Awards and accolades come and go but getting to know and form relationships with the people that you meet along the way can last you a lifetime.  It was recently brought to my attention that CheapScholar received recognition by CollegeScholarships.org as being a Top 20 Financial Aid Twitterer. While I am pleased to share this honor with our readership, I want to take this opportunity to help you connect with other great people that are trying to “Help Make College Affordable” for you and your families.

Since the award is given to the top twenty and you already know me, that means that there are 19 other great people or organizations that you should probably take the time to connect with on Twitter. The following is the list of award recipients (as provided by CollegeScholarships.org):

1. @Fafsahelp – Get tips on everything related to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and read up on the latest news concerning student loans and scholarships.

2. @studentloaninfo – This “Student Loan Ninja” updates readers with articles she discovered while surfing the web, all of which discuss student loans and financial tips for students.

3. @BethWalker_CFC –  Beth Walker is a “college funding expert” who posts numerous links to articles each day which provide various tips on scholarships, and how to save and/or apply for college.

4. @Student_Loan_US –  Specifically for college students in America, these links cover the latest in private student loans, the Student Loan Consolidation Program, and politics.

5. @MoneyCollege – These tweets provide links to other articles about student loan horror stories, credit card debt, student employment, and even free music downloads. Users can also send in their own “college financial survival” tips to the author.

6. @CollegeBlogs –  The financial aid guru Lynn O’Shaughnessy discusses the latest in educational and financial news for college students; many of the tweets reference articles published on her blog, the College Solution.

7. @securestudent – Read up on the latest in financial literacy news that is circulating around the web. Some tweets link to articles which provide tips on how students can avoid debt and maintain their bank account balance.

8. @StudentLoanNews – Some of these posts discuss student scams and loan repayment rates, but the majority of the tweets cover the latest political issues and events which are affecting the cost of higher education.

9. @educationmoney – Read up on the most frequently asked questions regarding student loans and bad credit, as well as tips for high school graduates and the latest in educational politics.

10. @GraduateCheap –  These tweets cover numerous scholarship contests and opportunities for low or middle-income families, Pell Grants, and financial aid for minority students and single mothers.

11. @CollegeGamePlan – This humorous twitterer updates followers with articles he found which discuss tips on student debt and taxes, college applications, financial survival, and student loans.

12. @College_Experts – Get advice from college advisers and counselors who provide information on student loan debt, how to get accepted into college, or how to ace your exams.

13. @planettuition – This twitter account provides up-to-date news on financial aid, statistics on student loans and employment, as well as facts on the future of higher education.

14. @DodgeCollege – From textbook rentals and salaries, to college costs and student loan debt, followers of this account get updated on the latest in tuition costs, scholarships, and educational news.

15. @MYFinc –  Learn how to “map your future” and your finances by reading articles on identity theft, tuition costs, how to raise your credit score, and employment after graduation.

16. @nasfaa – From the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA), read up on the latest in American politics and how it affects your education.

17. @GradGuard – These tweets cover numerous complex issues every college student should be aware of, such as tuition and renters insurance, refund policies, and health care.

18. @intstudentloans – International students or students interested in studying abroad could learn a thing or two from these tweets. Stay up-to-date on the types of student loans that are available in different countries.

19. @CheapScholar – Doug Schantz works as a college administrator and his goal is to help others find out ways to make make education more affordable for college students. His posts discuss the cost of textbooks, tuition discounts, and health insurance tips.

20. @Green_Panda – College students/graduates can check out this twitter account to read up on personal finance, student scams, cheap travel options for students, and “what is cool on the web” regarding the latest in student loans and education.

If you are a student that is in the middle of the college search process or you are a college administrator, college rankings play a BIG role in your life. Students rely upon these rankings to help them find the right school for their educational needs and college administrators either cower in fear or jump for joy depending on the results of the various rankings.

Given the widespread impact of these rankings…I really want to know… who is the watchdog for all of these college ranking entities? Who makes them accountable for the final results? Do they really know what they are doing?

