Justin Pope, writing for the Associated Press, pulled no punches regarding the ongoing increase in college tuition for 2009-10. With costs rising anywhere from 4.4 percent at private schools to 7.3 at community colleges, Pope stipulated that colleges were handling the recent recession by simply passing “much of the burden of their own financial problems on to recession-battered students and parents.”

Those ever-increasing costs, consistently higher than the rates of inflation, have a number of folks questioning the value of a college degree, especially as students pile up exorbitant amounts of debt in their pursuit of a diploma. While we agree that absorbing significant debt while earning a diploma is a bad idea, we do still believe there is great value in obtaining your degree.

One only need examine the recent numbers from the economic downturn to find the necessary support for our assertion. While millions of young people are out of work, the percentage of those unemployed who have a bachelor’s degree is about half that of those without a degree.

But the ultimate key is to find a way to earn that sheepskin without mortgaging your future in the process. Scholarships and grants can certainly help students on the funding side immensely, but for those with a mindset, there are a number of ways to dramatically reduce the overall costs of earning a college diploma.

Reducing College Costs

The first aspect of controlling your college costs is to simply examine the cost of tuition by school categories. Here are the numbers as reported by the College Board:

• Average tuition at two-year community colleges: up 7.3 percent to $2,544.
• Average tuition at four-year public schools (in-state): up 6.5 percent to $7,020.
• Average costs at for-profit institutions: up 6.5 percent to $14,174.
• Average tuition at four-year public schools (out-of-state): up 6.2 percent to $18,548.
• Average tuition at private four year institutions: up 4.4% to $26,273.

These numbers are definitely the first ones to analyze, but when looking at ways to reduce this cost, there are two critical elements to these figures.

First students must look at the cost per credit hour. When examining the published cost, students must look carefully at both the published tuition per credit hour and the latest college invention, fees that are generally listed as added costs that can raise the price burden per credit hour significantly.

Second there is the credit hour issue alone. Most degree programs require 60 hours of study for an associate’s degree and 120 for a bachelor’s. If you can reduce the number of credit hours you must pay for you can significantly reduce your cost of overall attendance.

Step One – Reducing Costs per Credit Hour

For 2009-2010, the tuition and fees at public two-year community colleges would produce a per credit hour average of about $85.00 ($2,544 in total costs divided by the average course load of 30 credits). In contrast, we see that the average cost per credit hour for in-state students would be $234 for public schools and $876.00 for private.

So the first step to controlling costs per credit hour is to examine the best way to obtain your desired degree. Simply-stated, unless you have unlimited funds for school, a well-to-do uncle or grandparent, forget about those expensive private schools.

While private schools may boast of providing a better product, it is important for prospective students to understand that college is what you make of it. In fact, many of today’s top business leaders graduated from public institutions: Warren Buffett, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. H. Lee Scott, the CEO of Wal-Mart Stores, attended Pittsburg State University in Kansas while James Sinegal, the CEO of Costco Wholesale attended San Diego City College.

Therefore, the first way to manage you college costs is to attend a public college, generally a campus of your state university system. I know: that just might not sound so exotic when you are discussing the topic with family and friends. But it is important to realize that exotic costs bigger bucks.

Second, if you truly want to minimize costs yet obtain a diploma, the most cost-effective road would be to earn your first 60 credit hours (years one and two) at a local community college, then transfer to a public state university school for your final 60 hours (years three and four). Even attending community college for one year would represent an enormous reduction in college costs.

There would no doubt need to be some initial homework to determine which community college credits would be transferable upon matriculation at a state school. You might even have to do some negotiating, but many of the mundane course requirements of any degree program could certainly be addressed at a community college. And if you find a course will not transfer, don’t take it. Save your funds for later. All total, with a little effort you could knock off more than a year’s worth of the higher-priced tuition costs.

Step Two – Reducing Credit Hour Costs

The second way to dramatically decrease your college costs is to reduce the number of credits you must pay for at the required tuition rate. There are almost an unlimited number of ways to reduce the number of credits that you must shell out funds for, but a good many of them must be accessed while you are still in high school.

For example, taking Advanced Placement courses can result in potential college credit. Such courses are often available at your local high school either by direct instruction or through the school in online format.

Students gain access to college-level curricula and upon completion of the material may take an exam to determine mastery. Passing that exam can provide college credit at a large number of colleges across the country.

Students may also take the College-Level Examination Program® (CLEP) tests in 34 different subject areas. These exams, at $72.00 per test, can provide anywhere from 3-12 credits at certain colleges at a fraction of the cost.

Today, many local colleges also offer courses to high school students in their area free of charge (referred to as early college). Again, given the cost per credit hour, students should investigate such options extensively and take advantage of what is available.

In all instances, including the possibility of seeking life experience credit for a work portfolio, the key is to do one’s homework up front. That means sitting down with college officials to review what credits the school will accept when a student does enter that respective institution.

For example, some schools will not accept AP classes whatsoever. Others will allow credit only provided students score a four or five on the exam (even though a three is considered a passing score).

