The Federal Pell Grant Program provides need-based grants to low-income students to help pay for college, but these students could soon have a more difficult time obtaining the financial assistance as a new legislative measure aims to cut funding for the program. [More]
budget
DeVos Education Budget Could Make It Harder To Obtain, Repay Student Loans
By 5.23.17 — Updated: 5.25.17
Days after the Department of Education revealed it would give all student loan accounts to one servicing company and strip away more protections for federal student loan borrowers, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos outlined the Department’s proposed budget, which goes even further by eliminating or completely overhauling programs intended to make student loans more accessible and easier to repay. [More]
Trump Administration Looking To End Student Loan Forgiveness Program
By 5.18.17
This October will mark the first time that student loan borrowers who have worked for 10 years with the government or a qualifying non-profit will be eligible to have their debts wiped clean. It may also be the last time, as the Trump administration is reportedly targeting this and other Department of Education repayment programs for elimination.
[More]
New York To Offer Free Tuition At Four-Year Public Universities
By 4.10.17 — Updated: 5.10.17
Hundreds of thousands of New York residents mulling the idea of going to college at a public university could soon enroll for free, as the state’s lawmakers passed a budget over the weekend that included a program that would allow students from middle- and low-income families to attend college for free. [More]
Public Broadcasting, Arts Endowment, Others Make Case Against Proposed Defunding
By 3.16.17
President Trump’s new “skinny” budget puts more than a dozen well-known publicly funded agencies and corporations — ranging from public broadcasting to legal services to chemical safety — on the chopping block. With nothing to lose, the heads of these organizations are now firing back, hoping to convince Congress to keep their funding intact. [More]
6 Things Consumers Should Know About The White House’s Proposed ‘Skinny’ Budget
By 3.16.17 — Updated: 5.10.17
The Trump White House has released its first big-picture public proposal on federal spending for 2018. This initial pass — the so-called “skinny” budget — is basically an outline that doesn’t get into the finer details. However, the changes that are described in the document are nonetheless wide-sweeping, recommending significant cuts or culling of a number of programs you may currently take for granted. [More]
1-in-4 Photographers, Florists, Limos & Caterers Jack Up Prices When You Say “Wedding”
By 4.26.16
The average wedding may now run you in excess of $31,000, but are you being billed extra for the event just because it’s a wedding? A new report claims that some event vendors charge customers extra when they hear the word “wedding.” [More]
Hilton Targeting Young, Budget-Conscious Travelers With New “Tru” Hotel Brand
By 1.25.16
The long list of hotels operating under the Hilton brand will be growing by one this year: joining the likes of Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Inn, Homewood Suites, and Home2 Suites is new, budget- and millennial-focused Tru. [More]
Don’t Leave A Message: JPMorgan Chase Scraps Voicemail For 65% Of Workers
By 6.3.15
When looking to trim billions of dollars from the budget, companies often look at eliminating wasteful spending, reducing workforce and automating some services. While those are all efforts undertaken by JPMorgan Chase, the financial institution also found a surprising amount of savings by cutting the cord on employees’ voicemail. [More]
Cheapo Euro Airline Ryanair Plans To Offer U.S. Flights Within 5 Years
By 3.16.15
Flying to Europe may become significantly cheaper in the next five years, after budget airline Ryanair announced announced that its board has approved plans to eventually expand into the U.S. market with its first transatlantic flights. [More]
Federal Student Loan Forgiveness Plans Cost Govt. Nearly $22B More Than Expected
By 2.6.15
Last spring, legislators and researchers began voicing concerns that federal student loan forgiveness plans could become a victim of their own success. This week, we learned just how successful – and costly – such program are; information that once again created a chorus of concerns regarding the sustainability of such programs. [More]
Sacramento Airport Car Rental Counters Charged Extra .5% Sales Tax For 2 Months
By 6.6.13 — Updated: 9.8.16
Half of one percent is a very small amount, to state the extremely obvious. It can make a big difference in an annual budget, though, for a city that raises sales tax rates by half a percent. That’s fine, as long as merchants don’t do anything silly like charge higher city tax rates outside of the city limits. Like, for example, the car rental counters at the airport in Sacramento, California. [More]
Budget Decides I Drove Truck An Extra 185 Miles, Shrugs
By 12.20.12
William recently moved, and he rented a truck from Budget to ferry him and his belongings between the two cities. He drove the truck one way between his old place and his new one, and would drop it off near the storage space he’s renting in his new town. Easy. Right? Well… no. He paid for up to 202 miles: more than enough to cover his move. Budget is charging him for putting 299 miles on the vehicle. Even if he wandered around a bit at the beginning and end of the trip, that doesn’t account for an extra 185 miles. [More]
This Is Why You Should Photograph Your Rental Car
By 6.5.12
Dan and his wife took a vacation in Hawaii, and rented a car for their use while visiting. Only the car that they rented was in pretty rough shape on the outside. They took it, but carefully documented all of the pre-existing damage. This was handy, since Budget proceeded to try to make Dan and Mrs. Dan accountable for the damage that they had done to the car during their supposed accident. When Dan mentioned having extensive photos and even a video of the car’s condition when he picked it up, Budget coincidentally turned up his original paperwork documenting the damage right away. Whew! [More]
Should Rental Car Companies Be Allowed To Rent Out Recalled Vehicles?
By 2.21.12 — Updated: 9.8.16
Every year, several million cars are recalled for repairs that cover everything from the most minor safety concerns to potential death traps. But some rental companies continue to hire out vehicles that haven’t been repaired, even months or years after the recall announcement. [More]
Walmart CEO: Our Customers Are Running Out Of Cash
By 4.29.11
Walmart CEO Mike Duke says the company is continuing to slash prices, but the chain’s quest to remain the cheapest big-box store may not matter to many of its customers, who are running out of money faster than usual, thanks to higher gas prices and the sluggish economy. [More]
Double-Check Your Budget Truck Reservation If You Don't Want To Give Away Your Stuff
By 3.15.11
Moving can a great time to take a clear-headed look at your possessions and determine what it is that you truly need. H. and his family ended up giving away many of their belongings during a recent move, but not because of any desire to downsize. They had to leave their things behind because the employees at his local Budget thought that a family that booked two identical trucks had done so only because they double-booked. Not because they actually needed two trucks. Nope. [More]
Why Won't Rental Car Companies Let Me Use My Debit Card?
By 9.13.10
We recently gave you a suggestion for how to find a rental car that doesn’t require a major credit card, but we didn’t explain why it is that many car rental companies require the credit card — and why they won’t take your debit card. [More]
