Going to College With Your Siblings

Is there a relation to your older siblings and how much you will pay for college?  When I first thought of this, I didn't see how there could really be any correlation.

But, surprisingly, they do relate.

It is usually hard for parents or students to pay for college tuition for even one student, and when there are multiple siblings in one family who are attending college it is a very difficult to keep up with the tuition.

But don't fret, there may be some leeway for younger siblings who attend the same college as their older siblings. "What parents may not know is that a variety of colleges offer sibling discounts that cut costs for simultaneously enrolled children."  Some colleges will discount
annual tuition for each sibling that attends the school at the same time, like Johnson and Wales University who takes $2,000 off tuition a year for siblings who attend their school.  Some colleges even offer "Family Grants" to siblings.  For example, at George Washington University, they offer Family Grants that cut tuition in half for siblings who attend the school after a sibling does.

Unfortunately one of the reasons this discount may not be available to families would be if the second or third child does not want to attend the same college as their older sibling, which is understandable and likely.

Sibling discounts specific to each school are in most cases posted on the college's website, so check them out if you are a prospective student at your older brother or sister's college!

Database: US News (found from google news)
http://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/paying-for-college/articles/2012/12/11/some-colleges-discount-tuition-for-siblings

The Tyranny of Common Sense

When should we go to college? Should we even go at all?

"The tyranny of common sense," Sir Ken Robinson uses this phrase in his TED Talks video when talking about education.  He is saying that people tend to conform to certain sets of ideas that have been used within society for a long period of time, and even if they don't make sense to us personally, we still partake in them for whatever reason.

He mentions the idea of linearity: "It starts here and you go through a track and if you do everything right you end up set for the rest of your life."  Robinson is referring the the education "track" that most of us cling to rather than doing what we may personally benefit from.  Preschool, kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, high school, and then college and maybe graduate school; it's a repetition millions of people go through without veering away from the distinct set up.




But Robinson does not believe that life should be "linear" like that.  He uses the word "organic" to describe how he thinks life should be; life should be natural rather than every step planned out by society throughout time and then by people following that specific path, thinking that's the only way they can be successful.  Robinson, along with other experts who speak with TED Talks, believe that we should create our life in accordance to our talents and in relation to the circumstances we are faced with.

"I think we are obsessed with getting people to college."
Robinson feels as if not everyone needs to go to college now.  In other words, people shouldn't necessarily go to college right after high school just because everyone else is doing it.

"Human communities depend upon a diversity of talent, not a singular conception of ability."
If everyone went to college to get an education that make people able to get certain professional jobs, then our world wouldn't work.  Our society depends on an endless variety of jobs, in which a large sum of don't require a college level education.

Overall, Robinson concludes that we should not be following the standards that our society has set for us.  We need to base our life off our of personal talents and our aspirations or dreams/wants.  It is not necessary for all of us to go to college or even to aim to go to college, unless the job we for sure want requires a specific form of education only available in college.


Database: http://www.ted.com/talks/sir_ken_robinson_bring_on_the_revolution.html

Don't Give Up Quite Yet

One of the biggest expenses for parents and students during this generation is the overbearing, rising cost of annual college tuition.  When you feel as if all hope is lost in figuring out how to pay for college, you may not need to worry anymore, because there are indeed ways to cut and avoid high college costs.

1) Use a net price calculator.

These calculators can give parents a personal estimate as to how much a certain college will end up costing them.  By using a net price calculator before applying to a school, students can avoid the more expensive colleges.

2) Check the four year graduation rates.

Students should not assume that they will graduate in a four year time period.  It is necessary to plan ahead to make sure you can pay for the number of years you will most likely be in school.  If the cost of  over four years is not going to be attainable, then tweak your plan and schedule in order for you to be able to get the education you need in a shorter amount of time.

3) Determine how much you will be expected to pay for one year.

Make sure you know how much one year tuition will cost for a specific college, not basing it right away on what you can afford.  Know your facts first before you eliminate any schools.

4) Don't over-borrow.

It is important to attempt to only borrow through federal Stafford loans, low-interest loans for students based on their financial needs, saving them large sums of the debt in the long run.


The more you know about the overall, and hidden, costs of college, the easier it is to decide which college to attend and how to handle your money and use it wisely.
What do you feel will help you cut the costs of college to the best extent?



http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505145_162-57546751/4-ways-to-cut-college-costs/
"4 Ways to Cut College Costs"
Lynn O'Shaughnessy is a best-selling author, consultant, and speaker on issues that parents with children going to college face.