While in college, another very distinct option to reducing credit-costs is referred to as the co-op or internship experience. Here again, the concept is dependent on the school one attends.

Co-op and internships provide students practical learning skills in a specific field through the use of work placements. In such programs, students may receive either pay or course credit for their time. If the experience is in your field of study, the work-related insight one gains is incredibly valid for one’s future career.

At the same time, many such experiences also offer college credit when students combine the proper reflection and academic review to the work experience. In certain instances, these experiences serve as a triple benefit, providing some cash to help pay the bills, some college credits to reduce the number that must be paid for, and even the possibility of potential job placement opportunities that can form as a result of the connections one makes while performing their service.

Reducing Miscellaneous Expenses

In addition to the tuition costs, students face a number of other related expenses while working towards that diploma. Such costs include room and board, books and supplies, and travel expenses.

The bottom line is these costs cannot be categorized as mere incidentals, certainly not when repeated over a four-year period. Once a school is chosen, tuition costs are set but students still have decisions that can greatly reduce the incidentals that accompany tuition costs.

Step Three – Eliminate the Room and Board

One way to reduce your four year college outlay is to rethink the idea of room and board. While many cringe at the thought, it is imperative that students understand the current going rate for room and board is now $8,193 at public colleges and considerably more at some private, elite schools.

Examine that number carefully – it is more than the average cost of tuition at four-year public schools. And it is more than triple the average tuition costs at a two-year community college.

Now spread that out over four years – a total of more than $30,000!

The simplest way to reduce this expense is to live at home. Such a decision becomes a possibility if you consider the community college/state university combined four-year plan we mentioned earlier. It certainly becomes viable if you consider community college for the first two years at a minimum.

If your home residence is simply too far away, you also need to carefully assess the school rates for both the housing and the meal aspects.

It could well be far cheaper to lease an apartment or house, especially if you can find others to share that cost.

In regards to meals, most school plans represent a significant cost per meal. In addition, missed meals seldom produce anything in the way of refunds if you do not access them. So when purchasing any meal plan, be sure it is a plan you will access.

There is no doubt that living at home limits one of the indirect benefits of college, the activities available and the connections made on-campus. To obtain those experiences, students will have to work harder at this element. But the experiences are available to all students, even if you are not residing on campus.

Step Four – Distance Learning Courses

Once available primarily at for-profit institutions, online learning is now available at a multitude of schools including state university systems. Completing one or a number of online courses can greatly impact your miscellaneous expenses.

We noted earlier the need to take into consideration fees when calculating tuition costs. Online courses often allow students to be exempt from a number of facility and campus-related fees such as student activity, campus access and technology fees. At one Florida school that lists tuition costs as $50.00 per credit hour for in-state students, those costs move to $150.00 per credit hour when all the fees are factored in.

In addition to potentially eliminating these on-campus fees, online courses also eliminate travel expenses and room and board entirely. They also can be a key component of our final savings step.

Step Five – College in 3.5 or 3.0 Years

While tuition costs are per credit hour and programs mandate a specific number of credits, miscellaneous expenses occur each semester. So one of the simplest ways to reduce total outlays is to reduce the number of semesters you are at school.

That reduction can of course come from the aforementioned reduction of credits needed. It is for this reason that AP courses, CLEP tests, Co-Op programs and Internships compound your savings, reducing costs at both levels.

But it can also come from taking additional courses each semester. Taking one extra course, either via online methods or simply taking another traditional class, for just five semesters will reduce your program from 4 to 3.5 years. Taking two online courses each summer and one extra traditional class each semester could reduce your college program to 3 years. Prerequisites can make this a challenge but with a little effort you can reduce the standard four-year program.

Remember, such steps would carry tuition costs per credit hour, but they would greatly reduce the costs of room and board and those incidental traveling expenses associated with attending school.

Control Your Expenses and Earn Your Degree

While costs are growing substantially, it is important for students to know that out-of-pocket costs have trended down in recent years. In fact, while tuition and fees have risen as much as 20% since 2004, the average net price of college has dropped over the last few years.

The reason is the greater availability of grants, financial assistance and tax benefits.

Of course such developments make it all the more enticing to consider our steps to cutting the costs of college. According to a recent Time article, the increased aid development means that the “average student at a two-year college or university pays nothing in tuition and fees and collects about $500 toward living expenses.”

Of course, marketing is what drives the business world – if you package your product well enough, people will seek to acquire that product at all costs.

Generally speaking, all colleges have taken advantage of this concept. But some, specifically those elite private schools, have done so to the extreme.

The result is far too many students are being enticed, taking on ridiculous levels of debt as they attempt to obtain a diploma from a school they simply cannot afford. It is time that students, as well as their parents, went back to the old school adage, finding a quality product at a price they can afford.

With a little work and a certain level of sacrifice, students can earn that coveted diploma without mortgaging their entire future in the process.

I bop from Google Top Stories to the BBC to the Boston Globe, links from each taking me on sometime endless journeys. It is a process that has me much more aware of the big issues facing our country as well as some sense of what is happening around the world.

Like this BBC news flash: Paula Abdul Quits American Idol.

