If you have a high school aged child getting prepared to head to college, you probably won’t be surprised to learn that tuition costs rise faster than the average inflation rate. During the last 10 years, in-state tuition rates at four-year public universities increased an average of 3.5% per year beyond the average inflation rate, according to the College Board, and an average of 2.4% beyond inflation at four-year private colleges.
That’s why it’s especially important to take advantage of every opportunity available to reduce higher education costs. Alloy Silverstein and the New Jersey Society of CPAs offer these tips on keeping your college tuition expenses down.
Two tax credits in particular help qualifying families lower their out-of-pocket college costs.
See: What Tax Credits Are Available for Higher Education?
The American Opportunity Tax Credit, which is available for the first four-years of post-secondary education, is a credit of up to $2,500 of the cost of college tuition, fees and course materials paid during a taxable year. As a refundable credit, it reduces the amount of tax you owe on a dollar-for-dollar basis, and if the amount of the credit for which you’re eligible exceeds your tax liability, the excess will be refunded to you up to the lesser of 40% of the credit or $1,000. Through the Lifetime Learning Credit, qualifying taxpayers can receive a credit of up to $2,000 a year to cover tuition and fees for all years of post-secondary education and for courses to gain or improve job skills.
Your CPA can offer more details about these credits and other potential education-related tax-planning opportunities. (Note as of October 2017: The End Is Here for the College Tuition Deduction)
Are you convinced your income is too high for your student to qualify for federal grants? Remember that every student’s situation is different, and colleges use a variety of approaches to determine who will receive aid. As a result, it’s a good idea to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, form required for financial aid consideration. The form is also often used to determine eligibility for other kinds of scholarships and grants, and qualifies the student for low-interest student loans, so turn it in to maximize your opportunities. And file early—as soon as possible after the form becomes available on October 1—because some states award grants on a first-come, first-served basis until the money runs out.
Learn more about Acing your FAFSA form this year with advice from Julie Strohlein, CPA →
Tuition costs will likely continue to rise, so be sure to budget potential annual increases into your college planning. Creating a budget, and finding ways to stick to it, can help ensure your overall college costs don’t increase significantly each year.
You’ve got a nice retirement nest egg already set aside, so why not use it for college costs? There are a number of good reasons. Parents of college-age children are typically in their 40s or 50s, a time when they should be adding as much as possible to their retirement accounts, not draining them. And while you may not want to saddle your child with a student loan, that debt can be paid off over time, but getting a loan to cover retirement expenses is not really a good option. Instead, you may end up postponing retirement, finding a job to supplement your savings after you retire, or making big cuts in your retirement budget. Before you raid your retirement funds, investigate low-interest student loans or consider the benefits of a less expensive college. Discuss your financial planning options with your financial advisor.
Beyond starting to save as early as possible, college planning means making other efforts to sort out the financial management aspects of a college education, including figuring out how much you can afford, researching institutions, and considering community college for your basic credits. In addition, before your student begins applying to colleges, talk to them about how much you expect them to contribute financially so there are no surprises—or disappointments—later.
Every day, local CPAs offer clients expert advice on a wide variety of financial concerns, including making a major purchase or obtaining a loan. Whatever your financial questions, your Alloy Silverstein CPA can help you find the answers. Contact us today for more guidance.
© 2017 Money Matters are provided by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
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