Saving for College talk at Harper

Statistics show the price of college tuition, room and board at four-year public institutions rose by 30 percent in the decade between 1998 and 2008 — and it’s still growing. Harper College this fall will host a free seminar aimed at helping parents, grandparents and others financially prepare for higher education’s impending cost.

The “Saving for College” session is at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 19, in the Wojcik Conference Center on Harper’s main campus, 1200 W. Algonquin Road, in Palatine. The event will offer tips and advice from college experts and professional advisers, who will cover the basics of saving for higher education and provide tools to help attendees navigate the college savings process.

“Whether the young person in your life is 6 or 16, it’s never too early, or too late, to start investing in their education,” said Maria Moten, Harper’s dean of enrollment services and a presenter at the event. “Saving that money, though, can be daunting, particularly with the slow economic recovery and rising tuition costs. We really want to offer the confidence and know-how people need to begin saving the right way.”

Moten worked for more than a decade as a financial aid counselor and director, overseeing financial aid applications and financial assistance issues at both the University of Illinois at Chicago and at Harper.

The event is the latest in Harper’s Professional Advisors Seminar Series, a collection of free seminars on a variety of topics sponsored by the College’s Educational Foundation.

To register or for more information, call (847) 925-6490 or visit www.harpercollege.edu/foundation.