I know, I know. You have a lot of people telling you that the local state university is your kid’s bargain basement choice. Well…
Unless your child is able to become a part of the honors program at that state university, this is not likely to be true. For the sobering truth about the cost of state schools, read my previous posts on this subject here and here.
The bargain choice for your child may actually be a private college located far, far from your home state.
Far from your home state? Why would that be?
Because some private college admissions departments like to gain prestige by bragging that the college has students in attendance “from all 50 states.” If they are missing the South Dakota kid and you just happen to be from South Dakota, your child may get a nice big fat scholarship to attend based solely on “geographic advantage.”
In many cases these scholarships are so generous that they more than make up for the plane tickets you have to buy to get your son home for Christmas.
If you’re going to try this strategy, take my advice and let your “far away” private college be one of the 3000 U.S. colleges and universities that do not require the CSS/Profile financial aid form. Private colleges that look only at the FAFSA form may give your family more generous amounts of free money financial aid — getting you closer and closer to your goal of having your kid graduate college debt-free.
If you spend a little time on my website, I can give you valuable free help choosing actual bargain colleges. To get straight to that advice, click here and then here.
Would you like free, clear, step-by-step help getting your kids through college debt-free?
Subscribe to my weekly email newsletter using the form on this site, and then open it every single time it lands in your email inbox. For up-to-the-minute help for your individual situation, click on your child’s age in the “WHAT TO DO WHEN” section on this website.
What about you? Do you know anyone who went to college far out of state and saved a bundle? Comment below, or LIKE Jeannie Burlowski Author on Facebook and let’s talk about it there.
Do you have friends whose kids are currently applying to college? Lots of students are trying to finish up college applications before getting too far into the senior year of high school. SHARE this post on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin with those families right now.
Who is Jeannie Burlowski?
Jeannie Burlowski is a full-time consultant, author, and conference speaker. She helps parents set their kids up to graduate college debt-free and move directly into careers they excel at and love. Her book LAUNCH: How to Get Your Kids Through College Debt Free and Into Jobs They Love Afterward is due out within months. You can find Jeannie’s free, clear, step-by-step help for parents in the “WHAT TO DO WHEN” section on this website. Follow her on Twitter @JBurlowski.
“We only got around to doing a fraction of what Jeannie tells people to do in the free help on her website, and we saved well over $50,000 on college costs. Our daughter earned a four year degree from an excellent private university at age 20, and she’s now in California happily working her dream job at Disney. Get to one of Jeannie’s live classes if you can. Buy a plane ticket if you have to!” — Liz and Tim Weatherhead, parents, Bloomington, MN