If you have a child in middle school, now is the perfect time to start thinking about college (it's never too early!). This webinar covers the many reasons to attend college, how to prepare academically, the basics of college cost and financial aid, and different ways to save. Download the webinar slides to follow along.

MEFA Assistant Executive Director Elizabeth Fontaine explains the choices and challenges faced by parents with children in middle school, and explains that families in this stage need to concentrate on both academic planning and saving for college.

If you're a family with a middle school student, learn why it's beneficial to start researching now all of the different options for college. The more you know, the better prepared you'll be for all the decisions you'll need to make during your child's senior year of high school.

Did you know that MEFA has a valuable email curriculum for families of all life stages? For families in middle school, MEFA sends key information all about high school academics and how to begin (or continue) to save for college. MEFA is both proactive and reactive to give you the information you need when it comes to college planning and saving. Sign up for MEFA emails here.

Learn more about MEFA emails, which are catered to the ages of the children within each family and include information relevant to each family's life stage. Also hear about our website, mefa.org, which includes information on saving for college, high school academics, applying for college, and applying for financial aid.

If you're a family with children in middle school, learn about how you can make the college search part of everyday life. Students can begin to envision themselves on a college campus and get in the college mindset by visiting different campuses and talking about the process of planning and saving for college with their family.

There's a lot to think about when you and your child are deciding on a college. Learn helpful insights into how you can cultivate your child's interests, and the importance of focusing on what's going to give your child the best chance to succeed.

At some point, you're going to be confronted with a college bill, so it's never too early to start saving. Hear why it's important to save as early as possible, as anything you save will help lessen the borrowing down the road.

Hear how families with middle school students can be more motivated to save for college. For example, studies have shown that children who know that money is being put away for their college education are much more likely to attend college and graduate. It also helps to teach middle school students the value of saving when they are younger.

Academics matter, especially when students are in middle school, as it's the time when students can set themselves up well for high school. Hear about how students in middle school should spend some time thinking about what classes and subjects they enjoy and what extracurricular activities they want to get involved in during high school so they're better prepared to succeed in high school and beyond.