Blog Feed: CheapScholar.org: Helping to Make College Affordable
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The Technology Startup Industry Debate: Is a Degree Really Necessary?
Published on 2012-05-25 13:10:39
Is a college degree a necessary requirement to land a job at a successful tech startup? According to some self-made tech entrepreneurs, education is a costly waste of time. Yet, opponents argue that the current landscape of technology demands a higher education degree, and most companies consider it a rite of passage. The Premise The ongoing [...] > read more
Ohio Northern President Responds To NYT’s Student Loan Debt Article
Published on 2012-05-23 15:55:01
Last week, the New York Times posted an article that provided coverage of recent graduates that are leaving college with a significant amount of loan debt. Given all the political attention, the topic has been fairly popular in the media. A single student at one college has been catapulted to a [...] > read more
Infographic – Navigating The College Financial Aid System
Published on 2012-05-21 13:15:01
Going to college is a noble choice. Navigating the financial aspect of that decision can be quite daunting. CheapScholar.org provides a number of resources to help our readers traverse the challenges associated with paying for college. I have always been a big fan of infographics – especially those that are informative and esthetically pleasing to the [...] > read more
Student Aid: Focusing on Potential – Not Past – Academic Performance
Published on 2012-05-18 09:47:02
The following guest article is provided by Dawn Lee. Our method of providing student aid is focusing too much on what a person ‘was’ and ‘had’ done. It isn’t focusing enough on what a person ‘could’ do, and changing the way we dole out student aid to better suit this philosophy could very well change our [...] > read more
Financial Aid – Should I Fill Out The FAFSA?
Published on 2012-05-16 10:40:33
If you’re considering going to college—undergraduate or graduate—you’ve probably heard a variety of educators, teachers, administrators, and fellow students discussing the FAFSA, or the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, as though it were the most important form in the world. For many students who have aspirations of climbing the ladder from higher education into [...] > read more
Get A Free MBA At Lipscomb University!
Published on 2012-05-14 12:21:26
It is not very often that you see an opportunity for a free MBA cross your doorstep. If you are fortunate, you hopefully work for an employer that may help to subsidize the expense associated with your graduate work. However, if you are not that lucky, I would suggest looking into [...] > read more
Fallon & Obama Slow Jam To Student Loan News (video)
Published on 2012-05-13 19:44:53
Negotiating A Rent Reduction On College Housing
Published on 2012-05-11 10:18:37
Many students abhor the first of the month. Not because of class schedules, having to remember a new month or some pagan ritual, but because of the dreaded monthly rent check. Many students are under the false impression that the annual lease signing is their only opportunity to reduce the rent and that the rent [...] > read more
Review – Manage Your College Student Loans With Binksty
Published on 2012-05-10 10:46:57
The following is a guest article provided by George Gallagher. I am no stranger to the student loan industry. I work with cuStudentLoans and have personally digested the thousands of articles, answer websites, and online community discussions concerning student loans. There is literally an endless amount of information on the Internet trying its best to explain student [...] > read more
Help A Reader – Crazy Insane Student Loan Nightmare
Published on 2012-05-09 09:20:14
I receive a number of questions related to the financial aspect of the college experience. I respond to many of the emails directly but every now and again I like to share some of the questions on CheapScholar.org so that we can all learn from each other and maybe provide a little bit of a [...] > read more
CheapScholar Announces 2012 Scholarship Winner!
Published on 2012-05-06 20:54:57
CheapScholar.org was founded in January of 2010 and a number of amazing things have happened since that first informative article (Now Introducing The Sleeker, Newer, Updated FAFSA!). The following represent a few notable moments for me and CheapScholar.org: Over the course of the past three years, I have had the opportunity to share over [...] > read more
Should Students Establish An Allowance In College?
