Archive for the 'Tuition' Category

Students and parents, if you’re attending a US college, it’s to fill out your FAFSA. If you’re not all too familiar with the form and what it’s all about, it’s a free application for federal student aid. The application is used to determine the amount of money you’ll be given to go towards your college education. Just about every single US college utilizes the FAFSA system.

There are roughly 14 million students receiving over $80 billion in financial aid yearly.

How is the FAFSA organized? There are five parts: information about the student, information about the student’s dependency status, information about the parents of the student, financial information about the student, and a list of schools that should receive the FAFSA information (similar to providing your college with your SAT/ACT scores).

There are two ways to apply: online or by mail. While the federal deadline is June 30th, April 15 (tax time) is literally right around the corner and some states require this form to be filled out prior to then. Ideally, you should have this form filled out closer to February, but this is a last call reminder in case you were unable to do it then.

The FAFSA form can be filled out here.

Forbes has a great slideshow about the most expensive colleges and universities located throughout the world. We’ve made it easier by condensing it into article format. The most expensive in each region:

The George Washington University in the United States. In the heart of Washington DC, GWU affords students the opportunity to take advantage of becoming political figures and more. Freshman dorms have housekeeping service. Commencement is held on the White House ellipse. Annual Tuition: $39,240

Kenyon College in Ohio (also the United States) is a small school with 1,600 students total and 176 members of the faculty. It is the oldest liberal arts college in Ohio and was founded in 1824. Annual Tuition: $38,140

Bucknell University in Pennsylvania (United States) is the nation’s largest liberal arts college with 3,400 undergraduates. Annual Tuition: $38,134

Vassar College in New York (United States) is a former “Seven Sister” (all woman’s school) but now is coeducational. The student to faculty ratio is 9:1. Annual Tuition: $38,115

Sarah Lawrence College in New York (United States) is a predominantly women’s college that focuses on performing arts in addition to a well-rounded liberal arts education. And guess what? You don’t need to submit SAT scores to be accepted. Annual Tuition: $38,090

Quest University Canada in Canada is less than a year old having opened in September of 2007. It is a private non-denominational university that offers a single degree: a Bachelors of Arts and Sciences. Only 80 students attend, taking one class at a time in 18-day blocks. The appeal? You don’t see many private universities in Canada. Annual Tuition: $23,420

American University of Paris in France is a liberal arts and science institution that neighbors the Eiffel Tower. Annual Tuition: $34,725

University of Buckingham in the United Kingdom is the only fully private university in all of the UK and was founded in the 1970s. The school offers degree programs in a total of two, not four, years. Annual Tuition: $30,400 for Brits, $52,800 for international residents

Aoyama Gakuin University in Japan (Asia) was founded over a century ago by Methodist Episcopal missionaries. It is part of an educational institute that begins instilling academic values in kindergarten, followed by elementary school, junior/senior high school, and eventually, college. Annual Tuition: $11,700 to $16,100

Bond University in Australia. Founded in 1989, this school boasts small classes and has a very high percentage of foreign students. Annual Tuition: $32,900

American University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates (Middle East). Only slightly over a decade old (the university was founded in 1997), the university is broken up into smaller schools that focus on business, architecture, engineering, and arts and sciences. Courses are taught in English but university assures us that culture is highly Arabic. Annual Tuition: $16,770

Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey in Mexico. Founded in 1943 by a Mexican businessman, this is one of Mexico’s most respected universities. Annual Tuition: $11,210

Now let’s ask this question: did you go to any of these expensive schools? Are they more prestigious than the “competition?”

75% of students receiving some form of financial aid are finding it harder to keep up with expenses. This leads them to seeking a more expensive alternative, loans from private institutions. In 2006, a huge hike in prices occurred at the four-year public schools, where tuition fees went up 6.6 percent to more than $6,000 a year.

Tuition does not include room and board but fortunately, the prices for these have been steady.

If you’re a prospective student or parent with college bound children, schools often assist with financial aid and will offer guidance on fees to pay based on your income.