paying for college

Why the Best Low-Income Students Don't Go to Top Colleges

There's a dearth of top students from low-income high schools attending elite colleges. DailyFinance senior writer Bruce Watson explains some of the surprising reasons why.

Financial Advice for the Sandwich Generation

Between "boomerang" children moving home on the one hand and financially dependent parents on the other, the Sandwich Generation could use a break -- and some sound advice.

9 Ways to Teach Teenagers About Money

While some school systems have added financial literacy to their curricula, many have not, and in the end, responsibility for ensuring your offspring are ready for adult financial life is on your shoulders. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways you can add to your teens' practical knowledge.

Profiting from College: Tips to Avoid Moving Back in With Mom and Dad

In 2011, 45 percent of recent college grads were living with their parents. So for students hoping to graduate into a real job -- and a real apartment -- the question becomes how to get the biggest return on investment for their a college education while incurring the smallest possible debt.

His Financial Goal: Get Ahead of the High Cost of Higher Education

Everyone has things they want to improve about their financial lives -- even the staff of DailyFinance. So we asked money expert Jean Chatzky for advice on how to reach our goals, and we're sharing her answers with you. First up: An editor looking ahead to college tuition bills.

3 College Finance Tips for Scared Students (and Their Parents)

More than 80% of parents of 16- to 18-year-olds believe college is important to their child's future -- and a similar number are worried about how to pay for it. Here are a few tips that could make solving the college financing puzzle a little easier.

5 Top Websites for Snaring College Financial Aid

A host of websites exist to steer parents toward private- and government-sponsored student loans, grants and scholarships. Here are five notable sites to help cut through college aid information overload.

Choosing a College: Which Schools Offer the Best Return on Investment?

Collegians are having to become more careful consumers, as high-quality jobs become scarce and interest rates on student loans are set to increase. A comparison of the average return on investment for over 1,200 American colleges and universities offers some clues on how to choose.

Obama Pushes Low-Rate Student Loans, Wooing Young

President Barack Obama went after the college vote Tuesday, pitching cheaper student loans as he courted the one age group where he has a decided advantage over Republican rival Mitt Romney.

10 Colleges with the Best Financial Aid

Worried about how to pay for college? The Princeton Review this week released its financial-aid ratings for more than 600 U.S. colleges. Find out which ones came out on top.

Celebrities Offer College Scholarships to Talented, Star-Struck Teens

Is an Hermes Bag a Better Investment Than an Ivy League Education? Maybe.

Can a designer shirt really snag you a better job offer? If so, maybe you'd be better off putting that college savings into your child's wardrobe.

Why Bill Clinton Should Reconsider Speaking at NYU's Commencement

Former President Bill Clinton will be giving the New York University commencement address in May. But considering the university has the highest student debt load in the country, is this the right institution for Clinton to endorse?

Got College Scholarship Questions? Mark Kantrowitz Has Answers

From online databases to essay-writing tips, college scholarship expert Mark Kantrowitz, founder of free scholarship-matching service Fastweb.com, has scads of advice for the many ways students can boost their odds of winning money to pay for college.

Elite Colleges Aren't the Only Path to Elite Paychecks

A new study confirms that students who are accepted into elite colleges but attend less-selective ones end up earning just as much money as students who attend elite colleges.

How to Get a Dance Degree -- and Land on Your Feet Financially

Getting a college degree in dance can easily leave an aspiring performer crushed under the heel of student loan debt -- but it doesn't have to be that way. College finance expert Zac Bissonnette points out a path around the pitfalls of a performing arts education.

FAFSA Season: Getting the Maximum College Financial Aid in 2011

Is a Degree From a Top College Worth the Price?

For years now, private college tuition has risen far faster than inflation, a fact that colleges have used a fancy theory called Baumol's Law to explain away. Unfortunately for families who pay over $200,000 to send a child to one of those schools, the comparative value of the education rarely justifies the higher price.

Stop Stressing About Your Kid's College Admissions

As a new wave of high school students enter the college admissions horse race, here's a bit of advice for their parents: Stop looking at your kid and worrying about why he doesn't seem interested in getting into a top school. Instead, look in the mirror and worry about why you do care so much.

Are Student Credit Cards Really That Big of a Deal?

American colleges took in $83 million from credit card companies, leading some to wonder if college students are being exploited by the industry. But here are the real numbers: The average college student graduates with about $4,100 in credit card debt and $24,000 in student loans. Which is the bigger problem?

If You Can't Afford Your Student Loans, Don't Borrow More

On a recent Today Show Money 911 segment, a caller said she'd filed for bankruptcy -- but that didn't free her from her student loans. She then asked how bankruptcy would affect her ability to get more student loans. Clearly, she isn't learning the right lesson from Chapter 11.