Stop The Money Bleed in Publicly Funded Schools

I've been a little AWOL lately from the blogging world.  Let's just say I've been super busy.  I bet you have too, so maybe you haven't had the chance to read lately and maybe we are on the same page.  If you haven't been as busy as me I apologize for the extended absence.

I recently read an article in the New York Times about spending inequality in colleges.  Apparently private research colleges have increased their per-student spending by nearly 5 times in the last ten years, while community colleges have been spending about the same amount of money as ten years ago per student.  This is mostly because state and local funding has dropped significantly for public colleges and universities.  This stagnation means that real dollar values for expenses related to running these colleges and universities have decreased.

Pets

I love pets, I even have two cats right now and I grew up with dogs and cats.   One thing I can definitely say about pets is that all they do is give unconditional love.  I can see why anyone would want a dog or cat or some other type of pet while they are at college.   Sometimes having something that greets you every day can help alleviate the stress of being on your own for the first time and navigating the life of a college student. 

If you are struggling financially I would have to say don't get a pet.  They are expensive.  If you forget about food (which is a constant expense) and accessories (like collars, leashes, and toys) you still need to consider the vet.  Although there are ways of getting reduced priced vaccinations the vet bills can be very hefty.  Some people invest in pet insurance to offset those expensive bills, but if you add that cost into the monthly cost to feed and take care of your dog or cat the cost can be prohibitive for students struggling to pay rent and tuition. 

What ends up happening to these poor animals is that students get them, realize that they can't afford to (or aren't allowed to) keep them and abandon the poor animals.  Where I live there is a large roaming cat population because irresponsible students (who probably had good intentions at the start) would do this. With a large population of animals in shelters already (due to the bad economy) please consider what you are capable of taking doing both financially and with your obligations.   

It will only be four to six years before you will be done with school and most likely will be able to afford a pet.  If you simply can't be away from animals for that long consider volunteering at an animal shelter, or become a dog walker/ pet sitter.  This way you get to spend time with animals in a responsible and caring way. 

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.

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.