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The True Cost of Procrastination(it isnt pretty, my friends)

Ive been talking with a lot of families lately, and Im hearing two things in particular, over and over again. A college education is our top priority. But, we just have (a vacation, school to get ready for, etc.) on our plate right now. Well revisit this a bit later in the fall. Now, its human nature to put things off particularly when were not really sure what to do, or when we feel like theres still plenty of time. And its not unusual for folks to say one thing, while their actions are telling a different story. With anything in life, if you dont KNOW where youre going, youll either eventually get lost or itll take you a long time to get there, much longer than necessary. If youre heading out to drive cross-country and choose to do it without a roadmap, it may not even make sense to head out in the first place. Now, when it comes to college admissions and financial aid, waiting until later, not only can it take you longer, it will cost you THOUSANDS of dollars in lost financial aid and could cost your student the opportunity to find and get into a great college that has what they need to reach their goals. If you wait until later, you still wont know exactly what to do, and you will have lost MONTHS of valuable time. You and your student will not have enough time to do the college search and selection process thoroughly and could well miss out on the perfectly-matched college that will also provide the better aid package to help you pay the bill. Your student loses a vital opportunity and his college education costs you a lot more. You must start planning as soon as possible, ideally at least 14 months in advance, if you want to maximize all opportunity for financial aid. You must be willing to commit the time and resources necessary. If you do not know and understand how financial aid works and the rules under which it operates, how will you know if you are maximizing your students aid? If you miss out on college money, who is going to pay the difference you or your student? More and more we see students with mountains of college student loans. It is important you have exhausted all means for aid before considering student loans. Youll likely have loans, but the idea is to keep those loans to a minimum. But if youll get to it later or worse, wait until its time to file the financial aid paperwork, you significantly decrease your opportunities and INCREASE the likelihood youll lose out on thousands of dollars that could help lower your college expenses.

Dont let your student miss out on opportunities to get in to a great matched school OR miss out on money because you just cant think about this now. If you dont have the time to get things started and move your child along, then you need to get some help. YOUR Smart Plan For College ASSIGNMENT: 1. Take a good hard look as to why youre procrastinating. Is it because you really dont have the time? Is it also because youre not sure exactly what you should be doing? (BTW, if youre concerned that your student doesnt seem motivated this is EXACTLY their problem). 2. Make the commitment of the necessary time, money and resources needed to get this done. You need to start: a. Helping your student figure out what they want; b. Identifying programs that can help them get there; c. Learn what colleges are looking for; d. Position your student to be an attractive candidate; e. Learning now the ins and outs of how financial aid works so you can maximize your financial aid opportunities later. So, quit waiting and hoping for the best. Start taking action NOW. Putting this off any longer will cost you tens of thousands of dollars.

2012 RT Keller Associates, LLC. All rights reserved.

Jeanmarie Keller has helped thousands of students get into colleges they love while making sure their parents save a fortune on the bill. Jeanmarie is the creator of the Smart Plan For College System which teaches her client-families how to get noticed in the admissions office, get in at the colleges right for them and how to get the money they need to help pay the bill. To receive Jean's weekly email newsletter and Jean's free CD: How To Find Cash For College, subscribe today at http://www.JeanKeller.com

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