I have big dreams for my kids. Every single day I do my very best to prepare them for the ‘real’ world. I try to teach them how to make good choices and hope we are helping them grow and thrive into happy adults.
 |
| Future Florida State Seminoles? We hope so! |
I also want both of them to go to college. While I don’t feel like a college degree is needed for every profession… I do think it helps. My husband and I met at Florida State University. It was one of the best times of our lives, and it prepared us for our careers.
It is never too early to start saving for your kids college fund. Right now, it is open enrollment time for the Florida Prepaid college program, the ONLY time each year that families can purchase a plan. I have talked about my love for Florida Prepaid before. My parents got me one, and I left FSU without a single penny in student loan debt. Unfortunately, I have seen the other side, since my husband has a TON of debt from his time at school. Not only did he use student loans to help him get a 4-year degree, he also got his Masters. Needless to say, we are still paying off his loans.
It was no surprise my husband was the first one to bring up Florida Prepaid when we had our son. We would love to give our children the opportunity to graduate college debt-free. Right now, Florida Prepaid has 5 different options, and there is a plan to fit any budget.
My parents got me the 4 year university plan, which sets your child up for a full 4 year journey at one of Florida’s 12 amazing universities. However, now they have a 1-year Florida University plan. This allows you to buy 1 year at a time… without feeling pressured to buy all 4 years at one time. This also lets multiple purchasers to buy a plan for the same child. (“Hey Grandma & Grandpa… how about helping me out by paying for a year of my university?” *wink wink*)
Here is a breakdown of all the plans:
1-Year Florida University Plan:
- You can purchase one year, or 30 credit hours, at a time according to your budget and timeline, without feeling the pressure of having to buy all four years at once
- The plan also allows multiple purchasers to buy a plan for the same child.
2-Year Florida College Plan:
- Set your child up with a practical, affordable path to entering his/her chosen career with an associate’s degree or trade certification
- Give your child the advantage over those with only a high school diploma
4-Year Florida College Plan:
- There are 28 Florida colleges and they’ve expanded their capabilities far beyond the two-year programs. In fact, most now offer four-year bachelor’s degree programs in growth industries like nursing and teaching, and continue to grow their degree programs year after year.
- And since they’re typically less expensive than a university education, the 4-Year Florida College Plan provides a practical, affordable path to a bachelor’s degree
2+2 Florida College Plan
- Your child can receive a degree from one of Florida’s prestigious state universities for less than a typical four-year university degree
- By starting your child off at one of the state’s 28 Florida colleges, you’ll save money on lower-level courses before transferring to a State University to finish off their degree
- Students with this plan are guaranteed admission to a state university once they’ve earned their associate’s degree at a Florida college
4-Year Florida University Plan
- This Plan will start your child off at one of Florida’s 12 prestigious state universities and see them through their four-year journey.
- If your child decides to start at a college (which are typically less expensive), the unused funds from this Plan can be applied to a post-secondary degree or you can get the remaining money back
There is a plan to fit every budget, and the money saved can be applied at any university or college nationwide. (If your child decides to go to an out-of-state school) Check out the Florida Prepaid website for more information. Open enrollment just started, and runs through February 28, 2016. Don’t wait! #StartingIsBelieving
That is awesome! I would love to start a college plan for my boys . I'm going to look into this, and see what they have around here.
Yes it is so important just to start! I am sure they have a similar plan where you are! 🙂
This is awesome. I so need to start saving since my kiddos are still so young. Thanks for the great reminder. 🙂
yes! Every little bit helps..:) Thanks for stopping over and I hope you are having a great week!
Great post! Wish I had done this when my kids were younger.!! Such good advice and kudos to you for being proactive! My kids are both in college, they had some scholarship money but both will have debt. I feel bad about it , but harder to save when both parents don't work full time, BUT could've forgone some mochas, clothes etc..Hindsight is always a great teacher :/
That is what student loans are there for, not everyone can stash money away and that is okay too! But if you start when they are really young, every little bit can help! 🙂 and hindsight is totally 20/20… funny how that works right? 😉
That sounds like a great plan! We have an RESP for C currently in Canada. The government matches it with several grants depending on what we deposit every month. It's really great to plan ahead. Education is so important!
Thats amazing! I bet more people would save money if the government would chip in a bit here!! What a great incentive!
Grateful and thankful BB was able to sign up The Trio for this plan, it was worth every penny and sacrifice. Now for The Grands!!
Yes! It made such a difference for me, I am really happy I can do the same for my kids!
I had never heard of a plan like this. Thanks for sharing. Will definitely look to see if there is something like this in my state. I can't talk enough about the value of higher education and will look to a tool like this to secure a great education for the next generation of little's in the family.
yes hopefully there is! I think college is so important as well… I hope my kids choose to go! have a wonderful week!
Sounds like a good way to plan for the future. I wonder if Texas has something similar. We were lucky enough to finish schooling without loans. I waitressed my way through grad school, and my husband worked too. But since college keeps getting more expensive, out kids might not have it so easy! Saving is so important!
That's what is so crazy, my husband worked too through college… but he still had so many loans! (maybe he spent his paycheck on too many cocktails!! ha!) I think the earlier we start saving, the better.. 🙂 have a wonderful week!
I know so many people that have there kiddos enrolled in this and when we move back to FL we plan on signing my daughter up. More states should have college programs like this.
You should def get this for her! I loved it when I had it.. and the best part is it locks in the current rate. So when your daughter goes she will only be paying for what it cost the year you signed her up! So awesome!
I'm going to look into this for California! I graduated college with high student loans, and I'm hoping my kids can do it differently!
tho we are already planning for this, the subject TERRIFIES ME! but they're NOT going to florida… too far!
Teach your children responsible work habits. Patience, discipline, respect, industriousness and punctuality are habits that were “assumed” in previous generations of new workers – but these qualities are all too rare among recent college graduates.