Planning for college in a poor economy
Planning for college in a poor economy is difficult at best. With nationwide layoffs and one of the largest unemployment rates in decades, saving for college isn't exactly at the top of one's list of things to do with their paycheck. However, aside from putting away money you don't have, there are steps that parents and students can take to ease the total cost of education. As students navigate the high school process, pay particular attention to what courses your student takes. AP courses offer the opportunity to earn college credits while in high school. It is not uncommon for students who did well in AP classes to earn credit for 1-2 semesters of college. Particularly ambitious students may be able to finish most of their general electives while still in high school. This leads to early graduation, which results in a large savings in college tuition. With public school tuition around $15,000 and private schools as much as $50,000, this results in a huge amount of