The Difficulty of Saving for College

May 6, 2021

Over the past 18 years, the price of college has increased by 125%, or 4.6% per year (source). This is more than twice as high as the overall inflation rate.

With college costs increasing rapidly, parents who want to save for their children’s education are in a tough situation. If the price continues to increase at that rate, a school that costs $50,000 today will cost $112,000 per year in 2039. This means you would need approximately $448,000 to cover four years of college.

To save that much you would need to put away $1,250 per month, or $15,000 per year, for 18 years assuming a 5% rate of return. Most parents cannot afford to save that much, especially with multiple children.

This also assumes the child finishes their undergraduate degree in four years, which only 41% of students do (source). This also does not account for the cost of a postgraduate degree.

As a financial planning professional, college funding is a struggle. While a 529 college savings account is an excellent place to save, the potential costs are exorbitant.

Assumptions have to be made when saving for a goal, but the variability in those can be massive. What remains unclear is:

  • What will college look like in the next 10-20 years? Perhaps it will look similar to today but the price inflation will decrease.
  • Or, will lower-priced credential options arrive? Companies like Treehouse are interesting early entrants.
  • Will community college be free? The Biden administration is making a push for this to happen.
  • Will my child receive a scholarship or student aid?
  • Another interesting and evolving area is how to borrow for college. One new idea is income-share agreements.

Within this changing landscape, “save what you can and watch what happens” is not the most reassuring financial advice. But as with all financial planning problems, the future is unknowable and we have to accept reality on reality’s terms.

Parents should address their specific college saving goals with an advisor and revisit those assumptions and variables regularly.

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The information, analysis, and opinions expressed herein are for general and educational purposes only. Nothing contained in this commentary is intended to constitute legal, tax, accounting, securities, or investment advice, nor an opinion regarding the appropriateness of any investment, nor a solicitation of any type. The material has been gathered from sources believed to be reliable, however Think Different Financial Planning cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of such information, and certain information presented here may have been condensed or summarized from its original source. All opinions and views constitute our judgments as of the date of writing and are subject to change at any time without notice.

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Disclaimer: Investments are not guaranteed and are subject to investment risk, including possible loss of the principal amount invested. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. All allocations and opinions expressed are as of the date of this presentation and subject to change. The information contained herein does not constitute investment advice or a solicitation. Information obtained from 3rd parties is believed to be accurate, but has not been independently verified.

The opinions expressed in this article are for general informational purposes only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual or on any specific security. The material is presented solely for information purposes and has been gathered from sources believed to be reliable, however Think Different Financial Planning cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of such information, and certain information presented here may have been condensed or summarized from its original source. Think Different Financial Planning does not provide tax or legal advice, and nothing contained in these materials should be taken as such. As always please remember investing involves risk and possible loss of principal capital. Advisory services are only offered to clients or prospective clients where Think Different Financial Planning and its representatives are properly licensed or exempt from licensure. No advice may be rendered by Think Different Financial Planning unless a client service agreement is in place.