While the Department of Education looks ready to drop its program that forgives the debt of federal student loan borrowers who work for the government, one city is picking up the slack, saying it will help its workers pay down their student loan bills. [More]
higher education
$100M Grant Competition Aims To Expand Tuition-Free Community College Programs
By 4.25.16
In January 2015, President Obama announced a proposal that would make the first two years of community college free for some consumers hoping to further their education. Today, the White House revealed another step in making that goal a reality through a $100 million competitive grant program focused on expanding workforce training programs at community colleges. [More]
When Comparing Colleges, It Would Help To Know If A School Is Under Investigation
By 7.22.15
Many consumers thinking of pursuing a higher education weigh the pros and the cons of a specific college: tuition, convenience, available areas of study. Last month, the Department of Education announced it would make the college shopping experience a little easier for prospective students by creating a consumer-facing online college comparison system. While the tool will no doubt be helpful, consumer advocates warn that, as it stands, the system will be missing a vital information: whether or not schools are party to investigation, lawsuits or settlements over harmful and deceptive practices. [More]
House, Senate Introduce Legislation To Cover The Cost Of Community College
By 7.9.15
Back in January, the White House proposed a plan to help offset the increasing cost of higher education for millions of prospective students: Offer free community college. Yesterday, companion bills introduced in the House and Senate take that idea and make it a reality. [More]
Report: Taking For-Profit Colleges Nonprofit Can Generate Hefty Profits For Owners
By 3.3.15
Earlier this year Education Credit Management Corporation bought 56 campuses from embattled for-profit chain Corinthian Colleges Inc. and took the schools to the nonprofit sector. While that conversion was initiated because of the ongoing collapse and financial problems facing CCI, other college chains have dropped the for-profit status seemingly to pick up hefty profits. [More]
Student Loan Debt: It's Not Just For Poor People Anymore
By 8.13.12
While upper-income and upper-middle-income families have historically not needed to drink from the financial aid fountain to pay for their kids’ college educations, soaring tuition costs (and declining net worth) have forced even the well-off into taking out loans, adding to the already enormous $1 trillion ocean of student loan debt in the U.S. Surprisingly, this may end up being a good thing for the next generation. [More]
Scholarships For Moms Seeking Degrees
By 4.11.12
Juggling parenthood and college classes is no easy feat, and even tougher when you consider the financial side of the equation. Any scholarships out there help, and it so happens that there are several out there earmarked for mothers attempting to better their career prospects by earning degrees. [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]
3 Things You Need To Know Before Filling Out A FAFSA
By 1.9.12
If you’re a college student who seeks financial aid, part of your annual ritual is filling out a
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which lets you see what financial aid you qualify for. In its own way, the application is as important as any research paper or test you’ll complete at school. [More]
A College Financial Aid Primer
By 1.9.12
Students need to call upon several sources to cover the massive expenses college drops on them. Unless they’re independently wealthy or have a large college fund set up for them, they’ll scramble to come up with the funds to pay for tuition, fees, books and living expenses. [More]
Advanced Degrees That Don't Pay Off
By 12.30.11
Grad students are making heavy investments of time and money in their future income prospects, but in many areas of study the odds are stacked against the gambles paying off. A Georgetown University analysis identifies the advanced degrees that gave students the smallest pay bumps. [More]
Report: States Need To Do More To Keep For-Profit Colleges Honest
By 12.2.11
According to a report, for-profit colleges are making things tough for students by charging exorbitant fees, engaging in high-pressure recruiting efforts and supplying degrees that don’t do as much for students as promised. The report contends more oversight from state governments could better protect students from the institutions. [More]
Average Student Loan Balance For New Grads Is More Than $25K
By 11.3.11
If college sent you into the real world last year saddled with $10,000 in student loan debt, take solace in the realization that there is someone out there who owes $40,000 in order to average things out. A newly released study found that the average balance of a student who took out loans and graduated in 2010 was $25,250 — a 5 percent increase from the previous year. [More]
NY, Michigan Law Grads Sue Schools For Providing Allegedly Misleading Job Stats
By 8.12.11
Law school graduates in Michigan and New York who believe they were duped into making poor investments in their degrees have used their skills to take their alma maters to court in a pair of class-action suits. The grads say the schools misled them about their post-graduation job prospects, as well as their potential salaries. [More]
Department Of Justice, Four States File Fraud Suit Against For-Profit College Company
By 8.9.11
The for-profit college industry has earned a reputation for shady methods of operation, such as peddling flimsy academic credentials for high prices and minimal effort in the classroom, and now the government is taking one of the largest corporations in the industry to court. [More]
Unemployed Law Student Will Hand Back Degree For Tuition Refund
By 10.25.10
An out of work Boston College law student wrote an open letter to his college’s dean with an unusual proposition. [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]
Keep Track Of Which Diploma Mills Will Work Out Best For Your Pet
By 11.10.09
In this job market, anything you can do to give your cat or dog an edge is worth pursuing. That’s why you shouldn’t enroll your pet in just any diploma mill—you want one that’s a proven scam. Boingboing points out that there’s a Wikipedia page to keep track of animals with fraudulent diplomas to make it easier to comparison shop for that next fake certificate.
