss. Conversing regularly with people who aren’t their friends or family members provides a good experience for teens. They learn to communicate with people who don’t already like or know them. It can be rough, but it’s essential. Fast forward five years and that teen will be in college and need those skills when participating in group projects.

Building Confidence

Being aware of ones natural talents is one thing, but having confidence in ones ability to try is another. Teens need experience in learning from mistakes. Working part time will undoubtedly present opportunities for this. If handled properly, teens will learn how to apply criticism and improve — which will help them build confidence as they see reputation isn’t built on skill alone but also on their ability to try, and try again. College life and all that it includes can sometimes be rough. Your student will need a degree of confidence to succeed — help them build it.

Saving for college

Working part-time during high school will also give your teen the opportunity to save money for college. This money can be used for purchasing books, travel expenses, living expenses and even tuition, translating into less money to borrow while they are in school.

college guidance, dorm life

5 First aid tips for college students

campus health services

 

Though all college students are covered by insurance for the duration of their studies, there are minor injuries that can be treated without having to walk into an emergency room.  There are a few first aid tips for college students and preventative safety measures that will allow you to keep certain injuries from keeping you down when you should be hitting the books.

Burns

If a serious burn takes place, from boiling oil or a fiery object, it is necessary to get to the hospital immediately.  There are very few cases of serious burns, however, and the occasional singing can be taken care of with only a few preventative measures.  A cooling ointment will help take care of first-degree burns that come from accidentally touching a radiator or getting a nasty sunburn after a long football game.  For a more serious burn, you should cover the area with sterile gauze.  Do not use cotton balls, since they can get small bits of fabric into the wounded skin.

Relieve Pain

Headaches, tension, stress, migraines, and the occasional boo-boo are all commonplace in the college environment.  A simple over-the-counter pain relief medication can be a godsend after a particularly intense lecture, a major exam, or a lengthy cramming session.  An aspirin is good for physical pain or soreness from activities like intramural sports or gym exercise, while ibuprofen like Advil is better for headaches or tension brought about by stress.  Remember to be careful not to take more than the recommended dosage of pain relievers.

Keep Sickness at Bay

A cold-weather college can breed the flu like an incubator.  Avoid colds and flu by bundling up against inclement weather, but also stash away flu medication for what is likely an inevitable contest with sickness.  Vitamin C tablets and lozenges work well to not only boost your immune system but to clear up a sore throat.  Cough syrup works well, but too much can leave a student woozy and drowsy.  Keep a thermometer on hand in order to monitor your temperature, and do not be afraid to see a doctor if your temperature exceeds one hundred degrees.

Cuts and Bruises

Whether you are a particularly clumsy student or whether you just have bad luck handling things, there are sure to be a multitude of cuts and scrapes in the duration of your studies.  Keeping sterile bandages on hand will help against paper cuts, cracked skin, or any sports injuries that cause blood to flow.  Keep a set of pressure-sensitive pads on hand so that you can protect your feet against blisters if you have to hike all the way across campus in order to get to your next class.  If necessary, a full knee brace can be helpful if you have to lift heavy objects or participate in a soccer game that puts much more demand on your limbs.  Remember that any kit should have basic items like tweezers and scissors in order to create a field bandage or operation in a hurry.

Antibiotics

The biggest harm that will likely come to a college student will come from another college student in their near vicinity.  Living in a dorm room hall with dozens or even hundreds of other students will create a breeding ground for infections and germs.  Keeping these nasty little invisible menaces at bay is the best means of keeping yourself healthy.  Having an antibiotic ointment like Neosporin for cuts allows you to prevent infection, while a rubbing alcohol application on surfaces like desks and computer keyboards will prevent the spread of germs from person to person.

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Author Bio

Sarah Daren is a writer who creates informative article related to the field of health. In this article, she offers first aid tips to college students to help against sickness and burns and aims to encourage further study with an  online fire science degree.

college guidance, college planning, parenting

Preparing for college studies

preparing for college

 

There comes a time when parents have to send their children off to the world of university or college, and hope that the child acts appropriately and completes the studies in a mature manner. Though independent, there are certain lessons that parents should strive to teach the child before they leave home to enter their first year of college studies.

