Parenting Pointers: Kids and College (Guest Post)

How to Convince Reluctant Kids to Go to University (and Save Money in the Process)Attending university comes with its own unique set of headaches, and persuading stubborn teenagers to go often proves difficult. If this sounds familiar, here are some great tips to make sure your kid stays on track.

Intriguing Scholarships
Your children might be concerned about the cost of tuition, and perhaps are afraid that they won't qualify for any academic scholarships. Many different associations and organizations, as well as athletic clubs, offer scholarships that do not solely require prestigious academic ability. Look into some of these opportunities together and be sure to let them know that you'll help them in whatever ways you can, even if you are unable to provide monetary support.

Financial Freedom
One of the reasons teenagers might be reluctant to go to school is because they rely on your for money. Early in their last year of high school, it might be prudent to stop paying all of their bills for them. Require them to start working a part-time job after school or on the weekends, and let them see how much bills really cost. Not only will they be encouraged to attend college in order to make more money in the future, but they will begin to understand how expensive college is. When they see what they make when compared to tuition, they might just be extra motivated to seek out funding on their own.

Explore the Options
Your teenager might be frightened of living away from home and just be too proud to admit that fact. Instead of grilling him or her with questions, start suggesting some schools that are close to home. Whether it's a community college or a four year institution, they will receive an excellent education. How exactly does this little plan save you money? Well, dorms are quite expensive! With the commuting option, the expense of living on campus goes away. Additionally, commuters generally need less expensive meal plans than do residential students as the former group is not on campus all of the time.

Public High School
Some parents decide to send their children to private or religious high schools because they feel their youngsters will be better prepared for college and more motivated to attend. Well, these opinions might be quite true. However, if you foresee funding a college tuition as being problematic, then it might be smart to start planning early and sending your child to a public school. As long as you do your research and send them to a school with college preparatory options, then your child will have a great education.

Saving money and encouraging your high school student to attend college are difficult processes in and of themselves, and the struggle only becomes greater when you join them together. However, the return on investment doubles exponentially when you do so. Fortunately, many ways exist in which you can tackle this problem and ensure that everyone is happy once the end result arrives for you and your young learners.

Toby Richards writes about parenting, education and more. He likes to help his readers find the Best Sociology Programs.