Dear Babs,

I worry that if my son is accepted to his “reach” school I won’t be able to afford it. Help!

-Fear of Success

Dear Fear,

When economic times are tough and jobs are scarce, investing in education matters more than ever. Don’t get me wrong; I am in as much sticker shock as you are in regard to the spiraling costs of college tuition. However, I also feel that education is one of the most valuable assets you can have, and therefore, to quote the ubiquitous MasterCard commercials, it’s priceless.

I will assume that this school is high on your son’s list because it has one of the best academic programs for his chosen career path. If this is the case, then he can expect to receive an excellent education that will prepare him well for life after college—and a job that will enable him to start paying back those students loans ASAP. On the other hand, if your son has chosen this school because it has the coolest dorms, the best sports teams, and close proximity to the beach or ski slopes, then we should instead be discussing how to make your son rethink his views on college, rather than how to pay for his admission to a four-year-long party. But Babs is an optimistic kind of gal, and she will assume that your son has the best of intentions for the next four years.

Back to our story. You are certainly not alone in your concern about affording college. Banks are in the news far too often these days, which makes the idea of taking out a loan a dismal affair. I do have faith that things will get better, but instead of waiting around for that day, you will have to do your homework. Keep a file of every financial aid brochure you pick up—and there will be lots of them, as schools know that parents are feeling the crunch and are finding more and more ways to help you pay.

Don’t wait for an acceptance letter before you start exploring financing options. You mentioned that you are a single mother. Are there benefits to single parents trying to finance their child’s education? Talk to a financial advisor and see if there are benefits for single-income families.

Fill out the FAFSA as soon as you can and mail it in right away; ditto for any other loans, like the Parent PLUS loan and your son’s student loans. When I was in college, it was a given that I could resign for my loans each year, but that’s another story these days. It might be that you will have numerous smaller loans signed—a pain in the neck, for sure, but at least you are covered. These loan sources are not proverbial money trees—when the money runs out, so does your luck for that year.

Find a good financial aid calculator online and crunch some numbers. It may be that things aren’t as bad as they seem, but on the flip side, your son’s dream school could become a financial nightmare.

Have a heart-to-heart talk with your son about his top pick. Is it love or infatuation? Does his future career include an advanced degree that will incur another tuition bill? Is his career known for a hefty paycheck? What is the demand for educated professionals in his chosen field? These are practical questions that need to be answered honestly in order to figure out if this school is going to be worth your hard-earned money—and his—in the long run.

Financially yours,

Babs

I was watching MSNBC during lunch today and saw two people in the crowd waving black tee shirts. Upon closer inspection (as in, I put my glasses back on), I saw that the tee shirts said Got Tuition? and Make College Affordable. I later Googled both phrases and sure enough, there’s a great organization called Got Tuition?

Got Tuition? is a non-partisan, Washington, D.C.-based organization that is working to help make your tuition bill less of a hassle. Check out their site—lots of cool information and ways to get involved.

Nice work, Got Tuition? You certainly got attention.

Have you heard about the tuition stabilization plans that many schools have adopted as part of their quest to make higher education affordable?

Schools such as College of the Holy Cross, University of Miami, and Vanderbilt University are enabling students to prepay anywhere from one to four years’ worth of tuition in order to lock in the current year’s cost.

So if you are entering college this year at a tuition rate of $30,000, you can prepay 60k to 120k and save thousands of dollars resulting from tuition increases over the next four years.

Aww, that’s nice.

Wait a minute. If one had the cash to prepay college tuition, it would seem that one wouldn’t have to worry about saving a few thousand in the long run, right?

So who does tuition stabilization benefit? Certainly not the little people. It does ensure that colleges get up to four years of tuition up front—as well as the assurance that it will retain students for the entire length of their degree program.

Can tuition stabilization even be considered financial aid? What do you think colleges and universities should do to help out instead?