This post brought to you by BMO Harris Bank N.A. Member FDIC. All opinions are 100% mine.
We have been playing the BMO Harris Bank Scavenger Hunt Sweepstakes each week and sharing tips along the way. In the past weeks, we have discussed Baby Saving Tips, tips for creating a budget with you get a new job, and saving when purchasing a new home. This week we are moving on to getting ready for college, which is something we will be getting our child ready for soon.
It is really hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that I have a child who is almost finished with her sophomore year in high school. We have already had some discussions about where she wants to go and what she wants to do after high school. After that it is time to start freaking out on how it going to be paid for!
A few tips…
- Start saving early if possible. Look into a College Savings 529 Plan to help you start saving. Rules vary by state so check with a trust financial advisor to get the best information for your state.
- If finances are tight, consider taking basic college foundation courses at a community college that will transfer credits to a larger university.
- Investigate all scholarship opportunities and apply for everything that is even remotely applicable.
- Once your child is at college, make sure they are set up with a bank account that they can access via mobile. This is the easiest way for your child to keep up on their finances.
The BMO Harris Bank Scavenger Hunt Sweepstakes is on week 4 and you could enter for a chance to win $500 – $2,000. Each week during the five week time period, play the interactive game experience on Facebook that offers useful financial tips. Different key milestones of the journey of life will be highlighted through a series of true/false and multiple choice questions, text tips, and video footage. You will pick up tokens along the way that enable you to enter the sweepstakes.
Not only is it informative but it is fun and very quick! I was able to enter in just a few minutes. I also got each question right on the first try – yay me! You will have to be on Facebook to participate.
What was it like for your child to get college bound ready? Any tips?