Tag: paying for college


Wealthy students more likely than poor to get private scholarships

Posted on April 23rd, 2015

Scholarships and grants are supposed to help students afford college when they may not otherwise be able to.

But a new report finds that most private scholarships, such as those through Rotary Clubs, or other organizations, are going to more wealthy students than poor ones.

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Experts say federal financial aid leads to higher college costs

Posted on April 12th, 2015

"It is very unlikely, then, the the rise in tuition fees will stop without some reform of federal student financial aid programs." -- Richard Vedder

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 […]

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New tool helps measure the value of your college degree

Posted on April 1st, 2015

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.

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Pressure for prestige has made college admissions a circus

Posted on March 26th, 2015

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.

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The 10 Colleges With the Most Generous Financial Aid

Posted on March 23rd, 2015

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.

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How Dartmouth’s president is trying to cut the rising cost of college

Posted on February 10th, 2015

"This historic funding model of having the costs go up that much, the sticker price go up that much, is unsustainable and probably near the breaking point." -- Dartmouth President Philip Hanlon

Given that colleges are the ones raising tuition every year, it’s not every day that you hear a college president coming out against rising college costs–especially one from an elite (and very expensive) Ivy League university. But Philip Hanlon isn’t your average college president. Rising college costs are ‘unsustainable’ Hanlon is the president of Dartmouth […]

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College costs could rise to $334,000 by 2018

Posted on February 5th, 2015

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.

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Yes, middle class students do get financial aid

Posted on February 3rd, 2015

It’s a common myth that financial aid is only for low-income students, and if you make too much money, you have no chance of receiving financial aid.

But according to a recent analysis by Slate, this couldn’t be further from the truth.

In fact, both public and private colleges award financial aid to a significant percentage of middle-class students.

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Students miss out on $2.9 billion for college

Posted on January 30th, 2015

While college is extremely expensive, there’s a lot of free money out there going unclaimed.

In fact, according to a new analysis by NerdScholar, U.S. high school graduates left over $2.9 billion in free federal grant money on the table last academic year.

How’d they miss out on the free money?

They didn’t fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

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Infographic: Navigating the financial aid process

Posted on January 28th, 2015

Applying for financial aid can get confusing.

It can be difficult for families to keep track of all the different types of financial aid available, from grants to student loans.

But this helpful infographic from Southern New Hampshire University makes it a bit easier.

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