北京学校刘璇

又到了每年的大学申请季，家长们也需要对于通用申请(Common Application），联邦政府助学金（FAFSA),学习能力倾向测验（SAT）和助学贷款有一定的了解。繁杂的申请步骤和多式多样的学校信息着实是让人头疼。

作为家长，最关心的莫过于自己的孩子进入美国顶尖大学的几率了。但是现在有些大学四年的费用加起来几乎可以购买一台宾利了。面对如此高昂的学费，在选择大学时理智的思考哪所大学更适合于孩子则是非常重要的。

在我五年的申请顾问职业生涯中，我见到太多家长被兴奋冲昏了头脑而做出了一些不理智的选择的例子。现在学生平均债务已经达到了33000美金（相当于20.5万人民币）。因此在选择时不仅仅是对学校的选择，财务的抉择也要掺杂其中。

如果不考虑经济因素，很多家长相当于让自己和孩子都陷入了长期的债务危机中。那么在把孩子送入大学时，这八件事情是所有的家长都需要提前准备到的。

1.制定预算

提前告诉孩子你能为他们的大学费用支付多少，然后让他们提早决定他们自己愿意为此承担多少债务。为了能够达到这个目标，可以让他们看看在毕业后所入行业的基本薪资，并且与他们每个月需要付出的债务进行比较。帮助孩子们权衡一下贷款和薪水之间对于他们的长期影响。

不要完全被贷款牵制住或者选一所完全超出自己经济范畴能力的大学或者学科。就像你出门本打算买夏利最终不会选择法拉利的道理一样。选择大学与此并无什么本质上的差别。

2.忽略标价，关注实际费用

现如今，学校标出的学费绝不等同于你实际付出的费用。事实上，大多数学校的大多数学生都不需要花费这么多钱。那么同时关注学费和助学金就是十分重要的。因为这给了我们一个对于实际花销的更直观的概念。一所看似很贵的学校可能比一所看似便宜的学校花费的要少。

事实上，如果家庭年收入少于65000美金（相当于40万人民币）那么进入象哈佛耶鲁这种顶尖常青藤学校还是比较困难的。这些学校的标价学费本身也暗示着低收入家庭不要申请他们。那么在这种情况下，一些来自低收入家庭的符合条件的孩子可能就会错过机会。

当然，申请学校前做好研究和比较是非常重要的因为....

3.学校并不如想象的那么重要

我们经常听到学校背景对于找工作和未来职业发展是多么多么的重要，但这并非完全正确。当然排行榜前20的大学会提供一些其他地方没有的机会，但是对于其他很多四年制的大学其实差异并不明显。事实上，教育部2000年的一项调查显示学校的质素对于男生在找工作的影响只占了2%-3%，对于女生也不过是4%-6%。但是大学学费之间的差异却是我们可以去掌握的。那么一所名声好、教育优并且学费便宜学校是最佳的选择。

4.债务可能会改变你孩子的一生

人人都说优秀的教育是成功的奠基石。但是如果优秀的教育需要付出的费用已大大超出了你的能力范围怎么办？助学贷款也就应运而生。随着大学费用不断增加，学生们所要负担的助学贷款费用也就越来越高。与此同时现下的局势却是年轻人越来越不好找工作。两者叠加你可能会面临更多地麻烦。

这些债务问题可能会一直伴随着孩子的人生重要阶段。（搬出去住，结婚，读研，买房子生孩子等）因此，选择一所相对便宜的学校是一个明智的选择，并且可以鼓励孩子在大学期间做一些兼职并且学会节省。

5.贷款前需三思

作为家长，总觉得自己的孩子还小，在大学期间竭尽所能的帮助他们是理所应当。但这并不是每个家长经济上都允许自己这样做的。对于那些无法支付这么多现金的家长，有一些贷款比如说银行贷款或者联邦政府贷款。同时也有共同签署银行贷款可以帮助孩子承担学费。但是你真的考虑这么做吗？

答案也许是否定的。如果你无法负担孩子的学费也许是因为你无法提供帮助。需要月付的贷款可能会使你的生活一团糟并且一直影响到退休生活。并且你的房子也可能因此不保。去找那些不需要共同签署者的学生贷款。

