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

The hugely popular New York Times “Your Money” columnist and author of the bestselling 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.

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!

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!

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.

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!

Understanding College Financing

Very,very useful to understand the financial side of college. Author did very good job to unpack the mystery of undergraduate college ins and out. Author appears to be guinely interested in helping parents. A must for all parents. Thank you.