Roundup: College Guide
Texas is home to some of the most prestigious — and prettiest — campuses in the country. Yet, watching the kiddo you taught to walk leave the house can be an emotional journey. (Cue: ugly cry.) Here is a college guide with a few ways to ease the transition and help them prepare for this exciting new chapter. You’ll have the peace of mind they’re ready to thrive on their own.
Financial Planning
Parents, the earlier you start a college fund for your kids, the better. The national average for college tuition and fees for 2022-23 ranged from $9,800 to $40,700 per year, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Saving early means what you invest has longer to compound, requiring you to pay less in the long run.
To-Dos Before Move-In
The summer before college goes by in a heartbeat, but a prep list can ensure nothing is forgotten. Help your teen (and yourself) feel good about their departure from home by bolstering their confidence in handling emergency situations. Now is a good time for CPR classes and first-aid training. Surprising your graduate with a car? Know how to pick a car that will keep them safe and ensure they’re covered.
Then, help your college student take baby steps toward being responsible for important documents, like their birth certificate and Social Security card, by opening up a safety deposit box.
Campus Life
With tuition already costing an arm and leg, every penny saved counts. Take advantage of back-to-school savings, from used textbooks and tax-free weekend shopping to the perks you get as a Texas Farm Bureau member. Missing your kiddo dearly? Resist hourly texts (it’s hard, I know), and try sharing your love from afar with a themed care package.
Insurance and Safety
Take a deep breath, Mom and Dad. It’s a fact of life — maybe even a rite of passage — that outside the nest, accidents may happen. Insurance can help ease the pain where a kiss and a hug won’t cut it. Update your policy to cover your college student’s vehicle, belongings, and health while in school. (And remind them to get a flu shot this fall!)
Tailgating and Traditions
Tailgating is an American pastime dating back to the 1800s during the Civil War. Two hundred years later, if there’s any state that knows how to tailgate, it’s Texas. Just check out these college traditions, and you’ll understand. Cheer on your college student’s school from a respectful distance: the parking lot, with a grill and sporting the appropriate fan wear. Brush up on the do’s and don’ts of tailgating to avoid embarrassing your kiddo.
Empty nest bumming you out? Stay busy by checking off the Texas fall bucket list.
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