College Quicker, by Kate Stephens

With rising tuition costs and college debt spiraling out of control (the next financial bubble?), it just makes sense to find ways to finish college in less time and with less money.  In her new, helpful how-to book, Kate Stephens gives some tools and tips for high school and college students who want the most out of college but want to save some money and finish faster.  College Quicker: 24 Practical Ways to Save Money and Get Your Degree Faster is not for everyone.  If your college student has a guaranteed full scholarship to college, or if your family can afford to simply write a check for all college expenses, then you might not feel the need College Quicker.

For the vast majority of us, though, Stephens's ideas are welcome and, as promised, quite practical.  Some are very familiar: AP exams, credit by examination, IB exams, dual credit courses.  These ways to earn college credits while still in high school seem like the simplest, most effective way to get a leg up on college.  It's really not that hard, especially for a driven student, to graduate from high school with a year or more of credit under his belt.

Some of my favorite ideas involve getting credit from colleges other than the one in which you are currently enrolled.  For summer sessions, study abroad programs, service programs, on-line classes, etc., it may be possible to earn credits which will transfer to the college from which you will be earning your degree.  In some cases the tuition savings will be significant.  One specific example described a study abroad program that included travel, lodging, entertainment, all meals, and credit hours, and ended up costing barely more than the tuition for those same credit hours if earned on campus.  That sort of program would be worth looking up!

To make it very practical, Stephens illustrates the potential savings, comparing the savings to what a student might pay in loans (and interest), or, if the savings were put into a retirement account, what they gains would be, given growth over time.  Breaking down the numbers like this puts a relatively small cost difference into perspective!

There are certainly pitfalls.  For each of these ideas, Stephens encourages readers to do their research.  Students need to be aware of what credits will transfer, and what will apply to their chosen major, before they jump in.  Some courses will count for credit, others might simply satisfy a prerequisite with no credit given.  Some courses won't transfer at all.

As my oldest son is entering his junior year in high school, the crunch will be coming soon for us.  I would love to see him get a full-ride scholarship to the school of his dreams.  In the meantime, we'll be working on some of these, making plans for options to keep him (and me!) out of a lifetime of debt while achieving his academic goals.  Thanks to Ms. Stephens for this handy, helpful resource.


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!