Let 204 district save you some cash on college!!

[moneypit]

Oct 20, 2008 16:10:39 GMT -6 casey said:

Oct 20, 2008 14:56:19 GMT -6 moneypit said:

And please accept this decision to move to Peotone is being made in the best interest of the entire district, so sit down, and shut up. Taking one for the team is expected, and appreciated.

Nope. No "please" or "appreciated".

It should say "accept this decision to move to Peotone is being made in the best interest of the entire district, so sit down, and shut up. Taking one for the team is expected - PERIOD." You are giving the SB way too much credit!

What was I think casey. Weak moment I guess....or maybe it was the Bud Light talking.

[lorip]

Oct 19, 2008 16:13:38 GMT -6 doctorwho said:

Oct 19, 2008 15:09:59 GMT -6 rew said:

My understading, from an article in the NVHS Echo, is that the lease for Frontier expires in two years and a decision to extend it has not been made.

will be an interesting decision to see what they do - where it is located today, it is an invconvenience at best, restricted at worst, for kids at Metea....who will be ready to use it then.

It's my understanding that they hope to bring some of these Frontier classes into the existing HS buildings and expand on the offerings, as well.

[refbasics]

Oct 20, 2008 11:02:50 GMT -6 rew said:

The interesting part is that the district is partnered with COD. I wonder how COD feels about the program?

I suppose they could continue to offer classes at the Fry bldng, or they could partner with D203? Or perhaps they would like to try a more central location to attract more students.

A lot of kids are "sold" on the concept. I wonder what kind of parent backlash would result from discontinuing it? Perhaps the board will use Frontier as a weapon for the next ref..." Vote YES or it disappears"

-------------------------------

i am new to all these college things since i have a junior, and starting the process.

does anyone actually know of students who have earned college credit classes from taking AP or frontier classes in D204?

i was at a college program the other nite for wash u (washington university at st louis). the professor of engineering at the program said that kids who passed AP classes would be 'welcome' to take upper level classes rather than entry level classes

... i think he was saying you don't escape paying for any college credit hours.

is that just wash u, or what?

[Arch]

Each college sets its own policies on how to treat AP test scores. Some will give you credit for a # or better on the test, others will treat them as simply fulfilling a prerequisite, some will completely ignore it and other places may do something in between.

You have to get a specific answer from the place you are interested in.

[southsidesignmaker]

Arch you are absolutely correct on each school's policies, also note that different departments (colleges) within the same university can have different criteria/policy with regard to AP courses.

[moneypit]

As one example, my daughter is started her college career this year and her Frontier credits did count.

[Arch]

Oct 22, 2008 10:05:28 GMT -6 moneypit said:

As one example, my daughter is started her college career this year and her Frontier credits did count.

Can you share where this was?

When I went to UF, they accepted my 3 on the Calc AP test and loved the 5 on the Bio test for actual credit... allowed my 4 years of German to allow me to slide straight into German 2 (no credit given) and my Western Civ and 20th Century World dual-enrollment classes I took with Broward Community College in the 11th grade counted for full credit.

Many other colleges I looked at were not going to be as lenient with the calc test score and the bio score would have only allowed me to slide into a more advanced course w/out giving actual credit.

[southsidesignmaker]

Student loan fugitives
When faced with unaffordable monthly payments and relentless creditors, some see leaving the country as their only way out.

By Jen Haley, CNN
October 24, 2008: 7:12 AM ET
money.cnn.com/2008/10/23/pf/colle....sion=2008102407

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Carl, a Florida native now living overseas, is afraid to move back to the United States. That's because he can't afford to pay his student loans.

Carl (who doesn't want his last name used) stopped making his $450 monthly payments after his family incurred some unexpected medical expenses, and his $55,000 private loans went into default. That's when the phone calls from debt collectors started, and Carl decided not to come back.

"It was made clear that if I ever came home, I'm screwed," says Carl.

Today, he estimates his private loans are more than $70,000. Though he hopes to move home one day, for now, staying abroad is the only option he can see.

"If it means I have to live in exile from friends and family...well, that's the breaks. So be it. But I won't put my family in a situation where they are afraid," he says.

While most Americans are burdened with debt of some kind, student loan repayment can be a particularly scary prospect for young people struggling to start a career. Payments are often higher than expected, and the loans can't easily be discharged. Added pressure from debt collectors causes some grads to flee their loans by fleeing the country.

"These are people new to borrowing and they didn't understand what they were getting into," says Mark Kantrowitz of Finaid.org, an online student loan information Web site. "It's a very sorry situation that it comes to students feeling they have no option than to leave the country," he says. "It's a sign the system is broken."

