How Dual Enrollment Saved This Family $60K in College Costs
From Beyond Budgets Podcast by Deb Meyer
January 1, 2026 · 31 min · Episode 55
About this episode
Shelley Branine shares her family's experience with dual enrollment, helping her daughters graduate college debt-free before finishing high school.
"My daughters went to prom, played sports, were in student council, and still finished college before high school ended." – Shelley Branine Wondering how your family can save tens of thousands of dollars? Then you don't want to miss this special episode with Shelley Branine, mom of two and author of the upcoming book Finish College in High School . Shelley shares her family's incredible journey using dual enrollment to help both her daughters graduate college debt-free . Listen in if you have a middle school or high school student and are feeling overwhelmed by rising college tuition rates. Shelley offers hard-won wisdom, sharing alternatives to the traditional 4-year college path . Episode Highlights ( 03:46) Why her "average" kids thrived (and why yours might, too) ( 06:10) What dual enrollment is, and how it differs from AP and IB programs (12:10) Common myths about scholarships and why they're so competitive ( 16:05) How to explore dual enrollment options in your state, even for private school students or those with learning differences ( 20:23) The real risks of student loans and why Shelley's family avoided them Connect with Guest Shelley Branine Website | Instagram |…
People in this episode
Host: Deb Meyer
Guest: Shelley Branine
Topics covered
- dual enrollment
- college savings
- high school education
- student loans
- parenting advice
Keywords
- dual enrollment
- college costs
- high school
- student loans
- scholarships
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: Finish College in High School
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