Education Dollars Well Spent: Liberal Arts Education
Ronald Daniels

At our best private institutions, if you can't afford the sticker price, you won't pay it. These colleges and universities are deeply committed to bringing the most promising young scholars to campus, no matter their families' wealth or income. In fact, they are more committed than ever.

Smart Money Looks Elsewhere: Liberal Arts Education
Andrew Hacker

I strongly support a four-year liberal arts education. If I had my way, all of our 16 million undergraduates would major in fields like philosophy, history, and the sciences, rather than vocational programs. Pondering enduring ideas is a far better use of precious college years than fashion merchandising or sports management. But $200,000 over a four-year span?

Is College Worth It?: Soaring Costs Complicate the Decision
Brian Kelly

For most people, college is still worth it. The evidence about earnings is clear. College grads make more money, people with advanced degrees make a lot more, and you can't get an advanced degree without a bachelor's. The demand for educated workers is only going to grow. And there are benefits beyond just paychecks. But which college and which type of college?

Reaching College or University of Your Dreams is a Four-Year Process
Ned Johnson

The philosopher Aristotle observed that excellence is not an act but a habit. Your grades reflect what you do day after day and month after month. Take studies seriously. And remember that colleges like people who are successful, whether as students, athletes, musicians, or community volunteers

Getting into College: Start Sharpening Analytical Skills Early
Carol Frey

If colleges could shine a light inside the brains of high school students, they would be looking for synapses well prepared to grapple with math, science, and literature. But all too often today, what colleges would see would disappoint them.

Best Value Colleges Give Big Scholarships & Deep Discounts
Kim Clark

Don't be freaked out by the $50,000-plus annual price tags of Harvard, Princeton, or Amherst. For a growing number of colleges, a majority of students pay far less than those jaw-dropping sticker prices

The Great College Scholarship Scramble
Christopher J. Gearon

Demand for 1.5 million private scholarships worth some $3.4 billion jumped about 20 percent this year while funding is flat to slightly increasing. Here's how to better your chances for securing the financial aid and scholarships you need to go to college

Out of State College Tuition at In-State Rates
Nikki Schwab

Reciprocity agreements that allow out-of-state students to pay in-state or discounted tuition can make that out-of-state dream school financially feasible. Not many parents know about them. A good place to start, however, is with the four geographically based programs for undergraduates that are offered by large education compacts

The Student Loan Without the Regret
Kim Clark

As scholarships lag behind skyrocketing tuition, a growing number of students have no choice but to borrow to pay their college bills. Luckily, incremental improvements in the economy (like a loosening credit market), growing competition among private lenders, and federal reforms are making student loans cheaper, simpler to get, and easier to repay.

Campus Orientation Programs Aim to Ease Transition
Jon Marcus

With budgets stretched and pressure high to increase retention rates, colleges have turned what was once perhaps a weekend of half-hearted mixers into a sophisticated yearlong series of seminars and strategies managed by full-time counselors and experts. They support students newly independent after lives increasingly programmed by well-meaning parents

Rocketing Past the College Admissions Blunders
Marc Silver

If you're what's known as a 'one-read admit' -- great grades, test scores, and activities -- you can afford a misstep or two. If you're a 'one-read deny,' proofreading won't save you. As for the rest of you, you're on the bubble -- and you'll deflate your chances with typos, bad etiquette, and other application errors. Here's how can you avoid self-sabotage

The Right Way to Pitch Yourself to a College
Linda Kulman

Instead of trying to decipher what college admissions people want, your task is to tell your story -- to convey, in today's college application watchwords, a sense of your passion and commitment. Colleges are trying to understand, 'Who is this person, and why would we want him or her to join this community?' Here's how to successfully selling yourself to the college of your choice

Narrowing Your College Choices
Vicky Hallett

Before you pore over information about class sizes, majors, and male-to-female ratios, consider a few questions. What are your values? What's your learning style? Which classes do you enjoy? What makes you happy? What are your goals?

Turning Two Years at Community College Into Four
Carol Frey

Plenty of people are questioning the economic wisdom of four years at a traditional college. What if you could take the same courses more cheaply, experience life on a residential campus, and transfer smoothly after two years to complete your bachelor's degree at the university you thought you couldn't afford? That's the growing attraction of many community colleges.

Different Paths to a College Degree
Carol Frey

Unemployment has changed many a kitchen-table conversation about college. But a college education is now more difficult for many families to afford. That means many students are on the prowl for a bargain bachelor's degree--and some are finding the opportunity in nontraditional programs such as three-year degree programs, online education, and work colleges

Lure of the Gap Year Between High School and College
Thomas K. Grose

A 'gapper' is one of a small but growing number of American students who are deciding to take a 'gap year' off between high school and what would be their freshman year of college to travel, volunteer, work, study, and otherwise recharge their batteries before getting back on the academic treadmill

Twitter Goes to College
Zach Miners

Twitter might be a couple of rungs below Facebook in terms of popularity among college students. But a growing number of professors are embracing it as a way to introduce students to a different kind of communication.

Standardized Tests Myths: The Truth About the SAT & ACT
Ned Johnson

An upperclassman told you the ACT is way easier than the SAT. Your aunt tells you that no one can get into an Ivy without taking five subject tests. What's a stressed-out high schooler to do? Chill. As a test-prep geek and founder of PrepMatters, I've come to debunk the most common myths of standardized tests.

5 Tips to Getting Along With Your Roommate
Brian Burnsed

One of the most important factors in your success as a college freshman is your rapport with your roommate. Avoiding conflict with a roommate is integral to a student's happiness in their first months on campus. You don't have to be best friends with your roommate, but follow these five rules, that at the very least make the relationship cordial and conflict free

Break That Hovering Habit Early
Arlene Weintraub

College administrators say they're coping with a growing crop of freshmen suffering the aftereffects of having been raised by overinvolved parents. These moms and dads may see their tendency to hover and help at every step as loving and protective. To prep kids to thrive in college rather than struggle, parents should begin to break their overprotective habits. Here's how

Back-to-School Shoppers Hunt for Deals
Kimberly Palmer

As Americans embark on their annual back-to-school shopping trips, they're cutting back and saving money where they can. That means clipping coupons, sticking to a budget, and reusing last year's supplies. So, where are Americans cutting back? Here's what they said they would focus on

Green Your Back-to-School Shopping
Cara Smusiak

It's the time of year again: Kids and parents around the country are getting ready for another school year, and that means serious shopping time. But before you head out for a marathon shopping day, think about the ways you can go green to make your child's school year an eco-friendly one

Houston Charter School Sends All its Grads to Four-Year Colleges
Kenneth Terrell

YES Prep is an innovative Houston free public charter high school that requires students to attend longer school days, take some Saturday classes, and do community service. YES Prep's track record is worth the effort. In the past 10 years, 100 percent of its graduates have been accepted to four-year colleges

Colleges Joining Effort to Turn Around Skyrocketing Obesity Rates
Courtney Rubin

Many colleges are trimming the fat. They're also offering coordinated weight loss programs, sessions with nutritionists, mileage-marked running and walking paths, and more healthful dining options, including calorie-controlled meals. Why the hard sell on healthy eating?

