Parents should choose schools they can afford

The tension and excitement that surrounds the release of national examination results is palpable. The nation literally catches a cold. And, in many cases, it explodes.

Parents and their children are glad to finish one level of education and look forward to the next with a lot of optimism.

There is fulfilment in any accomplishment and perhaps even much more with education success whichever way you measure it. Like is the routine, this weekend is one for many households to chew over the Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) results for the past year.

In celebration, or grief over not so good results, the most important decision is the one parents take for the children’s next step.

Life is like a chain. No spot on the chain is the end. All are just links to the next. All fears will be buried as parents stretch their limits to give their children the best in life.

Amidst all this, those without the resources will be quick to jump on to the hunt for any scholarships that will be advertised.

Others are willing to offload property in order to pay school fees for the education institutions they would prefer their children joined.

It is a painful decision that leaves the parents forgetting that they too must live their lives.

Not all students have the luxury of attending whatever school they want regardless of its cost.

In fact, for many parents, cost of attendance should be a deciding factor not just where they attend school, but also where they apply to study.

You should be budget-conscious. Get together with your family to determine how much money you can afford to apply toward your education and estimate your out-of-pocket costs for each school on your list.

Once you have compiled a list of schools that you can afford, narrow down your options by considering how each school would meet a child’s academic and personal needs.

By factoring in all the potential expense variables, you will have a fuller picture of how much you will pay for your child to attend a particular school.

To make the choice that’s right for you, weigh costs against academic quality and programmes.

What is the desired outcome of the next stage that your child may undertake?

Answer this question truthfully. If the priority is receiving an education at an expensive school because the career goals are best met by that school, understand you will have to make trade-offs in other areas of your financial life to make that happen. Good luck!