Talking About College with Family

Talking about college with family

Important conversations

As your college plan starts to become clearer, it’s important to talk through your decisions and thought process with your family as well. Even if it may be difficult, there are topics that need to be discussed like paying for college, what you’re going to study, housing registration, and much more that they might end up having to be involved in.

having the tough conversations

If you haven’t yet brought up your college application process to your family, now might be the best time. You’ve had time to think about your decision, you’ve been able to make some comparisons on your own, and you know why you want to attend the school you do. You’ve also still got time before you need to put down your signature for enrollment, so there’s still time to take their thoughts into account, if you want to.

For a lot of students, family is important to the college application process because of financial aid paperwork, but there are other topics you might need their input on too, like:

Making an enrollment deposit
Helping you pay for tuition, housing, or materials
Where you will be living
How you will support yourself
How you will support your family, if necessary
How you will remain in touch

These conversations are probably different from what you may usually talk about with your family, but don’t worry. You don’t need to talk about all of these at once. Try to ease into it as you start talking about college generally with your family.

reach out

Even if you’ve had family members attend college, you might still need to relay some information and help your family members understand your position. Reach out to your adviser or counselor for help, they can help you navigate this!

First Gen

As the first in your family to go to college, you will have to relay some information and help your family members understand your position. Remember, though, you’re not alone—you’ve got your adviser or counselor on your side to back you up!

it's your life

At the end of the day, always remember that your pathway after high school is yours to own! Your family may be able to give input and assistance, but this is about what you’ll be doing after high school and your plans for the future.

Start the important conversations, listen to what they have to say, and figure out how you’re going to work toward your goal together. This is another step along the long path you’ve taken to making a decision, so be proud of that work and stay firm in your plans. You’re almost there!

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