Preparing to disembark for college can be challenging, especially if you’re the parent of a teenager. There are plenty of things you can do to make your child’s transition from high school to college an exciting occasion. But making it more exciting isn’t the only thing you need to prioritize. No matter what, your child’s safety is of the utmost importance. But how do you go about ensuring their safety when you’re not there? In this article, we’ll be going over how parents can keep their children safe while they’re in college.
Ensure They Have Copies of Their Important Documents
While they’re in college, your children need to have their personal information and documents close. Documents such as their social security card, insurance papers, passport, driver’s license, and their college ID might get lost. They need to organize their personal documents in the event that this occurs, they’ll need to fall back on their copies. Making copies of your personal information can be a massive help when you need to show verification of your identity or insurance. They can also use these backups until the originals are found or they order a new one.
Become Their Cosigner
As you’ve attended college yourself, you know full-well how expensive it can be. No matter how someone goes about it, college is going to cost thousands. While it’s a necessary expense, not everyone has the luxury of affording it on their own. What’s more is that the interest rates attached to student loans can be astronomically high when a new student borrows. You don’t want your children to worry about paying back their student loans. However, at the same time, you also don’t want them to be without responsibility. Students get their first real taste of financial obligations when acquiring their loans. But that’s no excuse to have them struggle with ridiculous rates.
Therefore you should look into Earnest student loans with a cosigner. Earnest is a company that specializes in distributing private student loans. These loans are the same as regular student loans, except the interest rates can be more favorable. The best thing about being a cosigner is that you can lower the interest rates even more. Granted, this will require you to have trust in your child. If they end up missing a payment, then you’ll have to do it instead. Missing a payment on a rare occasion won’t do anything, but consistently missing deadlines can ruin both of your and your child’s credit.
Tell Them to Remain Alert
Let’s be honest in that the world isn’t always a safe place no matter where you go. Since your children are going out on your own, you can’t help but feel concerned about their safety. Teens are known for their exploration and inquisitiveness, which isn’t a bad thing. But sometimes, they tend to get a little wrapped up in their curiosity and make some bad decisions. You need to sit down and talk with your child about how they need to remain alert. While it might not be the most pleasant subject, you’ll have to go over what could potentially happen if they’re not careful. This includes online safety as much as physical. When they are living in your house their internet habits are being monitored but once they’re out on their own it is important that they understand how to protect themselves and their identities online as they may not even realize you have been doing this for them.
