When I did one of our "Financial Aid and Scholarships" seminars for our Collegewise parents last weekend, I asked them to leave the kids at home. I want parents to feel comfortable asking questions about financing their kids' educations without the added pressure of having the students in the room. But that doesn't mean parents shouldn't talk with their kids about college costs.
A lot of parents believe that they should shield their kids from the economic realities of attending college, that it's a student's job to get accepted and a parent's job to pay for it. But I think that parents should have honest, open discussions with their kids about college costs. High school kids should know what their family can afford to pay for college, and what colleges will be off the table if financial aid doesn't cover the rest. Kids should know the efforts parents have made to save for college and the continued sacrifices you'll be making during the four years you have to write tuition checks. Having that conversation now, however unpleasant it might be, is much better than having it later when a student has an offer of admission in hand but a family doesn't have the money to pay for it.
High school students who understand the realities of college costs for their families are more likely to appreciate that a college education is a gift, no matter what school they end up attending. And once those kids get to college, they'll understand the financial and emotional investment their parents are making. They'll be more likely to drag themselves out of bed for that 8 a.m. psychology class. They're more likely to appreciate all the opportunities for learning, growth and fun that are available to them during their college careers.
So parents, consider having the college financing talk with your kids. Invite them to participate in the discussion. A student who's mature enough to attend college is mature enough to know what it's going to take for her family to pay for it.