Confused World

Yes, it is a strange, no make it confused world we live in. One where there seems to be no definition as to the term real news.

It was a couple of weeks back, I guess, when I was surfing, this time reviewing Google Trends for story ideas. I was surprised to see a name again and again, one I was unfamiliar with.

Erin Andrews.

The name came up about a dozen times. First Erin Andrews. Then Erin Andrews, ESPN. Then Aaron Andrews (yea, the trends include those people who can’t spell and I guess there are a lot of them).

Then Erin Andrews Peephole Video. Ouch.

Suddenly I knew what was happening. I just had no idea who Erin Andrews was.

But of course that is the beauty of the Internet. Very soon I did know who she was and why she was all over the Google Trends page.

And before I was done, the newshound had spent 30 plus minutes on a worthless tid bit that somehow passed for news in certain sectors.

BBC Latest Headlines, Not Google Trends

Which brings me back to Paula Abdul Quits American Idol: number nine today on the BBC latest headlines.

It was a list that started strong:

Defiant Iran President Takes Oath

Freed American Reporters Return Home to US

But soon turned to:

Zambia Reporter in ‘Porn’ Trial

Ancient Spiders Yield 3D Secrets

And the real biggie:

Paula Abdul Quits American Idol

They of course represent three separate categories: some real news followed by a story or two with the proverbial hook to try to draw a reader (porn trial, spiders) to yes, the ones featured on Google Trends (Ms. Abdul). Got to have the stories that match the hot search terms or you won’t get Google hits.

You have to try and grab those readers that did not know there is an ongoing crisis going on in Iran or that we had some captive reporters that had finally been reunited with their loved ones.

For some, today was a big day.

Yes indeed, a very big day.

It seems that Paula Abdul Quit American Idol.

However, there is mounting evidence that these extremely expensive test-prep coaching programs do very little for students despite marketing claims to the contrary. A new report by the National Association for College Admission Counseling found that the costly coaching of test-prep firms boosted average SAT scores by a mere 30 points combined on the verbal and math sections (1600 possible) and but one point on the ACT (36 possible points).

Such numbers pale against the claims from these firms that coaching can help students improve by hundreds of points on the SAT or as much as five points on the ACT. When all is said and done, it appears that the gains students make after these expensive coaching sessions (more than a $1,000 per program), on average, could have been obtained in a more cost-effective manner.

Some Shady Doings Alleged

According to critics, some test-prep firms attempt to inflate their impact by giving students mock tests that are actually harder than the true exams. When students take those harder, sample tests, they obtain lower scores than normal. Later, when they take the real test, the students obtain much higher scores, a result that leads these test-prep firms to claim they have significantly helped students.

One such example is cited by John Hechinger writing for The Wall Street Journal. The article tells the tale of Jonah Varon, a straight-A student at Lowell High School in San Francisco, who theoretically scored 2060 out of a possible 2400 on a mock test by one coaching company, Revolution Prep, but later scored a perfect 2400, 340 points higher, on the real test.

Hechinger notes that Revolution Prep offers students a “score improvement guarantee.” The firm stipulates students will improve SAT test results by 200 points – the caveat, students who do not obtain a 200 point or more gain are not given their money back. Instead, they get to take the course a second time for free.

Varon gathered test scores from 15 classmates who apparently had very similar experiences then wrote an article for his school newspaper. Varon contended that either the mock test was scored more harshly or the exam was simply harder than a typical exam.

He concluded: “It seems like dishonest advertising.”

Colleges Feed into the Test-Prep Frenzy

Unfortunately, one key issue fueling the test-prep industry is the number of colleges that continue to place great emphasis on standardized test results and in particular see a 30 point difference among students as significantly relevant. Simply stated, at some schools, even the smallest of gains can be critical in the admissions process.

The report notes that colleges essentially promote SAT-prep courses whenever they establish a baseline score. The report also notes that many schools indicate that the thirty point difference could in fact be the catalyst for that student to be admitted.

So while it seems inconceivable that it would be worth it to spend thousands of dollars only to see a student’s combined math and verbal results go from 1110 to 1140, on the more selective side, the difference from 1310 to 1340 could matter, at least at some schools.

Try a Cost-Effective Approach First

If it just so happens that money is no object for you, utilizing one of these test-prep firms certainly would help you gain familiarity with the format of these exams and the type of questions that would be asked. However, familiarity can be gained in a number of other ways at costs much less than the $1,000 coaching course or the $100 per hour private tutorial sessions offered by these test-prep firms.

In talking with Hechinger, College Board senior vice president Laurence Bunin acknowledged that “familiarity with the SAT tends to provide the biggest short-term gains for students.” He of course recommended the materials provided by the College Board including their $20 study guide.

Other options do exist, each at a fraction of the price of the private test-prep tutorials. Unless money is truly no object, students owe it to themselves and their families to consider the most reasonable options.

Last week we featured Cooper Union in downtown Manhattan, an extremely selective school with a storied history. Today we head to Appalachia to look at another tuition-free option with an equally storied history, Berea College.