New Sites Empower Students to Build Their Own Scholarships
Kim Clark

As budget-strapped states and private charities cut back on scholarship funding, a growing number of students are raising money for college through new 'make your own scholarship' Web sites. While they don't work for everybody, the new sites provide much-needed alternatives to traditional scholarship competitions. Here are three Web sites that help students build their own scholarships

Why Physician Assistant School May be Right for You
Brian Burnsed

With the economy tight in recent years, demand for physician assistants has increased, as they are capable of practicing medicine at roughly the same level as a full-fledged physician, but at a much lower cost, which makes them an appealing asset to medical providers. It's also one of the fastest growing careers in the country. Here's how to get into a top physician assistant program

Teaching vs. Teachers Unions
Leonard Pitts Jr.

A year or two ago, I received this e-mail. The writer was upset with me for arguing that school principals should have the power to fire teachers who do not perform. The lady's detachment from the reality most workers live with struck me as a telling clue as to why our education system frequently fails to educate. When you can't get fired for doing bad work, what's your impetus for doing good?

Business Schools Add New Entrepreneur Programs for MBA Students
Katy Hopkins

Entrepreneurship takes an eye for opportunity and a willingness to take risks, business school officials say. These new M.B.A. programs offer unconventional ways to help channel an entrepreneurial spirit

Unique MBA Programs Build Leadership Skills
Katy Hopkins

Being an effective leader is a critical trait for business executives. These unique MBA courses offer unusual ways to help you hone your skills to become a successful leader.

Tips to Increase Your Odds of Getting a Job at College
Kim Clark

As the competition for work-study and other campus jobs intensifies, college officials say students who follow these six steps are much more likely to earn the extra money they need for college.

How Changes to the GMAT Will Affect You
Brian Burnsed

The Graduate Management Admission Council has announced that the structure of the GMAT will be changing. The test won't take any more time, but one of the two 30-minute writing sections is being replaced by an integrated reasoning section. The change has significant implications for students and young professionals who are considering applying to business school

Some Charter Schools Fail Too
Clarence Page

Charter schools receive a lot of well-deserved attention this time of year when they appear to be performing miracles. But what about the ones that don't?

6 Questions to Ask When Choosing an Online Instructor
Rebecca Kern

With the growing amount of online colleges and courses to choose from, how can you make sure you don't waste your time or money on a badly taught course? Some highly experienced online instructors and students suggest asking an instructor these six questions before signing up

Bigger and Better Federal College Grants Coming
Kim Clark

Amidst the gloomy news of tuition increases and state scholarship cuts, there is one hopeful glimmer: Uncle Sam will give out more and bigger college grants starting July 1. An estimated 8.4 million students -- about 617,000 more than last year -- are expected to receive federal Pell Grants in the 2010-11 academic year

How to Get In: Old Dominion University College of Business and Public Administration
Kim Clark

We posed questions to admissions officials at the Old Dominion University College of Business and Public Administration regarding the application process, what they look for in applicants, and what sets their school apart. These are their responses

How to Get In: Loyola University Chicago Graduate School of Business
Kim Clark

We posed questions to admissions officials at the Loyola University Chicago Graduate School of Business regarding the application process, what they look for in applicants, and what sets their school apart. These are their responses:

How to Get In: University of Louisville College of Business
Kim Clark

We posed questions to admissions officials at the University of Louisville College of Business regarding the application process, what they look for in applicants, and what sets their school apart. These are their responses:

How to Get In: University of Hawaii Shidler College of Business
Kim Clark

We posed questions to admissions officials at the University of Hawaii Shidler College of Business regarding the application process, what they look for in applicants, and what sets their school apart. These are their responses:

How to Get In: George Mason University School of Management
Kim Clark

We posed questions to admissions officials at the George Mason University School of Management regarding the application process, what they look for in applicants, and what sets their school apart. These are their responses:

How to Get In: University of Florida Hough Graduate School of Business
Kim Clark

We posed questions to admissions officials at the University of Florida Hough Graduate School of Business regarding the application process, what they look for in applicants, and what sets their school apart. These are their responses:

How to Get In: Babson College F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business
Kim Clark

We posed questions to admissions officials at the Babson College F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business regarding the application process, what they look for in applicants, and what sets their school apart. These are their responses:

How to Get In: University of Virginia Darden School of Business
Kim Clark

We posed questions to admissions officials at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business regarding the application process, what they look for in applicants, and what sets their school apart. These are their responses

How to Get In: University of Connecticut School of Business
Kim Clark

We posed questions to admissions officials at the University of Connecticut School of Business regarding the application process, what they look for in applicants, and what sets their school apart. These are their responses

How to Get In: Syracuse University Martin J. Whitman School of Management
Kim Clark

We posed questions to admissions officials at the Syracuse University Martin J. Whitman School of Management regarding the application process, what they look for in applicants, and what sets their school apart. These are their responses

How to Get In: University of Richmond Robins School of Business
Kim Clark

We posed questions to admissions officials at the University of Richmond Robins School of Business regarding the application process, what they look for in applicants, and what sets their school apart. These are their responses

Job Market Strategies for Recent Graduates
Robert Pagliarini

If you just graduated from college, congratulations! It's a huge achievement, and you should be proud of yourself. Normally there would be plenty of job opportunities just waiting for raw and eager talent, but this is 2010. Finding a good job is not going to be easy. The way I see it, there are really only four possible outcomes

How One Online Student Balances Family, Work, and School
Rebecca Kern

Amber Brehmer, 29, wakes up at 4 a.m., five days a week to accomplish her three main responsibilities: parenting, work, and online school. We spoke with Brehmer about her views on online education and how she balances school, a full-time job, and her family

New Tools Find Cheap Private Student Loans
Kim Clark

Until recently, banks and other private lenders have made it hard for anyone to shop for college loans, in some cases because they didn't want to compete by cutting profit margins. But several web entrepreneurs and state agencies have developed new tools to help students and parents find private loans

7 Ways Private Student Loans Are Getting Better
Kim Clark

While private educational loans are also hard to escape, recent law reforms and improvements in the economy have sparked seven big improvements over the high-priced, tough-to-get private loans of 2009

Reasons Why the Library Should Affect Your College Choice
Jeff Greer

One of the first things to do is visit the libraries on campus. Bring a book or some schoolwork, sit down, and soak up the environment. Can you see yourself there for four years? We spoke to experienced librarians to find out what prospective students should look for when they check out a prospective school's library.

Getting into Law School: College of William and Mary Marshall-Wythe School of Law
Kim Clark

We posed questions to admissions officials at the College of William and Mary Marshall-Wythe School of Law regarding the law school application process, what they look for in applicants, and what sets their law school apart. These are their responses

Getting into Law School: Vermont Law School
Kim Clark

We posed questions to admissions officials at the Vermont Law School regarding the law school application process, what they look for in applicants, and what sets their law school apart. These are their responses

Getting into Law School: Tulsa College of Law
Kim Clark

We posed questions to admissions officials at the Tulsa College of Law regarding the law school application process, what they look for in applicants, and what sets their law school apart. These are their responses

Getting into Law School: Santa Clara University School of Law
Kim Clark

We posed questions to admissions officials at the Santa Clara University School of Law regarding the law school application process, what they look for in applicants, and what sets their law school apart. These are their responses

Getting into Law School: Gonzaga University School of Law
Kim Clark

We posed questions to admissions officials at the Gonzaga University School of Law regarding the law school application process, what they look for in applicants, and what sets their law school apart. These are their responses

Law Jobs Will Be Harder to Come By
Katy Hopkins

In the midst of one of the gloomiest legal employment climates in history, a top research analyst warns: The worst is yet to come for some law students and recent graduates.

