It’s never too early to start thinking about supporting a student’s dreams of going to college. Creating a culture of going to college is sending the message that every student can do it if they desire. There are several ways you can help create and support this encouraging culture, both in your own home and in those in your community.
Consider Cosigning on a Student Loan
Anyone who has the right credit history can cosign on a student loan, even if it is not for a relative. So, you can do that for a grandchild, child, or even just someone you know. You’ll need to have a steady income and a good credit score. If you have other debt, that will be taken into consideration. However, when you cosign on a loan, your student will be able to access financing they wouldn’t be able to get otherwise. Plus, it’s a great way for a student to build credit. One of the benefits of cosigning on a loan for a potential college student is that you can help with the approval process in order to secure a great rate.
Encouraging Them
Students might not have much confidence in the amount they think they can accomplish. This is made even harder by the fact that many students do not have any personal examples of people in their family getting their degrees. If you want them to be successful and look ahead, you will want to remind them of what they have accomplished in the past. For example, perhaps they did really well on a certain project. Or they might have gotten a good grade in a difficult class. This positive reinforcement can help them become more confident when they are thinking about the admissions exams needed for college. It will also help them do well with college-level work and exams.
Encouraging Students to Take Ownership
Encourage high schoolers and even middle schoolers to think about their future goals so they can create a plan. Even if it seems like they don’t have motivation, it might just be because they are feeling overwhelmed and don’t know how to start this endeavor. Or maybe their study habits are not optimized yet and that gives them pause. Introduce study apps for college learners early so they can build the skills now that they will need to be successful once they start college. Some students might not have any personal examples of people in their lives getting their degrees, and this can make them feel more intimidated about the future, especially when it involves academics.
You can have your own kids sit down and write out their dreams and goals for the future. That way, you can determine the best way to guide them in whatever direction they are thinking about going. It’s a good idea to let you kids start to take ownership of their education. At some point, they will graduate, and once they are adults, you will no longer be there to help them through tests and other assignments. Instead of reminding them to turn in assignments, you might let them know it is up to them to get their work done on time. Allow them to feel the consequences of failure so they can learn how to cope if it comes to that.