The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
For decades, parents with two or more children in college at the same time could count on receiving more financial aid. But a change in the federal financial aid calculation has eliminated this "sibling discount," leaving more families with multiple kids in college on the hook to cover thousands in college costs.
The shift comes as part of the FAFSA Simplification Act, which was implemented in the 2024-2025 academic year. The redesign of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) replaced the long-standing "Expected Family Contribution" (EFC) with the new "Student Aid Index" (SAI). While the goal was to make the application process easier, the new formula no longer considers the number of students from the same household who attend college at the same time. The change was designed to level the playing field for families who have multiple children without overlapping years in college, but it’s a drawback for those with multiple children in college at the same time.
College Ave, a private student loan company, recently conducted a survey of parents of college students and found that of 86% of parents with two or more kids, the majority (81%) anticipated paying for the education of at least two children.
How to manage the educational costs of multiple children? Parents of the Road2College Paying for College 101 Facebook community were asked how they navigated it — here’s what they had to say.
Many parents said they were serious about putting money in the kids’ 529s, and when grandparents asked about “big” Christmas or birthday gift ideas, they suggested putting money into their 529 accounts.
Keep in mind that you can change the beneficiary of your 529 plan at different intervals if you have more than one child in college, but the paperwork involved can become a hassle if your kids are close in age and you have to do it multiple times within a short time. This is when having a plan set up for each child is best.
Also, if the cost of one child’s college tuition is higher than that of their siblings or if you only have a short amount of time to replenish the account before the next child needs a payout, it may be best to have multiple plans.
Finally, more than 30 states provide tax benefits for 529 plan savers, which means having multiple plans may save you money on taxes.
Finding scholarships takes time and grit, but it’s worth it if you have multiple children in college. One mom suggested looking for schools that allow students to stack scholarships without displacing any awards. This allows them to seek federal, state, institutional, and private scholarships that can be cobbled together to cover costs.
Students should continue looking for scholarships year-round in high school and while attending college. Keep a calendar of due dates to stay on track, noting that some organizations and companies have ongoing scholarships that award students every month.
General education requirements, which take up the majority of the first two years of college, are significantly less expensive when fulfilled at community colleges versus four-year institutions. One mom said her children chose community colleges with direct admit programs to state universities to make the academic and financial transition easier and more transparent, minimizing surprises.
Another parent said she agreed with her three kids: Attend a community college for the first two years or take out student loans. Two went away to school anyway, thanks to scholarships, and the third opted for junior college first to avoid debt. Just keep in mind that the sooner they know your financial limits, the better! This way, they can prepare.
Believe it or not, many colleges (about 90%) offer tuition discounts to their employees and their dependents, and if you have multiple kids in college at the same time, that can add up to huge savings. It’s no wonder many parents consider switching jobs to take advantage of this benefit. Some schools allow students to attend for free, while others provide steep discounts. There is no universal policy regarding this benefit of employment; each school can create its own rules, so check with the colleges your children are interested in attending to see what they offer.
Keep in mind that, in many cases, there is a waiting period of up to two years before employees can receive this benefit, so you may have to switch jobs while your children are in high school and commit to that school early on. Some universities increase the tuition benefits with each year of service, rewarding longer-term employees with full tuition benefits.
In addition to everyday retail brands known for offering scholarships to employees, such as Starbucks, Chick-fil-A, Amazon, and Best Buy, some professions entice students to begin working first to have their education paid for by their employer. Nursing is one such field where many students secure jobs in hospitals that promise to pay for school so long as students commit to a minimum number of years working for them when they graduate. One parent said her daughter was able to secure multiple nursing certificates and degrees while working for a local hospital without having to pay a penny for classes.
One mom told her kids early on that they were each responsible for $5,000 per year, which gave them a goal and a deadline (she chose July 31, which is when many schools start sending out tuition bills). Whether it’s saving birthday money or securing a part-time job, knowing they were responsible for this early on helped them plan and save, so there were no surprises.
College Ave’s survey found that close to half of parents (50%) believe their child should financially contribute to their college education. As the parent did above, make sure to have an open discussion with your child on what you, as parents, can contribute and how they can best financially support their educational goals. If you need to borrow to cover costs, discuss who is taking out the loan and who is responsible for repayment.
Some colleges and universities have discretion in how to apply federal changes to their financial aid, and many will grant families discretionary funds if they have multiple kids in the same school. One parent said it saved him $11,000 per year.
Paying for college for multiple children may seem daunting at times, but with the right planning and strategizing, there are ways to make college possible and affordable. Whether you’ll be sending two children to college or five, many of the tools and financial aid options are the same. Be sure to exhaust all of your “free money” options first and cover your financing gap with private student loans.
The College Ave survey was conducted by Barnes & Noble College Insights. The national online survey of parents of undergraduate students who attend a four-year college or university at one of the campuses served by Barnes & Noble College had 1,000 respondents and was fielded from April to May 2025. Last year, Barnes & Noble College Insights conducted more than 50 research studies and more than 100 survey polls of students, faculty, and parents who interact with one of its more than 770 campus bookstores across the nation.
This story was produced by College Ave and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
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