First Interracial School in the South
Founded in 1855 by the Reverend John Fee, Berea was the very first interracial and coed college in the South. Significantly ahead of its time, the school actually reverted to serving only white students when the Kentucky Legislature passed a law in 1904 prohibiting school integration.

The school, located in the town of Berea 35 miles south of Lexington, remained all-white until 1950 when the law was amended. At that time Berea immediately returned to its initial commitment and became the first school in Kentucky to again admit African-Americans.

A large endowment allows the school to provide every student a full-tuition scholarship currently valued at $23,000 per year. As with most tuition free colleges, students are responsible for room and board, fees and miscellaneous expenses estimated at $7,500 per year. Those fees include a technology fee related to the school’s one-to-one computing laptop initiative.

Admitted students must demonstrate two key characteristics: the ability to meet high academic standards and have limited economic resources. The largest percentage of students are from Appalachia (73%) but those currently attending Berea, some 1500 plus students in total, come from 40 states and more than 60 countries. Approximately one third of the student body is from an ethnic minority.

Those who attend Berea are also required to work at least 10 hours a week in one of 130 distinct work areas. That requirement is designed to develop an appreciation for the dignity and utility of labor and to help students gain valuable job experience.

The immersion in a work-study program also enables each student to limit their need for borrowing to earn that coveted diploma. Traditionally, Berea graduates rank near the top nationally as being among the least-indebted students in America.

Liberal Arts Focus
The school’s web site notes that the core of Berea’s general studies program “is required of all students, is distinctly liberal arts in nature, and that the liberal arts pervade the design of the College’s pedagogy and curriculum.”

Often ranked as one of the South’s finest regional liberal arts colleges, the school offers undergraduate academic programs leading to Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees in 28 fields including 14 teacher education programs.

The school also is known for its Christian character. It is a philosophy that hearkens back to the school’s interracial roots and prominently features the college’s motto; “God has made of one blood all peoples of the Earth.”

Offering a nationally recognized service-learning program and internships/co-op options, Berea presents budget-conscious, financially-needy students a unique, well-rounded educational opportunity.

Flickr photos courtesy of Glenn E. Malone and Blueathena7.

Believing that a high-quality education should be free, Peter Cooper founded the school in 1858. Housed in Manhattan, CU is one of the most selective schools in the country.

The smallish school is home to 900 plus students. About half are in the Albert Nerken School of Engineering with another 40% divided between the “Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture” and the School of Art. CU also has a very small number of graduate students in the fields of architecture and engineering.

Roughly 220 students form the freshman class at Cooper Union each year. They are selected from nearly 3,000 applicants with the greatest selectivity coming in the colleges of architecture and art. That 8% selection rate ranks them as selective as any school including Harvard.

Though tuition-free, the school estimates that students will need about $19,000 per year for fees and living expenses. Those costs are broken out as follows: mandatory student fees of about $1,600 per year, room and board at about $14,000, books and supplies at about $1,000-1,800, and other general living expenses totaling about $2,000-3,000 per year. Students must also prove they have medical insurance coverage or they must purchase the school’s health insurance services fee of $1,629/year.

Still, with a current yearly tuition valued at $33,000, those who attend CU for four years receive more than $130,000 in total tuition savings.

Interesting Focus

While the school offers a very limited menu of major options, the course of studies is not so limited. In fact, students must take core courses in the humanities and social sciences, requirements that give the school a bit of a liberal arts flavor.

Another critical component of the school is the opportunity for students to obtain hands-on experience within the city. Students have access to a number of city agencies and cultural institutions as well as the opportunity to gain valuable experience within one of the offices or studios of the many professionals who live and work in New York.

The grounds of Cooper Union are also steeped in tradition. Abraham Lincoln delivered a speech outlining his views on slavery on the Great Hall on the CU campus. Since that time, Ulysses S. Grant, Grover Cleveland, William Taft, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama have spoken there as well.

And in 1866, Mark Twain made his debut on the East Coast with a lecture in the same hall at the school.

Flickr photos courtesy of Watz and Rollingrck.

Today we spend some time with Kai Davis, a senior at the University of Oregon, who will graduate this spring with zero debt. Majoring in Economics and minoring in Business Administration, the Eugene, Oregon native offers readers some great insight into how to manage one’s personal finances.

To provide students a thorough look at how Kai has managed to earn a degree debt-free, we present our discussion with him in question and answer format.

As a freshman, did you make it a goal to graduate with zero debt?

No, it wasn’t ever a plan, but I was able to achieve it. I’ve always felt that having a smaller goal like minimizing my debt would be better than a hard and fast rule of no debt. I’ve found that I’ve made the biggest impact on my savings when I’ve adopted a few small rules. I only carry a credit card with me to earn rewards points and fill up my gas tank (I earn 5% back when I use my Chase Visa at a BP gas station). Instead I carry a small amount of cash with me. When I have the impulse to make a larger purchase I wait a few days, assess the need, check my budget, and see if I can afford it. I always want to make my purchase fully aware of costs beyond the price tag.

I think that understanding how to manage your money intelligently and aggressively is the most important skill that students can leave college with. A degree shows that you have the drive, intelligence, and ambition to complete 4 years of course work. It doesn’t give you a job in that field or even the desire for a job in that field. But understanding how to manage your finances is a skill that stays with you for life.

