The Costs of College Through The Years

Over the years, college degrees and those who have them have varied and changed. In the early years, going to college was a rarity, and only those lucky enough, or with enough money, went. Of course, this changed, because nowadays, it seems almost more uncommon not to go to college than to go. Students begin thinking about college from an early age and the pressure is on to make the grades and be the best in your class. The competition is fierce! Applications to colleges and universities around the world flood in daily, while students hope to make the best choice for their own education. However, students and parents are facing an even bigger challenge: how much college actually costs. From tuition, to paying for books, living in the dorms, and getting a good meal plan, the costs add up quickly. And every year prices are rising. So what's a student to do? One of the best things a student can do is be aware of the issues surrounding student loans and the debt crisis, and plan ahead. Check out this infographic from ConsolidatedCredit.org and learn more about the history of student debt in America, and the eye-opening financial realities for the coming years.  

People Are Catching On! You Really Should Get That Degree!

It looks like the general population is catching on that despite the costs involved, it is almost a necessity in this day and age for young people to have a college education. The full details of the latest report can be found in the following story -

http://www.foxbusiness.com/personal-finance/2011/09/26/families-wise-up-about-paying-for-college/

Parents are also realizing that in order to pay for their child's college education - there are sacrifices and changes which have to take place. Many parents are getting second jobs. The biggest area being focussed on is money saving techniques. Reducing costs and expenditures while at college is the best way to make that 3 or 4 year stay more affordable. These are all practices we've been talking about for ages on this blog and elsewhere. Check out the article for some interesting information about college costs and how people are affording the ever-increasing pricetag of a higher education.

On a totally different note - Money Smart Students is happy to report that we are now listed in the Wisebread.com list of personal finance blogs. We're waaaaay down there in the rankings because of our young age and limited content to this point - but that's about to change. In the days, weeks and months ahead, Money Smart Students will be posting lots of quality information and working hard to get more readers, Twitter followers, amd facebook Likes. We welcome your comments and input on how we can make ourselves better and spread the word about the importance of being Money Smart Students and ready for the real world!