Why Take Harder Classes in High School.

Avoid College Loans and the Pay Gap

In the past few weeks two news articles related to higher education caught my eye. The first revealed that the pay gap between college graduates and non-college graduates is at an all-time high. The second, given the information in the first, was horrifying. The UC Board of Regents has voted to raise tuition 5% per year for the next 5 years.

The disparity in pay between those with a college degree and those without one is causing more than just frustration. Families are falling behind in many areas of life. Home ownership, having children and even getting married have fallen victim to these lower wages. New jobs since the Great Recession have gone mostly to those with college degrees. The Economic Policy Institute reports that college grads earn 56% more than non-college grads. While the college-educated have seen an increase of 21% in employment since the Recession, employment of the non-college educated has dropped 8%.

At the same time, the cost of attending a four-year college has continued to increase. It hit a record high in 2016. In the last five years, public college tuition has increased 10%, and tuition in private colleges has increased 12%. Over this period, incomes of American families have dropped 7%. How are families going to put their children through college with dropping incomes and increasing costs? Take out more college loans? Not necessary.

There are millions of dollars in college scholarships and grants waiting for those who qualify. But, it takes more than just fulfilling the A – G requirements, having a high GPA and great SAT scores. Individual students must differentiate themselves from all the others who have completed college entrance requirements. They have to do more to become more, so they will earn more free cash for college. 

This is why I did a study of high school seniors who earned college scholarships. I determined the factors that went into some of them becoming ideal college scholarship and grant applicants. I’ve included their strategies in my book, Free College Awareness. It should be available later this month. You can check this link to see when and where to obtain the book. This way, you can avoid both problems described in this article.

You are reading from the blog, RoadtoFreeCollege.com, where we empower families with knowledge to navigate the path to higher education without the burden of excessive loans.

 

For more information, you’ll want my book, Free College, CLICK HERE . It teaches families how to help their kids become more successful in school, college, and life.

 

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases, at no additional cost to you.

Image Credit: Pixabay

How to Teach Children the Value of Money

When my grandsons lived nearby, I took them on several small trips during their summer vacation each year. As a teacher, I had time off too. We went to zoos, museums, whale watching, etc. To save money, the first stop we made on the first trip each summer was to a gift shop. There I let them buy any hat they wanted. I didn’t even look at the price.

This was their only souvenir for the entire summer. No matter how many places we went, I paid for gas, tickets and food. When they were older, and the trips became longer, I also paid the hotel bill. At mealtime I taught them about leaving tips, dining where there were discounts and the like. They learned how to stretch the budget so money was left over for more rides at the zoo and other attractions.

On a weeklong trip to San Diego, we hit all the famous sites. As always, the first stop was at a gift shop where each bought a commemorative hat. Two days later, while walking through the San Diego Zoo, my younger grandson learned about "opportunity cost". Something on a souvenir cart caught his eye. “Grandma, Can I have that?”

“Sure, Honey. But it costs about what lunch will tomorrow, so which do you want more?” His brother answered for him, “Forget about it. We’re having lunch!”

Using fun times to teach real world financial lessons is pretty simple. Just be straight with kids. Money is a finite resource. If you spend it in one place, you don’t have it to spend elsewhere. This works when planning for college too.

You are reading from the blog, RoadtoFreeCollege.com, where we empower families with knowledge to navigate the path to higher education without the burden of excessive loans.

 

For more information, you’ll want my book, Free College, CLICK HERE . It teaches families how to help their kids become more successful in school, college, and life.

 

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases, at no additional cost to you.

Image Credit: Google Images

Full Ride Colleges and Universities Still Exist – Middlebury College

While the cost of obtaining a college degree in the U.S. has continued to climb, some colleges and universities offer enough financial support to make them virtually free to attend. Most of these institutions are private, and about two-thirds are liberal arts, according to a recent U.S. News and World Report survey. Half base how much they provide a student by the financial need of the family (as determined by the FAFSA form). The others base their contribution on merit alone.

A Full Ride is still possible at is Middlebury College; ranked number 4 (Tie) in the nation by U.S. News. Middlebury College is located in a rural area in Vermont. The college was founded in 1800. The campus covers 350 acres. The current undergraduate population is 2,542 students. It’s a world class institution which provides an excellent education.