So, graduating without debt isn’t the skill to focus on. Graduating with the ability to understand personal finance is.

Everyone talks about the rising costs of college and how students today have to borrow money to be able to pay for school. How have you been able to graduate with no personal debt?

I was already planning on attending the University of Oregon due to its strong business program. I was able to save quite a bit of money by living at home for the first 3 years of college. I’ve worked 20-30 hours each week throughout college, either at work-study jobs or on start-ups with friends. I’ve found that spending a lot of time working during college doesn’t have to come at the cost of academic success. Rather, spending a good amount of time working during college has given me the ability to triage assignments by importance and complete my academic work in the minimum amount of time.

So your choice of school was critical to your current situation?

No, not at all. I’m lucky that the University of Oregon offered a strong Business Administration major and is an in-state school, so tuition was cheaper, but I’m fairly sure that any industrious student can manage their finances well in college if they take the time to learn the system.

Are there any other steps you have taken to earn additional money?

I’ve always worked on campus in work-study jobs. Its great for networking, learning new skills, and earning money while in college. I’ve also taken recent aggressive steps to manage my money by taking advantage of high interest savings and checking accounts. I switched from a bank paying me 1/10th of a percent interest annually to a bank paying 3.8% annually. If you’re committed to saving, the money quickly ads up.

Can you talk a little bit about credit cards and how you have managed to remain on top of credit card debt?

As a college student you’re existing on a small budget and lines of credit from the school and banks. Let’s say you spend your budget quicker than you anticipated and are left with only your credit card for the month. Every purchase you make on the credit card ends up costing you more to pay it back. I’m not saying don’t make purchases on your credit card – I often do – but be mindful of how long it will take you to pay it back. When I hit the cap on my monthly budget, the first thing I do is assess which planned purchases I can cut back on. I’d much rather go without seeing a movie than having to pay that purchase back plus interest. While seeing a movie might be with $7 cash out of pocket, it isn’t worth $7 + compounded interest on a credit card.

So you would recommend that students set up a budget?

When I first moved out, I set a budget to plan out exactly how much I’d spend on food, utilities, gas, everything. I quickly found out that a budget often serves more as a sketch for spending than the actual spending. Some months I spend more on food than I anticipated, some months I spend much less. I use a budget to figure out how much I think I’ll be spending on average, and then use the final budget total for my monthly planning. If at the end of the month I’ve only spent 90% of my budget, I take a look at what I thought I’d be buying compared to what I did buy and see if I can trim my monthly estimate. More often than not I’ll treat myself with the unexpected windfall or deposit some money into savings. Establishing a budget so you have a general idea of what you’ll be spending in a month is much more important than nailing down the exact values you’ll be spending.

Have you made it a point to focus in on your credit rating?

I think understanding how to use credit is as important as your degree. A horrible credit rating can harm you for a few years, but it doesn’t have to be the end of the world if you rebuild your rating. If you graduate college with bad credit, you have years to repair the credit before you start making those big purchases: a car, a house, a boat. One of my close friends graduated college without a credit rating. He was able to pay for his degree out of pocket and never bothered to open a credit card. By the time he was 26 he had a nice savings account – $50,000 or so. He decided to buy a house and let his savings appreciate there. He found a nice house at a wonderful price and went to talk to the bank about a loan and was turned down. Because he had no credit rating the bank saw him as too much of a risk and wouldn’t issue him a loan.

So is a credit standing as important as a degree?

Earning a degree elevates your standing in the eyes of potential employers just as a high credit rating helps you get credit to make those larger purchases. If you don’t know how to use your degree to effectively position yourself and get a job you want you won’t have as much success during your job search. Understanding how to manage a credit rating – even a bad one! – is one of the most important lessons you can learn in college.

Credit cards and student loans are not free money. Its very easy to think that you’ll just charge purchases to your credit card, make the minimum payment a few times, and be debt free in a few months, but it doesn’t work like that.

What are your thoughts about the importance of saving?

Learning to save now prevents problems later. If a student leaves college not knowing how to manage their money, how much will their lose before they learn how to save? If you leave college understanding the importance of having a check account, setting a monthly budget, eyeballing spending in certain areas relative to your income, shopping around for the highest interest rate on your accounts, and getting a credit card with rewards or cash back and paying it down quickly, you’ll be in great shape to manage your finances.

If you had the chance to offer an incoming freshman advice on personal finance, what would be the two or three things you would most emphasize with him or her?

I’d let them know that they don’t need to lose sleep over their finances. Yes, its an important thing to manage, but if you’re smart about paying your bills and keep to a schedule you’ll be fine. College is stressful enough without worrying that you won’t have enough liquidity come graduation. Take college one day at a time, try to avoid using a credit card unless it’s a purchase you know you can afford to pay off over time, and stay happy. At the end of the day, managing finances intelligently isn’t something you have to do perfectly, but just taking the time to read the fine print and understanding how to save and spend intelligently will make a large difference.

