BACK
Prep for college
costs
Fees start adding up
in your child’s
junior and senior
years in high school
By Linda Jerkins
For the
Journal-Constitution
Published on:
07/07/07
Chris and Cesar
Martinez started
saving for college
when their three
children were in
elementary school.
But like many
parents, the Roswell
family never
considered the costs
involved with
actually getting
into a college.
"We focused on
saving for the
big-ticket items
like tuition and
housing," Chris
Martinez said. "But
there are so many
other things that
you pay for before
they step foot on
campus."
Pre-college costs,
including fees for
applications,
SAT/ACT tests,
campus tours and
even sessions with
private college
counselors can arise
during your child’s
junior and senior
years in high
school. "Some of the
costs [like
application and test
fees] are set and
unavoidable," Chris
Martinez said.
"Others [like SAT
prep classes] you
can shop around for.
There are still
others you pay for
because you think it
will help your child
not only get into
college, but with
life."
This fall, David
Martinez, a 2007
graduate of
Centennial High
School, will head to
Colorado State
University in Fort
Collins, Colo.; it
was one of five
colleges that
accepted him.
The price tag for
his college search
topped $4,000. That
includes a $300 SAT
prep class, $200 for
a summer
speed-reading
course, and about
$3,000 for David and
his parents to spend
five days touring
colleges in
Colorado. Airfare,
car rental, hotels,
meals —- and of
course, college
T-shirts —- were
part of the trip.
Looking back, Chris
wonders if any of
those pre-college
expenses could have
been cut. "Maybe the
SAT CD," she said,
laughing. "Nobody
liked it."
Families with
college-bound
students face a
mountain of fees.
But early
preparation can help
keep expenses in
check. Here are a
few items to
consider, along with
tips for cutting
costs:
Applications
Once your child
narrows the list of
potential colleges
down to a manageable
number, the real fun
begins.
Colleges charge an
application
processing fee,
which can range from
$40 to $70, to
consider prospective
students. The
average fee is $50.
Students typically
apply to about six
colleges, according
to school
counselors.
Cut costs:
Application fees may
be waived for
applicants from
low-income families.
Students also can
apply to 34
historically black
colleges and
universities —-
including Savannah
State University and
Clark Atlanta
University in
Georgia —- with one
$35 application fee.
The
online
form is available at
www.eduinconline.com.
Tests
Most colleges
require SAT or ACT
scores as part of
the application
packet. Taking the
SAT costs $43. The
ACT costs $30, but
there is an
additional $14.50
fee for the written
portion. Along with
processing test
results, these fees
cover mailing
student test scores
to four colleges.
It’s not uncommon
for students to take
the SAT and ACT more
than once, hoping to
improve their
scores.
Some colleges also
require applicants
to take two or more
SAT subject exams.
It costs an
additional fee —-
$8.50 for the SAT
and $9.50 for the
ACT —- to send score
reports to
additional schools.
It also costs extra
for changing test
dates and viewing
scores early.
Cut costs: Narrowing
your college list
and careful test
planning will keep
costs down.
Test prep
Test scores carry a
lot of weight. To
minimize the stress
factor, many parents
enroll their
children in
preparation courses.
Kaplan Test Prep,
the Princeton Review
and Studyworks
provide SAT
preparation tools.
In addition to
classroom
instruction, these
companies typically
offer online study
programs as well as
one-on-one or group
tutoring sessions.
For example, Kaplan
charges $899 for a
12- session
classroom program to
prepare for the SAT.
Working in a small
group —- usually
three people, plus a
tutor —- can cost
about $1,500 per
student for 20 to 30
hours of
instruction.
Cut costs:
Occasionally, high
schools and public
libraries will offer
free or reduced-fee
classes during the
summer, after school
or on weekends.
Students also can
pick up free SAT or
ACT practice
materials from their
schools’ guidance or
college centers.
Free pointers and
practice tests are
available on the SAT
and ACT Web sites.
Additional
information also is
available at
www.GAcollege411.com,
a state-sponsored
site.
Tutoring
Tutors can help a
student catch up or
get ahead in a
subject. Tutors, who
are often current or
former teachers,
also can help with
SAT prep, college
essays and
one-on-one
instruction in a
specialized subject.
"There is a tutor
out there for every
budget and learning
style," said Steven
Pines, executive
director of the
Education Industry
Association, a trade
group.
The average fee for
a tutor is $25 to
$55 per hour, Pines
said. However, some
tutors charge higher
fees ($65 to $150
per hour) for
specialized
subjects, such as
calculus.
On the Web, students
can get help in
various subjects
from companies like
Sylvan or Tutor.com.
TutorVista.com also
offers online
tutoring, charging
$19.99 for a
one-hour session or
$99 for one month of
unlimited access.
To find a tutor, ask
for recommendations
from other parents
and check with your
child’s teachers.
Many schools keep a
current contact list
of tutors.
Cut costs: Many
schools offer free
tutoring. The tutor
may be a student in
a service club or a
teacher who offers
special hours for
subject help before
or after school. To
find a tutor, check
with the guidance
counselor or your
student’s subject
teachers.
Finding a college
Professional college
coaches, also called
educational
consultants, can
help nervous parents
—- and their
children —- through
the process of
finding a school.
They can assess
students’ strengths
and interests, then
compile a list of
potential
candidates. Coaches
also identify
scholarship or
financial aid
options and assist
with applications.
Often, consultants
are former high
school or college
admission
counselors.
The national average
for a consulting
package is $2,800,
said Mark Sklarow,
executive director
of the Independent
Educational
Consultants
Association.
Locally, Buckhead
Educational
Consultants in
Atlanta charges
$2,800 and can begin
as early as
sophomore year.
College counselors
also may charge by
the hour or set a
fee based on the
task. Nationally,
the average hourly
rate is $130, while
fees typically range
from $80 to $100 in
metro Atlanta.
> The College
Counseling Program
of Jewish Family &
Career Services, a
nonsectarian United
Way agency, offers
families three
options: hourly
sessions for $80, an
interest inventory
test and evaluation
for $300 or a $1,150
program that
includes the
testing, evaluation
and 12 private
sessions with a
college counselor.
> For a referral to
a private counselor,
get recommendations
from your school
counselor and other
parents. Also check
with trade groups
such as the
Independent
Educational
Consultants
Association (www .educationalconsulting
.org), the Higher
Education
Consultants
Association (www.hecaonline.org),
and the National
Association for
College Admission
Counseling (www.nacacnet.org).
Cut costs:
Counselors and high
school college
centers offer
information free
about scholarships,
college searches and
upcoming college
fairs.
GAcollege411.com
also offers
information for
harried parents.
Campus tours
Colleges don’t
require prospective
students to visit,
but these outings
give students
exposure to life on
campus. Teens also
can sign up for
structured college
tours through
companies like South
Carolina-based
College Visits (www.college-visits.com)
or California-based
College Campus Tours
(www.collegecampustours.com).
Last month, College
Campus Tours took
teens on a 10-day
bus tour of West
Coast public and
private colleges.
The trip cost
$2,250, including a
workbook, campus
tours and hotel
stays at the Hilton,
Hyatt and Sheraton.
Airfare and meals
were not included.
College Visits also
offers campus tours
throughout the year.
This month, the
company will offer
two tours of
Northeast colleges.
Prices range from
$1,485 to $1,985,
including meals.
Cut costs: Turn a
campus visit into a
family vacation.
Or take a virtual
campus tour without
leaving home. Many
college Web sites
offer online tours.
Campustours.com also
offers online tours
of various schools.