6.为自己的养老做打算

即使你不需要贷款就可以帮助孩子去上学，你也需要注意在学费上的花销。如果你把自己的养老金也搭出去,那么把钱全给了孩子交学费并不是最佳选择。

这就像当你上飞机时会告知你先戴上空气面罩一样。当你为孩子选择学校时也要考虑自身的经济情况。你不能拿自己的养老金去教孩子的学费。

7.需要和你的孩子进行一次关于金钱的对话

当孩子成长到一定阶段，每一位家长都肯定和孩子聊过关于“性”的话题。其实关于金钱的一次对话也是十分必要的，但是很多家长都会忽略。当我离开家里去大学读书的事后，我对于预算或者有计划地花钱一无所知。一切都需要靠我自己去摸索并且我走了不少弯路。

对于孩子们来说，最好的学习管理钱财的方式就是和他们进行一次相关的对话。告诉他们什么是债务什么是信用卡并且要告知他们建立一个良好的信用等级的重要性。我知道有一些父母每周给他们的孩子一定的零用钱让他们自己买生活必需品而不是替他们买好来教会孩子怎样管理自己的钱财。每个人在学会怎样对自己的钱财负责之前都会犯下或多或少的错误。那么让他们现在对于小金额钱财管理上出一些错误总比之后面对较大额钱财时再犯错来的好得多。

8.教会孩子一些生活技能

如果从孩子出生那一刻起你就为孩子做了一切的话那么当孩子离开家庭去到陌生的国度时将会手足无措。教会他们做饭，洗衣服，换车胎等等生活技能是非常有必要的。

可以在孩子出国前每周给孩子一点钱让孩子自己去买菜并且为家人做一顿饭。这不仅会教会他们如何买菜并且可以让孩子自己做一顿美妙的菜肴。鼓励他们去做一些创新的菜品还可以增加他们的烹饪技能。并且让他们学会为自己准备午餐。做饭总比在外面吃要省得多。

本文所有内容是对于ABC NEWS11月15日相关内容的编译，原作者Amanda Reaume,内容有删减，

原文地址：http://abcnews.go.com/Business/10-things-kids-applying-college/story?id=26897509#2

It’s college application season, the time of year when parents of high school seniors have to quickly learn about things like the Common Application, FAFSA, SATs and student loans. The sheer volume of information about the application process and the different colleges your child can choose can make your head spin.

What you want most is for your kid to succeed and get into the most prestigious college possible, right? But what if that would actually mean a lifetime of debt and pain for you and your child? With some college degrees now costing roughly the price of a Bentley, it’s important to take a step back during the process and think rationally instead of emotionally.

In my five years as an applications consultant, I have seen many parents get caught up in the excitement and make choices that have ended up costing their kids and themselves dearly. With the average student racking up $33,000 in student debt, it’s time students and parents start approaching their choice of college primarily as a financial decision.

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If they don’t, they could be sentencing their kids or themselves to decades of debt. Here are the 10 things that all parents should know to send their kids off to college financially prepared.

1.

Set a Budget

Be upfront with your child about how much money you can contribute to their education and have them decide ahead of time how much debt they’re willing to go into over the course of their degree. To help them arrive at this number, have them look at the entry-level salaries in the job(s) that they’ll be qualified for after they graduate and compare that to the monthly student loan payment that they can expect to owe. Help them to consider the longer-range effect student loans could have on their finances over their lifetime.

Don’t get carried away and choose a college that will stretch or completely blow that budget. You don’t go car shopping looking for an economical compact and go home with a sports car. Choosing a college shouldn’t be any different.

2.

Ignore the Sticker Price and Look at the Actual Cost

Nowadays, the listed tuition price is almost never what you actually pay to attend a school. In fact, the majority of students at most schools pay far less. It’s important when choosing a school not just to look at the tuition price but also to look at the average financial aid package. This will give you a better idea of what your child will actually have to pay to go to that school. A school that might seem very expensive might actually be cheaper to attend than a school that seems cheap.

In fact, if your family makes less than $65,000 you’re not expected to make a family contribution at many top Ivy League schools, including Harvard and Yale. The sticker price for both schools often dissuades students from low-income families from applying. Since these schools may, in some circumstances, help graduates make more money over the course of their careers, qualified students who don’t apply could be missing out.

Of course, it’s important to do your research and compare your options because…

3.