More M.B.A. Graduates Will Get Jobs in 2010
Brian Burnsed

While job searches are anything but brief, graduates are being rewarded with full-time positions. That, experts say, is something 2010 M.B.A. graduates should expect as they wade into the employment pool. While graduates may not find their ideal job or find a position as quickly as they'd hoped, there are more jobs to be had than in 2009, which was a dismal year for M.B.A. hiring

Federal Student and Parent Loans Getting Cheaper and Easier
Kim Clark

Now that the hype surrounding the government's overhaul of the scandal-tinged federal student loan program has settled, students and parents seeking loans for the 2010 academic year are getting some surprisingly good news: Many 2010 federal education loans will be cheaper, easier to get, and easier to repay than they've been in recent years

Federal Student Loans Get Cheaper and Easier
Kim Clark

Because states have been cutting back on scholarships while hiking tuition, more students are having to borrow to fund college. Luckily, at least some federal student loans are getting cheaper, easier to get, and easier to repay.

Some Federal Parent Loans to Be Easier and Cheaper
Kim Clark

As home values, invested nest eggs, and regular bank loans have shrunk, more parents are turning to the federal PLUS program to help pay their children's college tuition. Luckily most -- though not all -- of the recent changes to the program should make loans at least a little cheaper and easier for many parents this fall

Getting into Law School: University of Denver Sturm College of Law
Kim Clark

We posed questions to admissions officials at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law regarding the law school application process, what they look for in applicants, and what sets their law school apart. These are their responses

Getting into Law School: Creighton University School of Law
Kim Clark

We posed questions to admissions officials at the Creighton University School of Law regarding the law school application process, what they look for in applicants, and what sets their law school apart. These are their responses

Getting into Law School: Boston College Law School
Kim Clark

We posed questions to admissions officials at the Boston College Law School regarding the law school application process, what they look for in applicants, and what sets their law school apart. These are their responses

Getting into Law School: Baylor Law School
Kim Clark

We posed questions to admissions officials at the Baylor Law School regarding the law school application process, what they look for in applicants, and what sets their law school apart. These are their responses

Getting into Law School: University of Iowa College of Law
Kim Clark

We posed questions to admissions officials at the University of Iowa College of Law regarding the law school application process, what they look for in applicants, and what sets their law school apart. These are their responses

5 Ways to Get a Feel for a College on Your Own
Jeff Greer

There's more to visiting a college than a campus tour. Meeting with an admissions counselor, attending information sessions, and following an upbeat tour guide around campus are all important aspects of your college trips. Here are five ways to get more familiar with a prospective school

Overseas Volunteer Service For Students Taking Time Off Before College
Rebecca Kern

You've decided to take a gap year after graduating high school and before attending college, but how do you choose a program? For those interested in pursuing international work without spending a year's worth of college tuition, an option is Global Routes, which runs programs in South and Central America, Asia, and Africa

AmeriCorps For Students Taking Time Off Before College
Rebecca Kern

AmeriCorps programs can be affordable options for a gap year since they provide a living stipend, health benefits, and an educational scholarship at the end of the service. Conservation Corps is one of AmeriCorps's 3,000 local and national nonprofit partners across the country

AmeriCorps City Year For Students Taking Time Off Before College
Rebecca Kern

You've decided to take a gap year after graduating high school and before attending college, but how do you choose a program? Price is one important factor that can help narrow down the options for gap year students. City Year is one of the largest programs run by AmeriCorps and involves a 10-month commitment to working in high poverty communities and school districts across the country

Tips to Picking Your Ideal Online MBA
Brian Burnsed

If you're considering an online M.B.A., it's important to take the time to determine which program best fits your needs. Given the recent explosion of M.B.A. distance learning, finding an accredited online M.B.A. program that can accommodate your schedule and financial constraints is no simple task. Use these four tips to get a head start

Avoid Getting Stupid This Summer
Eric Pilch

Sleeping until the wee hours of the afternoon and clocking in hours of TV marathons can seem tempting after a year's worth of school work. However, a recent study found that students of all ages actually experience learning loss if they don't engage in educational activities during the summer. So, consider these suggestions for summertime

7 Tips for LSAT Test Success
Brian Burnsed

The LSAT is the most important part of applying to law school. Find out some simple tips to boost your LSAT test scores

6 Tips for GMAT Test Success
Brian Burnsed

Think you're ready for business school? Not until you've mastered the GMAT. Here are 6 tips to help

9 Tips for SAT Test Success
Brian Burnsed

Find out if the SAT is the right test for you and, if so, how to improve your score

6 Tips for ACT Test Success
Brian Burnsed

Do you find the SAT daunting? Learn some valuable tips to help master the ACT, a viable alternative

8 Tips for GRE Test Success
Brian Burnsed

Need help mastering the GRE? These tips will help you tackle the GRE test and earn the score you want

GRE Fast Becoming GMAT Alternative for B-School Applicants
Brian Burnsed

More than 300 business schools now accept the GRE and many more may follow suit in coming years

How to Get In: Wake Forest University Graduate School of Business
Brian Burnsed

We posed questions to admissions officials at the Wake Forest University Graduate School of Business regarding the application process, what they look for in applicants, and what sets their school apart. These are their responses

How to Get In: The University of Pennsylvania Wharton School
Brian Burnsed

We posed questions to admissions officials at the Wharton School of Business regarding the application process, what they look for in applicants, and what sets their school apart. These are their responses

How to Get In: Brandeis University International Business School
Brian Burnsed

We posed questions to admissions officials at Brandeis University International Business School regarding the application process, what they look for in applicants, and what sets their school apart. These are their responses

Questions to Ask When Considering a Gap Year
Rebecca Kern

While it has been a longtime tradition for high school graduates in Europe to spend a "gap year" traveling the world and volunteering before college, this practice is becoming more popular and accepted in the United States. Here's answers to common questions related to taking a gap year

How Schools Can Achieve Obama's Lofty Education Goals
Richard Whitmire and Andrew J. Rotherham

Some significant education breakthroughs that promise to pay dividends for years to come have recently developed. Together they represent the country's best shot at achieving President Obama's ambitious goal of pushing the country back to the top of international education rankings--measured by college graduations by 2020. These developments include breakthroughs on answering these questions

First Lady Poses New Challenge to College Graduates
Rebecca Kern

Michelle Obama fulfilled her promise to speak to 5,000 graduates at The George Washington University commencement on the National Mall. In September 2009 she vowed that if the GW students, staff, faculty, and trustees completed 100,000 hours of community service, she would be their graduation speaker. Not only did the GW community rally to meet this goal, but the community far exceeded it

Texas State Board of Education: Textbook Wars
Cal Thomas

One war that always attracts public attention is the war over textbook content. Shaping how the next generation thinks is as much about politics and the way one views the world as it is about education. The Texas State Board of Education adopted new social study and history curricula. The vote is important because Texas is the second-largest textbook buyer and influences textbook content

A Crack in the School-Choice Dike
Cal Thomas

Few organizations are as consistently liberal as the Anti-Defamation League. Which makes it remarkable that the executive committee of ADL's Philadelphia chapter voted overwhelmingly in favor of endorsing vouchers to allow children in underperforming schools in poor neighborhoods to escape to schools that would give them a safer environment in which to learn and, thus, a better education

To the Graduates
Cal Thomas

It's been many years since I was asked to deliver a commencement address, so I've had a lot of time to think about what I might say. This would be my abridged speech to the Class of 2010

5 Social Media Tools for College Students
Rebecca Kern

Just as college students are using social media websites like Facebook and Twitter to share their social lives online, new social media tools are a way these students can share their academic work online as well. Here is a rundown of some social media tools college students can use to share everything from homework help to book rentals

5 Do's and Don'ts for College Students Using Social Media
Jeff Greer

As much as online social media tools have become commonplace on campus, there's still a caveat: The Internet can be misused, and missteps can be costly. Not only can you get yourself in trouble while you're still in school, but your Internet mischief can hurt you beyond your college years. Here's some key pointers for using social media

Guide to Great Educational Websites for Kids
David LaGesse

Parents will invariably turn to the TV and PC. But pediatricians and educators recommend that screen time for children be limited to a couple of hours a day. A growing number of Web sites can help ease the guilt with reasonably wholesome (even educational) fare that's also entertaining enough to keep a youngster's attention.