Published on 2012-05-03 14:08:58
Endless discussion, and even a little nail-biting, surrounds the expenses involved in attending college. Young people just beginning to plan on applying understand that a mountain of costs looms over the horizon. Many of their parents lose sleep years before these applications are considered, and virtually everyone is schooled very well in an inescapable reality: [...] > read more
Taxes – When To Claim College Students As Dependents
Published on 2012-04-30 16:04:58
You’ve finished this year’s taxes and filed your FAFSA for aid. Looking at your tax return, the question may pop up – what happens when I can’t claim my new college student? How long can I avoid that anyway? Would they be better being ‘independent’? All good questions to make sure [...] > read more
Obama’s New Student Loan Initiative #DontDoubleMyRate (video)
Published on 2012-04-25 11:42:28
Guidance Counselors – Free Paying For College Tool Kit
Published on 2012-04-19 12:45:25
The purpose of CheapScholar.org is to provide families and their students with the financial tools, resources, and knowledge that will assist in their pursuit of a college education. As a professional school counselor at the high school level, you often serve as the “front-line” for fielding questions related to college expenses from students that are contemplating [...] > read more
Good News! – Short Reprieve For Data Retrieval Tool Requirement
Published on 2012-04-17 13:51:18
Over the course of the past few weeks, CheapScholar.org has been covering the implementation of the new IRS Data Retrieval Tool that has been incorporated into the FAFSA filing process. The concept of making the information gathering process easier is a noble one but there has certainly been some challenges along the way. Here are some [...] > read more
Unearthing More “DRT” on IRS FAFSA Data Retrieval Tool
Published on 2012-04-03 11:25:09
Today’s guest article is provided by Mr. Randy Green, Director of Financial Aid at Wittenberg University. Last week, I received this email from the mother of one of our college sophomores. “This has been a very frustrating time with the new policy on obtaining IRS transcripts for financial institutions. I have been calling for the past month [...] > read more
Student Financial Services Social Media Presentation 2012
Published on 2012-04-02 17:12:37
To My Faithful Readers – please disregard this interruption to your regular CheapScholar.org programming. Over the course of the next few weeks, I am providing presentations to various groups throughout the nation. These sessions will be highlighting how Social Media can be incorporated into Student Financial Service activities on a college campus. I will [...] > read more
What to Expect for Student Loans in 2012 and Beyond
Published on 2012-03-30 11:46:35
With the economy making a slow trudge back from the brink, many are considering going back to school. Student loans are the only viable option for many potential college students, but that means incurring extra long-term debt at the worst possible time. A lot of language about reform has been batted around at all levels [...] > read more
The FAFSA In 7 Easy Steps (video)
Published on 2012-03-29 12:19:57
U.S. Bank Quickly Exits The Private Student Loan Market
Published on 2012-03-28 12:45:33
The ebb and flow of lending institutions participating in the private education loan market has been somewhat difficult to track over the years. Back in 2008 we witnessed a large number of organizations dropping out of the industry. However, over the course of the past few years, a good number of lenders have gotten back [...] > read more
An Infographic Look At Education Tax Credits
Published on 2012-03-26 10:35:03
Education tax credits play a big role when it comes to college accessibility. The funding available through the government in the form of education tax credits can sometimes make the difference on whether a college student will be continuing their education from one year to the next or be required to enter the work force [...] > read more
Many Wild & Some Not-So-Wild Ideas for Saving Money in College
Published on 2012-03-22 11:26:44
WILD: Big-Time Bottle Collection Taking the time to return your bottles and cans to get your deposit is a no-brainer. I’m talking much bigger here. Think about it—college students almost always have a drink in their hand (not just on Saturday night!). I guarantee every building at your school has one or more [...] > read more
4 Easy and Quick Ways to Make Money in College
Published on 2012-03-21 10:39:27
The following is a guest article provided by Angelita Williams Many personal finance sites targeted to college students will purvey endless, though no less sound, advice on saving money. At some point, however, there’s only so much money you can save. Sometimes you need to actually make money. Now you may be thinking, I hardly have [...] > read more
“Brain Gain” $5000 Scholarship For Ohio Students
Published on 2012-03-19 10:52:51
Two common terms that appear quite often at the state and local level is “Brain Gain” and “Brain Drain”. Out of those two options, “Brain Gain” is the one that is sought after most. Basically, it refers to attracting/retaining your most talented and educated students from within your community after [...] > read more
Tylenol $250,000 Future Cares Scholarship Opportunity
Published on 2012-03-15 11:55:13
If you ever had a headache, muscle ache, or fever, then you probably have heard of Tylenol. If you have been fortunate enough to never encounter any of those illnesses, Tylenol may be new to your vocabulary. Tylenol takes great strides in helping to foster and nurture future health care professionals [...] > read more
Email Message Sent In Error To FAFSA Filers Nationwide
Published on 2012-03-14 13:19:08
Completing the FAFSA is the single most important step a family can take when trying to access funds to help cover educational expenses. Quite a bit of emphasis is put on families to complete the FAFSA as soon as possible. As a matter of fact, the FAFSA process allows for estimated [...] > read more
The Top Apps That Can Help Students Save Money
Published on 2012-03-12 11:42:50
The following apps will help students create and stick to a budget A college student’s smart phone—be it an iPhone, BlackBerry, Samsung Galaxy S, or Android phone—serves a ton of purposes on campus. You can use the camera to snap pictures at your favorite student events, you can use the recorder to take audio class notes, [...] > read more
Free Writing Dynamo Subscription Giveaway-Enter Today!
