Sending your child for higher education abroad can do wonders for your child’s future. But most of us are confused about where to start. Also, we might have a lot of questions about it- Should you purchase a child future plan? Or rely only on your savings? How to plan for child education? A well-thought-of and a planned approach can go a long way in making your plan for your child’s education, successful. We list down six simple steps in which you can prepare for your child’s higher education abroad.
Shortlist the country.
It is the first and probably the most vital part of planning for your child’s education abroad. You need to shortlist the countries that offer the best for your money. The choice of the course and the country can vary with the interests of your child in the future. Hence, it is important to maintain a level of flexibility in this and keep your options open
Estimate the cost.
You need to estimate the corpus that will be required for your child to study abroad. It includes not only the tuition and the examination fee but also the cost of living, food, travelling and other miscellaneous expenses. Also, you need to factor in the depreciation in rupee and market inflation. Though there are no reliable sources that can predict the trends, educational consultants might assist you with the best investment plan for your child in India 2019.
Decide on the funding and your contribution.
The next step involves deciding how you are going to finance the education of your child. The best way is to fund it from your savings or a corpus generated specifically for the purpose. You can also easily opt for education loans or
child investment plans; however, you have the option of approaching a bank for a loan. You need to note that banks only fund 85% of the course fee. The rest of the cost is to be borne by the student. A preferred option suggested by experts is financing the education partly via mutual funds and other equities and partly via savings. For this, you can take the help of a financial planner, who can help you decide with the equities and investments.
Start investing early.
It is never too early to start investing. If you are planning to go for a ULIP or invest in equities or bonds or debt market instruments, it is always preferable to start as early as possible. Also, you have the option of investing in a child policy. The earlier you start, the better are your chances of accumulating a significant corpus by the time your child is ready.
Shift your corpus to less risky funds towards the end.
Experts advise investing aggressively in the market in the earlier stages. In the initial stages, you can afford to take risks which can give you significant returns. However, as you approach your maturity, you need to cut down on risky investments. Instead, you can invest your funds in more secure funds and less risky ventures. It will ensure that the corpus that you have accumulated over the years stays undisturbed.