This resource book is designed to help parents plan ahead, with their child and child's teachers and counselors, to ensure appropriate academic preparation for college. Planning financially for the costs of a college education is addressed. A question and answer format addresses topics related to each chapter heading. Chapters and topics addressed are: (1) General Questions About College: Why attend college? What types of colleges exist? What kinds of jobs are available to college graduates? (2) Preparing for College: What can my child do to prepare academically for college? What can my child do outside the classroom to prepare for college? (3) Choosing a College: How can my child go about choosing a college? (4) Financing a College Education: How much does a college education cost? How can I afford to send my child to college? What are the most common sources of financial aid? Is my child eligible for financial aid? If so, how much? Are there other ways to keep the cost of college down? (5) Long-Range Planning: How do I set up a long-range plan? (6) Important Terms: What terms do I need to understand? and (7) Other Sources of Information: Where can I get more information on the topics discussed in this handbook. Contains 5 exercises and checklists and 10 charts. (JBJ)