Bad News For the Rest of the Country December 3, 2008 by Mara Strom The cost of college tuition is skyrocketing around the country with one exception: California.  In a recent study by the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, the state of California is the only state in the Union that got a passing mark for affordability of in-state tuition. The biennial study evaluates how well higher education is serving the in-state residents.  49 states earned an F, up from 43 states just two years ago.  Only California squeaked by with a passing grade — a C — thanks to its inexpensive network of community colleges. The main cause for the nearly across-the-board flunking? The inaffordability of school, which is calculated based on what percentage tuition represents...

August 4, 2008 by Mara Strom With the first day of college right around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about all those beginning of semester start-up costs. Are you trying to stretch your scholarship dollars? Or make your work-study money go as far as possible? Over the next few Mondays at the Financial Aid Finder, I’m going to focus on some frugal(ish) ways to save money and reduce your overall expenses. This week, we’re talking about textbooks. Books are often one of those unplanned — or under-planned — for expenses that can really bust your budget. The cost of books has gone up more than 180 percent in the last decade and it’s not unusual for students to blow $1,000 or more on buying them. Given that textbooks are unavoidable (assuming you...