The Good College and the Single Parent
I recently had coffee with a mather and single parent who has two daughters in college. She walked me through how each daughter had chosen the colleges they now attend. One attends college in the UK. The other goes to the University of Scranton, a Jesuit school that has gotten mention in my book, The Good College. While this single parent didn’t need my services, she intentionally reminded me about issues that a single parent needs to consider when finding their Good College.
I’m going to cover some of the non-financial issues here.
While I understand college costs and how financial aid and debt do and do not work, I am not a financial aid specialist. However, there are many concerns that go beyond financial aid, such as:
What does your child want to study, and will there be a need for further education?
The mother that I met has one daughter who wanted an accelerated path to a doctoral professional degree in occupational therapy. Their cost considerations go beyond four years, though some accelerated programs use senior year as the first year of graduate school. It might be possible to pay undergraduate tuition for the first year of a graduate program or earn the bachelor’s degree in three years instead of four.
Earning a scholarship or saving a year of tuition and fees can really help a single parent. In this case the student earned both. It became less expensive for her to attend a private university that offered her desired program versus four years at a public institution that did not, then a later application to graduate school.
Choosing what’s “in” versus what’s “out” among a high school peer group.
Within New Jersey, my home state, more and more college-bound students are choosing flagship universities in the south such as the University of Alabama and the University of South Carolina. These schools have offered scholarships in the past, though it’s uncertain what they’ll offer in the future. Their non-resident tuition and fees are lower than Penn State-University Park and the University of Delaware but the costs to go to and from home are higher.
- My first question in these cases with a single parent family is: how far from home is ok? Is transportation to and from home readily available?
- Next question is: why the southern schools? Yes, prospective students have been attracted to the social life. There are also great academic opportunities and fairly large honors colleges at Alabama and South Carolina. But what if your child’s academic direction is uncertain? Is it worth the money?
- Further, what are the costs that colleges won’t tell you? Fraternity and sorority dues are not cheap. Neither are football tickets. An academic program might have its own unique costs, too.
- After that, how does the school act in loco parentus? What counseling and medical services are offered for health and well being? Are they included with student fees with no extra charges?
- Last: is this a place that you will want to visit, even if it’s only to drop your child off at school or bring them home? Your comfort or discomfort with a campus and the immediate area should be a factor in choosing a Good College.
What if your child doesn’t know what they want to study?
If costs are an issue, so is return on your investment. A school that asks prospective freshmen for an intended major might not be a good target. Too many flagship state schools veer in this direction. Programs in business, engineering and the health professions lean towards direct admission with little room to welcome internal transfers. Here are initial thoughts:
- Look for schools that have easier internal transfer processes. Not all public institutions are like the flagship. Many good colleges make it easy for students to change their minds. The University of Scranton is one such school. Elon University (NC) is another.
- Some flagships combine an exploratory studies program with a more seamless internal transfer. The University of Delaware is one such school. So are Michigan State and Ohio State, among others. Within New Jersey, the College of New Jersey allows students to enter undeclared before choosing a school and major.
If you’re in the need for expertise on financial aid, I have someone for you to contact.
I have worked with single parent families, usually the mother and father are divorced. But I refer out the financial issues to specialized people. Vicki Vollweiler, founder of College Financial Prep, based In New York, has broad expertise in financial aid,. She also has specialized expertise in working with divorced parents.
