When it comes to preparing for your child's college education,
it's almost never too early to start the research and
investigation process. "It's typically around sophomore year of
high school that families start to do the gearing up—I think
that's too late," says Thomas Blum, vice president for
administration at Sarah Lawrence College in New York. "The
sooner parents can begin to bear down on, 'How are we going to
afford this,' ... just getting comfortable with the terminology
and with the mix of financial aid supports that are out
there—it's never too early." [See how you can start saving for
an infant's future education.] Here are three tools parents and
students can use to familiarize themselves with the ins and outs
of college costs and postgraduate success. 1. Net price
calculators: Every college and university has a calculator
online that allows prospective college students and their
families to see what a particular institution might cost them.
Using a family's own financial information—and, sometimes