A little while back, we asked Consumerist readers to send in their student loan-related questions to Rohit Chopra, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Student Loan Ombudsman. Today, we’re bringing you his answers in three parts, each dealing with a different aspect of the topic. Since it’s about time for next year’s freshman class to decide on schools and financial aid packages, we’re starting with answers for prospective students. [More]
The CFPB Answers Your Student Loan Questions, Part 1: For Prospective Students
By April 11, 2013
Student Loan Debt Is Creating Generation Of High-Risk Borrowers With Low Credit Scores
By January 30, 2013
Lots of people graduate college with minimal credit histories. Repaying student loans was always a dependable way to build that history. But recent, rampant growth in student loan debt in the U.S. could slow that process for an entire age group. [More]
3 Tips For Fighting Bullies
By October 19, 2011
People are talking more about bullying these days. It can happen at school, in the workplace, or online. How do you combat it? Educator and author Natasha Deen offers these three tips. [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]
School Tracks Truant Students With GPS Devices
By February 18, 2011
To combat seventh and eighth graders who constantly skip class, a school in California is equipping the worst offenders with GPS tracking units. If you have more than four unexcused absences, you’re assigned to carry a handheld GPs device. Five times a day you have enter in a code to verify your location. You also get an automated call in the morning reminding you to come to school and three times a week an adult assigned to you calls you to check in and discuss attendance strategies. The devices have increased attendance by truants to 95% up from 77%, but some parents feel it treats their kids “like common criminals.” Do you think this program is a good idea? Take our poll and sound off in the comments. [More]
Learn Better By Studying Less And Taking More Tests
By January 21, 2011
If you really want to learn something, stop cracking those books as much and take more tests. That’s the upshot of new research published in the journal Science. In it they had students read a chunk of text and then take a test which required them to recall what they read. A week later, they showed a 50% higher retention rate on the information from the passage than students using other techniques. So if you’re paying for your kids to get tutored, make sure they’re having your child do a healthy mix of practice tests and not just studying. [More]
Find Cheaper Textbooks Online
By January 19, 2011
The New York Times Bucks Blog has a great feature on finding textbooks for less. There’s a great list of comparison sites in there. Don’t forget too the option of e-textbooks at sites like CafeScribe. Having all the text digitized not only makes it lighter and more portable, but you can easily CTRL-F if you’re trying to find a key phrase or concept. [More]
Fancy Colleges Don't Matter
By November 30, 2010
Smart and ambitious students should go to community college and state school, and save their money for funding their dreams. At least that’s one way to look at a study by the National Bureau of Economic Research that found going to a college where kids have higher SAT scores doesn’t result in more money after they graduate. [More]
Make A Two-Year Tour Of Duty At A Junior College Work For You
By November 29, 2010
For students who want four-year degrees, junior college can either be a low-cost way to slash the sticker price of your education or an endless time and money suck that derails your master plan. [More]
Prego's Fake Lesson Plans To "Test" Thickest Sauce
By September 20, 2010
Here’s a page from the history books of consumerism history: Back in the early 90′s, Prego gave out 12,000 free posters to classrooms across America containing a “lesson plan” for a “scientific” experiment in which they would test whether Prego or Ragu Old World Style was thicker. The poster came with a free slotted spoon and a coupon for a 30 oz jar of Prego. In the September 95 issue of Harper’s Magazine, David Shenk lampooned this blatant insertion of commercial messages into the classroom under the guise of learning about the scientific method: [More]
GPS And ID Card Tracks When Your Kid Gets On And Off Schoolbus
By September 1, 2010
Before the kid gets on the bus, he has to swipe his electronic ID card. When he gets off, swipe again. The $16,000 kid-tracking system rolled out in a southwest Illinois suburban school district this week lets the school know where every bus and child is at all times. Parents and school administrators say it’s a welcome relief, but is it too Orwellian? [More]
Kaplan Passes Out Free E-Study Guides For Mobile Users, But Download iBooks First
By August 26, 2010
If you’re having trouble accessing those free Kaplan test prep books we told you about a few days ago, make sure to download the iBooks app first. It makes the book download happen all lickity split. [More]
Pick A Backpack That Won't Break Your Kid's Spine
By August 24, 2010
Here are some tips from Consumer Reports for making sure your kid’s backpack won’t turn them into a hunchback: [More]
High-Paying Jobs You Can Get With Two-Year Degrees
By August 19, 2010
It’s always tantalizing to fantasize about a career change, but only so many people can be astronauts or Yankees outfielders, so it’s more reasonable to think about going back to school and getting a more reasonable job. [More]
Colleges Are Now Required To List Textbooks During Class Registration
By July 31, 2010
Finding the best textbooks prices just got a whole lot easier now that colleges are required to provide students with a list of required textbooks when they register for classes. The requirement was mandated back in the 2008 as part of the Higher Education Opportunity Act, but only took effect this year. [More]
Douse Spirit Of Children By Taking Them Back-To-School Shopping
By July 27, 2010
As July winds down the retail industrial complex is luring parents into stores with promises of discounts on clothes and supplies to commemorate state-sponsored daycare. Regular Morning Deals contributor Dealio is on top of things, putting together a massive list of back-to-school sales, the annual high season for the protractor industry. [More]
Insurance Company For Web Cam Snooping School District Freaking Out
By April 23, 2010
The school district outside Philly that has come under fire for installing and using remote webcam software to secretly take 56,000 photos and screenshots of students and others is now in trouble with their insurance company, says the Philadelphia Inquirer. [More]
Students: Don't Forget To Fill Out Your FAFSA
By March 13, 2010
The federal deadline for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is midnight Central Daylight time, June 30, 2010, but state deadlines are often different and earlier. [More]
