Those looking to save on a college education may want to try their luck in Germany. The country just committed to tuition-free higher education for all students, including international students.

Lower Saxony was the last of seven German states to abolish tuition after the country began charging for it in 2006. Germany has a firm commitment to universal education, so the German states began dropping their tuition fees one by one.

The minister for science and culture in Lower Saxony, Gabrielle Heinen-Kjajic said in a statement, “We got rid of tuition fees because we do not want higher education which depends on the wealth of the parents.”

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If you haven’t heard, President Obama recently signed an executive order that expands eligibility for the Pay As You Earn program. The program was created to cap monthly debt payments of eligible borrowers to no more than their monthly income. If you have outstanding debt after 20 years, or 10 years if you work for a nonprofit or in the public sector, your debt will be forgiven.

The program is great for those who are up to their ears in student debt, though it’s also a frightening thought that you may still be in that debt 20 years from now.

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I love Groupon! It always surprises me how many awesome deals I can get on there. I’ve gotten deals on spa days, clothing stores, and many other things, but I never would have thought I would see a college education as the daily deal. However, that is exactly what is happening at National Louis University.

National Louis University is the first school in the USA to offer a discount on tuition via Groupon. The discount will reduce the cost for an three-credit introductory class in the school’s graduate teaching program from $2,232 to only $950. This is nearly 60 percent off the normal tuition price. The deal will be open to up to 25 buyers and will tip when there are 15 buyers.

“There are all kinds of factors in the K-12 world that are really discouraging teachers and people seeking teaching degrees,” said Jocelyn Zivin, VP of marketing and communications for the school. She hopes that this deal will help students “understand what the realities are, whether you are committed to this profession… and see if you have what it takes.”

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Students of the University of California can expect to pay more in tuition for the upcoming semester. The Board of Regents voted 14-4 to approve a tuition increase of 9.6 percent last Thursday. That’s a spike of $1,068. The increase follows an 8 percent jump that was previously approved for the 2011-2012 school year.

“I hate that we have been forced by our state’s politicians to raise tuition, but I hate even more the possibility of letting UC slide into becoming a second-rate institution,” regent Bonnie Reiss said.

With the two recent hikes in tuition, students will pay $1,818 more than they did last year. In-state tuition costs $12,192 a year, and averages $13,218 when other campus-related fees are configured.

Government officials cut funding by $650 million to both UC and Cal State University, and the school hopes that an increase in tuition will make up for some of the shortfall. Though, with a deficit of nearly $1 billion, the increase will only cover one quarter of the shortage.

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Worried about how you’ll pay for next semester’s tuition bill? Summer may be the only free time you have to make the big bucks, but you’ll also want to spend your time off from school relaxing. This may sound like a major dilemma, but if you look at the following suggestions, you’ll be able to have a blast while bringing home some cold, hard cash.

Here are four jobs that will pay the bills and give you time for summer fun:

Bartender: Talk about making the big bucks; they can bring home $250 a night. Though you won’t have your nights free, you’ll have plenty of time to lounge at the pool during the day.

Movie theaters: I worked at a movie theater for three years and loved every minute of it. I got to see free movies on my day off and eat free popcorn on my break. Friday and Saturday evenings were always hectic, but the rest of the week was stress-free. Though you’ll likely have to work a lot of weekends, you may be able work less than 15 hours per week. That will give you plenty of time to hang out with your buds.

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Several new studies found that an American college education may not be worth the money. The Pew Research Foundation polled 2,142 adults and about what they think of higher education and its hefty price tag.

Pew found:

• More than half (57 percent) of Americans polled said that a college education isn’t worth the money.

• A large majority (75 percent) said that a college education is unaffordable.

On the other hand, the majority of Americans still believe that a higher education is important, as further research showed:

• Ninety-four percent of parents said they want, and expect, their children to go to college.

• Eighty-six percent of graduates said their degree was a good investment.

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Families of American college students have bore the burden of increasing tuition fees throughout recent years and now students in England and Scotland face the same challenges. Economic circumstances have motivated the British government to re-think their previous commitment to providing higher education at no cost to students and parents. Changes in England put Scotland’s free tuition plan in the spotlight as they attempt to save their students from loans and expensive fees.

Prior to 1998, college students in Britain had the luxury of going to college for free. A parliament vote in 1998 allowed colleges to charge £1,000, with a later increase to £3,300 per year. Beginning in September 2012 colleges will have a cap of £9,000, or about $15,000, to charge students per year.

Colleges in England have announced their intent to charge the full £9,000 while Scottish schools maintain their commitment to free higher education.

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With alarming spikes in tuition, college students and their parents are wondering if a higher education is obtainable only to the wealthy. However, there’s hope on the horizon. Uncle Sam is lending a hand with several tax breaks that could save families thousands.

Whether you’re a college student and claiming yourself this year, or you’re a parent who has a child in school, check out these tax breaks that are sure to pick up on some of the tuition tab:

Credits:

The American Opportunity Credit is similar to 2009’s Hope Credit, but even better. The credit was created to offset the increasing costs of tuition, and it provides up to $2,500 per college student. It allows taxpayers to claim tuition and certain fees for higher education, but these expenses can only be claimed for the first four years of college. Parents can receive a credit of up to $7,500 if they claim three qualifying college students.

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UPDATE [12/9/10]: Parliament is expected to vote on the tuition increase this evening. The largest protest to rally around the issue is also planned, with authorities prepared for more potential outbreaks of violence (see video below).

SECOND UPDATE [12/9/10]: The parliament passed the higher cap on tuition fees, and protests have taken a destructive turn. Several policemen have been injured and a royal car carrying Price William and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, was attacked by protesters. William and Camilla are unhurt. The new measure must be approved by the House of Lords and receive the Queen’s signature before it is considered law.

American students aren’t the only ones facing an increase in education costs. The British government has taken action that will triple the cost of tuition after 2012. It’s empowering to report that approximately 50,000 people took a stand against these policies during a demonstration. Unfortunately, after only one hour of peaceful protesting, about 200 bad-apples ruined the bunch. A riot began and many people were injured during the course of it. Through the darkness of such violent acts, the light of the issue was lost.

The demonstration was organized by Britain’s National Union of Students (NUS) and they have clearly stated their disapproval of the riot. NUS president, Aaron Porter tweeted, “Disgusted that the actions of a minority of idiots are trying to undermine 50,000 who came to make a peaceful protest.” Read the rest of this entry »

Many students who want to to pursue a higher education face a serious problem: paying for this education. The cost of attending college has been steadily increasing for years, and the new high costs make it impossible for some students to continue their education.

While some students need to take out student loans and work full-time jobs to scrape by, all students who attend school in New Haven, CT need to do is two things: maintain a 3.0 GPA and attend 90 percent of their classes.

New Haven school officials recently unveiled the New Haven Promise. The New Haven Promise is a program that pays a student’s college tuition if he/she meets the requirements listed above. Students in qualifying public and charter high schools can apply for this scholarship. Read the rest of this entry »