Best College & Education Costs
Quite simply, college is far too expensive for many people today, and the confusing mix of federal, state, institutional, and private financial aid leaves countless students without the resources they need to pay for it. Drawing on an unprecedented study of 3,000 young adults who entered public colleges and universities in Wisconsin in 2008 with the support of federal aid and Pell Grants, Goldrick-Rab reveals the devastating effect of these shortfalls. (John Warner Chicago Tribune ). "Ultimately, though, Goldrick-Rab argues that we need a new system, 'a Financial Aid 2.0 that is based on accessible and affordable high-quality public higher education.'. Tennessee already offers tuition-free community college to all, and other states are considering similar programs, so this final recommendation provides a glimmer of hope that investing in our own young people is something a divided nation might eventually agree on. (Diane Ravitch). “A hardworking group of young Americans is struggling with regular hunger, periodic homelessness, constant stress, and unrelenting exhaustion—all this while trying to master organic chemistry, business accounting, and British literature. Through rigorous research and careful analysis, Sara Goldrick-Rab shows how the American Dream is structurally compromised by the exorbitant costs of higher education and a thoroughly dysfunctional financial aid system. (Marc Lamont Hill, author of Nobody: Casualties of America's War on the Vulnerable, From Ferguson to Flint and Beyond). " Paying the Price is a must-read not only for policymakers but also for anyone wanting a better grasp of our nation's college financial aid system. What started out as the promise to enable hardworking students to achieve their hopes of living the American Dream by improving their lot through higher education has morphed over the past five decades into an unwieldy system betraying that very ideal at huge costs to society. We must act now so that the 45 million young people who will turn 18 in the next 10 years don’t face the tough choices that 75 percent of Americans currently confront when they come to grips with the fact that they can’t afford college." The students she profiles through her research represent thousands of individuals who pursue a degree in pursuit of social mobility and the American Dream, only to find themselves unable to make ends meet and often drowning in debt. Goldrick-Rab's scholarship fills a critical void in our conversations about the realities of financial aid policy in the face of rapidly rising tuition and important poignant reminder of the ongoing negative impact of state appropriation reductions in this era."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"We in higher education have been talking about and feeling the impact of the "perfect storm" (decreased state and federal funding, increased tuition and fees, and more need for college degrees) for almost two decades."
"Sara Goodrick-Rab and colleagues six year longitudinal study of low income students making their way through the financial maze of college completion is a must read for anyone concerned about the future of higher education."
"Bought this for a higher education finance course last semester."
"Dr. Goldrick-Rab focuses on the quantity of students affected by this issue, but more importantly, she focuses on the quality or lack therof of their lives and their education because of the impacts of the issue."
"An important volume that humanizes the struggle of today's college students to pursue not only their education, but their life dreams in the face of dwindling financial support and demoralizing popular narratives of "coddled college students.""
"Every professor or anyone who cares about higher ed should read this book."
"A great read."
"As described and fast shipping."
The book provides advice on such topics as financial aid, merit scholarships, athletic scholarships, admission hooks, the important differences between colleges and universities, college rankings, the best student loans and the latest online tools to evaluate the generosity of schools. “Chock-full of information about college entrance and affordability, O’Shaughnessy’s second edition of The College Solution is sure to raise your admission and financial aid ‘IQ.’”. Jam-packed with information about testing, college essays, interviews, financial aid, and much, much more, this highly readable guide will help parents and their children through an often confusing process.”.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Lynn O'Shaughnessy's book is essential reading for anyone who has a child heading for college in a few years. Because of the ridiculously complicated issue of financing, parents need to complete all kinds of financial calculations -- ones I'd never heard of, like the Expected Family Contribution and the Net Price Calculator -- in order to estimate the true cost of any college their child is considering. I sort of knew about the FAFSA paperwork that you fill out in order to qualify for financial aid, but because of this book and a subsequent call to a college my son is considering, I learned that I need to complete paperwork other than FAFSA a year early if we submit applications for early decision or early action."
