Why attending your safety school may be a smart idea

We see a lot of students get their heart set on one particular college, only to end up disappointed when they realize they can’t afford it.

As much as parents may try to reason with starry-eyed students, it can be difficult for 17- and 18-year-olds to understand the long-term impact of significant college debt.

There are many benefits of looking beyond your dream school and remembering that prestige isn’t everything when it comes to choosing a college.

Are prestigious colleges worth the price?

Many students and families are willing to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars based on the name and reputation of a school, but in most cases, a fancy name isn’t worth the extra cost.

Here are some key statistics on student debt and college prestige from the infographic:

• Nearly ⅓ of students borrowed money for college in 2013
• Underemployment for college grads is at 44%
• On average, students who were accepted into Ivy League schools but chose less selective ones earned the same income as graduates who did attend Ivy League.
• About half of US Senators graduated from public and state universities (Washington Post)
• As of 2010, several Fortune 500 companies had CEOs that graduated from less selective schools, including Bank of America, AT&T, Ford Motor Company, Hewlett Packard, AIG, and Wells Fargo.

Making college affordable

For more help finding affordable colleges and applying for financial aid, check out our tips, call us at 1-888-234-3907, or send us a message.