Steps to Relief From Federal Student Loans
Kim Clark

Falling behind on federal student or parent loan payments can be terrifying. But those having trouble making payments on federal education loans do have a growing number of attractive options to temporarily reduce or pause their monthly bills, or even get some of their debt forgiven. Here are 11 steps to get at least temporary financial relief while preserving good credit ratings

10 Cool Gadget Gifts for Grads
David LaGesse

Graduation is just around the corner for the nation's campuses, where a generation of students has grown up in a life of high-tech study and entertainment. The electronics store is a natural place to ponder gifts for work and play, and we save you some of the browsing with these 10 suggestions of useful and unusual devices from the tech world

Dear Commencement Speaker: Inspire Me
Kim Clark

With graduating college seniors facing record high unemployment figures, the timing couldn't be better to hear inspirational career advice. Colleges are recruiting top-name speakers for their commencement ceremonies this May to give their personal two cents on how to pursue one's dreams in a highly competitive job market

As College Decision Day Looms, Schools Say: Pick Me
Rebecca Kern

For years, college admissions officials have hustled to increase their school's percentage of admitted students who actually enroll in a college. But lately, as these methods have become commonplace, schools are pursuing creative alternatives to capture students' admissions deposits. Here's six colleges that went above and beyond their competitors to sway the remaining undecided students

11 Steps to Raise Last-Minute Cash for College
Kim Clark

Most states, colleges and charities award their scholarships by late March. But even in the late spring and early summer, there are steps students can take to raise thousands in quick college cash by the fall, say college financial aid officers.

6 Steps to Reducing Your Student Loan Costs
Kim Clark

If you can't get enough grants or scholarships, and have done all you can to reduce your costs, it may be a wise move to borrow -- in moderation and carefully -- for your graduate education. Here are some tips to reduce your graduate school debts.

It's Not Too Late to Apply for Scholarships
Kim Clark

Though many financial aid deadlines have passed by late April, college students who need to line up cash to pay for their fall semester after that still have time to apply for thousands of dollars worth of scholarships and cheap loans.

New Hope for Debtors Struggling With Student Loans
Kim Clark

Recent developments in Washington hold out new hopes for anyone struggling with student loans. Several Congressional Democrats, including Minnesota Sen. Al Franken and Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, are pushing for a reform to allow those who file for bankruptcy to get out from under at least some of their private educational loans.

School Competition Restores Hope
Robyn Blumner

Every year around this time, my hope for our nation is renewed. I may despair that Oklahoma just set the cause of women's bodily autonomy back 40 years and Arizona has made brown skin a basis for police interrogation, but then I judge the annual We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution competition, and my hope springs up like daffodils in the sun

College Courses That Will Pay Off at Work
Brian Burnsed

Nearly every college student sits through lengthy lectures and carts around mammoth textbooks. Unfortunately, these methods often do little to prepare students for their lives in the working world. Now, many graduate and undergraduate programs are supplementing lecture-driven classes with career-oriented offerings. Here are 10 examples of these courses and their potential benefits

6 Advantages to Federal Student Loans
Kim Clark

Some banks are marketing private educational loans with seemingly low interest rates. And some think they can save money and hassle by putting their college charges on their credit card. But those funding choices can end up costing thousands in extra interest and fees. Applying for Federal Student Aid and federal student loans can save big money and heartache. Here's why

How to Launch Your Career In a Lousy Economy
Matthew Bandyk

Many people have to make compromises in recessions. But first-time job seekers may be forced to pay a price bigger than just working at a job that's not their top choice. However, a growing body of academic research suggests that where you begin your career does matter. Here's how to Launch Your Career In a Lousy Economy

The Rise of Asia's Universities
Richard C. Levin

The rapid economic development of Asia since World War II has forever altered the global balance of power. These countries recognize the importance of an educated work force to economic growth, and they understand that investing in research makes their economies more innovative and competitive.

How to Get Your Child Into the Right College
Robert Pagliarini

As high school graduation nears, the focus shifts to college. There are several new and useful resources you should take advantage of that can help kids get into the right school and give them the tools they need to have a successful college experience.

A Word for the Rejects
Paul Greenberg

In households across America this time of year, there is a sense of expectation. And dread. Families await the arrival of that all-important letter, the one that will determine the kid's future. Everything depends on the admissions office at Harvard. Or Yale. Or some perfect little ivy-covered school in the New England woods that looks like a Currier and Ives engraving.

Business Schools' Great Ethics Debate
Matthew Bandyk

Faced with a recession-trashed job market, students have been applying to M.B.A. programs in greater numbers since 2008. That's bad news for the many critics who charged that it was graduates of these M.B.A. programs who helped create the recession in the first place. Recognizing that they are now under a microscope, many business schools are re-evaluating the importance of business ethics

Jobs With Great Return on Investment
Liz Wolgemuth

A college degree was once a kind of insurance against high tides of unemployment, but this downturn took plenty of white collar, degree-necessary jobs with it. What's more, it's no longer a given that an advanced degree will launch you into the upper echelon of earners. For those who feel pressure to make the most of their education, here are some careers that offer major bang for the buck.

Colleges Go Green for Earth Day
Zach Miners

Earth Day, held each April 22 to inspire awareness of and action for the Earth's environment, is on the horizon, and colleges are well aware. Colleges and universities across the country are celebrating the day through panel discussions, presentations, and academic lessons. But some schools are also getting creative

Maximizing an Online Education
Rebecca Kern

With a slowly recovering economy and high unemployment, more people are using online educational programs to learn new skills in order to transfer into new careers or advance in their current fields. Online education experts weigh in on how to find the right online program and how to successfully complete a degree or certificate program online

Student Loan Crunch May Be Easing
Kim Clark

Demand for graduate student loans has never been higher as alternative financial aid options dry up just as record numbers of adults try to improve their employability. Luckily, the supply of federal education loans is still ample for all citizens who have at least average credit. Here's a guide from financial aid counselors for finding sufficient and affordable loans

Internships Near Necessity in Quest to Find Job in Today's Market
Brian Burnsed

Traditionally, earning a college degree has been cause for celebration. For most, the achievement signaled the onset of adulthood and offered the promise of a career that would start in mere months, if not weeks. But in today's job market, undergraduates who leave school armed only with a degree may not be so fortunate.

You Can Work Your Way Through 11 Grad Degrees
Kim Clark

You don't need scholarships or family savings to afford a graduate degree at even the most expensive university, says Benjamin Bolger. He should know. The 34-year-old lousy speller has earned -- no kidding -- 11 graduate degrees from some of the world's most expensive and elite universities.

