College is Unaffordable?

Now for the flip side of yesterday's video.  What does this make you think about the economic value of education?

Tomorrow I will discuss the seemingly contradictory circumstances we as college students find ourselves in today.

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Education and Income

First of all I apologize for skipping a post yesterday!  Classes come first as a college student and unfortunately I had no time left at the end of the day.

I just thought I would share an interesting video on the economics of earning a college degree.  Hopefully this will push some of you over the edge who are not sure if they want to spend the money on college.

How To Pay For College While Still In High School

Don’t worry high school students I haven’t forgotten about you.  You may be wondering with all these posts on how to save and make money geared mostly towards college students how you can pay for college.  It’s great that you’re already thinking about this (you’re ahead of the curve). 

Jobs Students Will Love

Since many students work at least part-time in college I thought it would be useful to point out a few job choices that usually are good fits with college student’s schedules, and also are great part-time gigs when you leave school and may need a little additional income.

Linearity in Education: Should You Go Directly From High School to College?

Why am I showing you a video on education and education reform?  Well there are several ideas in the video I think as someone who is or will be paying for college you should be thinking about.  You need to think specifically about why you want to go to college and if it is truly right for you.

Cheap Fun For Broke Students

All work and no play make you tired and dull.  So what is a broke college student to do?  There are so many ways of entertaining yourself (or a date) without spending a penny.

Stupid Mistakes You Can Avoid That Will Cost You Hundreds

School is starting at many college campuses across the nation! That means buying books, moving into dorms and apartments, and going to classes for the first time this semester.  School starting also means the beginning of what I like to call the My Parent’s Aren’t Here Syndrome (MPAHS).

Insurance Tutorial

 Insurance sounds boring doesn’t it?  You know what isn’t boring? Going through a true emergency insurance would help pay for and not having any insurance.  You might be thinking that your parents have taken care of your insurance, or you might be worried over the fact that you don’t have any insurance.  There are several kinds of insurance that are important to know about…let’s go over things.

Tuition Refund Insurance: Should You Get It?

Sometimes bad things happen when people attend college.  Medical problems, personal problems, and disasters can happen.  Some people have turned to alternative methods (besides an emergency fund) to help in case one of those sorts of situations interferes with their ability to finish the semester.

What Did I Learn From My Financial Aid Nightmare?

I went to the financial aid office at my university yesterday… and I got them to reinstate my financial aid from now until I graduate next spring! It wasn’t easy.  I was sent on a wild goose chase to another department which didn’t know what financial aid was talking about; and at one point I was even told that I just wasn’t going to be receiving financial aid at all.

Important Facts For Double Majors!

If you pursue a double major or concurrent major keep this in mind.  Never, ever, finish one of your degrees before the other (even if you will only have one or two semesters left for the second degree)!

Learn From My Mistakes

Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. - Confucius

From time to time I will share personal experiences so that you may be able to learn from mistakes I make.  In this blog I won't pretend to be perfect at navigating the costs of college.  The intention of this blog is to help others with paying for college.  Sometimes the best way to help others is to put your own mistakes out there for others to learn from. Brutal honesty is missing from the discussion of paying for college and I won't be one of those personal finance "experts" who glosses over the realities many students face today. The following is a situation that started six years ago and has reached its culmination now.  

Just A Bad Day.

I'm sorry for the super late post.  Today was an unusually bad day in regards to my ability to pay for school.  The story is developing and I will keep you posted.  

Tomorrow I will continue with regular posts.  Even bad days end, and bad circumstances can be turned around. 

I'm Begging You!

There are many ways of making money for college... this way is not frequently a person's first thought.  Online begging is certainly not new.  In fact, several years ago 20/20 featured a woman who got herself into horrible credit card debt and paid all the debt off by begging online.

How to Get a Job After You Graduate When You're Still a Freshman.

I’ve talked about choosing a major in “So Why Am I Paying For School Again?” I wanted to expand upon the idea of picking a major. This economy is rough and you want to be as marketable as possible; because if you don’t do this all the time and money you spent at school will be a waste. So how do you make yourself more marketable to employers?

A Glimpse Into My Wallet

I just wanted to show you the proof of how my posts will really help in real life.  This semester, as usual,  I followed the procedure I described to you in, “Is This a Book or a Brick of Gold? “ and saved a boat-load of money.

Simplicity As Savings

Part of the green movement has emphasized simplicity so that waste is reduced.  Going green as a college student is not only something you may want to do anyway because of your ideals, but it is also a great way to save money.

Credit Cards: The College Student Kryptonite

We have talked about emergencies a couple of times, and how to prepare for or get money quickly if a financial emergency comes up.  Is there anything you noticed that I never mentioned?  Credit cards.

Emergency! No Problem.

I have referred to an emergency fund in the post “All the Cool People Do It! Give Budgeting a Try!”  An emergency fund is very important, especially when you are in college and on a budget.  Life can be unpredictable and having a safety net in the form of a savings account will give you a huge advantage.

So Why Am I Paying For School Again?

So you’re trying to pay for college, but what exactly is it you are paying for?  Some of you already know exactly what you want to do and have chosen your major accordingly, while the rest of you just don’t know yet.  Given that school is so expensive, it is important that you choose the right major and determine your career goals promptly.

All the Cool People Do It! Give Budgeting a Try!

I’ve been posting a lot about saving money and making money, but not that much about managing money.  One of the most important skills you need to master now (and for the rest of your life) is budgeting. 

Luckily you already have a budgeting kind of cheat sheet in the Expenses worksheet (in the Useful Links tab).  A budget not only considers your expenses (like utilities, food, rent, savings, etc), but also when those expenses occur and when you get paid.  Here is a sample budget I have put together using Excel.

Looking For Perks!

We have already explored the idea of your work paying for some or all of tuition costs through various programs.  There are other jobs out there that can help you reduce costs in other aspects of college life.  If you can’t find a job that will pay your tuition or housing costs then maybe you can find a job with other perks.

The Most Controversial College Wallet Post Yet.

Just to clarify before we begin, I am not advocating or condoning any of the methods of making money that will be covered in this post.  I felt that sometimes people get into tight spots when it comes to paying for their education and sometimes these trying circumstances lead to desperation.  Before acting please think about your choices and consequences.

Get Your Boss To Pay!

I have mentioned before in Getting Something For Nothing: Lowering the Cost of Tuition and Rent that if you get a full-time position at a college or university that often you get free tuition as part of your compensation for the job.  Working for a college or university is not the only way of getting your employer to pay for school.

The Student Entrepreneur

It can be hard finding reliable work as a student, especially in a bad economy.  You may be told up front you will get enough hours (or not given too many hours) and then you learn otherwise.  Sometimes your class schedule just gets in the way of a decent job. It’s not like you don’t want a good job it’s just that you can’t completely change your schedule mid-semester. So what is a broke student supposed to do?