| Contents |
The price and cost of college and the systems behind it. Who pays what and why the price is so high ; FAFSA and its expected family contribution will probably make you furious, blame the federal government's great expectations ; How (and why) merit aid became mainstream ; The billion-dollar consultants who are wooing you ; But wait, isn't tuition a bubble, and all of higher education is going to come apart at the seams? -- The unhelpful feelings you may feel. Fear ; Guilt ; The pull of snobbery and elitism -- Value: things worth paying for. Classrooms where experienced instructors have time to teach (and actually want to) ; Schools where students learn (because many of them don't) ; Undergraduate mental health centers that are not in crisis ; Peers worth friending (or marrying) ; The special power of women's colleges ; Diversity in all its forms ; How and when small school size matters ; Amenities (but is a lazy river a plus?) ; Genuinely reinvented career counseling offices ; Places that create better odds when applying to grad school ; Better salaries when you finish...if you finish ; How the College of Wooster puts it all together -- Money-saving hacks that will tempt you. Community college will save you money, but what might you lose? ; Honors colleges and programs make bigger schools smaller...if you stick with the program ; Attending college abroad is often cheaper, but you won't get what you don't pay for ; Athletic scholarships for the few (and probably not in full or at your first-choice school) ; Gap years: great, sometimes pricey, might help you get a better job someday ; Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard: decent money, big responsibility ; Skipping college is probably not a great idea -- The plans: saving, talking, touring, bargaining, and borrowing. How to make the big financial plan ; How to have the college money talk with your child ; All your questions about saving for college and 529 plans ; How to shop for college (and where to find the juicy merit aid data) ; When (and how) to hire and independent college counselor or financial planner ; How to appeal your financial aid award ; All the student load basics in one tidy place ; One more feeling: hope. |
| Performer |
Read by the author. |
|
Ron Lieber. |
| Summary |
"Sending a teenager to a flagship state university for four years of on-campus living costs more than $100,000 in many parts of the United States. Meanwhile, many families of freshmen attending selective private colleges will spend triple--over $300,000. With the same passion, smarts, and humor that infuse his personal finance column, Ron Lieber offers a much-needed roadmap to help families navigate this difficult and often confusing journey. Lieber begins by explaining who pays what and why and how the financial aid system got so complicated. He also pulls the curtain back on merit aid, an entirely new form of discounting that most colleges now use to compete with peers. While price is essential, value is paramount. So what is worth paying extra for, and how do you know when it exists in abundance at any particular school? Is a small college better than a big one? Who actually does the teaching? Given that every college claims to have reinvented its career center, who should we actually believe? He asks the tough questions of college presidents and financial aid gatekeepers that parents dont know (or are afraid) to ask and summarizes the research about what matters and what doesnt. Finally, Lieber calmly walks families through the process of setting financial goals, explaining the system to their children and figuring out the right ways to save, borrow, and bargain for a better deal"-- Provided by publisher. |
| System details |
Mode of access: World Wide Web. |
|
Format: OverDrive Listen. |
|
Format: OverDrive MP3 Audiobook. |
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Requires OverDrive app 3.0 (Windows) / 1.0 (Mac) / 1.0 (Windows Mobile) |
| Subject |
College choice -- United States.
|
|
College costs -- United States.
|
| Genre |
Audiobooks.
|
| Other corporate author |
OverDrive, Inc.
|
| Other title |
Road map for the biggest financial decision your family will ever make |
| ISBN |
9780063007291
|
| STANDARD # |
A949CBC3-CA5F-45F2-9992-6AE89D647A82 OverDrive |
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