The application deadline at Middlebury College is January 01. The early action deadline is November 01. There's a $65 fee to apply to the university. ACT and SAT test scores are due on January 01. It's difficult to be selected to attend, with an acceptance rate of only 17 percent, but since the student to faculty ratio is 8:1 and most classes contain only 20 students, it's worth the effort to try.

The cost of tuition and fees for a year at Middlebury College is $50,063, (2016-2017) and since freshmen are required to live on college, it’s important to note that room and board are an additional $14,269 annually. But with a Full Ride, this doesn’t matter. Most colleges that provide a Full Ride do so by combining student loans, scholarships, grants and a work-study program. 

The most important aspect of planning to go to any such university is to make sure that the amount of student loan required is zero, or close to it. The rest of the aid is free money. It never has to be paid back. It’s advantageous to attend college somewhere that provides a suitable education without leaving the graduate with a mountain of student loan debt.

You are reading from the blog, RoadtoFreeCollege.com, where we empower families with knowledge to navigate the path to higher education without the burden of excessive loans.

 

For more information, you’ll want my book, Free College, CLICK HERE . It teaches families how to help their kids become more successful in school, college, and life.

 

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases, at no additional cost to you.

Image Credit: Google Images

Great Snacks for School

Students are frequently hungry between meals. It’s easy for them to grab a granola bar or some kind of candy, but these foods won’t help the brain function, grades improve or students win free money for college. Protein can do the trick. Prepackaged string cheese, nuts or seeds fit the bill, 

CLICK HERE (ad). They are healthy, small enough to carry around and taste good.

Packaged meat sticks are also handy and contain protein, but they frequently contain a long list of hard to pronounce ingredients. If you can find some without lots of chemicals or preservatives, then meat eaters could enjoy snacking on them, CLICK HERE (ad), while loading up on brain healthy protein.

Remember that most schools have a no eating in class rule. This doesn’t prohibit middle and high school students from snacking while moving from one class to another. Just remind students to dispose of the wrapper in the trash when they are finished. They should also drink plenty of water, since the brain doesn’t function well when dehydrated.

You are reading from the blog, RoadtoFreeCollege.com, where we empower families with knowledge to navigate the path to higher education without the burden of excessive loans.

 

For more information, you’ll want my book, Free College, CLICK HERE . It teaches families how to help their kids become more successful in school, college, and life.

 

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases, at no additional cost to you.

Image Credit: Google Images

Full Ride Colleges and Universities Still Exist – University of Chicago

The cost of a college degree in the U.S. has continued to soar, but some colleges and universities offer enough financial aid to make them almost free. Most of these universities are private, and about two-thirds are liberal arts. This is from a recent U.S. News and World Report survey. The financial need of the family (as determined by the FAFSA form) is taken into consideration by about half of these institutions. The rest contribute based on merit alone.

One university where a Full Ride is possible is the University of Chicago, which is tied for number three in the country by U.S. News and World Report as of the date of this blog post. The university is located in a big city environment in Hyde Park, Chicago. It was founded in 1890. The campus covers only 217 acres. There are 5,844 current undergraduate students. In addition to the college, there are a large number of graduate and professional schools.

The deadline for applications to attend the University of Chicago is January First. The early action deadline is November first. The application fee is $75. The acceptance rate is 8%, which is better than the Harvard, Yale or Princeton, but it is also more expensive.

The cost of tuition and fees each year at the University of Chicago is $52,491, (2016-2017). This is high, but with a Full Ride Scholarship, it doesn’t matter much. Most colleges that provide a Full Ride do so by combining student loans, scholarships, grants and a work-study program. The most important aspect of planning to go to any high cost university such as this, is to make sure the amount of student loan required is zero, or close to it. The rest of the aid is free money. It never has to be paid back. It’s wise to attend a college that provides a suitable education without leaving the graduate with any student loan debt.

You are reading from the blog, RoadtoFreeCollege.com, where we empower families with knowledge to navigate the path to higher education without the burden of excessive loans.

 

For more information, you’ll want my book, Free College, CLICK HERE . It teaches families how to help their kids become more successful in school, college, and life.

 

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases, at no additional cost to you.

Image Credit: Google Images