Published on 2012-03-08 11:51:24
Succeeding in college doesn’t come easy. You need to have the right tools and resources to help you achieve your goals. In an effort to help our readers be successful in all their literary works (in the classroom, on their blogs, or with personal projects), CheapScholar.org is partnering up with Dictionary.com to provide [...] > read more
Online College – Gaining Popularity In A Down Economy
Published on 2012-03-05 16:11:34
In recent years it has become more and more apparent that higher education is a must. Simply finding work which will pay the bills is not an option. Certifications, degrees and other forms of advanced training and education within all fields has created a need to achieve the attainment of an advanced degree to be [...] > read more
Getting a Graduate Degree on a Budget
Published on 2012-03-03 11:48:51
When preparing to enroll in a graduate program, it is important to budget carefully in order to avoid accumulating debt. There are many ways that students can keep costs low while studying to come out with a degree for the least possible cost. Keep Working Rather than putting off your job to further your education, keep working [...] > read more
Ramen Noodles – Feeding College Students Nationwide
Published on 2012-03-01 12:41:57
When it comes to convenience and cost cutting approaches to eating on campus, Ramen noodles are a student’s best friend. They are cheap and they do a great job of filling the bellies of hungry college students across the nation. As a matter of fact, one of the top responses that I have received related [...] > read more
5 Ways to Make Your Financial New Year’s Resolution Last
Published on 2012-02-22 10:38:16
This student financial literacy moment is brought to you by iGrad.com, an industry leader in providing solid financial advice and tools for college students. We make resolutions as initiatives to work towards self-improvement, with the intent of fixing the problematic areas in our lives. For many college students, this problem area is the state of [...] > read more
The Slippery Slope of Being Unprepared – College Costs
Published on 2012-02-20 12:28:16
The investment in a college education can easily be the most expensive purchase a family can make (with the exception of their home). However, from what I can see with the rising cost of college, it may be possible for that education investment to surpass the purchase price of even a [...] > read more
Florence Allen Scholarship Opportunity For Ohio Women
Published on 2012-02-17 11:31:18
The Florence Allen Scholarship program has been in existence since 1924 to honor Florence Ellinwood Allen who was Ohio’s first woman Supreme Court Justice (1922). The intent of the scholarship is to provide Ohio women with the opportunity to achieve their full potential through education. This scholarship program has been in existence for [...] > read more
College May Actually Be Cheaper Than You Realize
Published on 2012-02-14 14:37:27
I always enjoy a good infographic and I think the one below is very fitting for the subject matter we cover on CheapScholar.org. Colleges costs have been increasing exponentially over the years. However, the amount of financial aid offered by many institutions has also been increasing at the same time. The additional amount provided through [...] > read more
6 Tips To Maximizing Your College Investment
Published on 2012-02-10 11:15:50
In today’s article I hope to provide some simple tips and guidance to families that are concerned about the financial aspect of their student’s college education. A college education is a large investment of time and resources. When you begin the college search process, it is important that you find a [...] > read more
2012-2013 FAFSA On The Web Demo (video)
Published on 2012-02-09 10:42:31
Making Your Degree Work For You
Published on 2012-02-03 11:12:40
A college degree is only beneficial if it leads to a job after graduation. Whether you receive an English degree or a physics degree, you face the daunting task of searching and applying for a job when you graduate from college. While the job search process may seem daunting, there are steps you can take [...] > read more
Digging up “DRT” on the New FAFSA IRS Linking Tool
Published on 2012-02-01 08:53:48
The following is a guest article provided by J. Randy Green, Director of Financial Aid at Wittenberg University As part of ongoing efforts to improve the higher education financial aid delivery system, the IRS and Department of Education are working together within the FAFSA application process. That work will cause frustrations for some families this year. The [...] > read more
Sallie Mae Now Offering Tuition Insurance For Students
Published on 2012-01-30 10:56:07
The cost of college tuition has been increasing dramatically over the years — greater than inflation in many instances. Some schools have adopted double digit increases, others try to keep the impact on families at a minimum, while some have taken the Muskingum approach and slashed tuition prices. Regardless of the various approaches [...] > read more
Awesome Paying For College Advice (video)
Published on 2012-01-29 11:26:33
Gearing Up For College With The New Sony S Series Laptop
Published on 2011-07-05 10:28:02
In this day and age, it is important that students equip themselves with the right tools that will promote their academic success on a college campus. If students are unable to succeed in the classroom then they will inevitably be burdened with added > read more
Obama: Eliminate Tax Breaks, Not Financial Aid (video)
Published on 2011-07-02 09:36:45
The College Ranking That Nobody Wants To Be On
Published on 2011-06-30 14:01:18
Holding true to the Higher Education Opportunity Act legislation, the Department of Education has started it’s own ranking system for colleges and universities. It is called the College Affordability and Transparency List (or CATL for short). T > read more
College LIFE Act – The Silver Bullet for Financial Literacy?
