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Opinion: The trouble with big name, big priced colleges: They’re not worth it

Vanessa Bertrand always intended to go to a big-name, out-of-state school. She made the decision as a little girl, watching Cliff Huxtable on a rerun of The Cosby Show argue the merits of Princeton, Yale, Howard, and his father’s favored alma mater, the fictional Hillman College, says the National Journal. The conversation that unfolded on that episode of the 1980s sitcom—a show whose run ended before she was even born—left a deep impression on the child, driving her to research universities before even reaching high school. And at 18, it informed the decisions she made about college applications and the way she ranked the most desirable universities.

“A school’s name opens more doors than many others,” Bertrand explains. “Not only did college open doors, but the school’s name did. So if you have Yale on your resume, it felt like an automatic yes, you’ll get a certain job. So I felt like Ivy Leagues would help me out more than certain colleges would.”

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College cost website raises questions about Romney’s higher-ed stance

The for-profit Florida university that Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney supports as a model for holding down college costs is one of the country’s priciest schools, according to a new Education Department (ED) website that helps prospective students compare tuition costs.

The College Affordability & Transparency Center, launched June 12, compares college and university net prices, or the tuition and fee costs minus grant and scholarship money given to its students. The federal website also lets students see where net college prices are rising at the fastest rate.

Full Sail University, a school based in Winter Park, Fla., has the third highest net price of all U.S. for-profit colleges, and it costs more for students than any public or nonprofit college, according to the Transparency Center’s online calculator.…Read More

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Public universities relying more on tuition than state money

For bargain-hunting families, state colleges and universities, supported by tax money, have long been a haven from the high cost of private education. But tuition bargains are fading as the nation’s public universities undergo a profound shift, accelerated by the recession. In most states, it is now tuition payments, not state appropriations, that cover most of the budget, the New York Times reports. The shift has been an unwelcome surprise to Ashley Murphy, a sophomore at the University of South Carolina. When she and her twin sister, Allison, picked their colleges two years ago, costs were definitely an issue, since they are putting themselves through college…

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Bill Gates: Technology can lower college tuition to $2,000

During a presentation at the Technonomy conference in San Francisco last week, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates said online learning can shrink the cost of higher education by eroding the need for place-based instruction, The Hill reports. “College, except for the parties, needs to be less place-based,” he said, adding that moving more learning activities online can bring down the soaring cost of a college degree. “Only technology can bring [college tuition] down, not just to $20,000, but to $2,000,” he said, citing price tags as high as $50,000 for a year of college. Gates predicted that technology soon could make place-based learning five times less important for college and university students. But for students in elementary and high school, Gates said he did not foresee online education shaking up the traditional framework anytime soon. “I do not predict some radical change in that,” he said. “K-12 is partly about babysitting the kids so the parents can do other things.” Still, he said, technology would allow half the students in a class to be occupied with one activity while others are learning something entirely different. He also hailed charter schools for looking for ways to use technology to enhance their offerings. “Thank God for charters,” he said. “There’s no room for innovation in the standard system.”

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Federal student loans get cheaper, easier

Because states have been cutting back on scholarships while hiking tuition, more students are having to borrow to fund college, notes U.S. News and World Report. Luckily, at least some federal student loans are getting cheaper, easier to get, and easier to repay. Easier application: While students will still have to fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid, starting July 1, students who want a federal Stafford loan need only ask their college. They no longer need–or have the opportunity–to shop for a bank to make a federally backed loan…

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More Americans skeptical of higher education

Americans believe higher education can trim budgetary 'fat,' according to a survey.

An increasing percentage of Americans believe colleges and universities prioritize profit margin over educational quality, a claim educators refute as misguided and unfair, especially during the current economic downturn.

The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, along with Public Agenda, released a report Feb. 17 that highlights respondents’ discontent with the rising costs of college education. The survey, titled, “Squeeze Play 2010: Continued Public Anxiety on Cost, Harsher Judgments on How Colleges are Run,” shows that six out of 10 Americans now say “colleges today operate more like a business,” taking focus away from academics.

In 2008, 55 percent of respondents said universities were more concerned about the bottom line, an increase from 52 percent in 2007.…Read More

Higher Education: Four-year education … Is it really necessary?

As costs rise, the reality of paying for an education looms larger for students and parents, changing their approach to college searches and their perception of the college experience, high school counselors say in a report by The Saratogian. Increasingly, the decision of whether to opt for a two- or four-year college is going hand in hand with the cost. Kathy Kennedy, Saratoga Springs High School’s guidance department director and a counselor for 25 years, said students and parents today are more price-tag conscious and savvy. “They’re definitely more sophisticated about the price,” Kennedy said. Laurel Logan-King, Ballston Spa High School coordinator for careers and counseling, said she sees costs increasingly playing an overriding role as students and parents try to map out the steps following graduation. “When the rubber meets the road, they’re pretty good with the decision-making,” Logan-King said. Finances are “the number one decision between the kids and their families.” As a result, more families are considering community colleges. When deciding between pursuing a two-year or four-year degree, local experts at high schools and in higher education are hard-pressed to tell students that one is better than the other. Each has its benefits and drawbacks.

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