I know that all the data and methods utilized to gather and sculpt the information are generally available for public review but at the end of the day it appears that most people really just take the rankings for face value and trust that someone applied the appropriate variables to the final calculations that ranked one institution higher (or lower) than another. This public trust of our college ranking systems put a lot of power at the hands of those doing the rankings. So… since the college rankings play such a big role in our lives, I think it is extremely reasonable for us to apply a similar ranking formula to the “College Rankers” and see how they fair.

I have devised the following formula as a starting point for our “ranking of the rankers”. As you can imagine, I can make it as complicated as humanly possible but I like to keep things simple. Besides, it allows a lot of room for subjective tweaking by me (which we know NEVER happens in college rankings). Each category/variable of the equation below can receive a score of 1 to 5 and I will try my best to work with round numbers but given the mathematical complexity of my equation, I can’t guarantee that some long stranded decimal point action won’t present itself. If my calculations are accurate, the highest score that can be achieved is 50 and the lowest is .40 (but that low number would take some real effort to reach).

Simple Equation for Ranking the College Rankers

Accuracy (plus) Legitimacy (divided by) Lack of Quantitative Intelligence (times) Method of Delivery (equals) Overall Ranking

-or-

(A+L) x MOD = OR
LQI

Now that we have an equation in place for our rankers. Let’s go ahead and start the Ranking of the Rankers… or ROTR for short…

U.S. News and World Report

U.S. News and World Report is to college rankings as Tiffany’s is to jewelry. If U.S. News and World Report were around when the first three colleges were formed, my guess is that they would have established the first college ranking system without haste. (By the way – if you are curious about which three were first, it all started with New College (known know as Harvard) in 1636, College of William and Mary in 1693, and Collegiate School (Yale) in 1701). U.S. News is probably the best known of all the college rankers. Every year people are chomping at the bit to see the release of their college ranking results. I would liken the interest to that of Groundhog’s day when everyone patiently awaits to see if Punxsutawny Phil catches a glimpse of his shadow. The only difference is that everyone leaves Groundhog’s day resolved on the prospect of snow for the coming weeks and it seems like absolutely no one is resolved after the release of the rankings by U.S. News. I wonder how the ROTR Report will treat them?

Accuracy: I am going to give U.S. News a 5 in this category. Over the years they have established a comprehensive systematic approach to how they gather data and the accuracy of this information doesn’t seem to draw too many questions

Legitimacy: They will get a 3 in this category. The resources that they utilize to gather their information are fairly reliable (at least the institutional figures). However, some of the rankings do take into account the opinions of high school counselors and academic peers (college presidents, provosts, and deans). The results on these surveys can definitely be skewed depending on a person’s knowledge (extensive or lack there of) and views of various schools. So that is why I ranked a 3 on this variable.

Quantitative Intelligence (Lack There Of): U.S. News has repeatedly tweaked the manner in which they calculate their numbers. A lot of time and effort seems to be emphasized in this area (since it garners the most attention?). Even so, I think they still have room to grow in this area so I am going to give them a ranking of 2 (remember a low number on this variable is better than a higher one because a larger number indicates that you excel in having a lack of quantitative intelligence)

Method of Delivery: U.S. News promotes their rankings in just about every media method available to mankind. They dominate the internet, the news stands, and also the reference section of bookstores with their statistical rankings. Therefore, I give them a 5 in this category.

The End Result: Using the ROTR calculation above, I see that U.S. News and World Report scores a 20 on the ROTR Report. Not too shabby all things considered.

Forbes

When Forbes started doing college rankings, I had high hopes of the role they would play in the ranking system. If anyone was going to dissect and calculate the financial aspect and viability of colleges, you couldn’t get any better than Forbes… right?  I mean.. seriously.. it is FORBES.  Unfortunately, the financial wizards at Forbes let me down. I guess I must have had my expectations set too high. When they showed up to the college ranking dance floor, it looks like they left their “A game” at home and were prepared to make a mediocre appearance. Shame shame on Forbes… Let’s see how they fair on the ROTR Report.

Accuracy: Forbes is getting a 3 in this category. I would like to give them lower but they do a decent job of gathering the data from their various sources and compiling the data for their rankings.