"I also picked up a copy of The Enlightened College Applicant: A New Approach to the Search and Admissions Process and it's another homerun book in terms of learning more about college admissions."
"This book provides understandable explanations of "how things work" in college admissions and financial aid offices, and the reader gleans the practical steps he or she must take to identify his or her best fit school at the right price."
"There is a wealth of info contained in this book, from reach schools to hidden dangers (grandparents giving kids money) to % of sports scholarships available to colleges with best financial aid."
"We had visited several colleges that we thought were a good fit, and were very excited to find out that she qualified for some very nice merit scholarships from the different colleges. Luckily, this book helped us to determine what school would be a good fit for my daughter (one that was good for her, but also one that wanted what she had to offer), and that resulted in a choice that made for a happy daughter and even happier parents."
After winning enough college cash to cover virtually the entire cost of his dream school, he's written an indispensable guide that shows you how to stake your own scholarship claim. With humor and insight, he reveals insider secrets for successfully finding, applying for, and winning lucrative scholarship awards -- empowering you with the information, inspiration, and know-how to afford the college of your choice and realize your educational dreams. Kaplan parlayed intelligence, hard work, and creativity into $90,000 of scholarship money, then graduated from Harvard to write a book designed to help others negotiate their way to unencumbered college cash.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"However, there are tips for a wider audience including the very young, older returning students, graduate students, and students that fit into special groups. Clearly, the competition for scholarships can be intense, but with a logical game plan engaged in consistently, an applicant's effectiveness can be increased. He also provides access to his companion web site to add extra punch to the process."
"The only drawback is that it plugged another book or two of his to get more information that could have easily been supplied by this book."
"We picked this up based on the recommendation of my sister who used this book to help her son find scholarships."
"no such thing as "free" if you are part of the working poor of the USA."
"The book is full of some good information."
"this here book was no help either...not for my child who is already in college I searched and search nothing help for our circumstances sorry."
"However, you have to get permission to access the site."
"The content of the book is very basic."
Best Credit Ratings & Repair
Hey, if you’re tired of the lies and sick of the false promises, take a look at this—it’s the simplest, most straightforward game plan for completely making over your money habits. Design a sure-fire plan for paying off all debt—meaning cars, houses, everything Recognize the 10 most dangerous money myths (these will kill you) Secure a big, fat nest egg for emergencies and retirement! His seven-step plan includes paying off all debts except the home mortgage at an accelerated speed, creating a financial safety net that covers three to six months' expenses, investing 15 percent of income in a retirement fund, and saving for children's college expenses.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The baby steps are pretty straightforward: Baby Step 1 – $1,000 to start an Emergency Fund - you'll find this way easier than you expect to. Baby Step 3 – 3 to 6 months of expenses in savings. Baby Step 4 – Invest 15% of household income into Roth IRAs and pre-tax retirement. Baby Step 5 – College funding for children. Baby Step 6 – Pay off home early. Baby Step 7 – Build wealth and give. The rules are simple: 1) Live and breathe by your budget."
"In 4 months, I paid off my car loan, all credit cards and doctor bills!!!"
"* He lays out his seven Baby Steps and makes them simple to understand. * I really liked the quote, "If you worked for a company called YOU Inc. and you managed money at YOU Inc. the way you manage your own money now, would you fire you?" Dave Ramsey is rich because he is a business owner who can make money from his radio show, books, seminars, programs, etc. It would have been great to get his advice on that, but he probably didn't want to overwhelm the reader with too many topics. College loans can be very appropriate for some people, business loans can be great in the right situation, and his statement that you should put money toward paying down debt rather than getting the company 401(k) match seemed too extreme to me. goals or having an accountability partner, which have been shown to greatly help people achieve all kinds of dreams."
"This book has been adopted for the South African situation, but needs to be extended to other parts of Africa."
"This book is fantastic."
"A must read for all high school and college aged persons."
"If this book doesn’t make you want to change your financial life than you don’t like following simple easy to use steps."
