The question of how a person should pay for a purchase should be considered along with the decision to buy as payment decisions usually influence the expected benefits versus expected costs calculations. Paying for post high school education is no exception. Consequently, some of the thinking about this question has probably already been done and a review of the process you followed in deciding to go back to school after high school graduation is important and needs to take place now. Your review will be a reminder of your values and life’s goals that you factored into your decision and it will highlight the fact that all choices have costs including payment options. Assuming your cursory review of your choice to go forward is complete and your out-of pocket expenses are still accurate and acceptable, let’s move forward and give the payment question the time and thought it deserves.

Application Insights-How Should I Pay For Post High School Education? is like any other decision as it attempts to make the best decision (highest benefit, lowest cost) among many possibilities. Just to be sure, recalculate your calculated real cost of going to school beyond high school. Be specific and use numbers that are current and relate to your specific program. As costs change rapidly in this area, research the numbers one more time and seek help where possible. Don’t forget foregone income from opportunities lost while you attend school. It is most likely that the yearly totals seem high and the quest for the proper payment options seems like a difficult task. Stick with it and remember you have already decided post high school education is worth it, you now want to fine tune the payment options so money is not wasted. As you move into the specific insights that the guide will provide just remember that money costs whether it belongs to you or another party. Opportunity cost is a critical concept when you look at using your own funds to pay for college because its cost is the value of the next best use of those funds.

• As stated earlier, the question of paying for post high school education evolves from and is connected to your choice to go to school. The context is “I am doing this so what is the best choice to pay for it”?