COLUMBIA, S.C. – George Scott, president of Seeds of Wealth Financial Group, spoke to an audience of students and their parents, at Ridge View High School about paying for college and choosing the best one for you.
Scott told parents there are 3 major factors that go into choosing a college - Head, Hand, and Heart.
The first thing to consider is what you want to major in and what career path you want to go down. You should narrow down your results to which colleges offer your major and which ones have the best program.
The second thing is figuring out how much does each college cost and deciphering how much your out-of-pocket cost is going to be.
The last thing is doing what feels right to you. Scott says the most common things that influence a student’s decision in picking a college is wanting to go to the same college as his/her parents, going to school near their significant other, or being a die-hard college sports fans.
Many students decide which school first, pick a major, and then picking a career. Scott describes this as the wrong way to go about choosing a college and discourages students from doing this.
Scott says to find a career by choosing a path that goes with your talent, passions, interest.
He provided some tips to students and parents who are touring colleges. He suggests making a scale and scoring each college you go to visit as the first and last ones usually have the most impact.
His best advice for financing education is to not do it through credit cards or 401(k) liquidation. For more advice on financing your college tuition, visit http://carolina-money.com/blog/understanding-financial-aid-process