Debt-free college? Is that even possible for ordinary families? YEP. No matter your current income level, and even if your kids don't get a single scholarship. Debt-free college is achievable. Here's the starting line. Recently, Parents.com did an article on me. They...
This month I'm making applying for scholarships easier than ever. Join me for a free webinar designed to whet your kid's appetite for applying for scholarships. In just one hour, you and your kids will hear me teach a short-cut, two-step strategy that helps students...
Below, I give you 10 minutes of fast-paced video training created specifically for parents of 11th and 12th graders. If you've got a bright, capable 11th or 12th grader headed for college—you're probably wondering, "How are we going to pay for that?" You're especially...
Below, I give you 10 minutes of fast-paced video training created specifically for parents of 9th and 10th graders. If you've got a bright, capable 9th or 10th grader headed for college—you're probably wondering, "How are we going to pay for that?" You're especially...
Watch just one of the short, succinct video trainings below, and you'll be on the fast track to getting the kids you love through college debt-free. If you've got a bright, capable middle schooler or high schooler headed for college—you're probably wondering, "How...
Below, I give you 7 minutes of fast-paced video training created specifically for parents of 7th and 8th graders. If you've got a bright, capable 7th or 8th grader headed for college—you're probably wondering, "How are we going to pay for that?" You're especially...
This is the perfect article to post in your Facebook group—or copy and send to your entire homeschooling co-op. Why? Because almost everybody parenting kids ages 12–26 will find at least one article they desperately need right now in the list below. (The government...
I could hug the person who wrote this review of my book, on November 17th, 2019. For an author like me, a book review like this is the best gift ever. You can see the rest of this review on Amazon here. (Look in "most recent reviews.") Want to buy the "best gift ever"...
One of the greatest services I provide for parents is my debt-free college newsletter, which you can have delivered straight to your email inbox every Monday morning. Parents who open this debt-free college newsletter every Monday keep debt-free college at the tops of...
Whether you're currently parenting middle schoolers, high schoolers, or college students—you know one thing for sure. You'd love to get those kids through college debt-free, and into jobs they love afterward. But here's your struggle with debt-free college. The...
If you're currently in college—or if you're a parent who's taken out dreaded Parent PLUS loans—you'd love for a hero in a red cape to swoop down and tell you how to slash your student loan debt. The hero is here. 1. Slash your student loan debt by applying for...
I know that you want to get your kids through college debt-free, and straight into jobs they love afterward. Even if they don't get a single scholarship. There are few things in the whole world more important to you than that. You know that I've written a book that...
So, your kid just got into graduate school or medical school. That's great! Now you're wondering, "What can students do to get their grad school paid for?" Here are the 12 ways to get grad school paid for that I give to my clients at GetIntoMedSchool.com. Share this...
Today I'm writing on topic I never, ever thought I would. Could graduating high school with an AA degree in any way do a student more harm than good? My eyes are bugging out just writing that. Could graduating high school with an AA degree HURT your kid? For many moms...
If you're a parent and you've just found this, you're probably thinking: "Oh, wow—seriously? There's help for getting my kids through college debt-free, and into great jobs after college? I had no idea this kind of help was available! Am I late starting this? Yikes, I...
Books make great gifts. Why? Because a carefully chosen book can literally change a life. In this short article I share the top 9 books I most love for parents, 20-somethings, and students ages 12 and up. (Are you worried that your teen won't read a non-fiction book?...
If you're concerned that you're currently LATE to college planning, read this article now. College planning can feel like being lost in a jungle. And sadly, your kid's high school guidance counselor (nowadays more properly called a "school counselor,") can't help much...
Recently, a school district that's bringing me in to speak interviewed me so that students and parents could get to know me better. This article includes the best portions of that interview. To zoom straight to the key college planning strategy that most surprises...
To listen to my best debt-free college interview yet, click here. Listen while you're driving or getting ready in the morning, and you just might change the life of a student you love. In March of 2018 I was interviewed by Andy Earle, a Loyola Marymount University...
2017 was a year of explosive growth for my blog and weekly email newsletter readership. Parents, students, and financial planners began following me in numbers greater than I ever expected. Out of the more than 50 debt-free college articles I wrote that year, here are...
This article was originally posted here on October 2nd, 2017. It was updated and re-posted here on September 12th, 2019. You’d love for your son to get loads of free money financial aid to help him pay for college, but you’re pretty sure he won’t qualify for much....
Every year, millions of high school students are fed this line: "Hey, you should take Advanced Placement (AP) classes! They're way harder, but if you do well on the test at the end, you'll get free college credit!" It sounds like a great deal. But is it actually true?...
This article was originally published here on July 31st, 2017. It was updated and reposted here on May 22nd, 2018. Are you divorced from your child's other parent? If so, there are specialized strategies you can use to reduce your kids' future college costs. Here's...
Parent, I urge you: DO NOT cosign a student loan for your child. Today I'm featuring information from an article by nationally syndicated radio host and author Clark Howard. I consider this to be must-read info for every parent. After you read below, you can find...
Parent, might you be ready for a job change by the end of this summer? If you make this job change decision strategically, you could save your kid $40,000 on college costs. "Really? How could my job change save my kids money on college costs?" Many colleges and...
