Hoverings

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.

There’s a quote that’s attributed to Yogi Berra that says, “You’ve got to be careful because if you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll wind up somewhere else.” In true Yogi Berra fashion, his seemingly simplistic quote may contain some important wisdom.  For college students, setting goals and working toward them may be a particularly difficult task.  Some students may be very career oriented and know exactly what they wan

When Constance Clery’s daughter Jeanne was brutally killed at Lehigh University more than 20 years ago, she channeled her anger and sadness over her daughter’s murder into actions that would benefit college students and their parents for the next generation and beyond.  Thanks to Mrs.