The Price You Pay for College

An Entirely New Roadmap for the Biggest Financial Decision Your Family Will Ever Make

By: Ron Lieber

Narrated by: Ron Lieber

Length: 12 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

The hugely popular New York Times “Your Money” columnist and author of the best-selling The Opposite of Spoiled offers a deeply reported and emotionally honest approach to the biggest financial decision families will ever make: what to pay for college.

Sending a teenager to a flagship state university for four years of on-campus living costs more than $100,000 in many parts of the United States. Meanwhile, many families of freshmen attending selective private colleges will spend triple - over $300,000. With the same passion, smarts, and humor that infuse his personal finance column, Ron Lieber offers a much-needed roadmap to help families navigate this difficult and often confusing journey.

Lieber begins by explaining who pays what and why and how the financial aid system got so complicated. He also pulls the curtain back on merit aid, an entirely new form of discounting that most colleges now use to compete with peers.

While price is essential, value is paramount. So what is worth paying extra for, and how do you know when it exists in abundance at any particular school? Is a small college better than a big one? Who actually does the teaching? Given that every college claims to have reinvented its career center, who should we actually believe? He asks the tough questions of college presidents and financial aid gatekeepers that parents don’t know (or are afraid) to ask and summarizes the research about what matters and what doesn’t.

Finally, Lieber calmly walks families through the process of setting financial goals, explaining the system to their children, and figuring out the right ways to save, borrow, and bargain for a better deal.

The Price You Pay for College gives parents the clarity they need to make informed choices and helps restore the joy and wonder the college experience is supposed to represent.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2020 Ron Lieber (P)2020 HarperAudio

Very informative!

This book is an excellent resource for all those who are considering college options for loved ones. Keep a pen and paper nearby to jot down notes and further resources!

invaluable for parents of college-bound kids

Entertaining and educational.
A must read for parents of any age kids who aspire to attend college.

MUST READ parents / children considering college

I have been a client facing financial planner for 26 years and wish this book came out 26 years ago! I am now sending it to all clients who have high school age children. It was a refreshing and well articulated summary of the college landscape and easy to understand strategies to help navigate the process!

College, one of the biggest financial decisions of life for many

I’ve been a college admissions counseling professional since 1981. This book by Ron Lieber rings true in my experience. In it, he did a fantastic job covering what is so important for college-bound-student families to learn and know about values, and value, questions as they search for the “right” institution for their student. Lieber expertly addresses the financial complications inherent in securing a student’s college education. He supplies incredibly applicable tips throughout this very worthwhile book.

A true godsend for parents of college bound kids!!

Ron breaks down every aspect of the college search experience and provides you with tools and techniques to find out what works best for your individual situation!

This book is a growth experience.

I felt like the nicest guy in the world was holding my hand while teaching and guiding me through the entire financial and emotional process of choosing a college for my daughter. Extensive research explained thoroughly but in clear simple terms.

Read This! Perfect for Parents and Students!

Packed with valuable information, resources and insight if you are planning for college education or even in the middle of making college decisions!

Not exactly what I thought it would but good nonetheless.

It turned out to be a decent informative book but not what I was hoping it would be for specifics about how to actually find married a money, scholarships, etc. for our children for college much better I didn’t earlier stage in college application to figure out where you think your child should go. Very good for that!

Indispensable reading for parents embarking or well on their way in the college savings process.

Cannot urge readers strongly enough to buy and read this accessible, actionable guide to getting the most college for your buck. I read this when my oldest was a HS senior and wish I'd done so much earlier. On the other hand, some topics would likely have seemed too abstract before we had actually lived through them ourselves. Overall, a wonderfully listenable, engaging, slightly scary but generally encouraging guide.