Ben and his parents sat up late at their dining room table, combing through all of Ben's college financial aid numbers one more time. Ben's dad ran his fingers nervously through his hair. The problem? It was already summer, and every college that had accepted Ben for...
Last year, I climbed a mountain in Zion National Park. My husband, the avid hiker, gave me a set of hiking poles and these instructions: "When you start to feel exhausted," he said, "just concentrate on your next step. Where's the next, best place to put your foot?...
When you imagine your daughter's future, you probably don't envision her spending extra years in college. Yet, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, only 40% of college students earn their bachelor's degrees in four years. And only 60% of college...
A 10th grader contacted me recently and asked me this great question about taking college classes in high school. "Jeannie, I know that you strongly recommend dual enrollment college classes in high school for kids who want to get through college debt-free. I want to...
I love Dave Ramsey's video rant about student loan debt, which you can watch at the link I've provided below. (Listen for my favorite Dave line in this rant: "I missed where the lady got helped.") If you've got 9 minutes to listen to this while getting ready for work...
I'm excited to be guest posting on the blog of Mommy blogger Julie Hoag this week. Julie blogs about motherhood, family, and faith with a focus on moms raising kids ages birth–13. When Julie asked me what her moms need to know about setting kids up to graduate college...
You'd love for your son to get loads of free money financial aid to help him pay for college, but you're pretty sure he won't qualify for much. Your family lives comfortably, after all. You aren't poor. You wonder if filling out financial aid forms is even worth your...
Could you one day have your social security checks garnished to pay for your kids' college? Yes. You may be in danger of having your social security checks garnished and not even realize it. Parents duped into taking out Parent PLUS loans to pay for their kids'...
If you've got a child between the ages of 12 and 26, you know how difficult it can be to motivate him or her to want to apply for college scholarships. Try this entertaining strategy, one that other parents are using with great success. 1. Give your son a meager...
To see a list of the top 9 questions parents are asking me about LAUNCH —along with detailed answers—scroll to the red print below. When Morgan Stanley's Alix Magner calls you, you sit up a little straighter in your chair. Alix is a high-powered, Stanford educated...
Your kid's in 6th, 7th, or 8th grade? It's time to set him or her free to feel jazzed and excited about college. Plus -- as a parent-- learn 8 things you can do right now to keep that kid's future college costs low. I'll be covering all this in this free live...
Today I'm announcing the extra bonuses your family will receive if you purchase LAUNCH by January 11, 2017. Bonus #1 You and your immediate family will be invited to attend an online MasterClass with live Q&A with me, the author -- at no charge to you. This online...
If you're parenting a kid who's not yet in kindergarten, you're wondering how in the world you ended up reading an article written by a writer who gets kids through college debt-free. Keep reading and I'll tell you why this blog is the best place for you to be right...
I was recently interviewed by Krista Gilbert on her "Hey Sister!" podcast. It was a great conversation, almost an hour, full of practical tips for anyone who loves a kid age 12 - 22. To listen to the podcast, click on Episode 19 here. Some of the topics we covered...
You'd love for your college-bound teen to get more scholarships, but you worry that his GPA just isn't high enough. Am I right? Well, worry no more. Good news. There are thousands of college scholarships available to students with GPAs as low as 2.50. I'll give you...
Is your child a senior in high school, or older? This post is part 2 of a 2-part series on what to do each September to make sure the FAFSA form you fill out in early October will get your child maximum financial aid for college. To read part 1 of this very important...
This post is part 1 of a 2-part series. To read part 2, which talks about what to do about the money your child has sitting around in his or her name before you fill out the FAFSA, click here. If you're parenting a 12th grader or a current college student, one of the...
A few months ago, a wonderful mother wrote me, asking how she could find scholarships for two kids who are both in college right now. My reply to her might help your family too: Mary, I'm so glad your kids are going to be applying for scholarships while they're in...
This article was originally posted here on August 15th, 2015. It was updated and reposted on October 23rd, 2019. Military service isn't for everyone. But before you disregard the help that the U.S. military provides to college students, let's look at a few details...
A 35-year-old father of two recently contacted me in desperation, looking for help getting out from under $40,000 in student loan debt. "I've been paying $475 a month payments on this debt for years," he said, "but because of interest piling up, I've hardly made a...
This post is a scary one. But read all the way down to the red print at the bottom and I'll give you a boatload of hope about college. 1. "If you don't get into a good college, you won't be able to get a good job when you graduate." This statement is completely and...
The dad waited in a long line to get to shake my hand. He was beaming. "We squeezed into a packed high school auditorium to hear you speak about scholarships last year," he told me. "You inspired my son to go home and apply for 20 scholarships he thought he'd never...
This article was originally posted on this site on April 4th, 2016. It was updated on January 10th, 2018. In 2015 I wrote about how some students could end up wealthier and happier by not going to four-year college after high school. It was a life-changing post for...
"Jeannie, are you serious? We need to talk to 6th graders about career?" Yes. And if not in 6th grade, then as soon as possible after that. Why? Because when your child is in 6th, 7th, or 8th grade, his or her brain is growing faster than at any time since...