Picture Source: http://www.minotstateu.edu/finaid/net_calc.shtml

No End in Sight: The Debt That's Always There

Most people have some kind of debt throughout their lifetime.  But who has an overwhelming, lingering debt that never seems to go away? College students.  Whether they have already graduated or are still in school, college costs tend to leave former students unable to ever pay off all their debt.

According to the non-profit organization Project on Student Debt, student loan debt is growing by $2,853.88 per second.  Marcos Cordero points out in his article "College Student Loan Debt Crisis and Its Effect on the Economy",  that college costs are increasing faster than the costs of medical coverage.  Students are having trouble paying back their student loan debt because of the incredibly high annual tuition to many private and public universities.  However, there are ways for families, or students, to decrease student loan debt early before it's already too big too control.  By saving early with a 529 savings plan, it is easier for parents to pay for college without having to get as much loan money.

There is no alternate way for students to pay for college yet, but by withdrawing less student loans and saving their money students can end up with more wealth less debt.  The large sums of student loans giving out are hurting the economy, and if student loans are still being used as heavily as they are today in the future, the loan money will slowly but surely run out.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marcos-cordero/college-loan-debt_b_2129777.html
"College Student Loan Debt Crisis and Its Effect on the Economy"
Marcos Cordero, author, is the CEO at Gradsave, a company that works with students to manage their tuition and helps them gain the opportunity of receiving an education.
This article is very recent, posted just a few days ago on November 14, 2012.

Synthesis and Plan

So far, I have discovered that over the past few decades annual college costs have increased by over 2,000 percent, increasing even faster than inflation.  Students are finding it difficult to pay for college, most likely due to their parents lower income or the overbearing costs of the college they want to attend.  Teens may be choosing a college just because of its cost, not being able to pay attention to any other factors because they can't afford the college of their choice.


Should colleges/universities be doing more to contain costs or should government provide more funding to families who can't afford the increasing costs of college?

Should financial ability determine whether someone goes to college or not? If the answer is no, who should pay for the disadvantaged?

College Vs. Economy

College vs. Economy

College tuition has been going up faster than inflation.  Since around the 1970's, cost of annual college tuition has increased by over 2,000 percent.  This rise in tuition is permitting students from attending the college of their choice, let alone college all together.

Annual college tuition is rising because. . .

-States are paying less than they used to, so as state budgets decrease, student's cost for education rises.

-Schools are competing for the best teachers in a certain field against other universities and employers from all around the world.

-Families incomes are lower, with a large amount of parents unemployed, so less students are able to pay the colleges, resulting in over-bearing sums of debt.

Annual tuition at UC Berkley was about $700

 in the 1970's.  It is now over $15,000 a year.

Almost all costs within the economy are rising, and with that, to student's dismay, so is college.  Annual tuition has gone through the roof and, unfortunately, there is no evidence that these jaw-dropping costs will be decreasing anytime in the near future.

Why Is College So Expensive?
By Larry Abramson in October 2011
Larry Abramson is NPR's National Security Correspondent
http://www.npr.org/2011/10/19/141505658/why-is-college-so-expensive

Sky Rocketing Costs

Sky Rocketing Costs 

The annual price of college tuition in America has increased greatly over the past few decades, preventing college attendance for some people.  College costs have risen to prices as high as $65,000 per year at some schools.  Students have to take into consideration cost and how much financial aid they can receive.  Cost, for many, trumps other reasons they attend a certain college.

But why is college so expensive?

-State legislators are cutting funding, which causes colleges to either cut costs or raise tuition.

-Market pressure has almost required colleges to revamp student services, like fancy gym facilities and career service departments.

College costs are rising along with most costs in todays economy, and even to a higher degree.







Why Is College So Expensive? And Can Obama Make It Cheaper?
By Jordan Weissman in February 2012
Jordan Weissmann is an associate editor at The Atlantic. He has written for a number of publications, including The Washington Post and The National Law Journal.
http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2012/02/why-is-college-so-expensive-and-can-obama-make-it-cheaper/252295/

Why is college so expensive?

5) 1. I am passionate about studying this topic because I am in the midst of applying for college, and I don't understand how the yearly tuition could ever be so high.  Therefore I would like to learn what factors play in to the expense of college tuition.

 2.  I already know that college prices have raised significantly over the past few decades.  I know a few of the reasons that play into the differing costs of varying college.  But I do not understand how the annual tuition could possibly be what it is now for certain colleges.