Published on 2011-06-28 10:17:35
Trying to incorporate financial literacy programs into a campus setting has been the goal of many colleges and universities in the past year (and for the upcoming academic year). Some schools have been very successful in weaving a financial liter > read more
Summer Job For Students (video)
Published on 2011-06-23 12:29:41
CheapScholar Ranked In Top 100 Financial Blogs
Published on 2011-06-17 10:35:37
The good people over at WiseBread.com have an ongoing ranking that references hundreds of the many thousands of financial blogs available out on the web. The ranking looks at a number of categories (Social Media Presence, Search Engine Optimization, > read more
Connor Quinn – The New King of Outside Scholarships
Published on 2011-06-15 10:27:33
Outside scholarships play a key role in helping college bound students pay for their educational expenses. Billions upon billions of scholarship dollars are given away by organizations, companies, and foundations every year. So, how do you make su > read more
CheapScholar’s Education Loan Resource Center
Published on 2011-06-13 12:34:43
Paying for college sometimes requires a student to research available loan options. In an effort to help families navigate this process, CheapScholar.org is pleased to offer the following education loan resources: Federal Loan Programs – Studen > read more
Help a Reader: FAFSA Questions and Answers (Part 2)
Published on 2011-06-10 10:39:22
I get a number of questions/emails from readers and I respond to every one of them. The following represent a sampling of FAFSA questions received over the past couple of months. Hope this helps… Continued from Part 1 Question 7: My husban > read more
Help a Reader: FAFSA Questions and Answers (Part 1)
Published on 2011-06-08 10:29:43
I get a number of questions/emails from readers and I respond to every one of them. The following represents a sampling of FAFSA questions received over the past couple of months. Hope this helps… Question 1: We are filling out the FAFSA app > read more
One Stop Shop For Filing Your Taxes And FAFSA
Published on 2011-06-06 11:20:03
Filing a FAFSA is always lauded as being the first step to accessing scholarship and grant money for education expenses. However, filing your taxes is a prerequisite to completing the FAFSA if you plan on reporting actual (not estimated) income nu > read more
Paying For College (video)
Published on 2011-06-04 10:52:18
How Are You Like Ronald Reagan? College Scholarship
Published on 2011-06-03 12:32:26
Whether you are a Republican, Democrat, or somewhere in-between, most people believe that Ronald Reagan was an amazing president. Reagan started out as a radio broadcaster, went on to be a famous film and television actor and succeeded at becom > read more
Dear Student, Your Financial Aid Has Been Cancelled!