The following are four ideas and lessons parents should teach their child to ensure they are preparing for college studies:

Teaching Healthy Study Habits

Encouraging a healthy study habit is important, but first the student must learn the study habits that are going to help them to excel in their classes. Teaching methods to remember and recall information, habits to study alone and as part of a group, and habits that can help the student to embed the information to their memory are essential for students transitioning to a university setting.

Parents should emphasize the fact that cramming, or waiting until the last minute to study large amounts of material, isn’t an effective way to absorb the information. Proper organization and planning is required for successful studying. Encouraging healthy eating and sleeping habits as part of the lifestyle can help students to get in the right state of mind for studying.

There are classes parents can register the student for that teach basic studying techniques, as well as identifying the type of learning that works best for your child. Using these classes, parents and students can find studying techniques that work.

Teaching the Student to Ask for Assistance

There are many sources of assistance available throughout the post secondary education. Students can find help through study sessions taught to enhance the information that has been learned in the lecture hall, group sessions between peers that can be used to understand ideas, and tutoring services that are available through the university or college, free of charge.

It’s important to teach the student that it’s okay to ask for help, and learn about the options that are available for the student to find the help needed. Asking for help at the beginning of the confusion of concepts, rather than waiting until the concept has been built upon, can help the student to understand the lessons being taught.

Teach Short and Long Term Goal Setting

Parents should teach students the importance of setting goals and the differences between short and long-term goals. Creating goals that are semester wide and education wide both as short and long term can help the student to reach their goals.

It’s important to teach the student to set goals that are achievable and realistic to be reached within the time frame. Always include a time frame that includes completion of the goal. A goal without a timeline is not a goal at all. Teach the student that it’s okay to reward themselves once the goal has been reached, but rewards should be practical and match the type of goal that has been completed.

Teach Accountability

Unlike high school, where students have teachers and parents that ensure the work is being completed, students are held accountable to themselves in post secondary school. If work is incomplete and tests aren’t attended, zero marks are given to the student.

It’s important for the student to realize that they are held accountable to themselves and that they are solely responsible to study and get the course work completed. This is one of the most important things to teach the student before they head off to college (especially for students that are leaving home and going to school). Students must be aware of the privilege and cost that comes with post secondary school and ensure that the lessons are being absorbed, to avoid a squandered education.

The combination of these four lessons can help to increase the chances that the student is going to be successful in their first and subsequent years of post secondary studies.

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Author Bio

Ryan Ayers is a writer who creates informative articles relating to education. In this article, he offers tips for students to prepare for college and aims to encourage further study with a Master in Higher Education.

college guidance, college majors, college planning, financial aid

Why engineering degrees are still worth the resources

engineering degrees

 

There is a great deal of cynicism about the value of a collegiate degree these days, as unemployment soars and many people, even those with higher-level education, find themselves unable to find meaningful work.  While an English or Theater degree may be less valuable than the student would have hoped for, the good news is that an engineering degree can be worth every penny put into a person’s education.  The number of engineers in today’s society are far lower than the current demand for their services, making it not only easy for job placement, but also for picking and choosing where you would like to work.

The Money Talks

The National Association of Colleges and Employers suggests that there are few degrees that are more valuable to a student than engineering itself.  Four out of the five highest paid majors go to engineers, with petroleum engineering topping the scales at an average paycheck of one hundred thousand dollars for an entry-level position!

While a degree in computer engineering does not pay six figures, it is still possible to earn over fifty thousand dollars per year upon graduation.  What’s more, this value is sure to increase over the course of an entire career.  For a person who works for forty years, an engineering degree will provide half a million dollars more in salary than a person with just a high school education.

The Reason For the Pay

Why are engineering degrees and educational paths so much more valuable than other professions?  The answer is simple; it is a case of supply and demand.  Fewer and fewer students are going into engineering in all forms, with only five percent of all graduates holding these golden degrees.

In the United States, this imbalance is especially profound.  Other industrialized nations like Germany and Japan suffer from far more competition, with as many as one third of all students graduating with engineering degrees, but in the United States this particular career path is much more rarely taken. Engineering jobs are continually becoming available worldwide, such as the number of jobs that went into engineering at the Olympics every four years.

How Much Should You Pay For a Degree?

