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 August 25, 2011
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 August 4, 2011
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]
Debt Ceiling Deal Caves In On Some Subsidized Student Loans
By August 2, 2011
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 July 23, 2011
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 June 8, 2011
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 June 2, 2011
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]
Quantifying The Value Of College Degrees
By May 31, 2011
As college costs continue to rise, it’s reasonable to step back and take a look at how much a bachelor’s degree may be worth in terms of career earnings. [More]
Credit Cards Pitches Return To Campus
By May 13, 2011
Despite being largely banned by the CARD act, credit card issuers have figured out how to get around its provisions and still reach college kids, reports WSJ. Here’s what they’re doing: [More]
Civil Rights Group Sues Maryland's Education Commission For Discrimination
By May 12, 2011
Maryland’s Higher Education Commission faces a lawsuit brought by a civil rights advocacy group that alleges the state’s treatment of its traditionally black institutions promote segregation and unfair education opportunities. [More]
Class Of 2011 Have Most Debt Of All Time
By May 10, 2011
Congratulations, graduating class of 2011. You’ve pulled all-nighters, subsisted on ramen for weeks, and worn pajamas to class, all to achieve the beautiful shining goal of a college degree. Add to that another distinction, one that probably won’t be mentioned during too many commencement speeches. You’re also graduating with the highest debt of all time, an average of $22,000 a person. Hope that business about a degree giving you a higher earning potential is true, because you’re gonna need it. [More]
Win $5,000 Scholarship For Wearing Duct Tape To Prom
By April 22, 2011
For those of us not lucky enough to be born poor or smart, there are tons of other scholarships out there that reward uniqueness, skills and “just being yourself.” For instance, there’s the $5,000 you and your date could win for wearing an outfit made of Duct Tape to prom. [More]
Colleges Accepting Students But Telling Them To Wait A Year Or Two
By April 11, 2011
To counter enrollment dips brought on by students who drop out or move on, some colleges have taken to accepting students, but only if they attend a different school for a predetermined length of time and maintain a certain GPA. [More]
Facebook App To Automatically Match College Students With Financial Aid
By April 8, 2011
MTV and The College Board recently teamed up for something called the College Affordability Challenge, a contest to create digital tools that will help to make navigating the financial aid maze even slightly easier. Earlier this week, they announced the winner, a Facebook application that takes users’ info and matches them up with the most appropriate aid providers. [More]
Learn All About For-Profit Education: For Free
By April 7, 2011
We often post here about the problems with for-profit higher education: high-pressure recruitment, unrealistic job placement expectations, and huge debt loads. If you know anyone considering enrolling at a for-profit school, this infographic from Campus Progress synthesizes quotes from people involved in the industry, statistics, and facts in an easy-to-digest cartoon form. [More]
College Students Turn To Some Interesting Methods To Pay For School
By March 30, 2011
Back in my day, paying for college meant babysitting or working as a waitress, and yes, applying to every scholarship/grant in existence. But kids these days, boy, are they getting creative when it comes to saving up funds to pay for education! [More]
Professor Gives Up Back-Of-Head Robo-Eye
By February 11, 2011
That NYU professor who had a camera installed on the back of his head as part of an art project has given up the cyborg enhancement. His body rejected the implant, which caused immense discomfort that led to a detachment procedure. [More]
UConn Football Donor Demands His Millions Back Because He Didn't Get To Pick Coach
By January 26, 2011
People who accept donations for colleges may want to start handing out receipts that indicate “all giving is final,” because moneybags donors are starting to ask for refunds. [More]
