We gave our 12-year-old a reality check the other day.

She asked my wife and I how we were going to pay for her college education.

I answered with a question of my own: “How are you going to pay for your college education?”

I wasn’t being harsh. She was curious because she wants to go to college someday, a good thing. I don’t want any false impression about who will bankroll her education and how.

Like a lot of parents, my wife and I would love to pay for our kids’ degrees. Like a lot of parents, we’ll likely only be able to help out where we can.

I’ve done the math: Five kids plus tens of thousands of dollars apiece for their degrees equals upward of $100,000.  

Some colleges now cost up to $95,000 to attend, CNN reports, and Idaho’s four-year institutions will increase their tuition and fees again this fall. 

I’m all for my kids going to college, but I also want to retire someday.

This all brings up my own recent reality check: I could still be paying for my education when my kids start paying for theirs.

I finished college at an Idaho public university years ago. My monthly student loan payments are as consistent as the recess bell. They’re just not as pleasant. Add in more loans for a graduate degree, and our 12-year-old’s first tuition bill could very likely show up before my loans are paid off.

I’m not complaining. As a mid-career dad with five kids, my education has paid big dividends. I get to work from home, I enjoy my career path, and my wife and I are grateful we can feed 11 hungry mouths (counting kids, chickens and cows) on a single income.

We’ve even been able to sneak in a few Disneyland trips with the kids over the years.

Still, the ever-increasing price for higher ed looms for families like mine. Factor in rising food and housing prices, books and other fees, and it’s no wonder more people are questioning the value of higher education.

Nearly half of Americans say a four-year degree isn’t as important today as it used to be, according to a recent survey from Pew Research Center.

So I did a little research recently on ways Idaho parents can help pay for college. Turns out there’s a lot, including resources for pathways to well-paying jobs that don’t require a four-year degree.

It’s by no means an extensive list, but maybe a place to start:

Prepare to Launch

My kids aren’t in high school yet, but if yours are, check out Idaho Launch, a $75 million grant program that provides students a one-time opportunity to have 80% of the tuition and fees at an eligible institution covered, up to a maximum amount of $8,000.

Between 9,000 and 10,000 grants may be awarded per year, and your kid will need a career pathway plan to get one, so help them get on it.

Here are a few important dates if you plan to apply:

• Idaho Launch application opens: Oct. 3
• Initial applications due: Nov. 30
• Round 2 applications due: Feb. 15
• Round 3 applications due: April 15
• Contingent award letters sent by: Dec. 31, March 31 and May 31
• Application closes: April 15
• Career Pathway Plans due: May 31

And for fun, here’s a list of in-demand careers in Idaho — from electricians to elementary school teachers — to help draft that career path plan. 

ABC, as easy as … 529

Idaho has a college savings program to help parents stash and grow funds for tuition.

“A 529 plan is an education savings plan operated by a state or educational institution and designed to help families set aside funds for education,” Idaho’s Ideal College Savings Program website reads.

Plans deliver tax benefits, and the professionally managed accounts can pay for higher ed courses, apprenticeships and student loans.

Click here for the basics on a 529.

Dual credits, duh

My wife’s niece graduated high school recently with an associate degree. It’s a thing nowadays thanks to dual enrollment coursework that allows high schoolers to enroll in college level courses, which are also counted toward a high school diploma.

Hence, dual credit.

It’s not free at $75 per credit statewide, but that’s much cheaper than coursework at a college or university.

My suggestion as a dad and former teacher: Check with your district or charter school for local options and let your kid know the content is often much more rigorous than a normal high school class — these are supposed to be college-level courses.

Review this dual credit brochure for more.

Grants and scholarships

I remember my first federal pell grant, manna for this poor undergrad subsisting on Taco Bell burritos and Mountain Dew.

Click here to learn more about scholarships in Idaho.

I was poor. Uncle Sam threw me a bone.

Unlike loans, you don’t have to pay grants back. While scholarships are often merit-based, grants like the the one I received are typically awarded on financial need.

And there are many to apply for. Here’s a rundown from the state of what’s available.

While you’re at it, click here for a scholarship application guide, and here to create a Scholarship Idaho account.