To date, there is about $60 billion in defaulted student loan debt according to Chris Lang of the New York-based debt collection agency, ConServe. But while skipping town to avoid paying student loans isn't very common - Lang estimates that only about 2% to 4% of delinquent student loan debt is owed from students abroad - for some, it seems like the only way out.

International addresses make it more difficult to find people, and collection companies would usually need to hire an international counsel or a third party collector to recoup the debt, cutting into their profits and reducing their incentive to go after a debtor.

"It increases our expenses to go overseas," says Justin Berg of American Profit Recovery, a debt collection agency in Massachusetts. "Our revenues are cut by more than half," he says.
Very little relief

Chris left the country to help pay his debt, not to avoid it. But when that didn't work out, he saw his foreign address as the only way to escape.

Chris (who doesn't want his last name used) graduated with about $160,000 in student loan debt with a master's degree in music.

"At the time I thought I could handle it. I thought the most I'd be paying was $600 a month," he says.

But his payments were $2,400 a month. So Chris started looking for jobs overseas. He thought he'd be able to earn more and pay off his loans. But it didn't turn out that way. His salary was even less than what he was making back home. He realized there was no way he could make his payments, so he changed his address.

"They think I'm living somewhere in Arizona," he says. His last payment was a year and a half ago.

"I am upset at myself. I could have gone to a cheaper school," Chris says. "But I'm most angry at the fact that for anyone who has debt that's not student loan debt, there's relief. You can get into $150,000 worth of credit card debt and you can declare bankruptcy and you can go on with your life. But with student loans, you're being punished for being a better person."

While getting student loans discharged through bankruptcy is no easy task, that doesn't mean it can't be done.

"There's a mythology that private student loans can't be discharged. But sometimes they can and should," says Kantrowitz.

To get your student loans discharged, you must file an undue hardship petition. To qualify, you have to satisfy three conditions: First, you must not be able to repay your student loan and also maintain a minimal standard of living based on your income and your expenses. Second, your situation must likely persist for a significant portion of the repayment period of the loan. Finally, you must have made good faith efforts to repay the loans.

In about half of cases of people who do file for this hardship petition, debt will be partially or totally discharged, says Kantrowitz.
Lifting the burden

If you're having trouble paying your student loans there are steps you can take, according to Kantrowitz.

If your income isn't sufficient to repay a federal loan, you can apply for an economic hardship deferment or forbearance which would suspend or reduce your monthly payments. To find out if you qualify for these programs, check out the hardship calculator at www.finaid.org/.

If your money problems are longer term - say your career path doesn't pay well - there are some alternate payment plans that you can explore. An extended repayment plan could lower your payments. But it also increases the life of your loan so you'll wind up paying more in the long run.

If you have federal loans through the Direct Loan program, you may qualify for an income contingent repayment plan. In this case your payments are based on your income and your debt load .

These steps must be taken before you default on your loan. If your loan is already in default, you won't qualify for deferments or forbearances. If you can't resolve an issue, contact the Federal Student Aid Ombudsman at www.ombudsman.ed.gov/ or call 1-877-557-2575.

If you have defaulted on a federal loan, you can rehabilitate yourself. It will require you to make nine to twelve full payments of some agreed-upon amounts within a certain time period to the Department of Education. For more information on this, contact the Department at 1-800-621-3115.

And there's another way to get help if you're buried under student loans. Talk to a non-profit counselor.

The counseling session should be free of charge. Make sure you ask if the agency works with student loans. And in addition to helping you with your student loan payments, these agencies can work with you to manage your spending and your budget. If you are put on a managed debt program, there is typically a small fee. To find a non-profit credit counselor in your area go to the National Foundation for Credit Counseling at www.nfcc.org.

*************************************************************************
This is rather sad situation. Proper planning will be needed for many students entering college.

If anyone has info on how much a student should have in college loans, when compared to anticipated income, feel free to respond.

[blankcheck]

I think this area is the next shoe to drop. So many kids have huge student loans out
there. When they get the job, they realize that the job does not pay enough to cover these
loans. Heck - there are students right now who are looking at a mortgage paymment or rent
payment just in their student loans.

With the market the way it is right now, many families who have saved for college are finding
themselves having to rethink where their student may do to the drastic downturn in the market. I'll bet you will see a drastic increase in students going to a locale 2 years college to save money on their gen ed requirements.

Even with the best college planning, right now, everyone is hurting.

