Recently we returned from our daughter's college orientation. As parents, we were not only given an overview of college life from housing to transitioning and many subjects in between, but we were also able to sit in on smaller break out sessions. It was interesting to say the least as it had been over twenty five years since we both attended and graduated with our college degrees. Below we give you a small glimpse into the topics we learned about and give our insight on those topics.
College is Expensive
Okay, not really a surprise. Unless you have not read a newspaper, watched the news or browsed through a web site recently, most of us know that college tuition continues to increase; for some at alarming rates. Our daughter is attending an in state college where it is estimated that it will cost over $17,000. Attend an out of state college and you are looking at more than double that cost at a minimum. We participated in a state prepaid college program so that will cover some of the cost. And, fortunately our daughter qualifies for a merit scholarship so that too will be applied. But there were many other fees associated with her attendance including local fees, room and board, meals, clothing and other incidentals which add up quickly.
I cannot state this strong enough. Any parent who has a student who will be attending college must absolutely fill out the FAFSA form annually. State deadlines vary so you will need to check with your state requirements; but without FAFSA, which is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, your financial avenues will be extremely limited.
For any student, on-campus or online, this is the first step to becoming eligible for federal student loans, scholarships and grants. In fact, filling out this form begins the first important teaching point for potential students. While it would be nice for money to come looking for you, the only way to gain financial aid is to apply for it. Failing to fill out the FAFSA will essentially limit you to just one form of loan, an expensive private loan from a banking institution.
Picking a Major
Pick up a copy of the academic course offerings for your student's major and you will see a plethora of opportunities to take classes in subjects that your student never knew was available. Remember, college is very different from high school- it requires a much more conceptual approach to learning with more work than they may have been accustomed to and most definitely more self-discipline.
Whether your student will be enrolling in an online program or attending a traditional brick and mortar institution or perhaps a combination, there are many ways to support your student in helping them pick a major. There are websites that give the hard facts about projected future employment and median earnings, such as bls.gov (Bureau of Labor Statistics). Work with your student to find a course of study that will offer opportunities once they graduate. Many colleges are offering dual degree or double majors that include specialized courses of study. For example, if your student is interested in working in event planning, you may want to recommend they major in business with a minor in event planning. Event Planning and Management is an actual degree offered at both online and campus-based institutions.
College once was about exploring many different subject areas and growing intellectually. For some, it still is but for others, with the cost of college, it is more about starting right in on your major with little time to waste. If your student does not know what they want to major in, recommend they utilize the many career services available at most online and campus based universities. Talk to others in the field. Find a mentor that can give guidance to your student. All they need do is ask for assistance.
Technology & College
By far, this is the most amazing change in higher education. We all know that without technology, we would not have the enormous opportunities to enroll in online classes and earn a higher degree. For high school graduates, this is an alternative to attending a traditional college. For adults, by far, this has opened the door to so many possibilities from changing their profession to just expanding their knowledge. But at the campus level, while students do attend large lecture halls with hundreds of students, they also are able to watch the class online just in case they missed a point or two.
Additionally, almost every aspect of their college experience is tied into their online personalized student page where they will find their tuition invoice, their course registration which is done entirely online, their account balances, financial aid information, health information and their student records.
And, most universities have an ID card that allows them to finance campus debit accounts that will pay for their meal plans, books, residence hall laundry facilities, copy and scanning facilities, purchase tickets to sporting events and even tie it in to their bank debit card. This is a convenience that without technology would not be available. So if your student is in between classes and wants a beverage or snack from the vending machine, they can simply swipe their card rather than dig around for their money.
Same thing with purchasing books for school- you can simply swipe your card and the funds are taken from the book account. At many colleges, they are able to do this before receiving their financial aid whether it is a loan, pell grant, or scholarship.
And for those students that rely on their smart phones, many universities have an app for finding your way around campus. During our recent orientation, we were trying to locate the dormitory our daughter stayed in to retrieve her overnight bag. Predictably we got lost. Our daughter went right on her iPhone and gave us step by step directions to get to the dorm. Amazing! What was even more amazing was that the preview staff did not even know it existed. Gotta love technology.
Health, Safety and More
One of the biggest changes your student will experience is that they will truly be on their own. If they fall ill, they will need to recognize that it may require a trip to the student health center. They will be faced with many distractions, both negative and positive. They may feel an overwhelming amount of stress with having to manage their own time. Some will make it through perfectly fine. Others may not be so fortunate. But, know that there are resources available to assist the students.
For some students, online college may be the best solution as it allows them to still live at home while attending school thereby saving them not only that expense but also allowing them to gain a little more maturity and attend school at their convenience.
Do we have our concerns? Of course and no matter how much we feel we have invested in our daughter teaching her about personal safety, alcohol and drug awareness and its consequences, how to do the laundry and time management, she won't have the safety net of us right there. Of course we will be there with support - the only difference is it will be 350 miles away.
What the university recommended is that we continue our normal communications which for the past year has greatly increased through emails, texts and now we will add Skype (video/web chatting platform). If we sense something is not right, I am certain our natural protective instincts will kick in and we will reach out to our daughter. We will visit on occasion giving her the space to grow and experience life on her own. But we will be there for her should she need us. And we will hope and pray that having helping and guided her through the past 18 years, we have given her the tools she needs to lead a productive and independent life.
That is what college is about- transitioning to the next chapter of a young adult's life.