Tuition Costs... One Strategy

Government sponsored studies have shown that in most instances the selection by parents and students of a college or university for higher education is not a rational but an emotional process.

For the last 20 years, tuition costs have been rising faster than any other product or service in our economy and not entirely linked to either the demand for the education or actual inflation costs associated with it. Admission officers admit that many institutions capitalize on this emotional process by consumers, in that schools find that raising tuition rates attracts more applicants because families mistakenly equate high prices with quality education.

Even degrees from leading brand name institutions don't necessarily result in top paying jobs after graduation.

Aside from evaluating value for a higher education on a more rational, economic basis; one strategy that can save families, especially those that don't qualify for financial aid, thousands of dollars is to fast track the education by compressing a traditional 4 year program into 3 or 3 1/2.

Many schools have commencement programs for graduation between semesters, and by using Advanced Placement credits, local summer school credit transfers, and an increased number of semester courses the length of the time required for the diploma can be reduced - of course, meaningful results can only be produced if individual students are up to the task of shouldering the additional workload.

But importantly, it's not just another year of soaring school expense that can be avoided; it's another year in which to start earning income.