Category: College Costs


Many colleges underestimate their true cost

Posted on July 23rd, 2015

We all know that college is expensive, but what’s most alarming is that many colleges who list their total cost of attendance are actually underestimating the price.

That’s because many colleges (one-third, in fact) are underestimating the cost of living in the city where students reside.

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How much should I be saving for college?

Posted on June 5th, 2015

"Every dollar saved is a dollar less borrowed. Every dollar borrowed will cost about two dollars by the time the debt is repaid." -- Mark Kantrowitz

Even though college costs are rising rapidly each year and could reach $334,000 by 2018, fewer families are saving for it than last year, according to a new survey from student loan servicer Sallie Mae. Just 48% of U.S. families are saving for their children’s college education, compared to 51% last year, MainStreet reports. Families are […]

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Room and board is the “untold story” of rising college costs

Posted on May 14th, 2015

There’s been plenty of discussion about the astronomical growth of college tuition costs over the past few decades.

But rarely do you hear about another culprit for rising college costs: room and board.

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Rising tuition, falling diversity

Posted on May 8th, 2015

"As colleges raise their tuition by $1,000, their racial and ethnic diversity decreases by almost 6 percent." -- Hechinger Report

While the government and colleges claim to be increasing access to college for students of all ethnic and racial backgrounds, a new study finds that diversity is actually decreasing at many schools. What’s the culprit? Rising tuition, which makes it more difficult for low-income students (many of whom are ethnically diverse) to afford college. Less […]

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Experts say federal financial aid leads to higher college costs

Posted on April 12th, 2015

"It is very unlikely, then, the the rise in tuition fees will stop without some reform of federal student financial aid programs." -- Richard Vedder

Why have college costs skyrocketed over the past few decades? According to Richard Vedder, Director of the Center for College Affordability and Productivity, the biggest reason for the increase in college costs has been the increase in federal financial aid. Financial aid programs not helping needy students Knowing that the federal government will increase financial aid […]

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Students could save big with open-source textbooks

Posted on March 5th, 2015

"In order to reduce costs for students now, and in the future, we must break free from the traditional textbook market and deliver educational materials through an alternative model." -- Ethan Senack

There’s plenty of focus on the rising cost of college, but many people don’t realize until they get there that the extra costs, including textbooks, can really add up. According to a new report from the Student Public Interest Research Groups, switching to free or low-cost “open-source” electronic versions of textbooks could save students thousands […]

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How Dartmouth’s president is trying to cut the rising cost of college

Posted on February 10th, 2015

"This historic funding model of having the costs go up that much, the sticker price go up that much, is unsustainable and probably near the breaking point." -- Dartmouth President Philip Hanlon

Given that colleges are the ones raising tuition every year, it’s not every day that you hear a college president coming out against rising college costs–especially one from an elite (and very expensive) Ivy League university. But Philip Hanlon isn’t your average college president. Rising college costs are ‘unsustainable’ Hanlon is the president of Dartmouth […]

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College costs could rise to $334,000 by 2018

Posted on February 5th, 2015

As if college weren’t already expensive enough. A new report from Forbes projects that the cost of four years at a private college could rise to $334,000 for students starting college in 2018.

Considering that’s less than four years away, that’s a pretty huge spike from the already-high current cost of attending a private college. The average cost of attending a four-year private college is now over $59,000 per year, or $254,000 over four years, based on projections that have the cost rising 4.5% each year.

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President Obama proposes free community college plan

Posted on January 9th, 2015

We’ve touted community college as a way to significantly reduce college costs, by transferring to a 4-year college after two years to earn your bachelor’s degree.

And a new proposal President Obama announced today makes community college an even more financially responsible option. The plan, called “America’s College Promise,” would make two years of community college free for eligible students of all ages.

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Colleges to blame for rising costs

Posted on January 7th, 2015

"The massive infusion of money through student aid and other avenues carries with it no incentive to control costs or seek out efficiencies. It does nothing but encourage colleges and universities to charge even more, secure in the knowledge that student aid will rise to keep up." -- A. Barton Hinkle

As college costs have risen significantly faster than the cost of other goods and life purchases over the past two decades, many have questioned how colleges can justify the increased burden on students and families. While financial aid has increased to help students afford college and programs such as Income-Based Student Loan repayment have been touted […]

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