Legitimacy: Going with a 1 on this category. Any ranking entity that utilizes RateMyProfessor.com as a resource for the data they are calculating, should get a zero but since zero is not an option in the ROTR Report, I am giving Forbes a 1. For those that don’t know, RateMyProfessor is open to the public and anyone can rate a professor regardless of whether they even had them for a class. Many times, professors even vote for themselves! I am also giving Forbes a 1 because they introduced this ill-conceived and unfounded ranking (be sure to check out the comments on this one).  Lastly, they also use the Who’s Who in America series to measure post-graduate success. I really don’t see a connection there so I feel the legitimacy of the Forbes data and ranking system is sub par.

Quantitative Intelligence (Lack There Of): You would think that a bunch of financial wizards from Forbes Magazine would do a great job at crunching the numbers to come up with the most equitable results. However, their method is greatly flawed in that it doesn’t distinguish between school types so small private liberal arts colleges, large military academies, and research universities all get thrown into the same mix. I going to give Forbes a 5 on their lack of quantitative intelligence.

Method of Delivery: Forbes maximizes most media outlets to get their ranking out amongst the people. They have a great web tool that makes sorting out specific results a cinch. They provide appropriate coverage in their magazine but it appears they have not gone the route of book publication just yet. I give Forbes a 3 in this category.

The End Result: Using the ROTR calculation (above), Forbes comes out of the gate with a 2.4. This certainly leaves them room for improvement. Maybe they can adjust their ranking operations to perform better next year on the ROTR Report.

The Princeton Review

You know… with a name like Princeton it just has to be good …right? The Princeton Review has certainly been around for a number of years and personally I would probably rank them right up there with U.S. News and World Report in regard to viability and usability by prospective students and families. However, at the end of the day, the ROTR Report decides all, so lets see how they compare.

Accuracy: Princeton Review (PR) used to collect all of their data by canvasing the nation and surveying students on each of the college campuses utilizing a paper form. However, in recent years they now offer an electronic survey that students can complete online 24 hours a day , 7 days a week.  The information gathered in this survey is compiled in an efficient and effective manner that allows very little room for inaccuracy. Based upon this, I am giving them a 5 in this category.

Legitimacy: The unfortunate aspect of the Princeton Reviews data gathering process is that it is all based upon the opinion of students. However, since their rankings seem to be more personal in nature (the warm fuzzies of campus), the legitimacy of this data and how it impacts their ranking system is rather fitting. So, I give them a 4 in this category.

Quantitative Intelligence (Lack There Of): Princeton Review does a great job of simplifying how they calculate the data received. All the information they gather is warehoused in a database and each school is scored in a manner that is similar to how a student is graded in college (like a GPA). These scores alone decide which colleges make the 62 ranking lists. Nothing more.. nothing less.  Based upon this simplistic approach, I am giving Princeton Review a 1 in this category (meaning, they have a high aptitude when it comes to quantitative intelligence).

Method of Delivery: Princeton Review has a fairly basic delivery method on their website. In addition, they also publish books each year with their findings.  However, the greatest tool that they use to get the word out is their partnership with USA Today. Using the readership base of USA Today(online and paper subscriptions), they are able get their ranking results out among the masses. I give Princeton Review a 5 in this category.

The End Result: Dropping the figures above into the ROTR calculation, I show that Princeton Review scores a 45. Surprisingly, this allows them to blow past the competition and secure the ranking of 1st place in the 2010 ROTR Report (Ranking of the Rankers).

In Summary

College rankings serve as a great reference tool for students that are in the midst of the college search process. However, don’t let these rankings be the end all be all deciding factor in the college that you ultimately choose to hang your hat for four years.  Take the time to visit each of the colleges you are interested in and ask the questions that are near and dear to what YOU are looking for in a college environment (academically, socially, politically, etc…). Then, and only then, can you make a decision about the best college for you. Don’t let these guys above (Forbes, U.S.News, and Princeton Review) make that choice for you. At the end of the day it is a personal choice and you will feel accomplished that you made it on your own.

The following article is provided by the good folks at The Real College Guide. We are pleased to have them as a Contributor for CheapScholar.org. This article provides a good foundation for the information covered by SAFRA. If you have additional questions or would like me to provide additional details on any aspect of this legislation, don’t hesitate to drop me a line.