[southsidesignmaker]

College costs rise
Cost of private schools up 5.9%, according to a College Board report.
By Kenneth Musante, CNNMoney.com staff writer
Last Updated: October 29, 2008: 11:49 AM ET
money.cnn.com/2008/10/29/pf/colle....sion=2008102911


NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The total cost of going to a private four-year college rose to $34,132 on average for the 2008-09 academic year, according to a report released Wednesday.

The average published tuition for the upcoming school year at a private four-year college rose $1,398 from the prior year, or 5.9% to $25,143, excluding room and board, according to the College Board, a non-profit association of more than 5,200 schools, colleges and universities. Room and board charges rose to $8,989, a 4.8% increase from the prior school year.

Meanwhile published tuition prices for full time in-state students at public four-year schools rose $394 on average, or 6.4% to $6,585 compared to the year before. Students paid an average of $14,333, an increase of 5.7% once room and board are factored in.

Out-of-state students at public four-year schools pay a total of $25,200, up 5.2% from last year.

Over the past ten years, tuition fees at four-year public colleges have grown at a rate of about 4.2% a year after inflation, according to the College Board.

Tuition has grown at an annual average of 2.4% at private four-year schools, and at a rate of 1.4% a year at public two-year schools.

But as the cost of attending college increases, so does the need for financial assistance for students. Total student aid has jumped by 5.5% in inflation-adjusted dollars in the 2007-08 year, according to the College Board. Over the past decade, total aid has risen by 84%.

Across the board, undergrads received an average of $8,896 in financial aid, which included $4,656 in grants, and $3,650 in federal loans.

[doctorwho]

Oct 29, 2008 10:36:07 GMT -6 southsidesignmaker said:

College costs rise
Cost of private schools up 5.9%, according to a College Board report.
By Kenneth Musante, CNNMoney.com staff writer
Last Updated: October 29, 2008: 11:49 AM ET
money.cnn.com/2008/10/29/pf/colle....sion=2008102911


NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The total cost of going to a private four-year college rose to $34,132 on average for the 2008-09 academic year, according to a report released Wednesday.

The average published tuition for the upcoming school year at a private four-year college rose $1,398 from the prior year, or 5.9% to $25,143, excluding room and board, according to the College Board, a non-profit association of more than 5,200 schools, colleges and universities. Room and board charges rose to $8,989, a 4.8% increase from the prior school year.

Meanwhile published tuition prices for full time in-state students at public four-year schools rose $394 on average, or 6.4% to $6,585 compared to the year before. Students paid an average of $14,333, an increase of 5.7% once room and board are factored in.

Out-of-state students at public four-year schools pay a total of $25,200, up 5.2% from last year.

Over the past ten years, tuition fees at four-year public colleges have grown at a rate of about 4.2% a year after inflation, according to the College Board.

Tuition has grown at an annual average of 2.4% at private four-year schools, and at a rate of 1.4% a year at public two-year schools.

But as the cost of attending college increases, so does the need for financial assistance for students. Total student aid has jumped by 5.5% in inflation-adjusted dollars in the 2007-08 year, according to the College Board. Over the past decade, total aid has risen by 84%.

Across the board, undergrads received an average of $8,896 in financial aid, which included $4,656 in grants, and $3,650 in federal loans.

The cost of education is brutal -- would like to see more plans that are affordable like California's
yes, I know California's financial state- but Illinios' not much better and the cost of an in state public education is significantly more, 5-6 times more.

www.californiachronicle.com/articles/15734

Tom Lantos on education costs
California Political Desk




Print Article California Political Desk
October 30, 2006


San Mateo, CA – Congressman Tom Lantos (D-San Mateo/San Francisco) today decried reductions in college financial aid resulting from Administration policies supported by the current congressional majority at the very time that college tuition and other costs have continued to rise.

With college costs increasing for five years in a row, the American dream is getting further and further out of reach for middle-class Americans,” Lantos said. “It’s become apparent that this Administration is making it harder to get a college education.”

The College Board reported this week that costs continue to rise at public and private colleges and universities: over the past five years, 42% for a public, four-year institution; 55% for a private one. In California the average cost for a public, four year college is now $4,560 per year, while the average cost for a private, four year college is $28,074 annually.

Between the skyrocketing cost of college and the Administration’s refusal to help parents meet these costs, more and more middle-class families are being squeezed out of a college education,” said Lantos, who was a college professor of economics before his election to Congress. “And those who are able to attend college are increasingly saddled with enormous debts afterward. It is unfair to burden our young people in this way.”


On average, full-time students receive about $9,000 in student aid per year in the form of grants and tax benefits at private four-year institutions, $3,100 at public four-year institutions, and $2,200 at public two-year colleges. The net cost of attending college (price minus the average grant aid and tax benefit) continues to rise rapidly.

