It’s one of the biggest investments of your student’s life, right up there with a house and their own future children’s college savings account. With such a significant expense, it’s essential to make the most of every opportunity. Here are three quick tips to help your student gain the most of their college investment and graduate with a competitive edge over others just entering the workforce.
1) Find Accelerated Programs and +1 Graduate Programs
At certain schools, many majors can be completed in as few as three years when a student brings in college credits through AP scores and early college courses. Not only does this allow your highly motivated student to spend less on their college education, but it can get them into the workforce a full year early. Your student can then maximize their four years of college by completing a +1 graduate degree program that allows them to earn a master’s degree after only one additional year of study.
For example, Houghton University offers many three year options for its undergraduate majors, including Business Administration and Accounting. By completing one of those business-focused majors in only three years, a student can jumpstart their career AND enroll in Houghton’s 12-month online MBA program. Within the traditional four-year college experience, your student can:
- Earn a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration or Accounting
- Save two semesters of college tuition, room and board
- Receive a year’s salary in the workforce
- Complete a Master of Business Administration
2) Look at the Bottom Line
Did you know that schools use various tuition models? Some schools inflate their cost of tuition to allow them to offer significant awards that correct the price to the actual cost of educating a student. In addition, schools are only required to report their tuition and average room/meal plan costs in your financial aid offer. This means that your final bill may be higher than your aid offer.
As a result, it’s important to always look at the bottom line. While significant merit scholarships of $10,000, $15,000, or more look appealing after the hard work your student has invested in their grade schoolwork, verify that the awards will truly lower your costs to an affordable level.
3) Take Advantage of Early College Courses and Discounts
Early college credit is typically offered at costs far lower than regular tuition. Those early college courses give your student experience in what college-level coursework looks like, preparing them to excel after high school. In addition, those early college courses may also count towards the completion of high school requirements.
At Houghton, high school students can enroll in online college courses for only $60/credit hour ($180/3-credit course). Students gain access to an extensive selection of courses, including Intro to Christianity, Writing 101, Financial Accounting, and Drone Pilot Training, and there are no additional or hidden fees. All courses are taught by dedicated and experienced educators who integrate their Christian faith with outstanding scholarship and who are experts in their field.
New courses begin every 8 weeks. Visit Houghton’s website to choose a course, register, and begin earning college credit.
