Some parents try to save a little time, energy, and money by putting their kids in charge of planning their own college financing.
“She’s nearly an adult—let her figure it out herself and live with the consequences,” some parents think.
But—is it actually a good idea to put kids in charge of college financing?
The answer? An emphatic no.
Parents, please—don’t put kids in charge of college financing.
No matter how busy you are, and no matter how bright and capable your son or daughter seems to be—please take charge of the college financing task yourself.
Figuring out college financing is too complex a task for kids.
Parents, though—you can do it!
Especially with the clear, step-by-step help I provide below.
Your teen’s brain is not yet ready for the task of college financing.
Studies show that before the age of 24, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of the adolescent brain is not developed sufficiently to be able to succeed at large-scale tasks requiring high-level evaluation of risk and preparation for the future.
College financing is an adult task, and doing it for your children will be one of the greatest gifts you can give them as they launch into adulthood.
Doing this can be extremely rewarding for parents.
Yes—planning for your child’s debt-free college graduation will take a little bit of time and preparation on your part. You’ll think and plan on this topic a little bit during middle school—if possible—and bit by bit during high school. But the joy and satisfaction you’ll feel when your child walks across the college graduation stage debt-free, ready to step directly into a career he excels at and loves, will be worth every bit of the time you put into it.
Partly because you’re doing something that will affect not just your own kids—but your descendants too, for generations to come.
Are you thinking of having your kids just “declare independence” from you?
You may have heard somewhere that doing so will help your kids get extra free money for college—but this is no longer the case.
Do you worry that you’re late to college planning?
Read the helpful, reassuring article I’ve written on exactly that subject here.
Are you a student, and your parents are refusing to help you plan your college financing?
See the helpful article I’ve written especially for you here. I hope that this article will help you convince your parents to assist you with planning your college financing (including filling out the FAFSA form—even if they’re rich).
Help us spread the word about this!
Copy this entire article and paste it right into your school, business, or homeschool newsletter. Put a link to it in your Facebook group! Just include the words “By Jeannie Burlowski.”
Remember, filling out financial aid forms is only a small part of the picture when it comes to getting your kid through college debt-free.
For clear, step-by-step help with the whole debt-free college process from beginning to end, get your copy of my book:
Important—> It’s a reference book, so nobody reads the whole thing cover to cover. Pick out what you need to read in it using the fast-paced, 10-minute video instructions here.
You can see hundreds of reviews of this book on Amazon by going to:
You can see why financial advising professionals love LAUNCH, here.
You can see the top 9 questions parents are asking me about LAUNCH, here.
Read just one chapter of LAUNCH every 1–3 months while your child’s in middle school and high school, and you’ll know every viable strategy for debt-free college at exactly the right time to implement it.
And if your child’s already well past middle school? That’s OK; you can run to catch up. But the process of getting your kids through college debt-free goes more smoothly the earlier you start it—especially if you’re not planning to save up any money to pay for college.
Let's you and I walk together toward the goal of debt-free college for your kids.
We can accomplish this no matter your current income level—even if your kids never get a single scholarship.
Your first step is getting regularly scheduled, free helpful articles from me—right in your email inbox. Quick, sign up here.
Do you have very specific questions for me about debt-free college and career for your kids?
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Who is Jeannie Burlowski?
Jeannie is a full-time academic strategist, podcast host, and sought-after speaker for students ages 12–26, their parents, and the professionals who serve them. Her writing, speaking, and podcasting help parents set their kids up to graduate college debt-free, ready to jump directly into careers they excel at and love. Her work has been featured in publications such as The Huffington Post, USA Today, Parents Magazine, and US News & World Report, and on CBS News.
Jeannie also helps students apply to law, medical, business, and grad school at her website GetIntoMedSchool.com. You can follow her on Bluesky @jburlowski.bsky.social.
No part of this article was written using AI.
This article was updated on January 24th, 2025.