There are dozens of benefits that justify earning a higher education, including–but by no means limited to–better employment prospects, access to jobs with higher pay and the broadening of a college student’s social and mental horizons. Even so, approximately one in two high school graduates choose to forgo these potential benefits because they cannot reconcile the cost of the college experience with the bleak reality of the financial situation in which many new college grads find themselves.
There’s no denying that college is outrageously expensive. And, unfortunately, it is only getting worse; while the average family income in the United States grew 147% in the years between 1982 and 2007, the cost of college grew by a staggering 440% in that same period. What that means in terms of real numbers is that the average cost of a four-year degree from a state school is now $30,000. Most American families do not have that kind of money up front, which necessitates that they borrow it from private or government programs that issue student loans. Unfortunately, student loans leave college graduates an average of $20,000 in debt when they finish school. And approximately 10% of graduates will have twice that debt to repay. Collectively, American students owe more than one trillion dollars.
Figures like these, in combination with the fact that only half of all college graduate obtained a full-time job in 2011, are why more than six million graduates cannot pay back their student loans. The economic recession that began in 2008 has made it exceptionally difficult for college graduates to find jobs in their field. The upshot is that students take on lower-paying jobs that do not require degrees in order to make ends meet. Even so, that limited income is, in many cases, not enough to pay back their debt.
One in six default on their loans and a whopping 85% of 2011 college graduates were forced to move back in with their parents after school because they could not afford their own living space. To keep your children from contributing from that statistic, there are several ways to start saving well ahead of the day they move into the dorms:
- Start when your kids are young
- Contribute regularly to a savings account
- Invest wisely in equities
- Take advantage of 529 College Savings Plans
- Utilize tax credits for parents of college students
College Isn’t Cheap by FrugalDad.com is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at http://frugaldad.com/2013/01/04/college-isnt-cheap.
is a paranormal fantasy that involves a vampire and a young woman. They are joined by a cast of characters as they deal with addictions, desire, struggles with abuse, morality, college life and zombies. 
Surprisingly, he found that in losing his life he gained his faith and a purpose.
explores tough issues and temptations teens 
by K. Jedding, the author provides a guidebook that talks about the issues that most college grads are facing today. Some topics that he covers include:
my life would have been easier. Although I never went away to college (I lived 2 miles away), I still remember being scared to death. Most of my friends went away to school and I had to make new friends. The professors were not as forgiving if you missed an assignment and I learned that quickly in my freshman year. This is a survival guide and includes tips from hundreds of college students who went through the transition. It covers topics such as freshman orientation, laundry, what to pack, dorm life, money, dating, parties and how to balance studying with sleeping. I remember staying up till three in the morning cramming for a big test. I was tired the whole day. The book contains little snippets of advice that can make a difference in your college life. Some of the advice given all of us could benefit from and there was some that could get you into trouble like getting a fake ID to get into the hip parties. I understand that all college students will experiment with different things and you cannot be with them all their lives to help them. sometimes they have to figure it out on their own. Hopefully the book will help them along. 
