College is a very important part of your child's education because it gives your child more opportunities in life. College provides a wider view on subjects that interest the student and gives them more ways to grow and learn about these topics. Also, after finishing college, your child will have more choices for jobs and these will also be higher paying than jobs which only require a high school diploma.
Nowadays, high school students wonder why a college education is so important, especially since they want to earn right after graduating and because college is quite expensive. They do not know that often a college education will be worth more than the tuition later on in life. This is why you should start preparing your child for college early.
Firstly, you should prepare a college fund for your child. There are many banks that offer services for parents saving up for educational funds, so you just have to choose a bank in order to start your college fund. Look into tax breaks that may be available for education designated accounts. Start this fund as early as you can, so you can start saving early. You can deposit an amount like $50-$100 every month and by the time your child is ready for college you will have quite a bit of cash in the fund.
When your child is in elementary school, you should already start to monitor your child's academic and extracurricular activities. Teach your child how to study well and excel in his or her studies. Also, allow them to pursue the different activities that they are interested in and expose them to other fields so they can find out what they are passionate about. This will already prepare him or her for college.
By the time your child reaches middle school, you should start talking to him or her about what they plan to do in the future, what job they would like, and what courses they want to take in the future. Talk to them about how important college is and how they can prepare for it now. Taking the right courses during their junior high years is very important. Your child should take up all of the necessary courses like math, English, science, and history every year, as well as extra subjects that your child is interested in like computer, visual arts, foreign languages, etc.
Once your child has reached high school, it is important for you and your child to look at different colleges together and weigh out the pros and cons of every college. Make sure to think about the different aspects of the college such as their tuition fee, distance from home, as well as their facilities and curriculum. In-state tuition fees are usually much lower for you than out of state.
After finding a few colleges to apply to, help your child take the proper admission tests and submit all of the documents necessary to apply for the colleges. Creating a calendar for the deadlines of these tests and submission dates is important to help your child apply for these colleges. Many of these deadlines are absolute so you need to stay on top of matters. You can also apply for financial aid through the college or through a bank to help your child get through college without any interruptions.
