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college
college
Hard-Up College Students Turning To Food Stamps
By Chris Morran on February 3, 2012 2:15 PM
179 Comments
Being in college and having an empty wallet tend to go hand-in-hand. A full course load can make it difficult for students to find steady work, and in many college towns the work that's available isn't going to pay for very much. But while my fellow students were undergoing (legal) drug trials and donating whatever bodily fluid they could get a few cents for, some in the current generation of cash-strapped collegians are turning to food stamps. More »
(Scoboco)
A College Financial Aid Primer
By Phil Villarreal on January 9, 2012 12:15 PM
21 Comments
Students need to call upon several sources to cover the massive expenses college drops on them. Unless they're independently wealthy or have a large college fund set up for them, they'll scramble to come up with the funds to pay for tuition, fees, books and living expenses. More »
(jayRaz)
Advanced Degrees That Don't Pay Off
By Phil Villarreal on December 30, 2011 10:15 AM
100 Comments
Grad students are making heavy investments of time and money in their future income prospects, but in many areas of study the odds are stacked against the gambles paying off. A Georgetown University analysis identifies the advanced degrees that gave students the smallest pay bumps. More »
(Enokson)
3 Ways For Students To Save Money
By Phil Villarreal on December 14, 2011 10:30 AM
60 Comments
College is a minefield of financial disaster, but it also offers unique opportunities to save money. A combination of marketing forces and old-fashioned sympathy for starving students presents cost-cutting opportunities for those who keep their eyes open. More »
(eric731)
Average Student Loan Balance For New Grads Is More Than $25K
By Phil Villarreal on November 3, 2011 9:45 AM
101 Comments
If college sent you into the real world last year saddled with $10,000 in student loan debt, take solace in the realization that there is someone out there who owes $40,000 in order to average things out. A newly released study found that the average balance of a student who took out loans and graduated in 2010 was $25,250 — a 5 percent increase from the previous year. More »
(SashaW)
20 Colleges Costing Over $55,000 A Year Total
By Ben Popken on October 7, 2011 3:00 PM
121 Comments
In 2007, there was only one college that had a total cost of over $50,000. Now, there are twenty that cost over $55,000. Here they are. More »
Higher Education Charging High Prices For Food On Campus
By Ben Popken on October 5, 2011 5:00 PM
77 Comments
It's not just drug stores that have boosted prices for grocery items, but also campus dining options at universities. Reader Bryan Carroll wrote an article about them for his school newspaper at Stonybrook University, The Statesman. On average, he found the food items from the campus commissary were a whopping 42 percent higher than local grocery stores. More »
(WCCO)
Campus Cops Catch Bike Thieves With "Bait Bikes"
By Ben Popken on October 5, 2011 3:00 PM
61 Comments
With a high concentration of bicycles and larges crowds to hide in, campuses and universities have been a favorite target for bike thieves. Sometimes they take just one, sometimes a crew comes and cleans out a whole rack. Now campus police at the University of Minnesota are fighting back with "bait bikes." More »
Bundle Together Several Small Scholarships
By Ben Popken on October 3, 2011 11:00 AM
12 Comments
Rather than banking on one big scholarship, students are finding success by stringing together several small scholarships. By filling out an online questionnaire, you can get matched up with organizations that focus on specific subjects, talents, interest groups, ethnicities, and industries. Here's your first step: More »
College Students Are Wasting Money All Over The Place
By Mary Beth Quirk on September 19, 2011 1:15 PM
180 Comments
If you're a college student or a parent of a college student, then you are all too aware of how bleeping expensive college tuition is these days. So, that sucks, but there are other place students are wasting money needlessly, exacerbating the financial damage done. Avoid it! More »
Colleges Banning Sale Of Bottled Water On Campus
By Chris Morran on September 15, 2011 12:30 PM
266 Comments
The college students of America have a drinking problem, but it's not what you think. More »
(dooley)
Private Colleges Starting To Offer Four-Year Degree Guarantees
By Phil Villarreal on September 15, 2011 9:15 AM
67 Comments
Battling concerns from parents and students that they'll toil in school for a half-decade or more without landing a degree, several private colleges are offering four-year degree guarantees. As long as students agree to meet with advisers and succeed in class, the colleges will waive tuition for any additional years it takes to finish up. More »
Money-Saving Tips For Students
By Phil Villarreal on September 2, 2011 3:30 PM
61 Comments
Newsflash for college students: That student loan money may seem like a never-ending fountain of easy cash, but you'll probably be paying for the ridiculous junk you buy now well into your 30s. Pennies you manage to save now will pay off in the long run. More »
Illinois College Is First To Ask Applicants If They're Gay
By Phil Villarreal on August 26, 2011 10:30 AM
125 Comments
Those who are applying to private Illinois liberal arts school Elmhurst College will face a question that's apparently never been asked by a college admissions system: "Would you consider yourself a member of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) community?" More »
Kaplan University Demands $3,310.56 After Graduation, Can't Explain What For
By Laura Northrup on August 25, 2011 2:15 PM
85 Comments
Melinda has an MBA from Kaplan University, and has enough business sense to know that she shouldn't have to pay debts that aren't hers in the first place. The for-profit college, part of the Washington Post Company, has decided that she owes them more than $3,000 even though her tuition was long ago paid with federal financial aid. No one can show her a detailed breakdown of the bill, or explain why no one noticed that she owed the money until months after graduation. Update: Kaplan has since resolved Melinda's problem. More »
Setting And Staying On A Budget In College
By Ben Popken on August 4, 2011 1:00 PM
51 Comments
Before you even step foot on campus this fall, you should know your budget as well as you know your class schedule. If you graduate with an A+ in personal finance management, that might be the best lesson you learn in your years of higher education. Here are a few tips, reminders and resources you should take advantage of. More »
(camknows)
Debt Ceiling Deal Caves In On Some Subsidized Student Loans
By Phil Villarreal on August 2, 2011 8:15 AM
159 Comments
As if debt-soaked grad students don't have enough to worry about as they approach graduation, the federal government has provided them with another horrific prospect to go along with the fear of not being able to find a job — the responsibility of paying off student loans while still in school. More »
Why Students Don't Need iPads
By Phil Villarreal on July 23, 2011 1:43 PM
145 Comments
With their portability and user-friendliness, tablet computers seem perfect for students. But before you go spending big money on an iPad for a student, you should consider the limitations of the devices. More »
Best Student Checking Accounts
By Ben Popken on June 8, 2011 11:00 AM
19 Comments
New freshman entering college this Fall should take the time right now to get their banking account set up if they don't have one already. Consumerist Commentary rounds up the best student checking accounts and compares their benefits and fees. The good news is that the best of the crop have no fees, or fees waived if you can meet some pretty easy requirements. More »
If For-Profit Colleges Want Federal Student Aid, They Have To Prove Graduates Can Get Jobs
By Chris Morran on June 2, 2011 3:15 PM
122 Comments
A 2010 GAO studied showed that federal aid to students at for-profit colleges had tripled over a five-year period from $8 billion to $24 billion and now accounts for 23% of the total aid given out, even though enrollment at for-profit schools only accounts for 8% of college students. Meanwhile, studies continue to show that an inordinately small number of students at these schools ever graduates. In an effort to cut back on the number of people left with mammoth amounts of student loan debt they can't pay back, the U.S. Dept. of Education has issued a new edict: Show us your college actually prepares students for gainful employment or risk losing out on that lovely loan money. More »