Published on 2011-06-01 12:45:52
The title above sounds like the beginning of any college bound student’s nightmare. Can you imagine applying to colleges, completing the FAFSA, discerning your financial aid award packages, depositing to the college of your dreams, and then getting > read more
$100,000 to Skip College (video)
Published on 2011-05-28 10:52:45
CheapScholar Giveaway Contest – Free Adobe CS 5.5 Master Collection
Published on 2011-05-26 09:12:40
This time of year represents a wonderful phase of life for high school and college graduates. In the coming weeks, many of these students will cross the stages at their respective schools and receive a diploma that acknowledges all of their hard > read more
The Six Most Common Forms of Federal Financial Aid
Published on 2011-05-25 10:21:37
The following is a guest post provided by Jenn Pedde from the University of Southern California Pell Grants, Stafford Loans, Perkins Loans — though they help you pay your way through school, the jumble of federal financial aid programs can be a > read more
MeritAid.com – Your Number One Resource For Merit Based Scholarships
Published on 2011-05-23 13:49:18
When students are looking for every dollar available to help cover college costs, the amount of merit aid that they are eligible for can play a big role. Merit aid and awards are given to students based upon their academic and extracurricular suc > read more
Post Graduation Financial Plan (video)
Published on 2011-05-21 10:43:09
Paying For College – Q & A Session With CheapScholar
Published on 2011-05-20 10:24:29
I recently had the opportunity to sit down and do an interview for an organization and discuss some hot topics related to paying for college and financial aid. We covered a lot of good information and I thought I would share it with our CheapScho > read more
Move To Massachusetts For Free Tuition? What About Fees?
Published on 2011-05-18 10:13:12
I really enjoy when CheapScholar.org gets to showcase great tuition deals across the nation. I especially like it when I hear the word FREE combined with tuition. Last week, the University of Massachusetts – Lowell (UML) just offered a free > read more
A Guide To Understanding The Yellow Ribbon Program
Published on 2011-05-16 10:40:47
There have been a lot of changes to the financial aid programs from the United States Military since their start 60 years ago and especially in the past 10-15 years. The GI Bill is intended to assist those who have served in our military with their > read more
Financial Management For College Students (video)
Published on 2011-05-14 10:14:58
You Got In! – Now What? Where The Rubber Meets The Road
Published on 2011-05-12 10:05:54
When I was a young man I remember my dad using this exclamation a number of times- “Where The Rubber Meets The Road”. At that time, I wasn’t really sure the meaning of it but as I grew older and wiser (and heard other people use the same ph > read more
College Graduate Loan Debt Stimulates The Economy
Published on 2011-05-10 10:43:13
The basics of financial understanding usually recognize debt in one of two ways- Good Debt or Bad Debt. Owning a home and taking out a mortgage is an example of good debt, assuming you are not buying a home that will put you in the poor house -pun > read more
First Generation College Student Scholarship Opportunity
Published on 2011-05-05 12:17:45
Are you going to college next year? Are you the first person in your family to make that educational journey? Are you going to one of these colleges? If you answered yes to all of these questions, then you may want to check out a scholarship program > read more
Top Ten Student Financial Literacy Resources On The Web
Published on 2011-04-28 10:24:32
When it comes to Student Financial Literacy, nothing can surpass the one-on-one tutorials that mom and dad can provide in the comfort of their home at the kitchen table. However, as young college students move on in life (and usually move out of > read more
Asking For More Financial Aid? Make Sure You Are First In Line
Published on 2011-04-26 11:37:36
Financial aid packages are being received across the nation by millions of college bound students. Some of these recipients are enthusiastically elated to see the figures encapsulated in their financial aid award and others may be a little bit de > read more
What Does EFC Stand For? (video)
Published on 2011-04-23 10:01:49
Give Me a Budget – Then I Will Give You a Loan
Published on 2011-04-22 10:47:36
Barack Obama declared April to be financial literacy month and one community college in Virginia is taking this declaration very seriously. Tidewater CC is implementing a new approach to how it doles out federal loan dollars to its students. As pa > read more
Creative Ways To Start Saving For Your Child’s College Fund
Published on 2011-04-20 10:38:48
The following is a guest post by George Gallagher. He is a personal finance blogger and frugality coach that helps post-grad students manage their private student loans with CUStudentLoans.org As a parent, saving for your child’s college education > read more
How To Appeal A Student Loan Denial From Sallie Mae
Published on 2011-04-18 10:48:21
It is not uncommon for families to implement a private education loan into their approach to paying for college. For some families this form of payment is the only option. So imagine the anxiety that quickly ensues when they receive a denial notif > read more
Money Tips For College Students (video)
Published on 2011-04-16 10:56:29
Going Beyond Tuition When Factoring College Expenses
