A COLLEGE EDUCATION SHOULDN’T BREAK THE BANK NEGOTIATE THE BEST FINANCIAL DEAL POSSIBLE
Keep the following information in mind as you negotiate to find the best price for your child’s education: 1. Pick a Suitable School The process of helping your child pick the right school requires taking a number of factors into account. First, their grades throughout school and their scores on the SAT and ACT play a vital role in determining which colleges are suitable for them. Keeping this information in mind, you should start researching schools where your child will be in the top 25 percent of the applicant pool. Their placement will determine the financial aid package the school will offer. 2. Do Your Own Math and Ask the Necessary Questions Your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is the minimum amount of money the government expects you to pay for any school. Schools determine what they are going to offer you by subtracting your EFC from their average cost of attendance, an equation that gives them your family’s financial need. Make sure you do these calculations on your own as well, because unfortunately, most schools offer families far less that the amount they were eligible to receive. Don’t accept a school’s first proposal if they do not offer your family enough financial aid to cover your calculated needs. Call their financial aid office. Write letters. Schedule a meeting. Just as you would with any other purchase, negotiate until you get the offer you need and deserve!
When you make any kind of large financial purchase, you probably take time to research the best price and option. Then, once you receive an offer, you negotiate. Think about the last big purchase you made. Was it a house? Was it a car? Was it a lifetime membership to the American Miniature Horse Association? Regardless of the product, you probably didn’t accept the first price offered to you; you negotiated to reach a number that made the most sense. Paying for your child’s college education shouldn’t be any different. Between the cost of tuition, fees, books, room and board, and other miscellaneous expenses, even the cheapest schools will cost you approximately $10,000 annually. Because a college education for your child is one of the biggest investments you will make in your lifetime, doesn’t it make sense to treat it like any other major purchase?
GREEN BEAN AND SESAME SALAD
HAVE A LAUGH
Inspired by Delicious magazine.
INGREDIENTS • 3 cups green beans, ends trimmed • 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar • 1 tablespoon olive oil • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted INSTRUCTIONS 1. Bring a large saucepan of water to boil; cook green beans for 4–5 minutes; drain well.
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped • Small bunch of fresh mint • Small bunch of flat-leaf parsley • Salt and pepper, to taste
2. In a blender, mix finely chopped mint and parsley with olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Blend until combined.
3. Add dressing, onion, and sesame seeds to beans. Toss together. Cool dish, then refrigerate until ready to serve.
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