College

College graduates generally out-earn those who have not attended college, yet many say they can’t afford to get a four-year degree – or that they just don’t want to.

Looking for a tool to help students compare colleges across various criteria as they search for a "best fit" school? Be sure to check out the College Scorecard which just recently got a makeover as reported by NPR.  Given the size of the investment in time and dollars, it's nice to know there's a tool available to show how graduates of specific majors fare in their careers.  Here's the data you will find about colleges: School: Cal State-Fullerton Screen #1:  Screen #2 Detailed information available on outcomes for specific majors including # of grads, median earnings (monthly earnings) and median debt after graduation (monthly payment):   Note for Median Earnings: The median annual earnings of students two years after graduation. Only data from students who received federal financial aid are included in the calculation. College Scorecard also includes data on costs, graduation and retention, financial aid, typical earnings, student body, test scores and acceptances.  ------------------- Questions for students: Go to College Scorecard and research a college that you are interested in.  As you are reviewing the data, identify five factors that will be important to you in selecting a college.  Create a table that has specific data on the five factors for the first college you researched.  Now repeat the process for a second college that you are interested in and add the information to the table.  ------------------- Prepare students for the college-going process by playing the NGPF Arcade game, PAYBACK.   

Adam Looney, David Wessel, and Kadija Yilla explain the severity of America’s student loan challenge, the rate of default, and candidates’ proposals for forgiving those debts.

International student enrollment at US colleges has declined in the past five years.

How TuitionFit Works TuitionFit is, at the core, a free exchange. Share your financial aid offer, compare it to other students’ offers for free. Simple as that. Just starting your college search? Use TuitionFit to build a college list in your price range, or purchase access to see the detailed pricing information contained in those...

Answer: $29,927 Questions: Does the number “$29,927” seem like a high average amount of debt? Why or why not?  What do you predict will happen to the average amount of student loan debt taken over the next 5 years? Why? Explain how and why you are concerned about student debt.

Workers with higher levels of education tend to earn more than those with less education, but earnings vary by age, field of study, occupation, industry, gender, race and ethnicity, and location.

Researchers analyzed data from 1,800-plus colleges and universities enrolling at least 1,000 students and granting mainly bachelor's degrees.

Answer: Questions: What’s the benefit of completing the FAFSA? Billions of dollars in federal financial aid are lost by not completing the FAFSA. What do you think are the challenges to completing this important form? What is one question that you have about the FAFSA?

Not everyone, even within his own party, agrees on how much he should forgive—or whether he should at all

Uncovering the dark side of the the student loan industry and exposing how the system is built to work against consumers.

When profit-motivated companies are spending money on big projects, they likely expect to earn that money back later on. While Target may be willing to pay for its associates to earn a degree, they also expect to profit.

Report says fewer students -- especially low-income and minority students -- are filling out the form.

And elite universities deserve a huge share of the blame.

Going to college? Want to find free money? You can! Here’s how to pay for college without student loans. Learn how to find free money and the best financial aid options like scholarships, grants, and more.

Answer: 3.73% (vs. 2.75% for 2020-21 school year) Questions: How do you think this interest rate compares to the interest charged on credit card debt?  Average student debt is around $30,000 for college graduates. At current interest rates, roughly how much in interest would be paid over the life of a 10-year student loan? Here's a loan calculator to help with the math.  Click here for the ready-to-go slides for this Question of the Day that you can use with your students.  Behind the numbers (NerdWallet): Federal student loans will be more expensive for 2021-22 school year.

Tuition at America’s public universities has nearly tripled since 1990. With President Biden looking to ease the burden for some students, experts explain how federal financial aid programs can actually contribute to rising costs. Photo: Storyblocks

Creating and seeding accounts for every newborn is found to have an impact on aspirations as well as savings.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's ambitious 2030 goal of getting 60 percent of Michigan's adult population to have some level of postsecondary education attainment has suffered a pandemic setback as college enrollment sharply declined in 2020.The Detroit Regional Chamber's annual State of Education report…

The dollar figure that the federal financial aid form spits out has long left families confused and despondent. And then there are those great expectations.

Answer: 27% Questions: Which majors do you think are more likely to lead to a job in that field? What steps can you take to prepare yourself for employment, regardless of which major you choose? Given that almost 3/4 of college grads end up in fields that are not related to their major, do you think it's a good idea to consider multiple majors while in college?  Click here for the ready-to-go slides for this Question of the Day that you can use in your classroom.  Behind the numbers (Inside Higher Ed): A New York Federal Reserve Bank study came up with this 27% statistic. The Insi...

Even billionaires need to start somewhere - and often that's with a college education. See which colleges produce the most American billionaires.

Learn tips and strategies on how to make more informed financial decisions around managing money, saving and paying for higher education, and repaying student loan debt.

Some of the people struggling the most to pay back their debt are the millions of students who took out student loans but never finished a degree.