Parenting Teens

College costs in danger of interfering with your teenager’s education? There’s lots of information out there about applying for federal financial aid, but there are plenty of other ways to get money and to save money on college costs. Here’s a few of them.

1. Out-of-state or in-state? In-state reciprocity is a deal whereby states agree to let their residents attend college at participating schools in other states at reduced rates. If your prospective student is interested in college in a nearby state, check with the school to see if this is a possibility, and if your student might qualify. You can also check with your state education department. Check at ed.gov/about/contacts/state to get help.

2. A financial aid decision can be appealed. Has your teen been denied for federal financial aid, or given too little? If financial pressures such as medical disability, a job status change, etc., have come up since aid was first applied for, some schools will review their decision on how much aid a student was given. If you do appeal, be prepared. Make an appointment with a financial aid officer, and get copies of financial statements, medical records, expense records, or anything else the financial aid office asks for, promptly.

3. Community service pays. Volunteer organizations connected with AmeriCorps will help pay for college if a student volunteers with them. Recent high school and college grads can work as a teacher, home builder, or community organizer. Americorps will give a student up to $4, 725 per year toward tuition, in return for a year of service. See their website for more information.

4. Private schools aren’t necessarily more expensive. Many private schools hand out more financial aid than their public counterparts. You might actually end up spending less on a private school.

5. Try CLEPping some classes. High scores on the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) exams can allow you to get credit for classes on some basic required courses. Check with the college admissions office to see if you might qualify. Some colleges also give credit for advanced placement classes taken in high school.

6. Save hundreds with used textbooks. The cost of new textbooks is at an all-time high. Books for a single semester of college work can now cost in the hundreds. If the book your teen needs isn’t a new edition of an earlier textbook, buying used is the way to go. Some even find that information highlighted by students who previously used the book can come in handy, especially if they were good students!

There are all kinds of ways to get and save money for college. Sit down and brainstorm with your teenager on how they can save and you can help!

Check out the information on other parenting sites:

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Our ungenerous-to-a-fault president has, once again, told us where his priorities stand-he will authorize more spending for the war, but not for our children’s health. President Bush has-as promised-vetoed a bill which would have expanded the coverage of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program(SCHIP).

SCHIP is a joint state-federal program which subsidizes health coverage 6.6 million people, mostly children, whose families earn too much to qualify for Medicaid, but not enough to afford their own private insurance coverage. Democrats (and many Republicans) had passed the bill, which would add $35 billion over five years. This would have allowed four million additional children to be covered by the program. The expansion would have been funded by raising the federal tax on cigarettes to $1 per pack.

The president’s reasons for vetoing the bill were that it was too costly, took the program too far from its original intent of helping the poor, and would entice people to switch to government insurance coverage from private insurers. He argued that the plan would be a move toward socialized medicine, by expanding the program to higher-income families.

House Democratic leaders plan to try to override the veto. The Senate approved the bill with enough votes to override the veto, but the House will need some 15 more votes to get the required 2/3 majority they need to override Bush’s veto.

We should all hope and pray that the required number of votes will be attained. This is an extremely important program for our children and teens. Contact your Senators and Representatives to let them know that you support this bill. Let them know that we are tired of a president who favors war spending over the health of our children.

For more on this issue, go to:
Media Critiques

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I used the picture above only because I couldn’t find anything dealing with the expenses of juniors, or with high school expenses in general-but whew! Do you sometimes feel your middle or high school age teen is bankrupting you? My daughter’s a junior this year, and we’ve never put out so much money in our lives!

First, as she’s a member of the marching band, we had to lay out $150.00 in band fees, as well as buying shoes, gloves, etc. Then, there’s the expense involved with the upkeep of her clarinet (we won’t go into what we paid for it three years ago), and what seems to be the almost constant buying of reeds for it. Then, as the marching band appears at all the football games, there’s the expense of buying two tickets for each home game for myself and her dad (we rarely go to away games, mainly to save money!). Then there’s the annual band trip, which will be to Disney World next spring, and which involves the outlay of several hundred dollars more. And none of this includes upkeep or anything else involving her bass guitar, which she plays in our church band and in jazz band at school, once the marching season’s over.

But enough about instruments. There’s still plenty of other expenses. She’s also on the academic team and the math team. Upcoming overnight trips for these two teams to compete will involve at least spending money, and some of the money for the travel expenses as well, since these teams don’t receive enough money from the school system to pay expenses. The jury’s still out on how much we will put into these two activities by the end of the school year.

On top of everything else, her academic team adviser is putting together a student trip to Germany, which will take place at the end of the school year, but we have to start making monthly payments of about $250.00 a month on it now. No, this trip isn’t absolutely necessary, but we’re determined to send her. She’s had several invitations to go on overseas trips since starting high school, but we haven’t been able to afford them and we’re determined to send her on this one.

