2010

College parents are struggling to meet the cost of college these days, to be sure. And federal tax policies could be a lot more family friendly, to be even surer.

Yet, on this Tax Day Eve, with filing to occur no later than midnight tomorrow, it’s probably best to focus on the tax deductions and credits that college parents currently have, rather than the ones we want.

Yesterday, President Obama visited Northern Virginia Community College to sign the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act, shorthanded by lawmakers as “SAFRA.”

One reason the President signed the bill at a community college is to underscore that the new law includes $2 billion to improve educational and career training programs at community colleges. These 2-year schools can be a smart alternative for students and their families who are looking to save money, but attain an associate’s degree, or stay on path to a bachelor’s.

As college student affairs administrators gather in Chicago for their annual convention, they are coming to grips with a whole new generation of individuals invading their campuses.

I’m not talking about a new generation of students, but a transitioning generation of parents. Very soon, the so-called “Gen Xers,” those born between 1961 and 1981 will be the dominant group of college parents. That’s right, college parents.

All of us have learned through experience, and occasionally from hard knocks, that it is best to insure an expensive purchase, whether it is a home, car, plane fare, luxury good or electronic device.

Yet until now, one of the most expensive purchases that parents make – the college tuition, fees and room & board for children – has not been “insurable,” unless the students in your family attend one of 180 mostly elite and very expensive private college and universities that offer what is usually called “tuition insurance” through the school’s enrollment contract process.