[southsidesignmaker]

Thanks DW on the info about California. I am going to poke around and see how other major markets around the country compare.

[southsidesignmaker]

How to Buy Cheap College Textbooks
www.wikihow.com/Buy-Cheap-College-Textbooks

College is a big business, and one of the biggest expenses in this business -- next to tuition, room, and board, is college textbooks. Nothing hits your party pocketbook like a trip to the campus bookstore. Reselling books may recoup some of your investment, but not all. Don’t take out the extra loans. Just follow this lesson to lessen the cost of your education.
[edit] Steps

1. Register for your classes as early as possible. Start researching courses as soon as you can, and solidify your schedule early. If you have to change classes at the last minute, it’ll be hard to escape high textbook prices.
2. Find out what books you’ll need for your classes. Go to the bookstore just to browse. Leave the wallet at home, but bring a pen and paper. Look for your classes and the new semester's required books. Ask the bookstore employees to assist you if needed. If your classes' book requirements are not in yet, inquire as to when they will be and come back on that date. You may also be able to get this information off the bookstore’s website or your classes’ web pages.
3. Write down the following information for each book:

* the name and volume/edition of the book
* the name of the author
* the book’s International Standard Book Number (ISBN), found on or near the barcode on the back of book
* the price
4. Type the name of the topic that you study in google.com. For example, if you study compressible flow type compressible flow in google and you will get a link to a free book www.potto.org.
5. Try to find the books in the library. Check the catalogs of your school library and the local public library. If you can’t find a book there, try to obtain the book via interlibrary loan. Depending on the library’s borrowing policies, you may be able to check out books for the whole semester or at least for as long as you’ll need them. You’ll want to get on this early, though, because supplies will be limited.
6.
The International Standard Book Number (ISBN)
The International Standard Book Number (ISBN)
Search for books on the Internet. If you can’t get a book at the library, or if you’ll need to be able to keep a book or write in it, look for better prices online. Usually all you’ll need is the book’s ISBN. In the search box of your favorite search engine, enter only the ISBN number, without the dashes that separate the digits. You should come up with several exact matches; in the unlikely event that you don’t, try searching by title. Verify you have the correct book using the other information you wrote down.
7. Buy bundles. Bundled books save you money by allowing you to buy your books in one shrinkwrapped package, often at a discount.
8. Shop around online. Most likely just about any price you find online will be cheaper than the bookstore, but check as many sites as possible to find the cheapest possible book. Check out online auction marketplaces. While you won’t be able to find as many books at auctions, you may be able to find screaming deals.
9. Check out local bookstores. You may be able to find a good deal locally, especially once you factor in shipping charges. Even if you can’t quite match an online price locally, you’ll be able to see the book before you purchase and you’ll get the satisfaction of helping local merchants.
10. Consider used books. Used books are almost always cheaper than new ones, and if you can find a used version online in good condition it may be a good bet. You may also be able to get used books at your campus bookstore, especially if you shop early or pre-order. Compare prices to find the best deal. Also used books may have the previous students notes in them which is a plus because you won't have to make them.
11. Inquire about earlier editions. If the current edition's used price is still too much, use the book name to find an earlier edition: enter the book title in the search box and remove any references to what edition it is. Before buying, ask your professor or TA if the earlier edition is acceptable. It is often not acceptable because of changes to editions and page numbers, not to mention content, and you don’t want to have to pay for a book twice.
12. Scour your campus. Some colleges have student groups that sell used textbooks for older students or that otherwise facilitate buying and selling of books. Ask your friends, look at flyers around campus, and watch the student paper for deals.
13. Resell your books. If you don’t foresee that you’ll need a book after the semester ends, try to resell it as soon as possible. Find out what your campus bookstore and local booksellers will pay, and consider putting up flyers around campus and/or selling it online. If your book is in high demand, you may be able to sell a book online within a day, and at a much higher price than you’ll get at the bookstore. See the Related wikiHows below for more information on how to do this.


