Why have college costs skyrocketed over the past few decades? According to Richard Vedder, Director of the Center for College Affordability and Productivity, the biggest reason for the increase in college costs has been the increase in federal financial aid. Financial aid programs not helping needy students Knowing that the federal government will increase financial aid […]
By now, most high school seniors have heard back from the colleges to which they’ve applied. And many, unfortunately, are likely disappointed with the financial aid package they’ve received from the schools of their choice. In many cases, students find themselves heartbroken over not being able to attend their top-choice college because their family can’t […]
When giving advice to students and families about choosing a college and determining how to pay for it, we tell them to look at the return on investment (ROI) of the degree.
The College Considerator is a new tool makes that even easier, by measuring the value of the student’s potential degree. This can help families and students figure out whether it’s worth paying for the college of their choice.
Applying to and getting into college puts enormous pressure on students and families. Many students believe they need to get into the “best” (highest-ranked) college possible in order to have a chance at getting a good job after college.
Particularly among the wealthy, there’s often competition between parents as their children apply to the same prestigious colleges, Robert Reich writes in a recent piece for Slate.
As college costs have risen, financial aid at most colleges hasn’t kept up, leaving students to make up the difference with loans.
According to Peterson’s, the average college only provides enough scholarships or grants to meet 70% of what low- and moderate-income students need to pay their college bill.
As budget cuts have hit public colleges hard, many have raised tuition to make up the difference. But others, including the University of Alabama, University of Arkansas and UCLA, have employed a different strategy: enrolling more out-of-state students, who pay higher tuition than in-state students. Out-of-state enrollment on the rise at public colleges A recent […]
There’s plenty of focus on the rising cost of college, but many people don’t realize until they get there that the extra costs, including textbooks, can really add up. According to a new report from the Student Public Interest Research Groups, switching to free or low-cost “open-source” electronic versions of textbooks could save students thousands […]
For-profit colleges have faced bad press over the last few years–and deservedly so.
They’ve been accused of predatory lending, and graduates report poor outcomes, high student debt, and difficulty finding jobs.
In spite of this, and the fact that they’re more expensive on average than both public two- and four-year colleges, they’re increasing in popularity, particularly among younger students, according to The Hechinger Report.
There’s been another win for the affordable State University of New York (SUNY) system.
A recent study by The Business Journals analyzed the quality of 484 public colleges in America, and several SUNY colleges ranked among the best.
As if college weren’t already expensive enough. A new report from Forbes projects that the cost of four years at a private college could rise to $334,000 for students starting college in 2018.
Considering that’s less than four years away, that’s a pretty huge spike from the already-high current cost of attending a private college. The average cost of attending a four-year private college is now over $59,000 per year, or $254,000 over four years, based on projections that have the cost rising 4.5% each year.