Turn Education Into New Job: Short-term Routes Lead to Career Growth
Rebecca Kern

If you're concerned about career potential, you may want to consider furthering your education or training. Advancing in your current field or transitioning into a new career may mean getting a program certificate or an associate's or bachelor's degree. The majority of these programs can be completed online so that you can keep your day job while preparing for your new one

You've Been Put on the Wait List for College. Now What?
Zach Miners

Nobody likes being strung along. But if you're one of the roughly 10 percent of college applicants today who find themselves on a waiting list -- the basic equivalent of purgatory when it comes to admissions -- that's pretty much what it feels like. If you are wait listed, here are some things to keep in mind

Colleges Attract Students With Unique Campus Tours
Rebecca Kern

As colleges try to attract more prospective students and families to their campuses, they are enhancing their tours to make them memorable experiences that stand out from other college campuses.

Questions to Ask on College Campus Tours
Rebecca Kern

Spring marks the beginning of the marathon of college campus visits with mom and dad. We spoke with five college tour guides, from private and public schools in cities and suburbs across the country, to find the important questions you should ask in order to learn the most about each school on your campus tour itinerary.

Jaime Escalante: He Had Ganas
Paul Greenberg

The child of schoolteachers, Jaime Escalante would grow up to teach math and physics in La Paz, Bolivia, till political unrest led him and his family to emigrate to the States in 1963. Over the next few years, he would work as a busboy and cook while getting his associate degree at Pasadena College, then a bachelor's at Cal State. Typical immigrant story. Only Jaime Escalante wasn't typical

Getting Into Graduate School Made Tougher by Recession
Brian Burnsed

Many graduate schools across the country have seen application levels significantly jump over the past two years. And while some schools can accommodate the rise by accepting more students, many are simply having to say no more often, turning away students that they would've otherwise accepted without the deluge of applications.

Five Minority School Districts In Running for Broad Prize
Zach Miners

Five school districts -- all in predominantly Southern states -- were announced by the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation as being finalists for the 2010 Broad Prize for Urban Education, an annual $2 million award that honors low-income school districts of at least 100,000 students that are making the greatest progress toward raising student achievement

How to Pick the Best College for You and Your Wallet
Zach Miners

Students applying to college and for financial aid are being hit with a double whammy right now: Acceptance letters and financial aid packages are making their way into mailboxes, and certain provisions in the controversial healthcare bill recently signed by President Obama promise big changes to the student loan industry. To get the skinny, we spoke with Mark Kantrowitz

8 Big Mistakes Online Students Make
Kim Clark

Teachers of online courses say students often fall victim to these common mistakes, which can cost them lots of money and hurt their academic records

Online Certificate Programs Offer Fast Track to New Career
Rebecca Kern

If you're considering changing careers or have lost a job and want to learn new skills, an online certificate program may be what you need. These programs are offered through strictly online institutions as well as the online arms of traditional campus-based schools

No Child Left Behind & Reform Killing Public Education
Kenneth Terrell

Diane Ravitch became known as an advocate of reform via school choice, charter schools, and accountability. But to the surprise of many, Ravitch now opposes those strategies in her book The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice Are Undermining Education. Ravitch recently spoke with us about her new views.

Big Changes Coming to Student Loans
Kim Clark

By eliminating taxpayer subsidies to middlemen who marketed and originated federal student loans, the Obama administration says it will save more than $60 billion over the next 10 years that will be spent on more and bigger grants, easier repayment terms, and even a little deficit reduction. Here are some answers to the most important questions about the new student loan landscape

YouTube the New Essay in College Applications
Rebecca Kern

George Mason, Tufts, and St. Mary's College of Maryland are the first colleges to accept videos as part of their applications for admission. George Mason and St. Mary's accept the videos as a supplement or in lieu of a written essay, while Tufts currently accepts them only as a supplement to the application.

Colleges Where Need for Aid Can Hurt Admission Odds
Kim Clark

To keep their financial aid budgets from soaring, some colleges limit the number of needy students they admit, which means they reject some otherwise qualified students who can't afford their $40,000-plus price tags.

High School Senior's Advice on Picking Right College
Zach Miners

Jessica Iori, a senior at Poly Prep Country Day School in Brooklyn, N.Y., must be feeling a wee bit overwhelmed right now. She applied to 15 schools (and dropped more than $1,000 in the process) and so far has heard back from 10. So if there is anyone who can offer solid advice on how to weigh your options when considering multiple college acceptances, it would probably be her

7 Steps to Find a Great Affordable College
Kim Clark

Continuing budget cuts, drops in scholarship funding, and increases in tuition have made it harder for high school seniors who need financial aid to find colleges likely to admit and fund them. But college counselors say there are seven basic steps to developing a list of schools likely to help low- and middle-income students' chances for affordable degrees.

Do Colleges Prefer Rich Applicants
Kim Clark

An analysis comparing colleges' admissions and aid policies with the number of low income students they actually enroll raises questions about the effectiveness--and, some critics charge, the sincerity--of some colleges' pledges to be 'need-blind' in admissions and to 'meet needs' with lots of scholarships.

How to Pick the 'Right' College
Zach Miners

Supposedly, the pressure is off. You've suffered through the arduous college application process, you've survived the waiting game, and now (hopefully) you've got some fat envelopes to sort through. But if you don't have a clear first choice, your final task -- actually choosing a college -- can be pretty nerve-wracking. Here's expert advice about choosing a college

Latin America Leads in School Laptops
Andres Oppenheimer

The massive delivery of free laptops for schoolchildren -- begun on an experimental basis nearly three years ago in Uruguay -- is booming throughout Latin America, and will have both positive and disturbing effects on future generations in the region.

NCAA Men's Basketball Graduation Rate Disparity Between Races Grows
Brian Burnsed

While college basketball players graduate at a higher rate than nonathletes, the NAACP and the Department of Education argue that universities are leaving some of their student-athletes behind. Their concern arises from the expanding fissure between graduation rates of white and African-American college basketball players.

NCAA March Madness & Diploma Sadness
Clarence Page

We often sell our young people short when we judge their academic potential. They respond to our low expectations with low achievement, especially in the entertainment industry known as college sports.

You're In! And Here's a Free T-Shirt
Zach Miners

We did some research to see exactly how college admissions officers are notifying students of their admittance decisions, and we found that more and more schools are turning to the Internet and bling-bling in a multipronged effort to connect with students on their digital turf, to lock in commitments from wavering applicants, and to make their college stand out from the pack

Don't Know Much About History and Don't Wanna
Mary Sanchez

This an illustrative lesson in just how treacherous the waters will become as the nation seeks to standardize what is taught in America's public schools. The Texas board's deliberations about social studies have been unabashedly political.

How to Avoid Expensive Financial Aid Mistakes
Kim Clark

Procrastination and tricky financial aid rules have been costing millions of college students big bucks. But new efforts to make the Free Application for Federal Student Aid easier may enable more students to qualify for more money. Here's how

Alternative Spring Breaks Combine Service & Learning
Rebecca Kern

Instead of relaxing on white, sandy beaches this spring break, thousands of college students will travel around the globe to volunteer for a variety of social justice causes. Known as 'alternative spring breaks,' these are public-service-oriented trips, planned and led by students, that focus on volunteerism and education about social justice issues in the United States or overseas.