[edit] Tips

* Consider electronic versions of textbooks from sites like iChapters or Safari. Online books can't be resold but they often sell for as little as fifty percent of a new book's price. Classic literature no longer under copyright, can be downloaded for free at sites like Bartleby.
* If a search engine search isn’t very fruitful, try searching directly at online booksellers’ sites.
* Try to search in search engines that specializes in book searches, like addall.com, bookfinder.com , or similar. They compare prices from different online vendors.
* Find out if any books are optional, and think twice about buying them. Some optional books are really quite necessary, while others aren’t. Ask your professor or TA for advice if in doubt, and consider your own study habits. If you tend to ignore the optional materials anyway, then there's no point in wasting your money on it.
* If your Internet search for the ISBN brings up a lot of unrelated items, try entering the ISBN along with the letters “ISBN” in the search bar.
* Always include shipping costs in your calculations. You may be able to save money on shipping by purchasing several books from one merchant.
* Don't forget about international editions. They're generally exactly the same as their American counterparts, except they often come only in paperback, and the pages may feel a bit different.
* Different professors teaching the same course often use different books. Find out which professor requires the least expensive books and sign up for his or her course.
* Using more than a few online book resellers might not be beneficial. Don't waste time and confuse yourself with multiple sites; focus on finding what you need, especially if the prices all appear to be about the same.
* The best time to buy is between semesters, when people online are trying to get rid of their old books, but before people are buying new ones. It's usually between 2 and 4 weeks before classes start. If you track sale prices over time, you can see the dip, then a radical increase. Buy when the price is low, but you still have at least 2 weeks for shipping before school. If you want to sell, try selling the first week of school, or the week before when everyone is running around like madmen.
* If you are taking a literature course, consider buying individual books instead of the anthology. Usually an up-to-date anthology will run at at least $80, but if you look on the syllabus, you're usually not reading more than 12 books/stories. These are usually classics that have been published over and over, and will run at about 50 cents on Amazon. So if each book costs $4 including shipping, that's $48 instead of $80. If you are doing this, make sure to Google short stories, as many are free online. Also, you can resell these books to a local used bookstore, usually for credit, which will enable you to buy more classics without any money changing hands. (All used bookstores have an abundance of classics, so be sure to check there too and save on shipping.)
* Look for unofficial off-campus bookstores. Sometimes they are 10%-20% cheaper than the on-campus bookstore.
* When shopping online, try to shop with some sort of rewards program (such as Ebates.com, Mypoints.com, etc.) and use a points-accruing credit card if you can. This way, you'll be getting an additional (albeit deferred) savings on your purchase. Some bookstores have their own affiliate programs. Sign up for the program, then buy all your textbooks through your 'referral link.' Convince others to do the same (splitting the money, maybe) and altogether you could save a half decent amount of money.
* There are times when some professors will list books for their class that they admittedly have no intention of using. If you have not purchased books for a class early on, go ahead and wait until you've been to class once or twice and found out if any books will not be used. You'll have to balance the risk of getting a bad deal vs. the risk of having to sell back a used book you never opened.
* It may be worth getting a membership with stores such as Barnes and Noble, since they offer 10% off. The membership is $25 per year, but after getting 2 semesters' worth of books, it's something to consider.
* Most websites will offer free shipping and can get to you within 3 days. Some areas could get the order the same day.
* If you and a friend have the same class, but at different times of the day, work out a deal with them (like supporting them half of the cost of the book, etc.) to let you borrow their book every day for the time that you need it, then return it to them between classes. This tactic works even better if you share a dormitory with them, as it will be easier to locate them.


[edit] Warnings

* Allow ample time for your book to arrive for the new semester. It's normally okay for you not to have the book for the first few days of class, but if you procrastinate, you may be forced to go to the bookstore and it'll cost you.
* Always make sure you’re purchasing the right book, especially if you’re buying online. Remember, sometimes the correct edition of a book is absolutely necessary, and if you get the wrong book, you’ll end up either paying for two books or pay shipping to return one.
* Weigh your risks when purchasing a used book that might not be in the best condition. There could be missing pages that would be critical for studying.
* Used books don't always save you money. If you buy a used book but there is a software package bundled with the new texts, you won't get the software and may not be able to get it. If it's required for class, you're out of luck. At the very least, you will have to buy it separately, which could end up costing you more than the new textbook bundle.
* Remember when getting the book from the library that the library giveth and the library taketh away. Sometimes the library will request you return the book mid-semester due to high demand for the book. (i.e. other frugal students like yourself want the book too.)

*********************************************************************************************************************
With a little planning these ideas can really help. To motivate your student a great plan is to inform him/her that any saving will be split with the student getting a percentage of the savings.

[rew]

Oct 31 article appearing in the Echo, interviewing Kathy Birkett...

"We don't see ending this program anytime soon."

The issue of how COD classes will be paid for after a grant expires this year has not been settled.

Birkett affirmed that the district is "looking at a Frontier type program for all three buildings and leaving Neuqua's over there"

[southsidesignmaker]

Rew,

"Birkett affirmed that the district is "looking at a Frontier type program for all three buildings and leaving Neuqua's over there"

Does this statement mean that frontier campus will stay at it's separate location?