Tag: affording college


These 5 states have the best colleges for your money

Posted on August 6th, 2014

We recently wrote about a new set of college rankings based on which colleges provide the best value for your money.

A few states dominated the list and were home to several colleges that provide students with a great bang for their tuition buck. Watch the video to find out what they were.

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Should you use your full 529 fund to pay for college?

Posted on August 2nd, 2014

With the cost of college rising, many parents are turning to 529 plans to pay for their future children’s college tuition.

These plans allow families to put away money tax-free for future use. Like a 401K or IRA, funds are invested in mutual funds or similar investments.

When your child finally reaches college age, many parents wonder if they should put their entire 529 savings toward their student’s first year of tuition or save some for future years in order to allow the fund to grow even more.

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The best colleges for your money

Posted on July 29th, 2014

There’s no perfect method for ranking colleges, and every media organization that releases a list has its own standards and criteria.

We tend to focus on lists that take a college’s value compared to its cost into account and which colleges leave their graduates with little student debt.

That’s why we’re intrigued–and a little surprised–at these latest rankings from Time Money. The newsmagazine recently ranked 1,500 four-year colleges by which colleges offer the most bang for your tuition buck.

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7 ways to reduce college costs

Posted on July 23rd, 2014

"You may not have any spare jewels lying around to pay for Junior's higher ed. (No, gumball rings don't count.) But if you're willing to get creative and consider alternative approaches, you can cut some or even all the big expenses." -- Lou Carlozo

College costs are rising, but it doesn’t mean there’s no way to avoid taking out excessive student debt in order to finance your education. Here are 7 ways to reduce college costs from the Christian Science Monitor.  1. Attend a zero-tuition college Believe it or not, there are still a few colleges that charge nothing […]

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The calls for free college are getting louder

Posted on July 22nd, 2014

"The people who are struggling to pay for college today go way beyond poor people. There’s a need for a universal program." -- Sara Goldrick-Rab

With college costs reaching record levels and still rising, the idea of free college might sound like a pipe dream. Some colleges offer free tuition to the very top students, but these scholarships are extremely competitive. And even with financial aid, most students usually end up paying large amounts for college and taking out student loans. […]

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A community college transfer checklist

Posted on July 17th, 2014

We’ve written quite a bit about the benefits of starting your bachelor’s degree at a community college to save money on your education.

To make the process easier, SALT has put together a handy infographic showing a semester-by-semester breakdown of how to succeed at a community college and put yourself in the best position possible to get into and pay for a 4-year college.

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Cost of college tops $60,000 at 50 colleges

Posted on July 11th, 2014

It’s no secret that college tuition has risen dramatically over the past two decades. According to the College Board, the average cost of tuition and fees for the 2013–2014 school year was $30,094 at private colleges.

But the news that 50 colleges now charge more than $60,000 per year, according to Business Insider, makes that $30,000 bill look like a bargain.

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6 out of 10 college graduates unemployed or underemployed

Posted on July 8th, 2014

"Students and graduates are corralled by crippling debt into making financial decisions out of necessity rather than out of desire. They aren't purchasing homes, investing in their future or focusing on community involvement. The debt insists that they work for money, rather than for societal improvement." -- Charles Stevens

Student debt remains an enormous societal and economic problem, with the average college graduate leaving school with $29,400 in loans, according to College Access and Success. It would be one thing if these graduates were entering an economy with many high-paying jobs available, but that simply isn’t the case, Charles Stevens writes in a fantastic […]

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Did need-blind admission create the college debt crisis?

Posted on July 7th, 2014

"In sum, 'need-blind' admissions, summoning a mental image of the coal miner or bus driver’s daughter striding her way across the college green, quite often leaves that daughter 60 or 70 thousand dollars in debt." -- John McWhorter

Many of the nation’s top universities, such as Harvard, Stanford and Duke, are lauded for having need-blind admissions policies, meaning they don’t take into account a student’s ability to pay for college when making admissions decisions. These schools say the policy a way to make sure the best students are accepted because of their merit, […]

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New student loan interest rates for 2014-15

Posted on July 1st, 2014

Before borrowing money to pay for college, it’s important to know what your loan’s interest rate will be to figure out how much you’ll pay over the life of the loan.

Unfortunately, students and parents will pay more this year than last to borrow for college. Federal student loans remain, however, one of the most affordable options when borrowing for college.

Read on to find out the new student loan interest rates for the 2014-15 academic year.

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