Educational Dividends: Families: Preparing Your Child for College

Preparing Your Child for College
As the time approaches for your child to consider their post-secondary decisions, here are a few tips for parents.

Options

Not all children should go to college. Talk with your children early about their career goals and interests. A variety of post-secondary options are available including colleges and universities, trade and vocational schools, community colleges or the workforce.

Information on the level of education required for specific fields can be found at the Occupational Outlook Handbook published by the U.S. Department of Labor.

An online assessment is available that will help you and your child determine their personality type.

Trade and Vocational Schools

Trade and vocational schools provide students with opportunities for skills training without the need of attending a four-year college.

For more information on Trade Schools and Vocational Education, go to the ERIC Clearinghouse on Adult, Career and Vocational Education.

Colleges and Universities

A good resource is the U.S. News and World Report College Ranking guide. This guide includes rankings, admission information, tuition costs, a link to each college's web site, a general description of the school, and much more.

Financing

A wide variety of education financing options are available. They include savings, loans, scholarships and work study. We suggest investigating a combination of options, beginning your research early and involving your child in the financing process.

Get a free application for Federal Student Aid online or call the Department of Education at 800/433-3243. Other useful web sites offer an overview of loans, grants and work study assistance, additional information on financial aid and various schools' financial aid offices.

If you're looking for scholarships visit www.fastweb.com
www.scholaraid.com
www.collegeboard.org
www.collegequest.com

Preparing Your Child

Whatever post-secondary option you and your child determine is right for them, you are both about to enter a time of great change. Communication is essential when preparing your child and your family for the next step in the maturation process. Some issues to consider are:

	Money Management:
	Before leaving home, children should have experience establishing and maintaining a budget, an understanding of credit and contracts, and experience in the workplace either as an employee or as a volunteer.
	Household Skills:
	Children should have experience with basic household chores like laundry, cleaning and cooking.
	Emergency Skills:
	Children should be taught personal and home safety skills.
	Time Management:
	Prioritizing activities during high school is a challenge. Life after high school is even more hectic especially if your child will be living away from home.