Making the Most of Your Child's In-State Education

by Carol J. Carter

This is the time when college-bound high school seniors and their parents are finalizing plans for higher education. In this tight economy, it pays to be as resourceful as possible in thinking through how to make the most out of your child's in-state higher education.

1. Assess if your child is ready for a four-year college. Even instate tuition at around $14,000 a year is a big investment. If your child hasn't honed their learning skills or is ambivalent about college, have them attend a local community college for two years. They can get a good education, get used to college level work, and develop their learning skills. Transferring after two years will allow you to save some money and will prepare your child to enter a bigger playing field when they are ready mentally, academically, and socially, for the commitment.
   
   
2. Develop a four-year plan. What your son or daughter does while they are in college is more important than where they go to school. The academic rigor which he seeks, the organizations he joins and the internships he holds will help him to develop the academic, emotional, and social intelligence needed in the real world. Even if your child has no idea what fields or majors are of interest, encourage risk and experiences that will be useful in any field. Studying abroad, working part time and interning are all valuable to achieve this.
   
   
3. Tap scholarship money. State schools-public and private-have many little known or advertised scholarship dollars. For example, I got a scholarship from a car dealer who was an underachiever in high school, but blossomed in college. Being a late bloomer myself, I met this man's criteria and had all four years of tuition paid for by applying for this scholarship. Now, twenty years later, I provide scholarships for students. There is money out there. Go for it.
   
   
4. Encourage your child to branch out. Just because your child is going to college in your hometown or your homestate, doesn't mean she has to hang out with the same old crowd from high school. College is a great time to embrace differences, including becoming friends with people who think and act differently from your child. The workplace thrives on these differences and if your child wants to be employable when he graduates, he would do well to learn this lesson starting the first semester.
   
   
5. Champion your child's gifts. Don't worry if your child doesn't know what they want to major in; students have until the end of their sophomore year to declare. Their time is best spent taking introductory courses that interest them and following those passions to majors and career fields. If your child is certain she wants to be an engineer or a doctor, challenge her on it. Sometimes college students decide on a profession without really knowing themselves or what the field actually requires. Investigating their interests and abilities, as well researching the occupation, are necessary to make the wisest major and career choices.
   
   
6. Work the system. Most schools have an incredible supporting cast in addition to professors to help your child succeed. Yet most students don't take advantage of these services, which is like buying a house and living in only one or two rooms. What a waste of money! Encourage your child to get the most out of their investment (or your joint investment) by taking advantage of the tutoring center, career services, financial aid, and many other student services.
   
   
7. Consider summer enrichment activities. There are plenty of summer programs, from Outward Bound to studying in a foreign country, which can teach your child volumes. While they may not be able to work or do an internship for that summer, these enrichment experiences will teach them invaluable lessons about the world and how to be in it. Again, for employability, graduates need to know how to apply their education so that they can translate that learning into experience.
   
   
8. Find tough professors. Browse the course listing to determine where professors got their Ph.D. Look for instructors from Ivy League schools. It is always better to take harder professors, even if they get lower grades, than to take an easy professor. Help your child to know the difference between real learning and "protecting the GPA." In the process, your child will be meeting people who are top in their field. Turning around slacker tendencies in college, creates capable, responsible and accountable employees later.
   
   
9. Support on-campus living. Although this is an added expense to living at home, living on campus is one of the best ways for your child to make a smooth transition freshmen year. Research shows that students who live at home have higher drop out rate out than students who live on campus. The network of friends and acquaintances your child will be exposed to not only sharpens their social intelligence, it also fosters a sense of belonging.
   
   
10. Discuss healthy boundaries. The independence that comes with college can be a real adjustment. Discuss the realities of this new freedom with your child and reinforce their ability to make wise and measured choices in the face of peer pressure and lack of structure. Encourage them to trust their instincts when it comes to safety. Support their attempts to manage themselves and let them know that it is okay-in fact, commendable-for them to seek help from you and/or campus services when they need it.