The good news: There are alternatives to attending college right after high school. The not so good news: pursing an alternative path, like a “gap year” community service project, is still “the road not taken” and requires the courage of standing out from one’s peers–both for students and their parents.
Tag: College decisions
Are College Going Attitudes Changing?
Are students’ and their families’ attitudes changing about college? 375 colleges, an increase of 96 institutions from 2011, report still having space available for freshmen and/or transfer students for Fall 2012. Has the economic uncertainty caught up with families’ choices? Is the $1 Trillion total student debt and consequences for individual borrowers causing families to…
Will continuing tuition increases eventually cool demand for college?
Total student loan debt hit the $1 Trillion mark this week and continues growing. Congress is debating to stop the increase in the student loan interest rates from 3.4% to 6.8% on July 1, 2012. And, UC’s are considering an additional 6% tuition hike on top of the 47.6% tuition increase, since 2009. With more…
Campus “Vibe” vs. Academics: Why College Selection Takes the Whole Family
College students aren’t just gaining an education and future career training, they’re moving to a new community. Parents often express concerns to Creative Marbles that their student is paying more attention to “atmosphere” or “how s/he feels on campus”–not “what do I want to study.” These differences in perspective can create conflict, and also are…
CA College Freshmen Moving Out of CA: A Shift or Temporary Reaction?
Since 2000, 90% more California resident high school grads are choosing to enroll in out of state colleges–both public and private. While speculation from budget uncertainties in California to affordability of out-of-state tuition is circulating as reasons for the trend, Creative Marbles asks, “Are families and students simply approaching college as a consumer purchase, and…
California’s Budget Shortfalls: Consider the Immediate and Long Term Effects
Although California’s budget is challenging CSU officials to “live within it’s means” in the short term, forgoing expenses today can affect the long term quality of education and how the CSU educates students in the future. Delaying purchases on library materials today can affect the resources available to future students, and coupled with phasing out…
College Will Payoff in the Long Term, Right?
Graph Source: Wall Street Journal 4/27/2012
College Degree’s Changing Value
As an update to a recent post, several recent studies show a growing number of children who earned less education than their parents, reversing the trend since 1876. Does this current trend mean a decrease in the living standard of Americans overall, since currently people with bachelor’s degrees earn more over their lifetime, than those…
Lower Student Loan Interest Today = Future National Debt Costs?
In an earlier post, we mentioned the continued political debate about maintaining the current student loan interest rates at 3.4%, instead of the increase to 6.8%, if Congress doesn’t come to consensus before July 1, 2012. Mark Kantrowitz of FinAid and the Wall Street Journal debate whether the short term gain of low student interest…
House Votes to Keep Student Loan Interest Rates Low for 2012-13: A Good Move?
The Wall Street Journal reported that the House today passed a resolution to keep the current interest rate on student Stafford loans at 3.4% for the 2012-13 school year. The Senate is scheduled to vote on a similar bill on May 8th. Without Congressional consensus, student loan interest rates will increase to 6.8% for the…
Fall 2012 UC Admissions More Competitive for Freshmen
The University of California released their admissions numbers for Fall 2012 Freshmen last week. The uncertainty in the state budget and record number of applications or Fall 2012 Freshmen admissions created additional competition and subjectivity in the admissions process. UC Davis Chancellor, Linda Katehi, recently stated: UC Davis refused [Fall 2012] admissions to 1500 or…
Passion + Effort = Success
There is no single action that vaults us into success–only a series of decisions, that may seem unrelated at the time, and continuous effort that define any achievement. In a recent presentation at UC San Diego, Conan O’Brien suggests from his experience: My advice is to find out what your passion is and go wherever…
More on Financial Aid & College Affordability
Here’s a few tips when choosing colleges for application and enrollment, and simultaneously determining how your family will afford the costs: Calculate all 4 or 5 years of costs when determining the affordability of college, not just the first year. College costs during a student’s senior year in college are likely to be at least…
College: Nature vs. Nurture
A recent study by economists, Stacy Dale and Alan Krueger, showed that college graduates from Ivy League colleges and college graduates who were denied admissions to an Ivy League college have the same earning potential. Even applying to a school, even if you get rejected, says a lot about you. –Dale Krueger, NY Times, 2/21/2011…
College as a “Financial Decision, not a Rite of Passage”
A little forethought before taking student loans can help students and families understand all the effects of their decision. As Sue Shellenbarger reported in the Wall Street Journal, 4/17/2012, “[approaching college choices] as a financial decision, rather than a rite of passage” can help families make responsible decisions.