College Costs

Measuring the Value of a College Degree

Lisa Petrides | Posted 05.17.2012

Lisa Petrides

Not long ago, a degree was all it took to open doors. While a diploma from an Ivy League school still gets attention, the reality is that the value of a college diploma is being questioned from all sides.

The Tuition Dilemma

Matthew Maron | Posted 05.10.2012

Matthew Maron

The dilemma facing today's high school grads is simple. Do you take out loans for college (and thrust yourself into debt) or do you save that money for graduate school or something else?

Friday Night Lights Author Wants To Ban College Football

Posted 05.09.2012

Buzz Bissinger, perhaps the most famous chronicler of high school football, is calling for a ban on college football, The Gothamist reports. The P...

Why Colleges Should Be Like Cars

Jess Coleman | Posted 05.07.2012

Jess Coleman

No one in their right mind would ever pay more for a car of lesser quality, and the same should hold true for a university.

Republicans Respond To Democrats' Free College Tuition Plan

Posted 05.03.2012

Michigan Democrats' plan to give students major grants for in-state college tuition at public universities reached the state Senate Finance Committee ...

What Student Debt Looks and Feels Like From a Graduate's Perspective

Matthew Ross Smith | Posted 05.03.2012

Matthew Ross Smith

I offer this screenshot as a small window into what student debt looks and feels like from the graduate's perspective. Just look at the "Amount Applied to Interest Column." Half a decade worth of payments later, I still owe over $1,000 more than the original amount I borrowed.

What Do Today's Students Think About the Future of Higher Ed? You Might Be Surprised

Jeff Selingo | Posted 05.02.2012

Jeff Selingo

In the last month, I have talked with students at six institutions that represent nearly every corner of our diverse higher-ed system. My goal was to engage the students in the debates that seem to be swirling around them but so often don't include them.

We're Having the Wrong Debate About Student Loan Interest Rates

Kati Haycock | Posted 05.02.2012

Kati Haycock

Only in the crazy world of federal budgetary politics can protecting a 3.4 percent interest rate feel like a victory. After all, the Federal Reserve lends money to commercial banks at a discount rate that currently stands at 0.75 percent.

The College Double Whammy

Dr. Bonnie Snyder | Posted 05.01.2012

Dr. Bonnie Snyder

Unreasonably high costs and poor job prospects? This is the unacceptable double whammy of sending a student to college today -- a devastating one-two punch that is leaving most families reeling and disoriented.

Can You Afford To Save For College?

AP | MARK JEWELL | Posted 04.27.2012

BOSTON — Rising college costs have become an election campaign issue. President Obama spoke at three campuses this week, vowing to keep student ...

Lower Student Loan Interest Rates

Sec. Arne Duncan | Posted 04.27.2012

Sec. Arne Duncan

As we work to get the economy back on track, no one is suggesting it would be a good idea to double interest rates on credit cards or home mortgages. Why then do some believe it's a good idea to double interest rates for students?

Burdening Our Children With a Mountain of Debt

Jerry Lanson | Posted 04.26.2012

Jerry Lanson

The challenge of easing the debt burden can't be left to colleges or the taxpayers. At a time when banks are giving their customers savings interest worth nickels and dimes, there's no excuse for them to be raking in interest above the national inflation rate.

Obama And Romney: Wrong On Student Loan Interest Rates

Posted 04.25.2012

This piece comes to us courtesy of The Brookings Institution. It is written by Matthew M. Chingos, governance studies fellow at the Brown Center on Ed...

One Solution for the Precarious Future of Small Colleges

Jeff Selingo | Posted 04.05.2012

Jeff Selingo

Advances in technology can now link together institutions that are separated by thousands of miles.

Which Is More Expensive: Getting A College Degree Or Dropping Out?

| Posted 04.02.2012

By Alexandra Churchill We all know how expensive college can be, but according to this report by The Huffington Post, the benefits of having a coll...

College Degree Is Cheaper Than The Cost Of Dropping Out

The Huffington Post | Bonnie Kavoussi | Posted 03.29.2012

If you're thinking of dropping out of college because it costs too much, don't. College pays off. People who don't go to college suffer from a life...

Scouring for Scholarships

Jennifer Islam | Posted 05.17.2012

Jennifer Islam

The other day I met a college graduate who urged me to apply for as many scholarships as possible and was almost in tears while explaining how much debt she is in.

Why Pell Grants Make a Difference

Marcus Luther | Posted 05.14.2012

Marcus Luther

We live in a country founded upon the idea of equal opportunity. The Pell Grant extended me the opportunity not simply to go to college, but to make use of my college experience. It is a valuable program, and one we should not disband.

Shopping for College Help Online? These Three Sites Are a Must

Patrick O'Connor | Posted 05.08.2012

Patrick O'Connor

Parents and students are always on the lookout for strong websites that will provide clear college information. These sites can't replace a strong school-based counseling program, but they sure can supplement it nicely.

Who Helps the Children of the War Wounded?

Linda Flanagan | Posted 05.02.2012

Linda Flanagan

What can ordinary Americans, those of us who have lost our treasure but never our blood in this nation's wars, do to help the families who live with the wars' consequences every day?

New Plan to Cut College Costs? Been There, Done That

Patrick O'Connor | Posted 05.01.2012

Patrick O'Connor

Asking colleges and states to take on more of the cost of reforms will lead to bigger tuition increases, not smaller ones. Something must be done, but experienced educators will tell you this "new" plan isn't the way to go.

Could Community College Be Right For You?

| Stephanie Haven | Posted 02.23.2012

From “big (wo)man on campus” to the campus “fresh meat,” the transition to college can be difficult. Adjusting to a new town with new friends ...

Taking Some of the Guesswork Out of the Value-of-College Question

Jeff Selingo | Posted 04.22.2012

Jeff Selingo

Beginning this spring, Virginia families will have access to a key component in answering the value-of-college question: median salaries for the graduates of hundreds of programs across every public and some private colleges in the state.

More Than Money: Making Colleges Student-Ready

Tim King | Posted 04.08.2012

Tim King

With so much talk right now on the economy and balancing budgets at any cost, it was refreshing to hear President Obama use part of his State of the Union speech to address the skyrocketing cost of college.

'Free Market' Will Lead to Lower Tuition? Good Luck.

Jeff Selingo | Posted 04.07.2012

Jeff Selingo

But for an expense that is among the biggest of a family's lifetime (perhaps second only to the purchase of a home), we should be able to do better than rely on annual rankings from a magazine that doesn't really publish anything beyond rankings anymore.