For you juniors starting to think about your next step, you’re realizing that your college search might boil down to one thing: money. But if the sticker price on your dream school isn’t realistic, don’t worry. The advertised tuition figure isn’t always the bottom line. Hidden programs could wind up saving you hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars. Here are four ...

The price of textbooks has risen at twice the rate of inflation (.pdf) over the last 20 years according to the Government Accountability Office. Even used books don't soften the blow. What's a student with a bruised bank account to do? Net Yourself a Used Textbook Amazon, Abebooks and eBay are familiar resources. Other Web sites (like Campusi) list available titles ...

You've calculated tuition costs, figured in room, board and books. You've even checked out scholarships and grants, filled out the FAFSA and budgeted for day-to-day expenses like groceries and laundry money. You've covered all your financial bases. Yet even with careful planning, you may encounter college costs that take you by surprise. These costs crop up in the form of "miscellaneous ...

A computer for college is essential but can add a hefty expense to your budget, so choose wisely. Consider these points when computer shopping: Desktop or Laptop? Laptops are more portable and since many campuses and public areas provide wireless Internet service, you won’t be limited to your dorm room to work. If your courses will involve travel or fieldwork, a ...

We asked FastWeb members whether they would consider staying in their home state after graduation if it meant they wouldn't have to pay back their student loans and here's what they had to say: "I definitely would stay in my home state for loan forgiveness. I have personally already been a college graduate for a year and see this as ...

Did you know that your children’s credit scores may be more important to their future than their academic transcripts? Or that 68 percent of high school and college students say they have never had a meaningful conversation with their parents about personal finances? What’s your reaction to an Indiana University administrator candidly admitting that they lose more students to credit cards ...

Tom is a graduate student at a Midwestern university completing a major research and writing project on student credit card debt. When Tom was in college, he built up $15,000 of credit card debt because he never learned how to use credit cards responsibly. In some ways, Tom was fortunate. He didn’t suffer many of the consequences of getting into that ...

Everyone wants a slice of the American Dream and, in this modern day, going to college is essential to success. Forget the Jones’, these days Americans are finding it increasingly difficult to keep up with the very student loans they took out to help ensure future success. So, what happens when they very institution that’s supposed to safeguard your future now ...

This article discusses the need to minimize student loan debt and provides more than a dozen practical tips on ways to reduce borrowing for college costs. Try to avoid overborrowing for your college education. Do not treat loan limits as targets. A good rule of thumb is that your total education debt for your entire college education should be less than ...

Though federal student loans (such as the Federal Stafford Loan) help many students to attend college, families often find that even the maximum loan amounts are not enough to pay for their education. For instance, the average cost of attendance at a four-year public school for the 2012-2013 academic year is $22,261 and at a four-year private school, it’s $43,289— yet ...

Do you have fine wine tastes on a cheap beer budget? It’s ok – most college students are living on a budget. If not, they’re likely students getting themselves into a cycle of debt. While neither is fun or easy, you can become smarter about the way you spend your money. Keep in mind that the key to financial success is ...

As of June 2010, total student loan debt passed total credit card debt for the first time. According to the Federal Reserve's statistical release, G.19 Consumer Credit, the seasonally adjusted revolving credit totaled $826.5 billion as of June 2010. As much as 98% of revolving credit is credit card debt. Student loan debt outstanding totaled at least $830 billion as of ...

Ebook readers work well for pleasure reading, but need some improvements in usability before they will be able to replace textbooks on a widespread basis. The potential cost-savings are more limited than most people expect. I am an early adopter of technology and gadgetry. I purchased two Sony PRS-500 Readers when they first became available: one for my wife and one ...

Student Loan Interest Rates Set to Skyrocket for 7 Million Students & Counting If Congressional action isn't taken, the interest rates on government subsidized student loans will double to 6.8 percent on July 1st of this year. This change will affect one third of undergraduate students who are receiving Federal Direct Stafford Loans. The high interest rates aren't news to undergraduates ...

It feels like yesterday that a new year of FAFSA forms began but, alas, time flies when you’re having fun. Come June 30th, the fun with FAFSA will sadly end, at least for the 2013-2014 school year. Even though the deadline is near, you still have time to get your application in to qualify for free federal student aid to help ...

Sallie Mae and Gallup just released the results of their third annual survey of how American families pay for college. The survey found that families perceived college costs as increasing by more than 17% compared with last year. As a result, families are becoming more cost conscious in their college choices. Family estimates of the total cost of attendance increased 17% ...

Students, you and your parents are so focused on the standard college questions – what school, what degree, how to pay for it – that you overlook the elephant in the room. An Elephant in the room? Yes, the educational Elephant who can cost you and your families thousands of dollars, unnecessarily. Here’s where the elephant raises his costly tusks. You ...

You've probably already calculated tuition bills and costs for room and board. Yet the hidden costs of college — from pizza to airfare, from library fines to laundry money — can easily add up to another $2,000 per year. To get a handle on those extras, you'll want to put together a monthly budget that estimates your costs. Be sure to ...

Title: Dealing with the Debt Deal and Downgrade: Practical Tips for Students and their Families Standard & Poor's (S&P) downgraded US long-term debt one notch from AAA to AA+ after the stock market closed on Friday, August 5, 2011. This is the first time the United States has lost its AAA rating. The downgrade triggered a panic sell-off when the ...

UC Berkeley students are up in arms over an approved 32 percent tuition increase for all ten campuses in the University of California system that will raise yearly fees above $10,000 for the first time in history. Similar protests and sit-ins took place at UCLA and UC Santa Cruz. The regent committee endorsed the hefty hike by a vote of 10-1. ...