80 LONGISLANDPRESS.COM • APRIL 2018
COLLEGE GUIDE
HOW TO INSPIRE YOUR TEENS
The high school years can feel
overwhelming for students and
parents alike. Teens grapple with
questions like: Which colleges
should I apply to? What do I really
want to do with my life?
Parents naturally want to give
advice and steer them in the right
direction, but it’s a tricky balance.
It’s their life, after all. So how can
parents help?
Encourage them to explore different
interests. Research extracurricular
programs so they can see the
breadth of what’s out there. Expose
them to a range of possibilities.
Most high schools offer a variety of
extracurricular opportunities, from
sports and theater to robotics and
debate. Language clubs provide a
chance to practice conversational
skills in a relaxed environment
while joining in cooking and other
cultural activities.
If options are limited at school,
branch out. Get teens involved in
the community, meet new people,
and bond with others who share
similar interests. They’ll see what’s
out there in the bigger world while
demonstrating to colleges and
employers that they’re engaged
beyond the classroom.
Volunteering can be customized to
one’s own interests, whether it means
walking dogs at an animal shelter or
building a website for an environmental
group. Adventurous students can take
it one step further by participating in
service programs abroad.
Study abroad transforms the way a
teen looks at fields of study – and
life. As many students, parents
and guidance counselors have
discovered, this is an opportune
time to develop valuable lifelong
skills, learn a new language and
discover career interests in a way
that is not possible in an everyday
classroom environment.
The Council on International
Educational Exchange (CIEE), a
nonprofit that operates high school
study abroad programs in more
than 30 global destinations, is a good
place to start. Transported to a world
far different from their own, teens
find themselves fully immersed in
a new topic and a foreign culture.
Programs range from three weeks
in the summer to a full semester or
academic year.
Planning ahead is key. Involve a
teacher or counselor in the discussion
to ensure a smooth transition. It also
allows more time to plan finances
and research scholarships. Don’t
delay: Organizations like CIEE offer
scholarships based on merit and
financial considerations, but be sure
to check the application deadlines.
To learn more about CIEE’s Global
Navigator High School Study Abroad
program and available scholarships,
visit ciee.org/globalnavigators. – BPT
HELPING STUDENTS PAY FOR COLLEGE
With student debt increasingly
becoming a long-term burden on
graduates and families, it’s never
been more important to minimize
the out-of-pocket expenses to put
a student through college – and
reduce reliance on student loans.
The Federal Reserve Bank of
New York stated that in 1995, 54
percent of graduates had loans
averaging $11,491. It’s more recent
data in 2015 showed 71 percent of
graduates joined the workforce
with student debt averaging
slightly more than $35,000. What’s
more, The Fed estimates 25 percent
of those who owe federal student
loans are delinquent or in default.
The good news is that anyone
willing to put in the time can likely
find programs that help foot the
bill – helping to reduce the need
to take out loans, so a student’s
education won’t break the budget
or jeopardize a financial future.
According to Peter Gayle, a vice
president for Prudential Advisors,
families can take a few initial steps
before choosing a school:
* Learn how the financial aid process
works and get the most out of options
that don’t need to be repaid.
* Understand each school’s actual
net price – after financial aid –
and set realistic expectations,
choosing from the most affordable
institutions.
* Explore types of financial aid,
including grants, work study
programs and scholarships;
examine the specific types of
aid available per school and
find out how much of a family’s
demonstrated financial need each
school will cover.
* Understand the kinds of loans
available, including a variety of
federal loans and private loans,
which may be used to fill any
financing gaps after exhausting
other options.
* Understand how parents’
“available income” is used to
calculate how much parents are
expected to contribute to their
child’s education, especially for
federal financial aid purposes.
Several guides, including
Prudential Financial’s prudential.
com/payingforcollege, can help
families take a carefully considered
approach to financing a college
education while safeguarding
a student’s long-term financial
future, including the ability to
save for retirement. - BPT
“Anyone willing to put in the time can
likely find programs that help foot the bill
– helping to reduce the need to take out
loans, so a student’s education won’t break
the budget or jeopardize a financial future.”