When money is tight, how will you allocate your college planning budget?

How are you doing? Lately, we all are having some pretty serious nerves about the economy. Everyone is cutting back, shopping carefully, and trying not to panic at the downward trend of 529 and retirement account balances.

Families must make smart choices with their money. Planning for college without an actual plan comes with risks – real risks involving big money.

When it comes to college planning, we know families have limitations to what they can spend, and having a budget is important. Your investment in college for your child must have a related return on the investment. It must make a REAL impact on your child’s future.

We encourage all families to spend wisely and avoid throwing away money in areas that won’t help at all.

Thinking about a targeted career right now, during the college planning process, results in a more confident college search and much less risk after college graduation as the student enters the working world. Career thinking is the bedrock of college value.

Getting into college is a big focus for many families, but the truth is that applying and “getting in” is not really that hard. That’s why we provide so many free and low-cost program options.

What can waste a ton of money?

Heading to college without a strong plan and a rudder in the water (so to say).

We really want your family to consider these questions:

• Why is your student going to college?
• What are their strengths, values, interests, skills, etc.?
• What experiences can give your teen clues to best-fit career fields?
• How can they use this knowledge to explore colleges, careers, and majors?
• How will they compare and select from major programs?

How does At The Core help with this?

• Click here for some of our suggested career exploration resources.
• Take advantage of all our educational programming.

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