higher education

Let the IRS Help Pay for Your Higher Education

The cost of an education has never been higher. But by taking advantage of some tax benefits, you can at least put a small dent in some of those bills. Which of that complicated menu of tax benefits applies to you? DailyFinance breaks it down.

Beat the Clock on These 6 Vanishing Tax Breaks

They say good things come to those who wait. They also say he who hesitates is lost. But when it comes to half a dozen juicy tax breaks, it's the second "they" you should listen to, because he who waits until Jan. 1, 2012, to take advantage of them will be out of luck.

College Dropouts Cost U.S. Billions in Lost Earnings

When students drop out of college, it's not just disappointing for them and their parents -- it's also bad news for Uncle Sam, and even for their next-door neighbors. According to a new report, a single year's worth of dropouts cost the nation $4.5 billion in lost income, and lost federal and state income taxes.

Why Most Colleges Should Give Up Need-Blind Admissions

The idea of need-blind admissions is noble: Offering qualified applicants admission to a university, regardless of their financial circumstances. But in too many cases, need-blind admissions mean young scholars are accepted to their dream schools under circumstances that would make attending financial suicide.

College Donations Rebound to 2006 Levels

After falling off during the recession, donations to institutions of higher learning in 2010 recovered to the level they reached in 2006, but after adjusting for inflation, giving was still 8% lower than in that year, according to the Voluntary Support of Education survey.

Why to Ditch Out On Early-Decision College Agreements

More parents are realizing they don't need to ruin themselves financially for their children's education. But what if you have that epiphany after your kid has applied to her first-choice school early decision? If they accept her, she's committed, right? Wrong. You can -- and should -- break the contract.

From Diploma to Default: More Students Fail to Pay Back Loans

For a growing number of U.S. college graduates, a diploma marks the beginning of financial difficulties. The Education Department says those who were scheduled to begin paying back their student loans in 2007 were 52% more likely to default within two years compared with those who left college two years earlier.

A Ranking of the Least Beautiful College Campuses: Who Cares?

The Princeton Review ranks colleges based on all sorts of factors: academics, best party schools, best classroom experience, etc. And now, the most and least beautiful campuses. Are they kidding? Have they seen what most students' dorm rooms look like?

Mass. State Colleges Upgrade by Changing Names

In a move that even elected officials admit is a marketing ploy, the Massachusetts House passed a bill to change the names of Bridgewater, Fitchburg, Framingham, Salem, Westfield and Worcester state colleges to universities.

The Dubious Finances of University Endowments

The nonprofit Center for Social Philanthropy reports that many institutions of higher learning were far from innocent victims of the economic downturn. Rather, risky endowment investing played a major role in the financial meltdown.