Education

Whether you are about to enter college for the first time or are going back for additional schooling or another degree, it will probably come as no surprise that your education is critical to your future — you’ve heard that since kindergarten. And as you likely already know, college isn’t exactly cheap. The fact is, higher education may well be the most expensive thing you — and your own children — will ever do.

Consider the numbers. The average annual cost of attending a four-year private college is more than $30,000. For a four-year public college — or one supported by state tax revenues — the tab is over $12,000, on average.

Fortunately, you can get help from a combination of sources. Numerous types of financial aid — college loans, grants, and scholarships — help millions of people afford college and graduate school. And you and your parents can use special savings programs designed to help put away money for college and graduate school (or for your own kids’ education some day). The bottom line: You certainly can afford to go to college, even if your family’s financial resources are limited.