Flickr photos courtesy of Andres Rueda, TheTruthAbout and Eliane.

If you are one of the individuals looking at this option, one concern could be the sheer physical size of the school and the equally large numbers of students on state campuses. However, even if you are thinking of a small liberal arts college option, you might be surprised to learn that such focused study is likely available at your state university in the form of an Honors College.

James Madison Honors College

Featuring numerous study abroad programs and dual major options, James Madison Honors College first year students follow a common curriculum including two Madison courses: a year-long Writing course and a yearlong introductory course on Public Affairs. Under the auspices of Michigan State University, Madison offers students courses with as few as eight students and major options such as International Relations, Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy, Social Relations, and Comparative Cultures and Politics.

However, students attending James Madison utilize the same admissions procedures and pay the same costs as students attending Michigan State University. Still the school has featured a number of Rhodes, Marshall, Truman and Fulbright Scholars and graduates seeking a higher degree at such prestigious institutions as Harvard, Yale, the University of Chicago, Stanford, Georgetown, Cornell, Columbia, Duke, and the London School of Economics.

Lauren E. Youngdahl, a 2004 graduate of the James Madison Honors College, indicates that the choice of JM represented a chance to experience the best college atmosphere possible.

“The appeal of James Madison was it was a ’small’ college within a ‘big’ university,” explains Youngdahl. “So I could have, in my opinion, the best of both worlds.”

Her desire for a strong liberal arts background, one that focused on analytical thinking and writing was a key factor in her selection of James Madison.

From the small class sizes to the highly esteemed faculty members who are experts in their fields (no TA’s), the program delivered. She also noted the impact of high expectations of the professors regarding student work. Adding to the challenges were highly-motivated classmates, individuals who also pushed the work standards.

“I quickly learned there was no ’skating’ by,” states Youngdahl. “And hard work was given a new definition.”

For her studies, Youngdahl was able to pursue several interests.

“I had interest in the International Relations major,” she explains. “I paired that with a Marketing degree from the Eli Broad Business School, something that was not available in any other program at MSU.”

Two other critical components of the program, the field experience and senior thesis also were key for the graduate.

“I played golf at MSU, so the best way to accommodate both my academics and athletics was to work as the Assistant Tournament Director for the Golf Association of Michigan,” states Youngdahl of her field experience. ”I would say a majority of my classmates did internships with legislators, attorneys, etc. – which many of them then became.”

“And, my senior year I had a class that was dedicated solely to writing a thesis. The subject was on the evolution of Asia as a world leader; and I did my paper on the Japanese automakers and their rise to success in the United States.”

The Honors College at the University of Maine

The Honors Program at the University of Maine is one of the oldest in the United States, having begun in the early 1930s within the College of Arts and Sciences. At that time, there were believed to be no more than a half a dozen such programs for undergraduates in the country.

Becoming a full-fledged college in 2002, The Honors College at the University of Maine is home to approximately 650 students. As with James Madison, its smallness is demonstrated by a fundamental commitment to investigate diverse academic areas and challenge students in a supportive intellectual environment, using a process that seeks always to engage fellow students and enthusiastic, distinguished faculty in thoughtful, provocative discussions.

The program features first- and second-year preceptorials, third-year tutorials, and like Madison culminates with a thesis. Its students also demonstrate a lengthy track record of success, being named Cooke Fellows along with Goldwater, Udall, and Smith Scholars.

Rachel Groenhout, now a graduate student in the Netherlands offers similar thoughts regarding her Honors College experience at the University of Maine in Orono right down to the reading and writing focus.

“I was invited to the Honors College at my University in the summer before freshman year,” explains the 2004 graduate. “I decided to give it a try because I would be able to take Honors Courses that would satisfy general education requirements that might otherwise be done through College English, Psychology, etc.

“The special Honors Sections featured a small class size (about 15 students) and a more active student experience: reading, discussing in class and weekly or monthly papers,” she adds. “This appealed to me far more than attending class in a lecture hall and only studying for a midterm and a final exam without doing anything in between.”

Similar expectations at Maine also had students completing some type of thesis senior year to earn their honors degree. The French major presented her research by authoring the work in that language.

“This was unquestionably the formative experience of my undergraduate career. For students going on to grad school, completing a first thesis with the supervision and the support of the Honors College staff is the ultimate preparation for more autonomous research work in graduate school.”

However, Groenhout insists those students with no initial interest in graduate study will also receive enormous benefit from the experiences.

“For those who don’t go on to graduate school, you’ll still have the satisfaction of having once written an academic publication. My master thesis is underway at the moment…and will probably be better than my Honors thesis…but I think no other thesis or dissertation will ever capture my heart and soul the way that the first one did.”

Groenhout offers one other caveat that students may well want to consider.

“In a time when more and more people are graduating from college, and grades are notoriously inflated, having completed an Honors degree gives your transcript and resume a little something extra,” she notes. “Whether you do it for personal satisfaction or to remain competitive on the job market, Honors is a win-win opportunity.”

The Economic Factor
Professor Charlie Slavin, the Dean of the Maine Honors College, indicates that interest is up in the college. However, he is not certain that all of the increase comes because of the fiscal issues facing students currently.

