The College Solutions Blog

March 4, 2011

With support from their state governments dwindling, some state flagship universities are seeking greater autonomy. Among the schools clamoring for more freedom are the University of Oregon, Louisiana State and University of Wisconsin, where my mother earned her master’s degree decades ago. I read a story in The New York Times yesterday about these universities lobbying for more freedom here:...

March 3, 2011

Just what kind of student athletes are playing football in this country? Sports Illustrated and CBS has teamed up to produce an alarming special report that attempts to answer this question:  Special Report: Criminal Records in College Football. In putting together this series, SI and CBS conducted 7,030 background checks on 2,837 players who were on the rosters of SI’s...

March 2, 2011

In my last post, I explained what kind of federal financial assistance you might find in a financial aid award.  Here it is: Deciperhing a Financial Aid Package Today, I’m going to cover the types of college grants that parents typically find in a student financial aid letter. College Grants Many families believe that the biggest source of cash is...

March 1, 2011

It’s the college financial aid season. Some parents are still struggling to complete their financial aid application, while others are receiving their financial aid packages in the mail. Once you receive a financial aid award, the challenge is to decipher it. I’m going to help you master these financial aid letters by looking at the scholarships, grants and loans you’ll...

February 28, 2011

If your family will need significant financial aid, you will increase your chances of receiving a lot of outside help if you get accepted to schools with Cadillac financial aid packages. These schools meet 100% of a student’s demonstrated financial need. Here’s an example: Let’s say that the financial aid methodology says your family can afford to pay $20,000 for...

February 25, 2011

Here is one reason for runaway college costs: US News’ college rankings. Find out why....

February 24, 2011

I hadn’t planned on videotaping a college blog post on Wednesday, but I had to get my picture taken at a professional photo studio this afternoon and since that required getting my hair done, putting on makeup and wearing a crisp white blouse, I thought why not. I went to all to all this trouble because I need a photo...

February 23, 2011

I have parents ask me variations of this question all the time: What are the best colleges and universities to attend that will ultimately generate jobs for my child? I think it’s rare that going to any particular school, by itself, will result in an automatic job for a new college graduate. I am willing to concede, however, that there...

February 22, 2011

I’m trying something different today. I have posted a college video of myself talking about the importance of the Expected Family Contribution. Riveting stuff! If you don’t know what your EFC is, you really should find out now! FYI, I plan on posting college videos on various topics on a regular basis....

February 21, 2011

Last month, I wrote a couple of posts about this reality:  many students are graduating from college without absorbing much of an education. From a parent’s perspective that’s a lot of wasted money. And, of course, there are serious ramifications for students who have spent their college years living in a Bud Lite commercial. Here are the two posts: Do...