Understanding SAFRA and What It Means To You

The college tuition system has been turned upside down now that the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (SAFRA) is law. The Student Aid and Fisc-huh?!?

SAFRA is legislation President Obama tacked on to his infamous health care reform bill.

“The White House succeeded in not only getting the health care bill passed, but in making a huge change to the college loan system,” says Eric Yaverbaum, education expert and author of Life’s Little College Admissions Insights. “It’s gone largely unnoticed because it’s seemingly unrelated to the blockbuster changes in the health care industry.”

There’s been some controversy surrounding the issue of combining student aid reform with the seemingly unrelated matter of health care reform. But political views aside, let’s see how SAFRA affects students:

No. 1: You’ll get loans directly from the government — without a middleman.
While some schools have participated in the Federal Direct Loan Program since its inception in the early ’90s, SAFRA requires that all federal student loans now be originated through the U.S. Department of Education. This means funds come directly from the federal government, which provides the loans at a low interest rate.

“It’s so advantageous to students,” says Yaverbaum. “My daughter is about to enter her freshman year, and as a parent I couldn’t be more excited about it. College students are really going to benefit. Paying back college loans kills kids forever. Now it doesn’t have to be such an awful experience.”

Your credit score and employment status are not factored into your application for a direct loan … unless you have extreme adverse credit (say, your car got repossessed or you’re more than 90 days past due on that Urban Outfitters account). If you get denied, you can appeal or get a qualified co-signer.

No matter where you are in the borrowing process, visit StudentLoans.gov to find out if you qualify for one of the four types of Federal Direct Loans:

1. Federal Direct Subsidized Stafford Loans are based on financial need. The government pays the loan interest until you’re out of school.

2. Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans are not need-based, and students are required to pay all interest charges.

3. Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loans (“PLUS” stands for “Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students”) allow parents to borrow money to help pay for their child’s education.

4. Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loans offer the same terms as Parent PLUS for graduate and professional-degree students.

No. 2: You can consolidate loans you already have.
Federally guaranteed student loans will no longer be made by private lending institutions through what many of you already know as the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program.

What to do if you have an existing FFEL loan? For a one-year stretch — from July 1, 2010 to July 1, 2011 — current students who have FFEL loans can roll those into the Direct Loan program. The benefit is that you’ll only have to deal with a single lender (the Direct Loan Servicing Center) which means paying one monthly payment for all loans. Plus, your minimum monthly payment on a consolidated loan may be lower than the combined payments for FFEL loans.

No. 3: You’ll pay back less per month (and overall) and be done in fewer years.

Carrie Meyer, a rising senior at Ohio State University, has had to rely on three loans to cover her college tuition over the years: federal subsidized, federal unsubsidized and a personal loan. Meyer, a hospitality management student who currently works part time, still worries about paying off her loans after graduation: “With what I want to do, you don’t start out getting a big salary.”

Direct Loan borrowers can choose from several friendly payment plans, depending on needs — and you can switch to a different repayment plan if your situation changes. Beginning in 2014, the Income Based Repayment option will cap monthly loan payments at 10 percent of income and forgive remaining balances after 20 years of repayment. Sound like a lot? Actually, this is a major improvement from the current terms of capping repayments at 15 percent and 25 years, respectively.

No. 4: You could save big-time on loan payments if you go into public service.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness provides incentive for students to enter into full-time public service employment. The program forgives the remaining balance of a Direct Loan after a borrower has completed 120 monthly payments (that’s 10 years) while employed full time in public service. This includes government jobs, military service, safety professions, law enforcement, health care, social work, legal advocacy and some teaching positions.

No. 5: Maximum Pell Grant amounts will increase with inflation.

While SAFRA does not change the process for applying for federal grants, it does increase the amount of money awarded through the ever-popular Pell Grant program, which provides financial aid to low-income undergraduate students. For the 2009 to 2010 school year, the maximum Pell Grant was $5,350. The max will be upped to $5,550 for 2010 to 2011 and will gradually increase based on inflation costs beginning in 2013.

Students interested in applying for aid should complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid at Fafsa.ed.gov or call 1-800-4-FED-AID. Keep in mind that this is not a one-time thing — students who want to be considered need to apply for aid for every school year, so it’s important to stay on top of application procedures.

A recent report released by the College Board found that millions in financial aid are left untouched by community college students. In the 2007 to 2008 academic year, 58 percent of Pell Grant-eligible students who attended community colleges applied for federal financial aid, compared with 77 percent of eligible students at four-year public institutions.

No. 6: Community colleges and minority schools will get big bucks for improvements.

Says College Board President Gaston Caperton: “Community colleges are a critical part of the education system, serving nearly half of all undergraduates in the United States.” The terms of SAFRA reflect this sentiment, as $2 billion is being committed to improving educational programs and updating facilities at community colleges. In addition, SAFRA has earmarked $2.55 billion to be invested in historically black and minority institutions.

Talk It up!

What do you think about SAFRA and its impact on the college student aid system?

When you go to college, the understanding is that you will be able to secure a job once you have graduated. This is important because many students take out a lot of educational loans and accrue miscellaneous debt during their educational career and need to start chomping away at that obligation shortly after they leave campus.  Keeping this in mind, for those of you that are beginning your college experience, you may want to put a couple of factors/questions in the forefront as you start to narrow down your vocation or career passions and choose your major concentration of study.

1. What is the medium starting salary I can expect to earn from my career of choice?: It is important to know this so that you can adjust your lifestyle appropriately so that your expenses match your income.
2. How much am I willing to spend on my education to achieve securing a job in this profession?: If you plan on entering the ministry or the education sector, you probably don’t want to spend a ton of money on your college degree if the return on investment (ROI) doesn’t justify it. Inversely, if you are choosing a more lucrative profession, a premium investment in your education could be easily justified.
3. How much educational loan debt am I willing to accrue?: Loans are plentiful in availability but do you really want to saddle yourself with years (or decades) of having to pay that money back – with interest. Before embarking down the loan route, have a maximum dollar figure in mind that you will be comfortable in taking out in loans.
4. Will my starting salary be enough to make the monthly payments on my loans and still allow me to move out of my parent’s basement?: Students don’t always think about life after college and if they will be able to support themselves (independently of mom and dad) on their starting salary and still pay back those educational loans. This is a factor that you need to keep on your radar.
5. What is the availability of jobs in my area of study?: Depending on your niche, jobs may be plentiful or they may be scarce. Do the research and make sure you are choosing a major that will provide benefit of employment after graduation.
6. Will I need to go to graduate school (or more) for this profession?: In some cases, it is tough enough to pay for four years of college. If you are entering into a profession that requires more education from you, be prepared for that extra expense and factor it into your financial equations or try to secure interim employment that will provide some sort of tuition benefit to help offset that extra expense.

I recently came across an informative chart from PayScale.com that reflects the highest paying majors (2009) that you can choose during your undergraduate college career. Take a look and see what you think. Do you see a common denominator on the top performers?

Methodology Annual pay for Bachelors graduates without higher degrees. Typical starting graduates have 2 years of experience; mid-career have 15 years. See full methodology for more.

If you like that chart, I think the following list of the ten lowest paying majors provided by PayScale.com is probably just as important.

I hope that you find this information helpful. Which college you choose to attend is one of the most exciting decisions that you can make in your lifetime but choosing which major (area of study) is probably one of the more important choices that you will encounter. It will be sure to impact you long after college…

Today’s article comes from Marc R. Hill, founder of Reduce My College Costs, LLC. He is a Certified College Planning Specialist (CCPS), a Registered Financial Consultant (RFC®) and a charter member of the National College Advocacy Group (NCAG). Marc assists American families to afford college by offering objective college planning services.  For more information, please visit Marc at www.reducemycollegecosts.com We are pleased to have Marc as a Contributor on CheapScholar.org

Have you heard the one about the escaped killer with the hook for a hand? How about the one where the frightened babysitter discovers that the threatening phone calls she’s been receiving are coming from inside the house? Or the one about the college where every class was hard, every professor was unapproachable and all the roommates were best friends?

