Conscious Parallelism is the legal term when companies post the same prices but show no evidence that they are directly colluding. That pretty much describes what colleges do resulting in…
States’ Obsession with College Access Threatens Graduation Success
Have you ever wondered why enrollment in college has continued to rise despite tuition increasing at such a fast rate? While the economic recovery and the bad press on for-profit colleges meant so…
Student Debt: A Political Battleground
If you attack student loans, you are accused of putting at risk the only way that a poor and diverse student population can pay for college. How Republican of you! But if you support the av…
Student Debt Penalizes Students Changing Majors or Schools
If you encounter a student with over $50,000 in debt, you will usually find that the student transferred majors or schools, or both. Planning for the costs associated with a college educa…
Colleges As An Engine To Succeed. Really?
Take a guess: What is the average graduation rate at America’s four-year, non-profit colleges? Would you guess 85%? 75%? Maybe 65%? (Surely, it can’t be that low.) Guess again. On America’s…
Hunger on College Campuses: Another Barrier to Getting a Degree?
Wick Sloane teaches a college writing class at Bunker Hill Community College, where he also manages the Emergency Assistance Fund. There are weeks, he said, he spends “more time helping students s…
False Positives: Low Student Loan Default Scores
Ask the “best” colleges about the student debt crisis and they are likely to trot out the very low default rates of their graduates, only 1 to 2 percent. Most of the defaulting students, they poin…
Inequality in Online Services Can Worsen the Educational Achievement Gap
Access to the internet is increasing rapidly, and many organizations, whether they are non-profit, for-profit or governmental, have transitioned to the web, and many are only operating online. While there are clear benefits to this, it may result in creating an...
College’s Stake in China May Backfire
Colleges have a lot to lose if China’s economy keeps declining and with its wealth. This is because China’s wealth is the source of much college tuition both directly and indirectly. And one …
Guest Commentary: Beware The College Financial Aid Letter
This is the time of year when students and their parents pack a light lunch or an overnight bag and head off to visit colleges. Some may be aware that these highly orchestrated guided tours…