LET’S GET ORGANIZED! PLANNING IS KEY IN YOUR SEARCH FOR COLLEGE MONEY
College funding is a complicated process. Parents and their children have to take on mountains of paperwork, application deadlines, essays, forms, and more. In our experience, you’re either organized or you’re doomed to months of frustration.
Here are some thoughts to consider as your child is nearing college application time.
level of college funding you should expect to need. It also helps you and your child in side-by-side comparisons and decision-making.
Don’t get lulled into a false sense of security. Students aren’t the only ones who get “summer fever.” Parents also have the tendency to relax, take half-days at work, play more golf and tennis, and put off important financial decisions. Don’t fall into this trap. You’ll regret it come September. Don’t get us wrong. Enjoy your summer! But you should set time aside to regularly look into your college money prospects. Better yet, start working on these things during the second half of your child’s junior year, January through May. Document your college research. Which colleges are they considering? What do they cost? What kind of scholarships do they offer? How interested is your child? The documentation process helps you learn what
Set up your income, assets, and personal finances. Do you have money saved in your child’s name? Is a lot of your money going into retirement? Do you know how much your home is worth, according to the financial aid formulas? If you don’t know the answer to any of these questions, you need to find out. Accounting for your entire financial picture will help you as you apply for financial aid and scholarships. Remember — don’t procrastinate. You must take control of the process. Then you can use legal and ethical strategies to reduce the amount of money schools will expect you to pay.
VANILLA CANDY CANE PEPPERMINT BARS
HAVE A LAUGH
INGREDIENTS
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3/4 cup sugar (no sugar substitutes)
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1/2 teaspoon baking powder
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1/2 teaspoon baking soda
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1/3 cup canola oil
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1/4 teaspoon salt
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1 egg
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1/3 cup crushed peppermint candies 3 ounces dark chocolate, melted
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1 teaspoon vanilla
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1 cup all-purpose flour
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INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with foil, extending foil over edges. Coat foil with cooking spray. 2. In a medium bowl, beat sugar, oil, egg, and vanilla with a mixer on medium for 2 minutes or until slightly thick and pale yellow. Beat in flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt just until combined. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the peppermint candies. Spread batter in the prepared pan. 3. Bake 20–25 minutes or until edges are puffed and top is golden. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Using foil, lift uncut bars out of the pan. Cut into bars. 4. Line a tray with parchment paper. Dip one corner of each bar into melted chocolate and place on the prepared tray. Sprinkle chocolate with the remaining peppermint candies. Let stand until set. (Recipe inspired by eatingwell.com.)
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