In this multi-part personal finance series, readers will learn various ways to help save money for a college education, from off-the wall-scholarships and 529 programs to the right time to refinance your loans. Parents and students alike who read this series will find something to help reduce the costs of a higher education before, during and after it takes place.

Part III: Work For It

When my friend James was in college, his parents made him learn the value of a dollar the hard way. They forced him to work during his education and didn't give him cent towards his schooling. He took out student loans and worked several jobs in his four-year stint at State, from after-school swim instructor to late-night security guard, he worked them all. Believe me; after all those hours of working while going to school full-time, he learned the value of a dollar. What he didn't know at the time, was the amount of college loans that piled up in the four years he was away.

Here are a few ideas that could help you not make the same mistakes he made: