Hear from others.

"My husband and I divorced about five years ago, and I knew the day would come when my son would start thinking about what came after high school. I was nervous, because I didn't make enough money at the time to help him pay for college if he wanted to go. I didn't go to college myself, so I didn't know anything about how much money there was out there to help pay for college. The best thing I did was start talking to Daniel's counselor. He reassured me and laid out a lot of information as we talked. It kept me from worrying so much, and it helped Daniel know I was on his side in the end."

Mary

Mauldin, SC

"We had high hopes of paying for most of our daughter's college education before the recession. We had saved up since she was born, but when I lost my job, we had to use a lot of the money to make ends meet. My wife and I were scared of what that could mean for Becca's chances of going to college. At first, we didn't know where to look for guidance, but we were so relieved when we found out about the need-based grants out there to help people just like Becca, so we filled out the FAFSA and got the help we needed. She always kept her grades up and did really well in school, and she deserved to go to college. We're so proud that she was finally able to."

Jim

Walterboro, SC

"Even before we had Karen, my husband and I knew we wanted her to have the best we could provide for her. Neither of us were able to go to college because our families couldn't afford it, so we started saving early. We were able to save $100 a month, and by the time she got to high school, we had a significant amount in the bank to help pay for college. All it took was saving a little each month, and after 18 years, it made such a difference."

Susan

Orangeburg, SC

"For most of the time Anthony was growing up, I expected he would graduate from high school and start working in our family business. We've run a trucking company for over 50 years. I always assumed that's what he would do, but the older he got, the more he started talking about college. He was good in school — he had the grades to go — but I needed the help at work. We argued a lot, and things were rough between us for a long time. The more we talked about it, though, I could see how important it was to him, and how if he didn't work for the family business, he would need a degree to get a steady job that paid a decent wage. By the time he graduated, I was proud of his decision to go to college. Who knows, maybe he'll have his own business someday."

Melvin

Berea, SC

"I was the first person in my family to graduate from college, and I knew that one day I'd want my own child to have that same opportunity. It wasn't easy for me — working my way through school, facing a lot of my friends from home who didn't understand why I went to college. When my oldest son got to high school, I knew a lot of his friends weren't planning to go to college, so he would be a pioneer of sorts like I was. He was nervous about that part of it, but it helped to talk about my experience and let him know the most important thing was to stay focused on his own goals for the future. I'm proud that my son will also one day be a college graduate — and I'm equally proud that I'll no longer be the only member of my family with a degree."

Thomas

Ridgeland, SC