How to Relax and Ace Your College Midterms
Zach Miners

You might think that studying for a midterm is just like studying for anything else -- you might even opt to skip studying and just wing it. But, midterms can be just as challenging and important as finals. We asked students, alumni, and staff from a variety of schools across the country what advice they would give to those who are about to sit for midterms

Free Online Course Offerings Grow in Abundance and Popularity
Rebecca Kern

More and more universities across the country and throughout the world are contributing their full courses and materials, including video lectures, to their school websites as well as sites such as iTunes U and YouTube EDU. And the cost of these courses that are normally worth thousands of dollars in tuition? Zero.

Bigger Tuition Bills and Student Loans Coming in 2011
Kim Clark

Some of the nation's wealthiest and most generous colleges are asking their students to earn and borrow more to pay for college. And several of those are now saying that they can't increase their aid budget fast enough to keep up with the growing number of students who don't have enough savings to pay for college. As a result, many colleges will ask some freshmen to shoulder a larger share.

Will You Get Enough Financial Aid?
Kim Clark

Students and parents looking to choose a college likely to award them sufficient grants can ask the college's financial aid office about 10 major factors that help determine just how big their financial aid offer will probably be

New Rules Protect Students from Credit Card Issuers
Brian Burnsed

Credit Card issuers have long bombarded college students with solicitations via mail and enticed them to sign up for credit cards on campus by promising free food or other items in return for their signatures. The ease with which students could acquire cards has astounded some. That's no longer the case. The CARD Act of 2009 will offer protections for college-age consumers

MIT Professor's Online Lectures Gain International Audience
Rebecca Kern

MIT mathematics professor Gilbert Strang knows how to reach a mass audience. His video lecture -- downloaded over 1.8 million times since 2003 -- is part of MIT's 'OpenCourseWare' website, which offers nearly 2,000 MIT courses free. Strang shares his views on online education and the impact it can have on students and education around the world in this recent interview.

Student Loan Industry Lobbyists March on Washington
Ulrich Boser

In an effort to prevent the Senate from passing a reform bill that would make college affordable for all, the student loan industry has mounted a massive lobbying campaign to keep its vast government subsidies. Loan giant Sallie Mae alone currently has more than 20 lobbyists blanketing the Hill, trying to sink an effort to reduce college costs and take the middle man out of student lending.

Colleges Take Action to Boost Minority Grad Rates
Zach Miners

Only about 40 percent of underrepresented minority students graduate from college within six years; the same statistic for nonminorities is 60 percent. Experts say that much of the disparity in graduation rates can be attributed to the different economic backgrounds students bring when they enter college, a criterion in which minorities tend to be disadvantaged.

Online Education Scholarships Help Parents Return to School
Rebecca Kern

Online learning site eLearners.com has helped parents overcome the three main barriers to returning to school: time, money, and lack of confidence. eLearners.com launched Project Working Mom 2010, a program created to award up to 285 full-tuition scholarships from eight accredited online institutions worth about $5 million in total to working mothers and fathers.

How to Solve School Reform
Reader Comments

The most important factor in academic success for the majority of students is having support and encouragement outside of the classroom. At the high school level, each teacher only has contact with individual students for a few hours per week. The influences from outside the classroom will easily counteract the efforts of the most dynamic and effective teachers.

Online Education Continues Its Meteoric Growth
Jeff Greer

Online college education is expanding -- rapidly. More than 4.6 million college students were taking at least one online course at the start of the 2008-2009 school year. That's more than 1 in 4 college students, and it's a 17 percent increase from 2007. Two major factors for the soaring numbers in the 2008-2009 school year are the sour economy and H1N1.

Online Learning Gets High Praise From Bill Gates
Zach Miners

In his 2010 annual letter, recently posted to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation website, Bill Gates makes a pretty strong case for incorporating different elements of the Internet -- specifically, online video and interactive lessons -- into both K-12 and higher education.

10 Steps to Raise $15K or More for College Now
Kim Clark

As the economy has declined and college costs have risen, families have buckled down and become more resourceful to pay for college. Here's how more students are affording tuition when many colleges' prices are at record highs and many scholarship programs, private lenders, and family savings accounts have been wiped out

Unique Ways to Go Green if You're Living in a Dorm
Zach Miners

College is often termed the best years of your life. Now, recent trends suggest that it is also becoming pretty green. A growing number of colleges and universities are seeking ways to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, many with energy-efficient facilities and construction projects. And there are many things individuals can do to reduce their impact on the environment.

Rich Students Will Get More College Acceptance Letters in 2010
Kim Clark

Admissions officers and counselors say that hundreds of colleges are so desperate for cash this year that they will be reserving more spots for students who can afford to pay full tuition and don't need financial aid.

No Child Left Behind Was Doomed By Its Flaws
Randi Weingarten

What have we learned from the No Child Left Behind Act? Unfortunately, most of what we have learned shows that while the law's mission of creating high standards for all children was critical, its faulty emphasis on tests and punishing schools in need of help hasn't strengthened public education.

Lessons From No Child Left Behind
Margaret Spellings

What lessons have we learned from No Child Left Behind? Plenty. Because schools are now required to find out how each student is doing every year in reading and math. Now that we have annual assessment data that is disaggregated by student group, we can diagnose and correct weaknesses in instruction and learning.

Making No Child Left Behind Work
Andrew J. Rotherham

It is hard to find a national issue with a worse noise-to-signal ratio than the No Child Left Behind law. The contentiousness, obfuscation, and sometimes blatant misrepresentations leave parents, teachers, and policymakers baffled about what it requires or what its effects are ...

States Must Take Lead on Improving No Child Left Behind
Michael Cohen

No Child Left Behind represents a continuation of a 45-year federal commitment to improving the education of poor children. The law's greatest achievement was insisting that data on student achievement be broken down and reported by subgroups, focusing the attention of educators and policymakers right where it belongs

Trends in Financial Aid in 2010
Kim Clark

College will cost more in 2010. That, unfortunately, will very likely be the reality for most college students this year. But the news isn't all bad. Financial aid experts asked to predict what 2010 would bring to their campuses and students also highlighted eight happy trends that should encourage those worried about paying for college

How to Get into College After You Apply
Zach Miners

No one knows better the inside tricks for maximizing your chances of getting into college -- even after you've submitted your applications -- than admissions officers themselves. Here is some advice from a handful of admissions experts on how to navigate the less clear-cut aspects of the application process.

You've Submitted Your College Application. Now What?
Zach Miners

For most students applying on regular deadlines, the college application season has ended. But just because your applications are sent out, that doesn't necessarily mean your work trying to get accepted at your favorite school is over. Counselors and admissions officers at schools across the country say there are still some things you can do to get an edge

Applying for Financial Aid Will Be Easier in 2010
Kim Clark

Parents and students stressed about getting financial aid for college can celebrate at least a little good news at the start of 2010. While the total amount of grants and scholarships likely to be handed out this year won't be anywhere near enough to meet most students' needs, at least it will be easier to apply for aid. Here's how ...

D.C. Schools Chief Michelle Rhee Fights Union Over Teacher Pay
Lauren Smith

In her quest to revive Washington's public school system, Chancellor Michelle Rhee is pushing innovative but contentious ideas, one of which has garnered her national attention: whether teacher pay can be tied directly to student performance.

Rewarding Talented Teachers
Reader Comments

The whole situation of teacher tenure is actually tied to the economy. For many years, school districts were so desperate for teachers that they hired almost anyone 'with a pulse' and then did anything to retain them. The word 'evaluation' was rarely mentioned. Tenure was offered in part to compensate for inadequate salaries.

