It’s no secret, college is expensive. For many, that expense has simply gotten too high. College tuition has risen 80 percent in the last 10 years alone. This increase means that some people can’t go to college, or complete their degree, no matter how much they desire to. Starbucks has decided to do something about this problem, and announced the Starbucks College Plan earlier this week.

Starting in the fall, Starbucks will help many of their part- and full-time U.S. partners (employees) complete their college degrees. Through a partnership with Arizona State University (ASU), Starbucks will allow its partners to finish their bachelor’s degree with full tuition reimbursement.

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For many families today, the thought of paying for a college education can be quite daunting. Scholarships make a great way to fund this investment in a child’s future.

There are many different types of scholarships. Some are based on performance on standardized tests, some on financial need, and others on athletic ability. These scholarships all seem normal - and to be frank - well earned in one way or another. However, a new type of scholarship is hitting the market. Many schools have started offering scholarships to students who come from middle-income families and demonstrate academic promise.

“We certainly have found that with the recession in recent years, many middle-income families and even some higher-income families are looking for more aid,” said Earl Retif, vice president of enrollment management at Tulane University. Read the rest of this entry »

It seems like we hear about another school that is discussing increasing the cost of tuition every day. This time, it’s the University of California and they are discussing raising tuition costs by six percent. This means that every student would end up paying at least $732 more next semester. Obviously, students are not happy about this proposal, but the school says that the funds would be put to good use.

So how exactly does the school plan to spend the money, if the tuition hike does go into effect? Well one of the school’s newest expenses is the $411,084 salary that was promised to the new chancellor at UC San Diego, Pradeep Khosla. This salary is 4.8 percent higher than the salary his predecessor, Marye Anne Fox, earned for the same position. Khosla will also receive a relocation bonus of almost $100,000 during the first four years he is at UC San Diego. The school says that Khosla will still be taking a pay cut by switching from his current job as the engineering dean at Carnegie Mellon University.

Many are calling into question whether the school should be spending so much money on one employee’s salary, especially considering that these funds are causing students to pay more in tuition and fees. However, the school is standing behind their decision. Read the rest of this entry »

Unique bonds are often formed between fathers and daughters. When it comes to college, dads will sometimes give an arm and a leg to give their daughters the best that money can buy. But dad, if you think that thousands of dollars is going to cut it, think again.

A Houston dad plans to spend $1.5 million in tuition so that his five daughters can experience higher education.

“We’re looking at roughly $60,000 to $70,000 per child per year,” said internet tycoon Marc Ostrofsky.

He spent last week traveling across the county to attend three of his daughters’ graduations. Kelly graduated from Duke and her twin, Shelly, graduated from Washington University in St. Louis. The youngest, Mary Grace, graduated from high school in Houston and will attend Boston University in the fall.

Daughter Maddy graduated from Berklee School of Music last year, and Tracy attends the University of Denver. Read the rest of this entry »

When most students start receiving information about the financial costs of a higher education, they are seniors in high school. Up until that point, many are simply told that college is expensive and they should start saving, but that’s about it. Now, a new tool has been designed to help families understand how much a higher education will cost, which allows families to then begin planning on how to pay for it.

This tool is called the Net Price Calculator (NPC) and was created to be in accordance with 2008’s Higher Education Opportunity Act. Under this act, every institute of higher education that allows students to use federal aid to pay for their education must have an NPC on their website so that students can calculate the price of attending that school. Students can put in their own personal data on this NPC and the calculator shows them the net price of attending that school (tuition, room, and board included). Read the rest of this entry »

For many students, earning a college degree has one big drawback: you are more than likely to graduate owing several thousand dollars in debt on student loans that you had to use to pay for your education. However, there is one school in the nation where not a single student has to worry about this problem. It’s not because the school has a ridiculously low tuition price or that it is free. Instead, students at the College of the Ozarks are expected to trade working hours for their education.

Students at the College of the Ozarks, or “Hard Work U,” as the Wall Street Journal nicknamed it in 1906, work for 15-hours each week during the semester and then work two 40-hour weeks during breaks. In return, they graduate without owing a single penny.

“We want to give you an opportunity to pay for your education as you go, rather than carry large debts into your future,” the school’s ‘Welcome’ materials tell new students. “Your 15-hour-per-week campus job will help you develop professional working skills in areas like agriculture, computers, business, child development, construction, and more.” Read the rest of this entry »

On October 5, 2011, the main campus mall at Purchase College was filled with students who were holding signs to show their support of higher education. The students decided to “occupy” their campus, similar to the New York City Occupy Wall Street protests that have been going on recently, in order to show their displeasure with budget cuts that are affecting higher education.

“What we are doing here is for the 99 percent,” said Dan Nation, a student at the school. “It’s time somebody does something to cut the corporate greed. We can’t afford our own education.”

The students are rallying against “overpriced tuition.” This is not the first time that students at Purchase have protested against budget cuts. In fact, they have been protesting annually for the past few years and even have had the support of the school’ s president, Thomas J. Schwarz. However, some students think that these protests really are not accomplishing much.

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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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It’s a very commonly accepted fact: college is expensive. I feel like I have written hundreds of blogs about this sensitive subject, but sadly, here I am writing yet another about an expensive commodity becoming even more so. According to NJ.com, all four-year colleges in New Jersey will be raising their tuition rates for the 2011-2012 school year.

Last spring, students at various colleges throughout the state held rallies and protests to call for a tuition freeze, but unfortunately, their efforts were to no avail and now, all of the schools in the state will be becoming even more expensive as they raise their rates by anywhere between one and 7.4 percent. This means that annual fees will range from $10,021 at New Jersey City University to more than $40,000 at private universities like Drew University.

Even though the schools have increased their tuition rates, they are trying to be mindful of the students’ wishes. Rutgers University, Princeton University, and William Paterson University all raised their tuition rates, but it was the lowest increases the schools have implemented in years.

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Sure, college tuition may cost an arm and a leg, but when you figure all the other hidden costs, you can expect to spend your fingers and toes as well. It’s no surprise that you spend money beyond tuition, but you may be shocked by what the average college student purchases in two semesters and what it adds up to be.

Here’s some unbelievably costly college expenditures and how you can save on them:

Alcohol

The average yearly cost: $2,600

How you can save: When you go out, only get what’s on special, or mooch off of your peers, and drink at house parties. Even better, limit your drinking to only one night a week or a few times a month.

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