GUEST POST: Get Financially Fit! | Making College Affordable

5 Ways to Make College More Affordable

The value of a college degree isn’t what it used to be, but its importance certainly hasn’t diminished. In fact, in Sallie Mae’s report, “How America Pays for College,” 90% of families expect their student to earn at least a bachelor’s degree, with 54% expecting a graduate degree. Of course, if you’ve read any recent news about the financial details of college education, you’ll know that it’s also a foreboding prospect: there is nearly $1.3 trillion in total U.S. student loan debt, ongoing wage stagnation, and the prospect of enduring years of underemployment.

But it’s not all bad news. A notable paradigm shift is taking place: this year, a whopping 98% of current students are actively engaging in ways to make their education more affordable.

So how does a student and their family better prepare themselves? Here’s our list of the top five ways families can make college more affordable:

Get Financially Fit! | GUEST POST: Living and Saving as a Millennial Living with Your Parents

Living and Saving as a Millennial Living with Your Parents

The generation of the internet age is one of the largest and most diverse in the U.S. Although Millennials have been defined by a relationship to technology, the generation has been steadily redefining adulthood. Millennials have adapted and endured in a post-recession economy, their social and global values have inspired change in the labor market, and now one-third of Millennials are living in a parent’s home.

For the first time in the Modern Era, this is the most common living arrangement for 18 to 34-year-olds. This new normal has not come without its challenges. Many are saddled with student loans, consumer debt, and a serious lack of savings – both emergency and retirement. The silver lining? Living at home provides some much desired financial breathing room, just when it’s needed most.

If you’re a Millennial about to move back in with your folks, who has been living at home for a while, or is looking for a launching pad to independence, here are a few tips to help you make the most of your time at home: