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When Stephanie Thomas went to college<\/a> more than 25 years ago, she relied on some financial help from her parents, student loans<\/a> and a part-time job as a gymnastics coach to cover most of the tab. Even so, by graduation she had amassed about $20,000 in student loans \u2014 “good debt<\/a>” she was manageably able to pay off over the years on an income-based repayment plan<\/a>. <\/p>\n But when it came to her daughters’ education, Thomas, now 49 and a certified financial planner in Raleigh, North Carolina, knew her family would need to work harder to limit student debt<\/a> and boost the return on investment for a college degree. She and her husband saved diligently in 529 college savings plans<\/a> and, as their daughters approached college age, looked for other ways to cut costs. <\/p>\n Thomas’ youngest daughter, Ainsley, 16, is taking college-level coursework in high school through dual enrollment<\/a>. By the time she receives her diploma, she’ll also have a two-year associate’s degree and enough credits to start a four-year institution as a junior. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n It’s a tactic more students are utilizing to shave years off the price of a bachelor’s degree, according to the latest spring 2026 report from the\u00a0National Student Clearinghouse Research Center<\/a>, which showed a 9.6%\u00a0jump in dual enrollment from the previous year. <\/p>\n There’s good reason families are increasingly keen to cut college costs. Between 1995 and 2025, average tuition and fees rose 74% at private four-year institutions and 101% at four-year public colleges, after adjusting for inflation, according to the College Board<\/a>, a nonprofit organization\u00a0that tracks\u00a0trends in college pricing and student aid.<\/p>\n “We’re trying to be strategic about reducing the overall cost,” Thomas said. “With the rising cost of higher education, finding creative ways to cut expenses feels much more practical.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n A generation ago, it was much more common to do as Thomas did, but today self-funding an education with some financial aid and a part-time job has become far less feasible, experts say. Not only has the price of college significantly increased<\/a>, but concerns have also grown about taking on the student loan debt needed to cover the tab. <\/p>\n Now, nearly half of families borrow money to pay for college, according to private lender Sallie<\/a>Asking the question: Is college ‘worth what it costs’?<\/h2>\n