Free From Broke

A Personal Finance Blog for Regular Folks

College

Where to Educate Yourself for Free Online – You Don’t Need to Spend to Learn

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With the average cost of a college education increasing 12 fold in the last 30 years (Huffington Post), some are deciding it’s not worth the expense and simply shunning the college experience.

For those who do want to attend, college is beginning to feel more and more out of reach.

In fact, “Bloomberg reports that the rate of increase in college costs has been ‘four times faster than the increase in the consumer price index'” (Huffington Post).

But if you shun attending a traditional college, all is not lost.  There are plenty of ways to get your education for free, thanks to the Internet.

Eight Places to Get a Free Education Online

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Oh Crap, We Forgot to Save for College! How to Save Money for College When Your Kids Are Older

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When you first bring children into the world your concerns are on the immediate: keeping them alive, keeping them fed, and every once and a while trying to clean up the house.

College seems a long, long way off and there are more pressing issues in between now and then like soccer practice and birthday parties.

Before you know it college isn’t too far off and your retirement is right behind.  You bravely check the college education saving coffers and find nothing but cobwebs.

Is it too late to start?  What can you do?  Will your kids fail at life and be trapped in student loans forever?  Will they not be able to get in to the best schools?

Take a deep breath for me.  This is fixable.

How to Start Saving for College Late

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College Savings or Retirement Savings – Which Should I Save For First?

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There is a deep, deep instinct within parents to care for their children. Every parent I’ve ever known wants their children to have it better than they did.

Often this means Mom and Dad sacrifice for their children.  These sacrifices can be small such as not ordering dessert when eating out or driving the old beat up (paid off) car one more year before buying something manufactured in the last 5 years.

Other times the sacrifices made by parents can be financially devastating.

The desire to provide for children is so strong that choices are made that can make things worse than they need to be.

The classic question of saving for your children’s college funds or for your retirement falls right in line with this idea.  Is it a terrible idea to set aside your retirement needs to save some extra dollars for the college fund?  Or can you justify putting off retirement savings to make sure there is enough money to pay the college bills?

Deciding Whether to Save for College or Retirement

Here are 6 factors to consider when making the decision of whether to save for college education costs or your retirement.

1. Why Not Do Both?

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How Can I Pay Off My Student Loan Faster? 3 Programs to Help

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There’s no doubt that American college students are in deep–deep in student loan debt, that is. 

The average college graduate who has student loan debt walks away with roughly $25,500 in debt.  To pay those loans off in 10 years, the graduate will have to pay nearly $300 a month and will pay almost $10,000 in interest over the life of the loan.

New college graduates in this tough job market often must settle for low paying jobs to gain experience before they can move up to a better paying position.  Factor in rent, food, a car, health insurance, and a professional wardrobe, and tacking on a steep student loan payment can be difficult.

While there is no easy way to get out of student loan debt quickly, there are a number of programs that are available to help graduates pay off their debt faster.  These programs won’t erase student loan debt, but they can give graduates a little extra help paying off their loans.

3 Programs to Help You Pay Off Student Loans Faster

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Is an Associate’s Degree the Best Path to a Lucrative Career?

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The romantic ideal of going to college to study what you love and to learn how to be a learner, so to speak, is rapidly falling by the wayside. 

As college costs soar and new graduates struggle to find a job as well as pay off student loans that average $25,000 per student, many people are arguing whether going to a four year university is even worthwhile.

Another option that many don’t think about is pursuing a two year associate’s degree. 

A community college is often seen as a lesser quality, less expensive option to a four year college.  Many see it as a stepping stone for a mediocre high school student to improve his academic record to transfer into a four year college.

However, this thinking denies the student another important, cheaper, option–attending a community college to earn a practical degree and begin working right away.

How An Associate’s Degree Can Be Better Than a Four-Year Degree

All the Benefits without the Debt

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