“As for now, it’s hard to say,” states Slavin. “We seem to have had a great deal of interest over the past year in the Honors College, but, again, there might be many reasons. We’ll probably know soon whether the current financial crisis causes precipitous changes in demand for or interest in the College.”

Still, there is little doubt that the Honors option is seen as a quality program that also carries with it great affordability. That concept is especially important to students who desire to continue on to graduate school.

“We always have anecdotal stories of students,” continues Slavin, “of those who enter with an eye already on professional schools (law, medicine). They want to be able to finish their undergraduate experience (more or less) debt-free while still having the credentials to compete well for graduate school acceptances. They know they will incur debt during that training.”

And as for why the experience of Honors College is so meaningful to so many students, Slavin offers his assessment.

“Our Honors Curriculum includes a major interdisciplinary core component that requires all of our students, regardless of their majors, to take intellectual risks,” states Slavin. “They are engaged in challenging academic inquiry outside their disciplines. I often refer to our engineers reading Plato and our artists studying the philosophy of quantum mechanics. This is the key to the honors concept.”

Honors Worthy of Consideration

In a Time magazine article from 2006, writer Nathan Thornburgh offered an assessment and rationale for considering state university honors colleges.

First, it may well be harder than ever to get into an Ivy League, but in presenting his eight strategies for kids and parents to use to find happiness beyond the ranks of the traditional elite schools, Thornburgh offers:

“Take the Honors Route – Big state schools trying to attract top students are increasingly establishing honors colleges. These schools within schools often feel like cloistered liberal-arts colleges but still have access to the superior resources of a large research university.”

For those who also love the athletic environment that a school can provide, Thornburgh adds:

“Another upside is that while you’re getting a more personalized education, you still have the chance to watch your school win a football game every once in a while.”

Slavin offers a similar assessment.

“It’s common in honors education to talk about ‘liberal arts college experience at a large university.’ I’m always a bit hesitant.

“It’s not the same, nor should it be,” insists Slavin. “Yes, there are some similarities: small classes, integrated curricula, closer personal attention. However, the real strength of our Honors College is the integration of those things with the cutting-edge research, and opportunities for students to be involved in this research, which takes place all across a major research University.”

Setting a New Trend

Cost-conscious students may want to think about bucking the elite trend, perhaps beginning a new pathway that represents a discerning consumer with a bent for both quality and value.

However, those who do so will definitely be in the minority at least for now.

“Our society still values name,” notes Slavin, a Princeton grad. “Regardless of education or credentials, there is an advantage to having a diploma with a certain name.”

Slavin notes the slow process of change.

“This is changing, more and more students from public institutions are winning major national fellowships (Rhodes, Truman, Goldwater, etc.) and getting acceptances to the most elite professional and graduate schools. But it’s hard to change people’s biases.”

Hard maybe, until you talk to students like Youngdahl and Groenhout. Listening to them, state university Honors Colleges appear to offer everything a student could want.

And most important for the cost-conscious student, they do so at a more affordable price.

If you find the process more than you can stand or the cost prohibitive, then you may want to take a peek at a new concept and a new site, Chegg.com.

Lease, Instead of Purchase
Leasing textbooks is exactly as it seems: college students may rent as many hardcopy textbooks as they might need for the upcoming semester or year. By renting books instead of purchasing, students immediately reduce the overall cost burden of this aspect of their education. In some cases, the savings can be as much as 80%, especially if a text is brand new.

Students may also select the needed books online from their own computer and then have them delivered directly to their dorm room or apartment. No waiting in long lines just for the chance to spend gobs of money.

Chegg.com
A Santa Clara, California-based company, Chegg.com is one such marketplace for renting textbooks online. The concept is considered so forward-thinking that the company recently raised $25 million in investment funding from a number of high profile venture-capitalists.

The additional financing will enable the company to pursue an aggressive growth strategy. With the funds, the site will be able to provide enhanced services including the expansion of its textbook rental catalog.

Adding to the Chegg process, students may also purchase texts from the online site. Students will also know at the time of purchase what they can expect for a possible cash return should they decide they do not want to keep the text.

Support for the Environment
The company, founded in 2005, understands the concept is a green issue as well. Clearly, over time the number of books being produced and wasting away on shelves will be reduced saving countless resources.

At the same time, to reinforce an environmental message, Chegg plants one tree for every textbook rented. Since getting the textbook leasing option underway, the company has planted over 150 city blocks worth of trees.

Decision Time
There could well be books that students do want to purchase as they could be potential future resources while on the job. Texts in courses related to one’s major may not be ripe for the leasing process.

However, the ability to both purchase or lease online means that Chegg is a site students should definitely consider. While the influx of capital should greatly enhance their library of text offerings, Chegg currently offers over 1 million books to choose from.

Students looking for a better process and cost savings may want to pay Chegg.com a visit prior to making their spring semester book purchases.

Flickr photo courtesy of wohnai.

As we head towards the new year and the thoughts of our ritual of making resolutions, young people everywhere have begun thinking about climate change and the future of our planet. For those thinking about a green New Year, we offer our nine suggestions for a better planet.

