The year before your child goes to college will be busy for your child and for you. Here are specific steps you should take to carry out a successful college funding strategy.

Financial aid is a common way to help pay for college, so you need to know a lot about it. In this chapter, we explain what the Expected Family Contribution is and moves you can make to change it. Then we offer tips on minimizing the cost of college. And finally we provide a year-long timeline for financial steps you should take during your child's final year of high school.

What can you expect to learn from this chapter:

Reduce your contribution, increase aid   Understanding how financial aid is granted will help you plan a strategy for college savings. Strategies to minimize college tuition   Graduate in less than four years. Start at a low-cost college and move on. Find a college that really wants you. These are some of the ways you can cut the cost. Timeline for financing a college education   Senior year of high school begins: here's a timeline from September through August for the financial steps you should take. Chapter 3 quiz   Did you learn the last-minute strategies? Test yourself.