The True Cost of College

How can anyone afford even a year of college? Have you seen the sticker price of some schools?

I tell my kids to ignore the sticker price...for now. Cost is important when choosing a college, but looking at the sticker price isn't going to tell you the true cost of going to that school. You really won't know what the final cost will be until sometime between March and April prior to the fall that you plan to enter school. That's when schools send out their financial aid award letters.

Some Do's and Don'ts when applying to college:

1. Don't discount applying to a private college just because the sticker price is several times higher than a state school. All of my college-aged kids have applied to private colleges and were offered generous financial aid packages.