Charter Schools Rise in New Orleans After Hurricane Katrina
Alexandra Fenwick

For parents in the new New Orleans, selecting a school is a dizzying process. More than four years after Hurricane Katrina swept away much of the city, parents who return find an almost unrecognizable school system where charters have replaced traditional schools in unprecedented numbers. Many traditional schools also have changed to meet the needs of returning families.

How to Get In-State Tuition: Going to school out of state can be cheaper than staying near home
Kim Clark

The hype about colleges' heightened admissions standards and skyrocketing tuition in crowded and financially troubled states such as California may be drowning out the surprising reality that many affordable public colleges in less populated areas are eager for students and are willing to cut good deals.

Lawmakers must enhance education for all even those behind bars
Andrew J. Rotherham

Today more than 100,000 juveniles are incarcerated around the country. Schools for prisoners are obviously the extreme of the alternative school spectrum. In New York City incarcerated youth make up just a fraction of the 70,000 students in alternative setting. Nonetheless, these schools illustrate the many ways that traditional public schools cannot possibly meet the diverse needs of all American students.

Congress Considers Cutting D.C. School Voucher Program
Zach Miners

Thousands of D.C. families have found themselves in limbo as Congress debates whether to continue the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program, the first and only federally funded education voucher plan in the country

Many Schools Find Ways to Close the Achievement Gap
Karin Chenoweth

From New York to Arkansas to California, many schools have found ways to help disadvantaged students learn better

States Lead Way on Shared Education Approaches
Michael Cohen

In many schools, this spotlight and the growing pressures of the No Child law's accountability provisions were sufficient to spark improved teaching and learning. But there has been too little improvement in the lowest-performing schools, where the challenges are the most severe.

Tips for Student Success
Reader Comments

Plans to recruit, retain, and reward high-performing teachers are a great way to supply schools with passionate and devoted teachers who push their students to achieve more. But teachers alone cannot make students successful.

Good Objectives Weighed Down by Fatal Flaws
Randi Weingarten

What have we learned from the No Child Left Behind Act? In a word: lots. Unfortunately, most of what we have learned shows that while the law's mission of creating high standards for all children was critical, its focus on stakes and sticks hasn't strengthened public education.

Measuring the Value of Accountability
Margaret Spellings

What lessons have we learned from the historic legislation known as No Child Left Behind? The most gratifying is that more kids are learning their lessons. How do we know? Because our schools are now required to find out how each student is doing every year in the key building-block subjects.

Moving From 'What' to 'How' in Education Policy
Andrew J. Rotherham

It is hard to find a national issue with a worse noise-to-signal ratio than the No Child Left Behind law. The contentiousness, obfuscation, and sometimes blatant misrepresentations leave parents, teachers, and policymakers baffled about what it requires or what its effects are. They likewise obscure issues the law has clearly highlighted and the steps policymakers can take to make the next version better.

The Challenge to Find a New Standard
Zach Miners

While the impact No Child Left Behind has had on the nation's classroom is still the subject of fervent debate, there's no doubt that the Obama administration intends to strike a new path for education reform.

Helping Schools Make the Grade
Jessica Calefati

Steve Barr founded Green Dot Public Schools in 1999 with the mission of transforming secondary education in Los Angeles. He comes from a long background of service. Barr has taught educators to think differently about student's potential.

Education chief tackles test scores and teacher pay
Kim Clark

With billions in stimulus funding, Education Secretary Arne Duncan has more power to create change than any of his predecessors. He spoke with Kim Clark about how he intends to do it.

Can School Reform Ever Really Work
Kim Clark

America has tried many strategies over the decades to reverse the slow, steady decline in its public schools. Few of these have delivered real results. Now President Obama has launched the Race to the Top campaign to improve schools by holding students to higher standards, paying bonuses to teachers whose students excel, and replacing the worst

Catching Students Before They Fall Behind
Jessica Calefati

College readiness is a top priority at each of the Aldine Independent School District's high schools, and academic success led Aldine to win this year's Broad Prize for Urban Education, an honor bestowed annually on the most improved urban school district

The Yearbook Faces Competition from Facebook
Zach Miners

Challenged by the amount of time and energy today's teenagers devote to staying up to date on their friends' Facebook or MySpace pages and Twitter feeds, the traditional school yearbook is facing an identity crisis. The extent to which today's students will prefer to share their high school reminiscences via online social networks a few years from now is unclear

Stuyvesant and Bronx Science New York City Schools Share a Drive to Be Tops
Diane Cole

Imagine a bustling, urban public high school whose alumni include Nobel Prize winners, government officials, world-class writers, musicians, actors, scholars. Now imagine two such schools: the Bronx High School of Science and Stuyvesant High School

Obama's Extreme School Makeover
Kim Clark

President Obama has launched an education initiative called Race to the Top. He has set aside at least $4.3 billion for controversial education reforms he argues are needed to raise American students' dismal scores on international tests and improve their chances of succeeding in the global economy.

Success Testament to Teachers and Students
Christopher J. Gearon

Dilapidated schools are not unique to Nashville. Districts nationwide are dealing with aging, deteriorating schools in the face of crumbling capital and maintenance budgets, made worse by the economy. One quarter of U.S. school districts report deferring maintenance this school year, nearly twice last year's number

Colleges Try to Take the Stress Out of Finals
Zach Miners

While taking finals may not be fun, at least the time spent between them can be enjoyable

Should Your Kids Pay for College Themselves
Kim Clark

It is tempting for parents whose savings and earnings have been wiped out by the economic downturn to tell their teens: "We love you. We want you to go to college, but we can't afford to pay tuition right now. You're on your own." The immediate cash savings are certainly tempting. But the long-term impact on the cut-off children could be devastating

Will Obama's School Reform Plan Work?
Kim Clark

President Obama's plan faces the same obstacles that have hindered previous attempts to fix schools. Now President Obama has launched the Race to the Top campaign to improve schools by holding students to higher standards, paying bonuses to teachers whose students excel, and replacing the worst schools with supposedly nimbler and more intimate charter schools.

States Compete for Obama School Reform Funds
Kim Clark

Racial desegregation. Mainstreaming of the handicapped. No Child Left Behind. At least three times in the past 60 years, the federal government has radically transformed public schools, with varied results. Here comes another attempt as President Obama has launched an education initiative called Race to the Top

Republicans and Democrats Can Embrace Obama's Race to the Top for Education
Mary Kate Cary

What's at stake is $4.3 billion in stimulus money, by far the largest pool of discretionary education funding in American history. It's all going into the Race to the Top fund, to be awarded to the states between now and June 2010. The idea is to do it without the usual expansion of the federal bureaucracy and to leverage federal dollars to get states to think outside the box.

No Child Left Behind Law Loses Support
Zach Miners

When President George W. Bush signed No Child Left Behind in 2002, the policy met with bipartisan praise and looked set to become the most influential federal reform of the nation's schools since desegregation in the 1950s. Today, efforts to reauthorize the law--something that was scheduled to happen in 2007 -- continue to languish in Congress

The School-to-Prison Pipeline
Robert Koehler

This is our school system in much of Poverty America: an ill-funded, desperate and deteriorating bureaucracy of bad ideas and entrenched disrespect for everyone -- especially those who care. One result of this situation is what is known as the school-to-prison pipeline.

Three Cheers for Community Colleges
Joyce Lain Kennedy

Some observers worry that we've hit the college-price ceiling, as costs appear to be trumping prestige at a time when jobs are scarce. Families look at the price tag of name-brand schools and, in a growing number of cases, decide they can't handle the freight

4 Things You Should Know About Community College
Zach Miners

The economic downturn has helped to spark a surge of interest in low-cost, two-year community colleges, which give students the option to transfer their credits to a four-year school. Here are four things to keep in mind when considering community college ...

