When I was in college, a new computer cost about as much as a used car and it often involved a family trip to the mall with parents who tried to haggle over the price tag. But now that you can get a decent laptop or tablet for a few hundred dollars, parents may be tempted to tell their college-enrolled kids to just pick one up through the school’s store. That could be a costly mistake. [More]
colleges
Don’t Let Your Kid Buy Laptop Or Tablet At College Store, Unless You’re OK With Paying 35% More
By 8.14.14
Proposed Bills Aim To Protect Students From Shady Deals Between Colleges, Banks
By 5.23.14
In recent years, the financial industry and higher education institutions have become increasingly comfortable bedfellows. From offering student IDs that act as debit cards to receiving payments for introducing credit cards to students, banks companies have crept their way onto college campuses. Now, a pair of bills introduced in the House and Senate aim to provide transparency over campus-sponsored financial products and put a stop to conflicts of interest and kickbacks between colleges and banks. [More]
Colleges Tight-Lipped On Revealing How They Divvy Out Financial Aid
By 3.6.14
When choosing a college to attend most teens and their families shop around a little. With tuition skyrocketing, many consumers look at financial aid offered by universities as a top priority when considering which institution to attend. Even with regulations on the books requiring schools to outline how financial aid is distributed, families are finding it nearly impossible to estimate their child’s worth to a school. [More]
Number Of Teens Expecting To Depend On Parents Into Adulthood Has Doubled Since 2011
By 3.28.13
In what could be an indicator of either a massive drop in teens’ financial prospects or the fact that teens today are getting more realistic about their financial futures, a new survey shows that the percentage of teenagers who expect to remain dependent on mom and/or dad until at least age 27 has doubled in just the last two years. [More]
Colleges Are Selling Bathroom Stall Naming Rights
By 2.7.12
For decades, names affixed to college bathrooms have adhered to the time-honored tradition of vindictive dudes etching names and numbers of their exes on stall walls. Now the institutions are making the bathroom naming thing part of official fundraising efforts by affixing monikers of donors to the places where some of the deepest thought on campus takes place. [More]
Virginia Tech Appeals Federal Fines From 2007 Shooting
By 4.28.11
After the 2007 Virginia Tech shootings that left 32 dead, the U.S. Department of Education fined the school $55,000 in March for failing to notify students and campus personnel about the danger in a timely manner. [More]
More Everest College Grads Sue Over Non-Transferable Credits
By 10.5.10
Last year, we brought you the story of 13 graduates of Everest College’s Dallas campus who filed a lawsuit claiming they had been misled by the for-profit school into believing they would be able to find jobs and transfer their credits upon graduation. Now, a handful of Everest alums in Utah have filed a similar lawsuit, alleging fraud by the school. [More]
5 Reasons Why Every Single College Ranking Is a Pile of Crap
By 8.20.10
It’s almost back-to-school time, which means now is the season to be inundated once again with the annual lists ranking colleges and universities. But in this guest post from Zac Bissonnette, author of the upcoming Debt-Free U: How I Paid for an Outstanding Education Without Loans, Scholarships, or Mooching off My Parents, he explains why these lists are all a complete crock. [More]
Washington Wants Better Oversight Of For-Profit Colleges
By 6.15.10
Enrollment in for-profit colleges like the University of Phoenix, DeVry University, and Kaplan University–Gawker calls them fake colleges–tripled in the past decade, and has become such a fast-growing segment of the education market that some members of Congress think it needs better oversight. [More]
What Are The Most Expensive Colleges In America?
By 10.21.09
College is expensive, but the some colleges are more expensive than others. Collegegrotto.com rounded up the top 100 most expensive colleges in the United States, based on just tuition and room and board. The winner? Sarah Lawrence College, north of New York City.
Want Your Name On A Building? Now It Costs Less
By 10.11.09
Have you always dreamed of having your name on a building to honor your philanthropy and general awesomeness, but just didn’t have the cash on hand? You may be in luck: the threshold for building or wing names at colleges, hospitals, and other nonprofits is falling as charitable giving slumps. If you have money, now may be the best time for immortality.
How Universities And Credit Card Companies Make Money Off Of Students
By 1.2.09
How can an educational institute act in its students’ best interest if it stands to make money off of increasing their debt load? The symbiotic relationship between universities and credit card companies is being questioned more than ever by student groups and politicians, writes the New York Times.
25 Most Expensive Colleges For 2008-2009
By 10.27.08
Here are the 25 most expensive colleges for 2008-2009, based on total cost (tuition + room and board), as compiled by CampusGrotto.com. Whooie, this is some pricey book-learnin’.
Economics Professor Self-Publishes Textbook To Subvert Overpriced Publishing Industry
By 9.17.08
R. Preston McAfee, a Cal Tech economics professor, is annoyed at how overpriced textbooks are. “‘The person who pays for the book, the parent or the student, doesn’t choose it,’ he said. ‘There is this sort of creep. It’s always O.K. to add $5.'” To fight back, he’s foregone the potential six-figure advance traditional publishing would have granted, and published his textbook online for free.
Universities Get Commissions For Credit Cards Sold On Campus
By 4.11.07
This CNN report shows how universities are cutting lucrative deals to let credit card marketers push their wares on campus. Schools will get commissions based on signups, or even based on the amount students charge on their new cards.
