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Let Me Help You
I have worked for 35 years in various capacities in the field of education. I have seen many students grow up to fulfill their destinies and to make us proud.
I have also counselled with many parents who are looking forward to seeing their children succeed in life. Let me help you plan a bright future for yourself.
Sources of Financial Help
Besides getting support from your family, you can also look at scholarships, financial aids and student loans to see you through university.
In US, most students will receive some form of financial aid based upon their grades, areas of interest, athletic abilities as well as their socio-economic background.
If you are studying in US, you can also work for a maximum of 20 hours a week on campus. In places like UK, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia and Singapore, you can also work part time with your student visa. However, you may need to apply for an immigration clearance. In some universities, the International Students' Department may be able to give you directions on how to apply for this clearance in order to help you with your finances.
Many banks will also be willing to give you a student loan. However, it is unwise to apply for too big a loan and then having to spend the next 10 years paying back the loan.
I know of a parent who has guaranteed a $150,000 loan for his son for a medical degree. Half way through the course however, his son found that being a doctor is not what he wants to do. But he can no longer back out of his course because of the huge loan that he has taken. Thus, he is forced to spend the next 10 years working in a job that he dislike because he has taken this big loan. Ten years is too long a time to be so miserable!
If you have no other alternatives, just take a small loan. But my advice is always for you to work at other options first.
Appropriate Budget
While we look at education as giving us a head start in life, we should still plan well and spend wisely.
How do we know that we are planning well for our family? We know we plan well when every member of the family is at peace and there is harmony and love between each member of the family.
This can only be achieved if every member of the family is treated equally. There should be no favouritism. Every resource of the family should be put on the table and shared openly.
Education cost can range from $10,000 to $50,000 (USD) a year or even more. While you want to go to the best university, it does not have to be the most expensive one. This means that spending $30,000 a year while your family income is $60,000 a year is just unreasonable and unnecessary.
My advice is always to prepare an amount that your family is comfortable with and choose a good university within that budget.
Of course investing in your education is always money well spent. However, spending money for education is just like anything else; you should always spend money that is within your means, within your budget and that means spending wisely.