The School Doesn’t Necessarily Matter As Much As You Think

We’re often told that the prestige of a school plays a huge role in getting a job and furthering a career, but that’s not entirely true. While the top 20 schools provide students with opportunities that they wouldn’t have had otherwise, the difference between the earning potential of a student from many other four-year universities is often pretty marginal. In fact, a study by the Department of Education found in 2000 that the quality of a college decided 2 to 3 percent of the earnings among men and 4 to 6 percent among women. But the difference in price can often be considerable. Choose a cheap school that offers a great education and has a good reputation.

4.

Debt Could Sidetrack Your Kid’s Life

Everyone says that the path to success is to get a great education. But what happens when that great education costs more than you can afford? That’s where student loans come in. With the mounting costs of getting a college degree, students have taken on increasingly higher student loan debts. Add into the mix the fact that young people are experiencing higher than usual unemployment and underemployment upon graduation and you have a recipe for trouble.

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These significant debts appear to be keeping some young people from taking important life steps such as moving out on their own, getting married, going to graduate school, buying a home and having kids. Therefore, it’s a good idea to find a way to keep debt low by choosing a cheaper college, encouraging your child to work or do co-operative placements while in school, and to live frugally.

5.

Think Twice Before Taking Out a Loan

You may still think of them as your little girl or little boy, so it’s no surprise that when it comes to college, you’d want to help them as much as you can. The problem is that not every parent is in the financial position to do so. For parents who don’t have ready cash to help out, there are loans like the federal Parent Plus loan or bank loans. There is also the option of co-signing bank loans for your kids. But should you be taking out or co-signing a loan to finance your child’s education?

Probably not. If you don’t have the money to give to your child it’s probably because you can’t afford to help. A monthly loan payment to finance your child’s education could put your budget into a tailspin and compromise your retirement. You might also put your house at risk. Look for student loans without co-signers. If you must co-sign a loan, make sure the company has a co-signer release program. Many companies offer to release co-signers after 12 or 24 on-time payments.

6.

You Shouldn’t Compromise Your Retirement

Even if you don’t have to take out loans to help your kid pay for school, you need to be careful how much you do give them. If you haven’t been saving for your retirement, or if you have debt that you need to pay off, then putting your money toward your child’s schooling isn’t the best choice.

It’s like when you’re on a plane and you’re told to put your air mask on first. Take care of your own financial situation before you consider helping out. You can’t take out a loan to pay for your retirement.

7.

Living at Home Is the Best Advice

I have good news for those who are dreading the moment when their little birds fly the nest. Living at home is the smartest financial choice for students. According to College Board, the average cost of room and board in 2013-2014 was $9,498 a year for a public four-year school and $10,823 a year for a private non-profit four year school. Multiply that by four and that adds up to a lot of money.

If there is a good school close enough to home, then you should seriously consider it as an option. Even if they want to graduate from another institution, getting some first- and second-year credits at a local university or community college is going to be a lot cheaper than going away for the full four years.

8.

You Need to Have a Money Talk

At one point or another, every parent has the ‘sex talk’ with their kids. But what about the ‘money talk’? This talk is equally as important to have, but often forgotten. When I first went off to college, I knew nothing about budgets or how to live frugally. I had to learn that on my own and made some costly mistakes.

The best way for kids to learn is to talk to them about how you budget and manage money. Teach them about debt and credit cards and tell them why it’s important to build a good credit rating. I know some parents who even stopped buying things for their kids and instead gave them a weekly allowance to cover their necessities in order to teach them how to manage their own money. Everyone needs to make a few money mistakes before learning how to be responsible. It’s better that they do it with a small allowance than with thousands of dollars in student loans.

9.

You Need to Teach Them Life Skills

If you’ve been doing everything for your child since they exited the womb, they’re going to have a hard time adjusting to life without you if they go away for school. Teach them to cook, do laundry, take public transit or change a flat tire, grocery shop and bank themselves.

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Consider giving them the responsibility to buy food on a limited budget and cook for the family one night a week. This will teach them how to find deals and make great meals. Encourage them to try new recipes each time so that they expand their cooking repertoire. Get them to practice making their own lunches as well. It is typically far cheaper to cook a meal than to buy one.

10.

Scholarships Make a Huge Difference

As someone who has helped average students win thousands of dollars in scholarship money, I want to debunk one pesky myth. It’s not just the top students who win scholarships. All students should be applying for scholarships, as they are an important source of extra money for your schooling. Have your child check out sites like Fastweb.com and search through their database. Check to see if there are any scholarships for students in your town, or if your employer or union offer scholarships for the kids of employees or members. Every little bit helps.

Any opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author.