Don’t try to learn about your major only by taking college courses in it. Get out into the real world instead, and talk to people who are doing the kind of work that your potential major will lead to. If you are thinking of majoring in education, for example, talk to teachers. If you are thinking of nursing, talk to people who are working in that line of work. Ask them about the trends that are affecting their careers and incomes, and about what you need to learn to get a strong start.
How to Pick a College Major without Breaking the Bank
February 13, 2012
Unusual Strategies to Cut College Tuition
February 07, 2012
Okay, we are obviously joking when we make the following suggestions, which victimize students and make them pay money unfairly. But wait. How is that different from what is already taking place in American higher education?
President Obama to Colleges: Keep Costs Down, and You’ll Get More Federal Dollars
January 30, 2012
The president’s proposal, which he hinted at during his annual State of the Union Address earlier in the week, would reward states that were able to keep tuition down. Plus, colleges that achieved “efficiency” would be eligible for extra funding as part of what the president called a “First in the World Competition.” The new plan would cost $1 billion to implement.
Samantha Garvey, Homeless Teen, Wins $50,000 Intel Scholarship (Now How about Everybody Else?)
January 27, 2012
If Ellen DeGeneres is reading this post, we have a suggestion. Ellen, why not invite other deserving students onto your show too, and showcase their need to find college funding? If hundreds of smart students get scholarships like Samantha did, we will all feel not just good, but great.
Unusual Sources of Financial Aid
January 25, 2012
If you’re applying to college and need financial aid, chances are that you have filled out a FAFSA and spoken with the financial aid officers at the colleges where you are applying. Those are important things to do. But there are other sources of financial aid that most people overlook. Here are some unusual sources of funding that StraighterLine has uncovered for you . . .
Actual College Grads Owe $70,600, $23,000, $104,104. How You Can Do Better
January 20, 2012
Majoring in Debt, a series of posts on The Huffington Post, serves as a kind of public forum where college grads can report how much money they owe on college loans. just visited Majoring in Debt for the first time in several months, and found a new series of debt profiles and stories. Here are some highlights. . . .
Are You Flat Broke and Applying to College? Well, Get in Line
January 14, 2012
“Population of needy college students is exploding,” a recent blog post written by Daniel de Vise for the College Inc. blog, delivers some sobering news about the number of American college applicants who have no money at all to pay for their schooling.
Why Are America's State Universities Starting to Look More Like the Ivy League?
January 02, 2012
More of America’s more elite public institutions (including UC-Berkeley, UCLA, the University of Michigan, and the University North Carolina) will start to look more like elite private institutions. Granted, they need to change in order to survive. But as a result, they will probably serve fewer in-state, budget-conscious students and their families.
Can this Online College Cost Calculator Help You Find the Cheapest College?
December 26, 2011
If you’d like to spend 15 minutes in a fun way – and maybe find a very inexpensive college at the same time – we’d urge you to spend a little time playing with the U.S. Department of Education’s College Affordability and Transparency Center online calculator.
America’s Student Debt is Increasing at the Rate of $2,853.88 per Second
December 21, 2011
America’s Student Debt is Increasing at the Rate of $2,853.88 per Second . . . Visit the Student Load Debt Clock Online
