Horse Schools FAQ For Parents Part 3

The cost of the school my teen has picked is astronomical. How can we afford it?

It’s true that the majority of “known” horse schools have very high ticket prices to go along with their prestige and the fact that they’re private universities. Many parents are surprised at how much a horsey education can cost when many of the hands-on careers in the horse industry don’t pay very much. If your teen’s heart is set on attending this school and you want to make it work here are some tips to help ease the financial burden.

1)      Apply for as many financial aid, scholarships, and grants as you can. I received an inside tip from an admissions counselor at one of these schools: they want to give you lots of scholarship money, so apply!
 
2)      Look into the requirements of the college to be considered an in-state student (the price difference between out-of-state and in-state is very large). For example, one school only required a bank account in the town after the first semester to be considered in-state, so only one semester at out-of-state costs and the final three and half years at in-state costs.

3)      Consider doing the general education requirements (math, English, etc.) at a local community college. With tuition costs super low and the option of saving on room and board your teen can have enough left in their college account to spend their last two years at the college of their choice.