• Excess consumption - The folks at St. Lawrence University have one of the best suggestions we have seen. Citing the sad statistic that just one percent of what we purchase remains in use six months after the sale date, they recommend you make a card that says “Do I REALLY NEED it?” Then place that card in front of your credit card or in the cash section of your wallet, whichever form of payment you use primarily. Be sure the card is visible at the time you would make your purchase.
• Fuel Consumption - Use less fuel – if you have an SUV or other gas guzzler, dump it for a more efficient option. Then watch your speed, forget the speed limits listed if they exceed 55 – dropping your speed from 65 to 55 will consume 10-15% less fuel, from 70 to 55 as much as 20%. Lastly, take public transportation whenever possible as well as bike and walk more. We like the goal of selecting one route or task that you will always use public transportation for, another that you will always walk or bike regardless of weather.
• Fuel Consumption Redux – Reduce energy use in your residence or dorm room. If you have a programmable thermostat use it. Don’t heat or cool the room when you are not there. If you do not have such an option, at the onset of winter, select a comfortable temperature for week one, say 70 and set the thermostat. Then for the next seven to ten weeks drop the setting one degree per week. While it can be tough to go from warm temperatures to a room of 63 or 60 initially, your body will adjust if you gradually make the decrease a week at a time. Use the same method when cooling, just let the temperature climb a degree per week.
• Ditch the bottled water habit – Drinking water may be the rage but plastic bottles of water are one of the greatest planet contaminates going – buy a reusable, stainless steel unit with a filter, and fill it with tap water – then refrigerate. While bottling companies want you to think otherwise, most city tap water is held to at least the same standard of purity and at times even higher.
• Paper or plastic? Say no to both – buy several cloth bags and or use them again and again. Plan accordingly with your travel habits especially if you can do some biking – have bags that work for your travel methods. Also, have them handy, a couple in your vehicle, one or two in your dorm room, and another in your back pack.
• Skip the incremental electronic updates – While we all love the latest new gadgets, it is time we realize that the manufacturing process for new gadgets is one of the biggest anti-green steps going. Resist buying the latest upgrades just to be fashionable, especially when those upgrades are minimal in scope. Then, before you do buy, research each company’s policies as to their green commitment but don’t look solely at energy efficiency. Examine the manufacturing process for waste.
• Recycle something new – Most of us already recycle at some level, but the trick is to find another item that you have not recycled in the past. For many, that involves recycling electronic gear. Consider a national chain like Staples or Best Buy to return phones or computer equipment. Dell will also take back your old Dell computers at no cost. You can also look at local options, there are agencies in need of phones and computers for various tasks. Research options for electronic peripherals as well (batteries, CDs, floppy disks, etc.).
• Food consumption – Wasting food is a sad American tradition. In addition to the food being wasted, there is the cost associated with the purchase (for you) and the land resources used to produce it (for you and society). Eat less and preserve your leftovers for another meal. Seek to also buy locally if possible to save on the energy demands related to shipping, in both fuel for transportation and preservation of food items.
• Be a role model – Perhaps the greatest step you can take is to be a leader in the green energy movement. Being a role model does not mean you wear your color on your shirt or preach. It means that you act instead. Taking even two of these concrete steps and putting them into practice will have an enormous effect. Driving at 55 with friends will bring about conversations naturally – discussing where to recycle items is another natural way to promote green living. The bottom line is to live the practice so that you become an example for others.

Flickr photos courtesy of The Truth About , Home Made Originals and Santa Claus

]]> http://blog.gocollege.com/2008/12/22/nine-steps-to-a-green-new-year/feed/ 0 http://blog.gocollege.com/2008/12/17/earnings-of-college-graduates-public-colleges-lead-the-way-in-payback-ratio/ http://blog.gocollege.com/2008/12/17/earnings-of-college-graduates-public-colleges-lead-the-way-in-payback-ratio/#comments Thu, 18 Dec 2008 02:17:36 +0000 Thomas http://blog.gocollege.com/?p=785 Smart Money magazine’s January 2009 issue offers its ranking of the “best colleges for making money.” Coming on the heels of a recent Wall Street Journal article, “Any College Will Do,” students now have a sixth reason to give careful consideration to choosing a state university.

PayBack Ratio
The magazine created a ratio it calls payback. It is a simple calculation that compares the average salary earned by a graduate to the actual cost of attending a school.

The magazine’s top five are not those one normally sees on top of the US News and World Reports school rankings. Public colleges lead the way: the University of Georgia with an average payback of 338%; Texas A&M (315%); University of Texas, Austin (306%); Georgia Tech (263%); and University of Washington (225%).

Ivies Pale
A look at the best Ivies yielded Princeton (132%), Dartmouth (131%), Yale (127%), Harvard (124%), and University of Pennsylvania (124%). Those numbers led Smart Money to add a real jab with its sharp subtitle:

“Is an Ivy League education worth the money?”

Smart Money acknowledges the rankings are not based on the quality of the educational experience, just on who makes the most bread based on investment.

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