Financing

There is no denying that college is becoming more and more expensive with each passing year. According to a recent study, the average annual cost for tuition at a 4-year college is more than $30,000 – and that doesn’t even cover everything! Paying for college is like signing a contract with a new cable service provider. After doing the research you finally choose a provider based on a specific published price. But when it comes time to sign the contract you find out that there are all of these unexpected fees involved – service fees, taxes, etc. And then the price for service skyrockets after the first year!
With college, hidden costs are everywhere. The amount you pay the school each semester (or each year) probably only covers your tuition, maybe even room and board. But there are so many other things you are going to need to make it through the year – basic school supplies, clothing, transportation and, of course, textbooks. Many students underestimate the cost of textbooks but they actually end up being a significant expense for many students. Keep reading to learn just how much you should expect to pay for textbooks during school and how you can cost those costs a little bit.
How Much Do Textbooks Really Cost?
Though there are certainly some college classes that do not require them, most classes are based around one or more textbooks. This means that in addition to paying tuition and room and board,

In 1975, the total cost of tuition at a private non-profit college was just over $10,000. In 2015, that total more than tripled to an average cost of more than $32,000. With the cost of tuition rising with each passing year, it is becoming more and more difficult for students to pay for their education. If you are worried about the cost of your own tuition, you may be considering taking a part-time job while you are in school. Traditional jobs come with set hours, however, which can be difficult to work in around your class schedule. One option you might consider is an online job – there are plenty of online jobs for students that pay $15 an hour or more!
Online Jobs for Students to Earn Tuition Money
Several decades ago when college tuition was still fairly affordable, it was possible for students to earn enough money with a summer job to pay their tuition during the school year. Today, however, this is not the case. More and more, students are graduating from four-year universities with a crippling amount of debt and many of them never make their way out from under it. Attending a community college for part or all of your education can save you a lot of money, but the cost is still significant. To help cover their tuition costs, many students are taking online jobs both during and outside of the school year. Below you will find an overview of some of the top online

Many people will tell you that you can’t get a good job without an education – a college education. Unless you are lucky enough to receive a generous scholarship or help from family, you may be left paying for school on your own and you may need to take out a few student loans – or a lot of them. Unfortunately, the cost of tuition continues to rise each year and the average salary for an entry-level job just isn’t enough to pay off student loans for many people. If you are thinking about starting school, or if you already have, do yourself a favor and follow some of these simple tips for minimizing your educational debt while you are in school so that your loans are more manageable when you graduate.
Shocking Student Loan Statistics
According to the most recent reports for 2016, the total amount of student loan debt in the United States is about $1.23 trillion and that number is divided over more than 43 million Americans. The average graduate for the class of 2016 will be graduating with more than $37,000 in student loan debt – that number is up by a full 6% from last year. When it comes to student loans, there are a wide variety of different types and each type of loan has its own interest rates and rules for repayment. Direct loans make up the largest chunk of student loan debt with a total of over $840 billion divided over nearly 30


Last week, President Obama introduced a plan to deliver free Community College tuition to all Americans. Is it the right call?
In this story, we will not attempt to make a judgment call on whether free Community College is right or wrong. Instead, we paneled a few experts in education and economics to get their take on the issue. We’re showing both sides of the coin, and letting readers decide on their own.
The Case for Free Community College
The democratization of Higher Education
The most prominent supporters of Obama’s plan laud the proposal as a right step in the right direction toward an equal democracy. One such organization, University of the People, offers tuition-free degrees to many students who would have been shut out of the opportunity to attend college otherwise. Founder and President Shai Reshef says, “According to the proposed plan, students could save an average of $3,800 a year. It is known that the average student spends as much as $1,200 each year on textbooks