Published on 2011-04-15 10:35:29
We all know that the cost of college is a moving target. Some of your charges are billed directly from the school, some are offset by financial aid, and some are added “soft-costs” that you pick up along the way. It is hard to figure out the > read more
Tax Tips for Students – How to Safely File Your 1040 Online
Published on 2011-04-13 10:56:23
The following is guest post from AVG Technologies. Ben Franklin once said the only certainties in life were death and taxes. As the filing deadline approaches many are expected to e-file which is why AVG Technologies wants to remind students that wit > read more
The Aretha McLain Grandparent Scholarship
Published on 2011-04-11 10:50:03
This last week I posted an article that was meant to encourage people to consider donating to a scholarship fund or find some way in which they could contribute to the educational goals of others. Angelique Crowder heard my call and stepped up to t > read more
Maximizing Your Meal Plan (video)
Published on 2011-04-09 10:06:50
Ohio Bursars Association – Social Media Presentation
Published on 2011-04-07 10:54:58
To my faithful readers – please disregard this interruption to your regular CheapScholar.org programming. Today I am doing a presentation for the Ohio Bursars Association highlighting how social media can be utilized in the Student Financia > read more
Critiquing The Ever Ambiguous Financial Aid Letter
Published on 2011-04-06 10:47:59
If you have ever heard of the name Mark Kantrowitz, I can almost guarantee that the topic had to do with Financial Aid, Student Loans, or Paying For College. He has been a long-time advocate of education and helps families to tackle some of the m > read more
Trading The Family Goat For College Tuition
Published on 2011-04-04 10:20:46
As strange as it may seem, I remember reading a story about this many years ago. I can’t place the name of the college; all I know is that it was in rural America and the school had taken on a bartering system with local residents to help make > read more
St. Michael’s – When Tuition Revenue Runs Dry (video)
Published on 2011-04-02 10:13:03
Another Great Online Financial Aid Forum/Webinar
Published on 2011-04-01 10:44:45
Paying for college doesn’t have to be hard and with the right tools and resources most families are able to handle this task with ease. In an effort to help families, I have experienced a few colleges starting to enlist the wonders of technolog > read more
Put Your Name On a Scholarship Not a Building, It Will Last Longer
Published on 2011-03-30 10:54:17
(an open letter to future alumni) Dear Future Alumni: As a current student, many of you are probably scrounging and hoarding every last dollar that you have just to make it through college with the shirt on your back. I certainly applaud you for y > read more
The American Dream: Win The Lottery – Start A Scholarship
Published on 2011-03-28 10:37:05
I think that most people can agree with “winning the lottery” as being part of the American dream but I am curious as to how many would take their winnings and create a scholarship program. It wasn’t first on my list but thanks to the actio > read more
Budgeting In College (video)
Published on 2011-03-26 10:03:19
College Students – Prepare Your Credit For The Real World
Published on 2011-03-25 10:51:48
Today’s guest post is provided by Ed O’Brien. He is an expert writing in all things pertaining to personal finance, specializing in credit repair. For more of his articles, visit his blog: CreditRepair.org. A 2009 study by Sallie Mae revealed > read more
The Best Approach To Claiming Education Tax Credits
Published on 2011-03-23 10:26:18
Today’s guest post comes from Philip Laube. He is a CPA in Ohio and the Assistant Vice President for Business & Finance at Muskingum University. He presents and writes about personal finance issues for college students. He can be followed at tw > read more
Putting The MOO In Moolah – Dairy Scholarship
Published on 2011-03-21 11:09:27
Do you attend a college/university that has an emphasis on dairy? Are you pursuing a degree in business, communications, economics, marketing or journalism and see yourself contributing to the dairy farming community prior to and after graduation > read more
Money Matters Moment In College (video)
Published on 2011-03-19 10:25:56
Tuition Refund Insurance – Might Be Worth The Premium
Published on 2011-03-18 10:35:43
With the current level of education costs, many families tend to be more apt to think about leveraging some sort of guarantee to insure that their investment for the semester is not a complete loss if by chance their student suffers a serious ill > read more
Reducing Fees – An Outside of the Box Approach to Tuition Pricing
Published on 2011-03-16 12:30:34
You have to give credit where credit is due and I must say that the University of the South, found on a majestic wooded hilltop in Sewanee Tennessee, definitely should be given some recognition when it comes to adopting tuition pricing models. In > read more
Should Parents Pay For Children’s College Education?
Published on 2011-03-14 12:00:23
Over the years that I have worked in higher education, I can honestly tell you that I have witnessed every level of parent involvement when it comes to footing the bill for college education expenses. Some of those situations are dictated by perso > read more
Finding The Right Financial Fit – College (video)
Published on 2011-03-12 10:37:13
Private Education Loans Better Than Parent PLUS Option?