It seems that as much as urban legends and myths are a part of our popular culture, they’re also a part of our college conversations. Whether they hear these tales of the college experience from peers, parents, teachers or guidance counselors, college-bound students get an earful of misinformation about what to expect on campus. In addition, that misinformation can sometimes lead to a far less successful college experience for the child and a pricier one for the parents.

In the interest of helping you and your son or daughter know what he or she should really expect at college, Reduce My College Costs asked a few recent college graduates about the tall tales they heard as they made the high school to college transition. Here are six of those myths, busted:

Myth #1: All college classes are hard. High school students hear horror stories, mainly from their teachers, about how hard college courses are. While students should be prepared for course material that is more challenging than what they faced in high school, that doesn’t mean that they should face undue anxiety and be afraid of struggling to pass every class and fearful of mountains of reading assignments that require all-nighters just to complete. The fact of the matter is, just like in high school, some classes are hard and some classes are easy.

Myth #2: College is a non-stop party. Movies like Animal House, PCU and countless others show college as a non-stop party (sometimes with togas and sometimes without). And it is a fact that whether your child attends a state university or a member of the Ivy League, there will be parties – and lots of them! – on-campus, near campus and off campus. So, where does the myth come in? Well, there’s a big difference between knowing parties are constantly being thrown and constantly attending them. Moreover, it is a sad fact that the student who has a hard time making that distinction probably won’t be in college for very long.

Myth #3: In college, you can skip class whenever you want. When it comes to class scheduling, college offers a freedom that students could only dream of in high school. If you don’t like getting up early – no problem! – Just schedule your classes later in the day. But whether a class is at 8 am or 8 pm, there’s little truth to the tale that students can skip whenever they want in college. While many classes don’t have an attendance policy, a student that skips runs the risk of getting behind on class notes and lectures. And since many college professors test not only on textbook knowledge but also in-class lectures and discussions, that’s a risk a wise college student shouldn’t take.

Myth #4: Once tuition and books are paid for, money is no problem. A high school student who has this belief is in for a very rude awakening when it comes time for college, and so are his or her parents. Tuition and books do make up the bulk of college costs, but a student shouldn’t expect to be rolling in money after these fees are paid. That’s because college is expensive all the way around. From meal plans and transportation fees to Scantron test forms and personal products, everything has a price at college. Budgeting every cent is a way of life for most college students, and the sooner they learn how to do so, the better off they (and their parents) will be.

Myth #5: All college professors are unapproachable. Sure, they’ve had a lot of schooling and they have a lot of knowledge about a given subject, but that doesn’t mean that college professors want to be put up on a pedestal. While there are some professors who avoid student contact like the plague, most professors welcome the opportunity to talk to their students and get to know them better. In a large lecture class (typically 100 plus students), it may be difficult to talk to the professor after class, but students should always take note of a professor’s office hours and take advantage of them.

Myth #6: Your roommate will be your best friend. Unless two students asked to be paired together as college roommates, it’s unlikely that they’re going to be the best of friends. That’s because many colleges only take a surface-level approach to matching roommates. Housing questionnaires often ask about general habits (such as smoking, drinking or staying up late), but don’t drill deep enough into personalities. Just because two non-smoking night owls are paired together, doesn’t mean that they’ll be the best of friends or even get along. Students often believe that they’re stuck with the roommate that they’re assigned for at least a year. Nevertheless, if they’re really having difficulties making things work, Resident Advisors (RAs) usually have a knack for finding living arrangements that work for all parties involved.

Just like urban legends and other folklore, as long as there are people to tell the tales, college myths will continue to endure. But by using these myth-busting tips from recent college grads to have a pre-college fact versus fiction conversation with your son or daughter, you help ensure a more successful college experience for your child and a less expensive endeavor for you. And that’s no lie!

Sam Walton started Walmart back in 1962 and, as a graduate from the University of Missouri, he knows the value of a quality education. If he were alive today, he would be excited to see the latest educational venture and employee benefit provided by his corporation.

Walmart recently partnered up with American Public University, one of the nation’s largest for-profit online education providers, to bring about a new resource to it’s employees… an opportunity to obtain a college degree at a discount price.

