Paying for College 101

October 22, 2026 – In The Washington Post’s Paying for College 101, a six-part newsletter series focused on helping families navigate the cost of college, Shannon Vasconcelos, senior director of college finance for Bright Horizons College Coach, offers practical advice on using dual enrollment to reduce college costs and considering tuition payment plans as a lower-cost alternative to borrowing.

“It can be a really effective way to cut into your college costs, get some of those basic course requirements out of the way,” said Shannon Vasconcelos, senior director of college finance for Bright Horizons College Coach, a college consulting firm.

Read the newsletter here.