Published on 2011-03-10 10:23:32
Overture Technologies is a leading provider of private student loan options for students and families. Through their Private Student Loan Marketplace, they give students the power of choice by allowing them to compare the terms and rates of multipl > read more
Selective Service, The Draft, And Filing Your FAFSA
Published on 2011-03-08 13:06:52
The Selective Service Act was initially put into place back in 1917. Basically, it gave the power/authority to the president to enlist males between the ages of 21 and 45 for military service. It became commonly known as “The Draft”. Over t > read more
College Sticker Price (video)
Published on 2011-03-06 14:59:11
Dictionary.com – Bridging Barriers With The Spanish Language
Published on 2011-03-04 15:08:16
Learning a second language is probably a goal that every college student should embrace regardless of whether it is a required aspect of their curriculum. Mastering multiple languages exposes students to new and exciting cultures and, in some cas > read more
Visiting College Campuses? – Tips to Avoiding Rental Car Fees
Published on 2011-03-03 13:49:29
Today’s guest post comes from Philip Laube. He is a CPA in Ohio and the Assistant Vice President for Business & Finance at Muskingum University. He presents and writes about personal finance issues for college students. He can be followed at tw > read more
Get More Bang For Your Buck At These Colleges
Published on 2011-03-02 13:30:48
The Princeton review recently released a report reflecting 100 of the Best Value Colleges for 2011. The list represents the top 50 Public and top 50 Private colleges in the nation that are recognized for their value. You have to keep in mind that > read more
Students Living on Nickels & Dimes (video/song)
Published on 2011-02-26 10:15:17
Farming Income On The FAFSA – It’s No FarmVille
Published on 2011-02-23 11:54:45
Unlike FarmVille, where everything is “make believe” and doesn’t impact your actual net worth or adjusted gross income, the FAFSA does like to to take these sort of items into consideration. A couple of weeks ago, we talked about how assets > read more
Want Free College? San Francisco Has Just What You Need!
Published on 2011-02-22 12:38:21
One of the downsides of getting the college experience is that you usually have to pay for it. Depending on which school you go to, some may pay more than others. But what if the financial factor was removed from the educational equation and all > read more
Tuition Freeze is Thawing Out at MCAD
Published on 2011-02-21 12:25:56
You may remember that last year I wrote an article about how the Minneapolis College of Art and Design was implementing a tuition freeze for the first time in a number of years. President Jay Coogan stated that the tuition freeze would only be for > read more
Wintertime is FAFSA time (video)
Published on 2011-02-20 19:12:19
Financial Aid Directors: We Are Here! We Are Here! We Are Here!
Published on 2011-02-16 12:52:11
One of the most important unclaimed, untapped and underutilized resource for college students is the financial aid director. These folks have spent years (some decades) doing what they do and are an amazing resource for families and students that > read more
Having “The Talk” With Your College Bound Student
Published on 2011-02-14 12:38:17
More than likely, you have already experienced a number of key “talks” with your child over the years. The first one probably had something to do with “Don’t Bite Your Friends” or “Stop Feeding The Dog Your Green Beans”. The talks th > read more
FAFSA FAQ (video)
Published on 2011-02-12 10:46:07
FAFSA Updating Issues To Be Resolved By Next Week
Published on 2011-02-11 11:35:23
Richard Gordon, Chief Information Officer for Federal Student Aid, recently made an announcement about an “isolated” issue they are experiencing with the online FAFSA application. It appears that anyone saving their FAFSA data after February > read more
Know Your Assets – Good FAFSA Questions & Answers
Published on 2011-02-09 10:31:04
When you go to complete the FAFSA, one of the important factors that helps to determine your EFC (Estimated Family Contribution) is assets. You always want to make sure that you accurately list all the required assets but it is to your benefit to > read more
College Goal Sunday: “F” Is For FAFSA
Published on 2011-02-07 13:07:51
Most people associate the month of February with Valentines Day but I always tend to think of the FAFSA… and more importantly College Goal Sunday. – I imagine my line of thinking is probably a byproduct of my profession but I assure you > read more
How Colleges Process Financial Aid (video)
Published on 2011-02-05 10:43:28
Best Buy: Now Offering The Best College Scholarship
Published on 2011-02-04 14:39:26
You have always known Best Buy as having the best deals on electronic gadgets but did you ever think they would have an amazing scholarship program? Best Buy is going to be giving away $1.2 million dollars this year to 1200 lucky students (that i > read more
