Today I’m giving you 5 jaw-dropping debt-free college ideas in just 32 minutes.
You’ll learn these ideas by listening to me being interviewed on attorney Steve Richardson’s Financial Freedom podcast. (Listen while you’re getting ready in the morning or emptying the dishwasher!)
These debt-free college ideas will apply to you no matter how old your kids are right now. Middle school, high school, or college—or maybe your kids are far older and currently struggling to make payments on loans racked up years ago. Everyone gets help in this quick 32-minute span of time.
If you don’t have 32 minutes for debt-free college ideas, jump straight to the idea you need the most.
They are all listed below.
First Idea—Minute 19: Why state universities may not be your bargain option, and which high-quality colleges are far more likely to be a good deal.
Second Idea—Minute 22: What to do if you haven’t yet saved any money to help pay for college, but you might like to start saving a little bit now. (Featuring helpful info on the two things parents must do before they put any money into college savings.)
Third Idea—Minute 25: How parents can skyrocket academic confidence in kids ages 12–26 in just 1/2 a day—and—once the kids feel energized and confident, how parents can figure out whether their kids could be allowed to take real college classes in high school at state expense. (A huge money saver—hands down one of the best ways to get kids through college debt-free.)
Fourth Idea—Minute 34: Does someone you love currently have student loan debt? Do you? In this 7-minute segment, attorney Steve Richardson and I provide an easy-to-access resource that just might help your son or daughter (or you) to greatly reduce current student loan debt. Jump on this today—there are deadlines coming up. (Note that during this segment, attorney Steven Richardson casually mentions Parent PLUS loans as a viable possibility for families. I disagree with him on this particular point, and here’s why.)
Fifth Idea—Minute 41: The last thing you want is your kids trying to figure out eventual career goal by “taking random college classes to see what they’re interested in.” That’s crazy expensive, it’s a strategy that’s been outdated for 30 years, and too often it leads nowhere. What you’d really love is to see your son or daughter figuring out career goal early on, and then zipping straight through college fast—without one wasted class, without one wasted dollar. In this segment, you’ll hear a 10-minute CliffsNotes version of the 2.5-hour online class I teach on this subject. To get my full instruction on this very important subject, get on the waiting list for my TRIBE Membership here. The career clarification class session you need will be the second session you take with me once you’re inside.Here’s the podcast episode you need:
Note: If you happen to listen to the early part of this podcast episode—prior to minute 19—you’ll hear the host say that elite colleges such as Stanford don’t provide need-based financial aid. This isn’t true. As you can see on the Stanford website here, “Stanford offers comprehensive, need-based financial aid that makes it possible for all admitted undergraduate students to attend—and we do not expect students to borrow to meet their need.” Indeed, “…Almost half of all Stanford undergraduates receive need-based financial aid. Families earning less than $150,000 with assets typical of that income level…pay no tuition. Families earning less than $100,000 with assets typical of that income level…pay no tuition or room and board.” This generous Stanford financial aid policy is echoed by many, many other Ivy League universities.
Click here to watch the best parts of this episode—or just listen while you’re doing other things:
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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.
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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 and World Report, and on CBS News.
Jeannie also helps students apply to law, medical, business, and grad school at her website GetIntoMedSchool.com.
No part of this article was written using AI.