Siegel: Parents, students can reduce cost of college

By Murray Siegel

This is the time of year when high school seniors await hearing about college admissions, followed by the decision on which college will be the student’s destination. Meanwhile, the students’ parents are beginning to worry about paying the cost of their child’s college education.

In many cases a college loan appears to be inevitable, with the student receiving a college degree and being burdened by a large debt. What can be done to reduce the cost of a college education and minimizing the need for creating debt?

There are five topics to be addressed – academics, activities, geography, two-year or four-year college, and the military option.

Academics: An applicant with excellent grades in challenging high school courses has a much better chance of being accepted for college admission and receiving a scholarship. What can a parent do to help in this area? Starting in elementary school, the parent should ensure the child is developing a worthwhile work ethic – completing all homework and learning meaningful study habits. Once entering high school, the student should take the most challenging courses in which he or she could be successful.

Activities: Colleges love students who have maintained good grades while being involved in activities that require an investment of time, such as athletic teams, marching band or the school newspaper. At times these activities could lead to scholarships.

Geography: Geography is another consideration since many colleges, especially private schools, value geographic diversity. A student from Arizona might find a scholarship easier to find in Maryland than in Colorado.

Two-year or four-year: Students whose academic performance in high school does not bode well for getting a significant scholarship might consider attending a two-year college. In the Phoenix area there are a number of excellent community colleges offering fine academics with lower tuition costs. Unlike university faculty, whose prime concern might be their research, two-year college faculty focus on teaching. By living at home while attending the two-year school, the student will save a considerable amount of money on room and board. Generally, courses taken at a two-year college are easily transferred to a four-year university.

Military option: The military offers a number of choices for the student seeking the opportunity to get a college education. The country’s military academies are outstanding academic institutions with zero cost, and the cadets/midshipmen receive a stipend. If one does not care to deal with the environment of a military academy, he or she could consider an ROTC scholarship. This pays the cost of tuition, fees and books, and the recipient receives a monthly stipend to defray the cost of room and board. If a student’s grades are not high enough to garner an ROTC scholarship, then enlistment in a military service should be considered. After serving out the enlistment commitment, the veteran has access to the GI Bill, which makes paying for college very affordable.

There are many routes a family can take to provide a child with a quality college education at a reasonable cost. Simply start early, plan ahead and consider all options.

Murray Siegel is a Maricopa resident. He has a Ph.D. in Math Ed and 42 years of teaching experience. He and his wife Sharon volunteer at Maricopa schools.

This column was published in the February issue of InMaricopa News.