Why Rebound in Economy Is Bad for Scholarship Applicants
Kim Clark

When the economy was in free fall early in 2009, officials at hundreds of private colleges felt a little panic: How would they find enough qualified students? So they dramatically increased the amount of grants and scholarships they offered to students.

Education: Something Worth Protesting About
Mary Sanchez

Students barricaded themselves in buildings, pumped out lists of demands to administrators and staged what they called study-ins. But the issue at the heart of the unrest was not war. It was something many would consider more mundane: tuition hikes.

Paying Off Student Loans Requires Smart Decisions
Kathy Kristof

Last June's college graduates face a tough choice this month. That's when the automatic six-month deferment on their student loans expires, forcing them to start repaying the money or beg for additional time. Never have students been so deep in debt and so unprepared to pay.

Where to Start if You Want to Be a Rhodes Scholar
Zach Miners

Rhodes Scholarships are seen as investments in individuals, rather than in, say, highbrow research proposals. But that doesn't mean getting a scholarship is easy. Each year, the 32 American Rhodes scholars are culled from an initial pool of roughly 1,500 undergraduates and recent college grads. Here's some information to get you started

Help Your Kids Learn Better
Lilian Presti

In a country where nearly three million students are receiving special education services for a learning disability, many parents are hungry for ways to support their children's learning. The problem many children face is they've lost their zest for learning. Here's a few key steps to reinforce learning

Education: The Cost of Dropping Out to All of Us
Mary Sanchez

It will take a significant change in policy for this nation to overcome its appalling school dropout problem, but maybe the place to start is coming up with a good slogan

U.S. Civil Rights Commission Investigates College Admission Bias
Zach Miners

The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights is investigating whether college admission offices are discriminating against female applicants to achieve gender balance in their student bodies.

10 Secrets to Raising More Than $15,000 for College
Kim Clark

How are more students affording tuition even though many colleges' prices are at record highs and many scholarship programs, private lenders, and family savings accounts have been wiped out? Here's 10 secrets to raising more than $15,000 for college

No Child Left Behind and the Brewing Fight Over Education
Andrew J. Rotherham

Although the landmark education law is overdue for its scheduled five-year overhaul, contentiousness left the last Congress unable to even get a bill out of committee. This year other issues made it easy for Congress to put off the tough work of revamping the law.

Military to Debut Virtual School
Zach Miners

When new assignments force members of the armed forces to move, it often means children need to switch schools. In some military families, children change schools multiple times during the course of their academic lives. The Department of Defense says that the disruptions can produce setbacks in students' schooling, but department officials are working to fix that: They're developing the military's first online virtual high school

Tapping the Power of the Local Library
David LaGesse

Doing research in our pajamas is a huge benefit of the Web and modern computers. But committed readers and researchers still want access to local libraries, with their vast troves of books, periodicals, and reference works. The best of both worlds? Tapping into your library over the Web, 24 hours a day

College President Salaries Continued to Climb
Kim Clark

News of the rising costs of administrators comes as colleges continue to raise their tuition faster than inflation. The College Board reported last month that the average private university has raised tuition by almost $4,000 since 2006 to $26,273, 10 percentage points faster than inflation. Republican Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa 'wonders if these colleges are giving away the store when they sign contracts with employees.' He said raises for administrators seem 'out of sync with the reality'

Taking the Kids To San Francisco's California Academy of Sciences
Eileen Ogintz

We're at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, which in the year since it has re-opened has emerged as the city's top cultural tourist attraction, drawing more visitors than Alcatraz

Which High School Students Are Most Likely to Graduate From College
Kim Clark

A study finds surprising evidence about which students are really on the path to a college degree. Some of the nation's best-respected educational researchers are likely to reconsider much conventional wisdom today with the release of surprising findings from an analysis of educational records of more than 200,000 freshmen who started at public four-year colleges in 1999.

Teacher Tenure Must Go
Jonah Goldberg

America's large school systems are a disaster. Yes, this disaster has many authors. Schools are expected to fix larger social problems that are best dealt with by parents. Good teachers aren't paid nearly enough, and bad teachers are kept around, draining budgets. Education bureaucracies siphon off vast resources better spent on classrooms

'Guaranteed' College Savings Plans May Soon Break Promises
Kim Clark

In a blow to parents already panicked about their ability to save enough for their children's college costs, some of the safest-sounding college savings plans are foundering.

Questions to Ask Before Investing in a Prepaid College Savings Plan
Kim Clark

Despite all their faults, experts say some of the better 'guaranteed' college savings plans are still good options for anyone whose kids are likely to attend participating schools. Like all '529' savings plans, the 'guaranteed' plans enjoy lucrative tax breaks. Contributions to the special education accounts build up tax free as long as the money is eventually used for tuition or school supplies.

College Education Concerns in the 21st Century
(c) M. Ryder

Turning Two Years Into Four
Carol Frey

Can't come up with the money for four years at a traditional college? What if you could take the same courses far more cheaply, experience life on a residential campus, and transfer smoothly after two years to complete your bachelor's degree at the university you thought you couldn't afford? That's the attraction of many community colleges.

7 Ways to Cut Thousands from your College Costs
by Kim Clark

Many students are ratcheting their budgets downward because of reduced incomes and financial aid. Nevertheless, college aid officers still see plenty of students appealing for aid for what the colleges call "lifestyle" expenses.

• Secrets to Finding a Student Loan
• Is Student Debt Really a Problem?
• The Challenge for Black Colleges
• First-rate Colleges Not as Selective as the Top Universities
• Different Paths to a College Degree
• Unified Admissions, Affordable Loans and 'Gap Years' -- Might Help American Colleges
• SAT Offers Level Playing Field in College Admissions process
• Students are More than SAT Scores and Numbers in College Admissions Process
• Dreaded Financial Aid Form will be Easier to Fill Out Next Year
• Casting the Widest Possible Net: College Tuition Assistance & Financial Aid
• Serious Tracking to Hunt Down Cheapest Student Loans
• Calculating the Hidden Costs of College
• Regional Agreements allow Hefty Discount for Students from Nearby States
• The Real Secret of College Admissions
• Healthcare Giving Students Opportunity to Pay their Way through College
• Students & Professors use Twitter to Communicate Inside & Outside the Classroom
• Budget Cuts Hit Nation's Public Colleges Hard, Even as Demand for Well-educated Workforce Soars
• Women's Colleges have had to Broaden their Appeal and Support
• Best Tech for the Collegebound
• School Lunches Go Vegetarian
• An Amazon Kindle for Every Student
• Technology as Our Teacher
• New Path to a Career in Education
• Keep Back-to-School Shopping Costs Down
• Tough Job Market for Law School Students
• Our Colleges, A Quiet Crisis
• Hidden Costs of College Education Really Add Up
• New Benefits Help Veterans Go to College
• How Much Do Colleges Really Teach Students?
• New Student Loan Repayment Plan Is Based on Borrower's Income
• School's Over Way Too Soon, Literally
• Supreme Court: Strip Search of 13-Year-Old Unconstitutional
• Presumption and Assumption: Government Failures in Education
• In Urban Classrooms, Least Experienced Teach Neediest Kids: Novices learn on the job & children suffer
• College Graduates Get Lesson in Hard Economic Times
• Which Colleges Leave Students With Most Debt
• Web a Starting Place for Selecting a College