How should I pay for my brother’s son’s college education?

I have a younger sister and a younger brother, both of whom have college-age kids.

My brother " Sam " has a son who has flunked out of two colleges so far, and is on academic probation at his current one due to majoring in booze and partying.

I explained that if his son could demonstrate that he takes school seriously by improving his grades, I would be willing to reconsider.

I suggested his son might be better suited for a vocational school.

Your immediate goal is to avoid taking on expensive debt.

If your credit score is good, you’ll pay a reasonable amount of interest from a bank or credit union.

A third option would be to take out a home equity line of credit.

To find out where yours is, sign up for a free online account at Experian , Equifax and TransUnion .