Free Amazon Prime For Non “.edu” Email Accounts
Published on 2011-02-01 12:58:51
A few months ago I shared a new cost savings feature called Amazon Prime. This program is provided by Amazon.com and the main benefit is free 2-day shipping on all orders that you purchase online directly from Amazon.com. The regular price for this > read more
Home Depot Scholarship – Not Just For Handymen
Published on 2011-01-31 10:31:48
Are you the next Bob Villa? Do you want to be Holmes on Homes? Is DIY your middle name? If you answered yes to any of these questions then the Home Depot Trade Scholarship may be just for you! The nice thing about this scholarship program is that > read more
Your Role In Getting Financial Aid (video)
Published on 2011-01-29 10:49:37
A Look Into The 2010-2011 Freshman Class
Published on 2011-01-28 10:30:00
I always enjoy a well mastered infopicture and the good people at the University of California at Los Angeles Higher Education Institute have recently delivered this one. This statistical data was gathered from over 200,000 first year students attend > read more
Princeton University Sets The Pace For Tuition Increases
Published on 2011-01-27 16:28:54
The Board of Directors and Board of Regents for many colleges and universities will convene over the next quarter to establish the tuition rates for their respective institutions for the coming year. While we would all prefer to experience tuitio > read more
Do You Have a Weird FAFSA Filing Situation?
Published on 2011-01-26 11:59:19
This is the time of year when families across the nation are completing the FAFSA form. For some folks this is “old hat” because they have been filling out the form for years as their students move through the college experience, but for many > read more
Financial Aid Basics (video)
Published on 2011-01-22 10:21:22
Ohio Farm Bureau Scholarship Opportunities
Published on 2011-01-21 12:10:18
The Ohio Farm Bureau Foundation has three different scholarship programs (see below) that annually provide thousands of dollars to college bound Ohio students. Whether you are from a rural, suburban or urban community, you are encouraged to apply > read more
5 Reasons To Not Pay Your College Tuition With A Big Bag Of Cash
Published on 2011-01-19 13:04:51
In the national news this last week, a young college man (Nic Ramos) attending the University of Colorado decided to pay his $14,000 tuition bill in cash (every parent and Bursar’s dream right?). The twist is that in an effort to bring to light > read more
The Sockingtons & Financial Aid Deadlines (video)
Published on 2011-01-17 14:08:20
It Takes A Village… To Fill Out A FAFSA Form…
Published on 2011-01-16 11:33:21
This is the approach that Philadelphia Mayor Nutter is taking to the streets in the coming weeks. This last Thursday, city officials stated that education was the key to insure Philadelphia’s future success and now was the time to get as many p > read more
Private Student Loan Companies Want Your Business
Published on 2011-01-14 12:52:42
I know… this is certainly not earth shattering news but it is true. Private education lenders are pulling out all the stops to try and get your business. Of course you still have to meet their credit criteria… CitiBank was the first l > read more
Now Introducing The CheapScholar College Resource Center!
Published on 2011-01-12 12:07:01
Since starting CheapScholar.org, I have received a lot of questions from families and students that are trying to navigate the financial aspect of their college experience. I individually respond to each and every question and sometimes I even incl > read more
College Presidents Commit Personal Salaries To Education
Published on 2011-01-10 12:44:27
Being a college president is not an easy task. The position requires someone that has a vision for their campus and knows the steps involved to make that vision a reality. In many ways, the college president can be compared to a ship’s captain. > read more
How To File FAFSA (video)
Published on 2011-01-09 13:06:40
ABA States That Law Degree Won’t Solve Financial Woes
Published on 2011-01-05 12:14:23
When the American Bar Association starts persuading financially strapped law students to look for a different career, you know that we have reached a new era when it comes to college costs and the potential salaries expected after graduation. The > read more
FAFSA Filers… Start Your Engines!
Published on 2011-01-03 12:08:57
The FAFSA is sometimes considered the single most important part of the financial aid process for any college bound student. The FAFSA helps to let schools know just how needy you may be when it comes to your ability to pay for college. Universit > read more
Year End Round-Up: Paying For College
Published on 2011-01-01 13:52:26
I certainly hope that everyone had a safe and memorable New Year’s Eve and is enjoying New Year’s Day festivities with friends and family. This article concludes the year end round-up series. The following is a list reflecting a few of my > read more