Steel Dynamics Employees: Navigating the Rising Costs of College Tuition for Your Family

Healthcare Provider Update: Healthcare Provider for Steel Dynamics Steel Dynamics, Inc. primarily collaborates with Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield as their healthcare provider. This partnership enables them to offer a range of health care benefits to employees, including comprehensive medical coverage options tailored to their workforce's needs. Potential Healthcare Cost Increases in 2026 As Steel Dynamics looks ahead to 2026, employees may face significant healthcare cost increases. The projected spikes in healthcare premiums, particularly in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace, suggest that some states could see rate hikes exceeding 60%. Factors such as the potential expiration of enhanced federal premium subsidies and ongoing medical cost inflation are likely to place a heavier financial burden on employees. As companies, including Steel Dynamics, brace for these changes, many are expected to adjust benefit structures, potentially leading to higher deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses for their workforce. Thus, staying informed about these shifts will be crucial for employees managing their healthcare plans in the coming year. Click here to learn more

It doesn’t take a degree in finance to see the cost of college continues to rise.

In its 2017 report, the College Board showed that public four-year institutions raised prices an average of 3.2% annually between the 2007-08 and 2017-18 school years. Put another way, a $5,000 education in 2007-08 would cost $6,851 in 2017-18.

For a few families, the lion’s share of education costs falls on parents and, in some cases, on grandparents. For our Steel Dynamics clients who are parents you may already know, generally, the majority of families rely on a combination of scholarships, grants, financial aid, part-time jobs, and parent support to help pay the cost.

For Steel Dynamics employees who have children approaching college age, a good first step is estimating the potential costs. The accompanying worksheet can help you get a better idea about the cost of a four-year college.

For Steel Dynamics employees who already put money away for college, the worksheet will take that amount into consideration. For Steel Dynamics employees who haven’t, it’s never too late to start.

Resources

There are a number of resources that can help individuals prepare for college. The U.S. government distributes certain information on colleges and costs. Here are two sites for these Steel Dynamics employees to consider reviewing:

www.studentaid.ed.gov
The government’s college and financial aid portal.

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Articles you may find interesting:

www.collegeboard.org
The group that administers the SAT test.

Estimating the Cost of College