"Just as described and very fast shipping, thank you!!"
Best Budgeting & Money Management
Hey, if you’re tired of the lies and sick of the false promises, take a look at this—it’s the simplest, most straightforward game plan for completely making over your money habits. Design a sure-fire plan for paying off all debt—meaning cars, houses, everything Recognize the 10 most dangerous money myths (these will kill you) Secure a big, fat nest egg for emergencies and retirement! His seven-step plan includes paying off all debts except the home mortgage at an accelerated speed, creating a financial safety net that covers three to six months' expenses, investing 15 percent of income in a retirement fund, and saving for children's college expenses.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The baby steps are pretty straightforward: Baby Step 1 – $1,000 to start an Emergency Fund - you'll find this way easier than you expect to. Baby Step 3 – 3 to 6 months of expenses in savings. Baby Step 4 – Invest 15% of household income into Roth IRAs and pre-tax retirement. Baby Step 5 – College funding for children. Baby Step 6 – Pay off home early. Baby Step 7 – Build wealth and give. The rules are simple: 1) Live and breathe by your budget."
"In 4 months, I paid off my car loan, all credit cards and doctor bills!!!"
"* He lays out his seven Baby Steps and makes them simple to understand. * I really liked the quote, "If you worked for a company called YOU Inc. and you managed money at YOU Inc. the way you manage your own money now, would you fire you?" Dave Ramsey is rich because he is a business owner who can make money from his radio show, books, seminars, programs, etc. It would have been great to get his advice on that, but he probably didn't want to overwhelm the reader with too many topics. College loans can be very appropriate for some people, business loans can be great in the right situation, and his statement that you should put money toward paying down debt rather than getting the company 401(k) match seemed too extreme to me. goals or having an accountability partner, which have been shown to greatly help people achieve all kinds of dreams."
"This book has been adopted for the South African situation, but needs to be extended to other parts of Africa."
"This book is fantastic."
"A must read for all high school and college aged persons."
"If this book doesn’t make you want to change your financial life than you don’t like following simple easy to use steps."
"Just as described and very fast shipping, thank you!!"
Best Retirement Planning
The key to achieving an active and satisfying retirement involves a great deal more than having adequate financial resources; it also encompasses all other aspects of life -- interesting leisure activities, creative pursuits, physical well-being, mental well-being, and solid social support. There are many ingredients of a happy retirement and several retirement planning tools that help retirees plan for their retirement in new and more meaningful ways. How to Retire Happy Wild, and Free helps readers create an active, satisfying, and happy retirement in a way such that they don't need a million dollars to retire. Ernie is the author of the international bestsellers "The Joy of Not Working" (over 250,000 copies sold and published in seventeen languages) and "How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free" (over 175,000 copies sold and published in nine languages), two life-changing books that have helped hundreds of thousands of individuals around the world live happier and more satisying lives. Ernie's latest books include the inspirational novel "Look Ma, Life's Easy: How Ordinary People Attain Extraordinary Success and Remarkable Prosperity" and its companion "Life's Secret Handbook: Reminders for Adventurous Souls Who Want to Make a Big Difference in This World".
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The material is important and good since the author really explores the non-financial aspects of retirement – whereas many retirement books are financial in orientation which only a small part of the puzzle."
"Reading this book has set me on a path of investigation, motivation, contemplation and serious planning to escape from the traditional notions of retirement."
"Some interesting comments and several great lists of recommendations and retirement sites, but also a lot of common recommendations and common discussions on retirement."
"Very healthy helpful view or retirement."
"It also cautioned the reader even after retiring there is a temptation to concentrate on the financial aspects to the neglect of considering opportunities that do not necessarily focus on financial gain or loss."
"While I have always known I want to have the fewest regrets at the end, this book gives you common sense advice and encourages fun as well as meaning."
"This book is filled with so many inspirational tips on focusing on the wonderful and positive side of retirement."
"Thought there would be real life examples and actual tips."