At first glance, this may not seem like that big of a deal. Corporations around the world are constantly providing some sort of educational benefit to their employees. However, how many of these corporations have 1.4 million employees? Not only does Walmart have this many employees, they estimate that 700,000 of these individuals only have a high school degree or equivalent.

Using this astounding number of potential students, Walmart was able to broker a deal with APU that will automatically provide each of it’s employees a 15% discount on tuition rates. As an added bonus, Walmart is sweetening the deal by providing it’s employees with an additional $50 million dollars, over three years, in tuition assistance to all employees that participate.

Walmart provided the following announcement about the new program to employees at an early morning meeting that had over 4000 in attendance:

“It’s important because it reflects the kind of company we are,” Eduardo Castro-Wright, who heads Walmart’s operations in the United States, told the employees. “A company that says, ‘Anyone who wants to learn, who wants to grow with us, who is willing to work hard to get a college degree, can do that.’ ”

It is not real clear how many employees will be taking advantage of this educational opportunity but in order to qualify for participation an employee either has to have worked full-time for a period of a year or part-time for three years. Satisfactory progress on job evaluations is also a necessity.

So, if you have been thinking about a career change and want to work somewhere that supports the continued education of it’s employees, you may want to take a look at Walmart.

If you would like to learn more about Walmart’s commitment to education or apply for this benefit, feel free to visit this link for more information.

Uh.. yes, you didn’t read that title incorrectly. $18,000 will purchase you an executive educational four week program at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. The real kicker is that the sticker price does not include travel expenses and the programs don’t take place in a luxury resort location. They are all based out of Cambridge, Massachusetts. If interested, you can find more info about the program here.

If that price made your chin drop you will probably need to sit down before you check into the price of the 5-day Center for Creative Leadership program in North Carolina. The cheapest program they offer is $6,200 and the most expensive is $10,600 (or roughly $2,120 dollars a day).

Many of these programs are geared toward high paid executives from fortune 500 companies, so the price tag is not a deterrent for most. However, the Washington Post’s College Inc recently uncovered that a good number of federal employees have been attending these high cost programs utilizing tax payer dollars. Fortunately, for us as taxpayers, the U.S. Senate’s committee for finance has recently sent letters to all of these institutions questioning the high prices that are being charged to federal employees. My guess though… the prices are justified by simple supply and demand if they are able to keep filling the sessions.

So, the purpose of this story is two-fold… (1) If you are looking at a great way to get a high-cost education at little to no cost, you may want to think about running for political office or working for the federal government. (2) If you are going to Stanford and balking at $50k a year, it could be worse ($11k for 5-days!).

I thought with the invention of Amazon’s Kindle and the new Apple Ipad, eBooks would be dominating the market and students would be jumping all over increased savings that these technological tools would provide verses the archaic and somewhat expensive option of paper textbooks. However, the National Association of College Stores (NACS), has recently proven my thought process wrong.

Apparently, based upon a recent survey completed by OnCampus Research, 74% of students prefer to use paper textbooks as opposed to their electronic counterpart. At first glance, I find this hard to believe but then I started to reflect back to my college days. Paper books, as hard as they may be to lug around campus, have an educational aura that can not be easily replaced by the electronic version. In addition, have you ever tried to highlight your Kindle or Ipad? It just doesn’t give you the same satisfaction as the “coloring” that you can do in a paper textbook… besides it leaves a residue on your screen…that was my attempt at a joke . Lastly, when you have accomplished reading a printed book, you can add it to your library collection for all to see and be amazed in wonderment on how much you love to read. When you are done reading your Ipad or Kindle, I guess you um.. just turn it off…

So.. I can see why students (and probably the public in general) are still leaning to printed paper books verses electronic.  However, given the results of the survey, it does show that 26% of students do prefer eBooks. This percentage isn’t anything to sneeze at and my guess is that it will continue to increase as technology becomes more mainstream in the classrooms across the nation.

For now though, if you are one of the 74% that still prefer to have traditional paper textbooks, please don’t hesitate to check out CheapScholar’s textbook comparison shopping tool.