If you go to a major, well-respected technological university, you could realistically expect to pay about two hundred thousand dollars for a five-year engineering degree.  This kind of debt can keep a person in tuition bills for much of their life, even if their highly regarded degree gives them favorable job placement for a firm.  For a state school, however, you may pay only about ten thousand dollars per year for tuition (that figure is about double for out-of-state tuition).  This figure, however, does not include books, housing, fees, or other sums like parking.

How to Pay For the Education

Student loans have now eclipsed credit card debt as the number one source of owed money in the United States.  For those who want to pursue a degree in engineering, it may be necessary to take on significant debt in order to pursue a high-profile career.  For those who want to start a career, move to a new city, or purchase a house, it may be extremely difficult if they have several figures worth of student loan debt.

It is far better to get a type of aid for your education and reduce the payments as much as you are able to over the course of your schooling.  Since nearly all engineering degrees require five years of study, the financial commitment is even greater.  The good news is that the final year is usually spent in a co-op program where the student will earn money, so that it is not always necessary to take out loans for the final year of schooling.

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Author Bio

William Stevens is a blogger who creates informative articles relating to engineering. In this article, he explains the financial situation around a degree in this field and aims to encourage continued study with a  master of engineering in civil engineering.

college guidance, college planning, empty nest, parenting

Top 5 college adjustment tips for parents

empty nest

 

Sending your kids off to college will bring changes into your life. Not only will you have to learn to deal with concerns about health and safety once they’re out of your sight, but you’ll also have the loneliness of an empty nest to contend with. And then, of course, you’ll likely go through an adjustment period with finances. Plus, you’ll have to give up on the notion that your rules and advice carry the ability to influence your kids from afar. In short, it is a transitional period not only for the kids going off to college, but also for the parents left behind, forced to find a new way to live now that they no longer have the immediate demands of parenthood filling their every waking moment.

Here are just a few tips for parents that should help you to navigate this trying time in your life.

  1. Get a hobby. Now that the kids are off to college and intent on living their own lives, you may find yourself with a lot of free time on your hands. While most people would revel in this break from responsibility, the fact that your children are gone could have you moping around the house and missing the pitter patter of little feet (or the blaring music and slamming doors of your teens). A mourning period may be necessary, but there’s no need to prolong the suffering. Spend a few days watching TV and eating comfort food and then find a new way to spend your time. You might take a cooking class, join a gym, or take up gardening. Or you could start a book or movie club with friends. There are a myriad of ways to entertain yourself when you don’t have the pressing concerns of kids taking up all your free time.
  2. Take a trip. Parents often have a hard time figuring out where their relationship will go now that their focus isn’t mainly on the kids. Luckily, this is an excellent opportunity for you to get to know each other again, exploring interests that have long been pushed aside in favor of caring for children. Book a cruise, a weekend camping trip, or a Grand Tour of Europe and use that time to fall in love with your spouse all over again.
  3. Re-budget. Providing for higher education can be quite a balancing act when it comes to your finances. On the one hand, costs may go up significantly thanks to the exorbitant price of tuition, books, and living expenses. On the other hand, parents that plan ahead could have a college fund in place to cover these costs. And if students obtain scholarships, loans, or grants, not to mention paying a portion of their own way by working part-time, you may find yourself with some extra cash on hand. Either way, now is a good time to reevaluate your household budget in order to adjust it accordingly.
  4. Set some ground rules. You won’t have much control over your kids once they’re on campus, but you can still set a few ground rules. For one thing, if you provide a credit card it should be limited to use for school supplies and meals, for example (or else it gets cancelled). And you might want to let your students know that failing to attend class or achieve passing grades, in essence wasting your money, will lead to them getting cut off financially.
  5. Loose the reins. Obviously you’re not going to hire a security company in London or Los Angeles to follow your kids around campus. But if you’re calling them daily and trying to exert undue influence over every decision (from the majors they choose to the food they eat) it’s time to take a step back. If you’ve done a good job raising your kids you have to trust that they have the knowledge and skills to care for themselves and make good decisions. But if you insist on insinuating yourself into their lives you’re only going to alienate them, or worse, destroy their self-confidence and turn them into co-dependents for life. So loose the reins and let them run.