College Tidbits Blog

By Helena Rogers

1. Stay in Touch

Our daughter left for college in the fall of 2008 to a university that was further away than I would have liked. However, at some point we as parents, especially Moms, have to learn to let our children spread their wings.

I didn’t think about it much as we prepared for her to leave for college, because there was so much to do. It finally hit me when we got back home from taking her and I walked by her room to see it empty of her stuff, her clothes, her shoes, her books; but even more important, it was empty of her presence.

Thank goodness for cellphones and Skype. At first I would talk to her a few times each day and it was wonderful to hear her voice and to realize that she was doing okay. After a month or so, I told my husband, okay I’ve had fun talking to my daughter, but now I need to see her face. So he hooked up a webcam and installed Skype for me. Yes, my daughter is no longer a toddler, preteen or a tween, but I still need to be able to be in touch with her.

2. Stay Involved

At this point and time in my daughter’s life and in your son or daughter’s life, they have to be able to make some decisions on their own. While they believe that they can do it all themselves, as a Mom, I know that I still need to know what is going on in her life…on a high level. I don’t need to know every detail of my daughters day, but there are things that I still need to know, there are decisions that I still need to be involved in.

Being involved in some of her decision making will help us all out in the end. I need to be involved when she decides how many classes she will take in a given semester, where she will live during the school year, whether she will attend summer school in another state. All of these decisions can have financial ramifications, so yes, I need to be involved.

3. Stay in Their Corner

As a Mom, my children know that I will always “go to bat” for them when it is necessary, but they also know that I will always be honest with them and let them know when they have done something that isn’t quite “right”. The important thing is that they know that I will always be a source of encouragement for them.

If my daughter calls and is having some type of issues with a professor, a roommate or some other college situation, I have to be available to be a listening ear. Our children need to know that there is always someone pulling for them, always someone who will be around for them no matter what.

Yes, the infant that we brought home from the hospital all those years ago is now an 18, 19, or even 20 year old college students. While they think that they are “grown”, can make all of the decisions for themselves, we as Moms know that that is not exactly true. It is up to us to realize that it is still time to stay…. In touch, involved and in their corner.

About the Guest Blogger

Helena Rogers is the proud parent of a fantastic college student and co-owner of College Tidbits. She also operates www.AMothersWit.com - Newsletters just for Moms and www.the-Savvy-Woman.com – Resource Directory for Women.

More Great Articles:

10 Tips for Parents of Prospective College Students

Guide to Parenting College Students: 7 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Sent My Son to College

5 Tips for Parenting a College Student

How to Keep in Touch with Children Away at College

Parenting Your College Student (PDF from the Arizona State University Parents Association)

Recommended Websites for Parents

College Parent Central

Parents and Colleges

College Parenting

College Parents

University Parent

College Tips for Parents

College planning guide and preparation workbook for students in grades 9 thru 12.

TERI, helps to promote access to education at all levels for students of all ages and backgrounds. Founded in 1985, they are a nonprofit organization with two primary programs:

1. Guaranteed private education loan programs, which have helped over one million students access loans to pay for their education.

2. College access programs, that have supported over one million low income and underserved individuals in their pursuits of a college degree.

Visit them at www.teri.org

By Joseph Wyczalek

March and April are busy times for colleges across the United States. This is when the bulk of acceptance letters and award letters are sent out to nail-biting anxious students and their parents.

With the anxiety of waiting over some students and parents are shocked and bewildered at the award letters. These prospective college students were hoping for more scholarships, grants the free money and less student loans.

To top it off some parents didn’t even try to apply for any financial aid because they were duped into believing they would not qualify for anything.

Most parents think they make to much money to qualify for aid. The truth is with a little bit of strategic planning they could get college financial aid.

It’s really sad, but most parents that we talk to have done pretty good financially, but never found the time to save for college, and now they’re facing a bill of $18,000-$48,000 a year, and they don’t know who to turn to. Further more, a strong majority of the time, all these parents hear is to not even bother applying for any aid because they make too much money. However, most of the time, that is simply not true…even if they make a six-figure income.

Simply put, the truth is parents need to be informed about how the college process really works.

A high percentage of the financial aid forms are submitted incorrectly which results in excessive time sending the form back for correction and re-submittal. By the time the form is resubmitted some sources have run out of money because it was already given out. In this case the early bird does get the worm. With proper guidance this could have been avoided.

Having done an excessive amount of research in the college admissions and the financial aid process, if you know how the college financial aid game is played you can stack the deck in your favor, legally.

Don’t believe all the naysayers and doom and gloomers. You can reduce your college expenses.

J.D. Wyczalek (why-zall-ick) is the author of “Everything your guidance counselor was afraid to tell you or didn’t know.” He is a published author both online and offline. As the founder of AZ College Planning, he has helped and counseled hundreds of families on the ins and outs of college. web http://www.AZCollegePlanning.com

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