Oh, yeah, then there’s the upcoming homecoming dance for which she’ll need a dress, shoes, and her hair and nails done! Then, in the spring will be her prom-involving another outlay of precious cash for finery. And, lest I forget, she came home yesterday with the news that she needs to buy her class ring this year-in order to get her cap and gown for next year’s graduation free.

And her birthday’s almost here, which involves a party, not to mention gifts! It’s a good thing she’ll be getting that cap and gown free next year! Her prom date for next year can plan to pick her up at the poorhouse! It’s where we’ll be living by the time her junior year is over!

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Back-to-school can be the best time of the year to teach your teen that money doesn’t grow on trees! A study by Capital One Financial Corporation found that 52% of parents have not talked to their teen about the differences between “needs” and “wants.” Thirty-six percent of parents haven’t talked to their teens at all about back-to-school finances.

Before hitting the stores, help your teen come up with a budget, and a list of things they really need. After buying all the needed items, you can talk with them about spending any leftover money in the budget for less-essential things. Be sure to talk with your teens about the differences between something they need and something they want. Stress that just because other kids have certain items (iPods or fancy cell phones), doesn’t mean that they’re a necessity.

Back-to-school can sometimes be a painful time for parents. You want your children to have what others have, but sometimes there’s just not enough money. Realize that you are doing the best you can do, and be sure to remind your teens that school is really about the education you’re getting, and is not meant to be a fashion show, or a place to show off electronic gadgets.

With back-to-school, shopping, you can teach your teen excellent lessons about the value of money, about budgeting, and about the difference between necessities and luxuries. They’re lessons that they’ll put to good use for the rest of their lives!

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CosmoGirl! has included a wonderful booklet inside their latest print issue that includes many great tips for teens entering college. Although geared toward girls, most of the tips apply to guys as well. Several of my daughter’s friends found them helpful. Here’s five of the best:

1. Clean up your online profile. Those inside jokes posted on your Facebook or MySpace page won’t seem nearly as funny to your new friends at school. Plus, a simple profile lets you reveal your personality to the new people you meet at your own pace.

2. Make nice with Mom and Dad. Leave a handwritten note, or frame a picture of the three of you to show how much you love and appreciate them. College will be fun and exciting, but you’re going to miss your parents (and need their support), so give good old Mom and Dad some TLC before you leave.

3. Learn to do laundry. Ask your parents for pointers, and test your skills. Keep it simple and buy just one detergent and a color-safe bleach for both light and dark loads.

4. Get on a budget. Write down every dollar you spend for a month. Then talk to your parents about what costs you’ll be responsible for in college. Plan two weekly trips to the ATM: one on Monday for the school week, and one on Friday for the weekend’s expenses.

5. Mind your p’s and q’s. Write thank-you notes to your favorite teachers and bosses. Personalize your message and describe how each one has influenced your life. You’ll make their year, plus you’ll kick off your new life at school with some good karma.

Pass these tips off to your college-bound teens! Especially the one about the TLC for Mom and Dad!

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Do you have a teen who’s leaving for college soon? If you do, you may be facing the dilemma of whether or not they need a credit card for emergencies. Michelle Singletary, a financial writer for the Washington Post says no.

Parents gave her reasons for students needing a credit card like the following: the need to rent a motel room if they become stranded somewhere, the possibility of a car breaking down or just needing gas, the difficulty in getting a credit card after getting out of school, if they haven’t had one before. She addressed each of those issues separately, and gave good, solid reasons why students didn’t need credit cards for those things.

Some motels do rent rooms without a card. Get your student into an auto club for emergencies, instead of giving them a credit card. After graduation, a person can begin to build a credit history by starting out with a small retail account, and then moving on to a major credit card company. These are good, strong points involving not giving a teen a credit card. Then, there’s the major one-the fact that many, many college students will max out the card and there’ll be a huge debt for either you or them to pay!

My best friend is facing that dilemma with her daughter, who’s about to go away to college. She read all the good points, knew there were ways to get around using credit cards, and was worried about her daughter charging too much. In the end, she still gave her a credit card.

In a couple of years, when my daughter goes away to school, I’ll probably do the same. I think it’s something to do with the fanatical need, as a parent, to know that your child is safe. I’d rather give my daughter a credit card than think about her being stranded and having her out hunting around for a motel that rents rooms for cash. I’d rather my daughter have a credit card than think of her out stranded somewhere waiting for an auto club tow truck that might be a lot farther away than the nearest garage. And what if she has run out of cash, or has lost it?

Because of her good credit history, my best friend was able to get a card with a low interest rate that only her daughter will use. Since no one else will be using the account, it should be very simple to keep up with how much her daughter charges. And if she starts charging too much, or charging unnecessary things, the card can be taken away.

It’s up to the individual parents whether or not to give their teen a credit card. In my own case, my daughter may not really need a card. But I need her to have one for my own peace of mind! My paranoia’s showing!

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