College and University Blog
Resources, help, and insight for your college experience
More Business Majors Turning to Social Entrepreneurship
A growing number of college students pursuing business school degrees are hoping for careers with non-profit organizations. Others want to launch their own socially-responsible businesses.
Colleges and universities have noticed the trend and they’re racing to meet students’ demands with social entrepreneurship programs, often called “Social E.”
10 Helpful Tips: Avoid these Common FAFSA Mistakes
In order to qualify for federal student aid, you must fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid—or FAFSA, for short. State financial aid programs and individual colleges also use the FAFSA to distribute aid.
Filling out the FAFSA has confused plenty of students and parents over the years, but don’t let the process frustrate you. Free online help is readily available at the FAFSA website, and we’ve compiled a list of 10 tips to avoid common FAFSA mistakes.
College Admissions and Social Media: What’s Really Going On?
Social media is taking the world by storm. It seems like everyone from grandmothers to grocery store chains have Facebook pages! Colleges and universities have followed suit, using Facebook and Twitter to promote their schools, communicate with potential students, solicit alumni and friends for donations, and “check up” on applicants.
Don’t Light Up Here: College Campuses Ban Smoking
“It’s like high school with ashtrays!” has been a comical misconception about community college for decades, but it looks like those ashtrays are disappearing.
According to Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights, over 460 colleges and universities in the United States have enacted 100% smoke-free policies. In 2005, just 18 colleges were smoke-free.
Relax, You’re Not Alone! More College Freshmen Feel Stressed than Ever Before
They’re supposedly having the best time of their lives, but the self-reported emotional health of this year’s crop of college freshmen has dropped to a record low.
Only about half of current freshmen rated their emotional health “above average” or higher, the lowest number since the question was first asked during an annual survey of incoming students 25 years ago.
Cloud Computing and Virtual Computer Labs on Campus
Cloud computing is a growing trend, particularly in higher education. Technology officials at several colleges that recently deployed web-based hubs where students can access necessary software from their personal computers believe that campus computer labs will become “virtual” in the near future.
Eating Healthy in College: Start Good Dietary Habits Today
It’s easy for college freshmen to develop unhealthy eating habits thanks to unlimited access to high-fat, high-calorie foods, but those double helpings and late-night pizza runs may cause more problems than a bigger jeans size.
In 2007, University of New Hampshire researchers found that weight issues, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and a lack of exercise are affecting college students between the ages of 18 and 24 in more ways than one—students may be headed toward a future of chronic conditions.
College Graduation Rates Concern Parents of Prospective Applicants
College graduation rates have always been important to academic officials and politicians, but the percentage of students who actually earn a degree from a particular college or university within six years is gaining significance among parents of prospective applicants, according to a report on a study released January 12, 2011.
College Dining Services: Food on Campus
Students will always worry about the dreaded “freshman fifteen” and college dining services will always vary slightly from school to school, but one thing’s for certain—food on campus has changed a lot over the past few years!
Colleges are paying more attention to the needs and wants of students. From food courts and sushi bars to coffee shops and vegetarian dining halls, campus cafeterias have undergone a major transformation in the last two decades.
Shocking Truth: Students Aren’t Learning Much in College
A bachelor’s degree has become the bare minimum requirement in many professions, and some parents begin saving for college as soon as their children are born. President Barack Obama is urging Americans of all ages to go or return to college, wanting the United States to lead the world in college graduates by 2020.
A disturbing new study suggests that college isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, though— nearly half of the nation’s undergraduates show almost no gains in learning in their first two years of college.
25 Colleges Honor 25th Anniversary of MLK Day
January 17, 2011 marks the 25th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. The humble Dr. King once said, "Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: ‘What are you doing for others?’”
From Ivy League universities to local community colleges, students from across the country participated in Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service events to experience “A day on, not off.”
In honor of the 25th anniversary of this significant federal holiday, we’ve created a unique list of 25 colleges and universities that held MLK Day events this year.
Depression in College Students: Simple Screening May Help
College students regularly face a wide variety of challenges and pressures that make it easy for anyone to feel overwhelmed. Even though it’s exciting, the transition between high school and college can also be a tough pill to swallow for some students.
A new study reports that between one-fifth and one-quarter of students who visit university health centers for physical ailments—such as colds or flue—are depressed. The researchers who conducted the study recommend depression screening for all students.
5 Ways to Reduce Your College Tuition or Receive Loan Forgiveness
A University of Colorado sophomore raised eyebrows this week by paying his spring semester tuition—all $14,309.51 of it—with dollar bills, a fifty-cent piece and a penny. It took Nic Ramos, an economics major at the college, two days to withdraw the money from several banks and three school employees spent nearly an hour counting the money. According to the New York Times, Ramos wanted to give the school “a different way to look at tuition,” which has been rising rapidly across the country.
Ramos may have found “a symbolic way to strike back,” as the Times put it, but he still had to empty his bank accounts to pay his out-of-state college tuition. Below you can read about 5 other ways to pay your college tuition and save money in the process. Check ‘em out and start saving today.
Family Connections: Legacy Admissions Under Fire
Apparently when it comes to elite colleges in this country, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.”
… and who your parents are.
A new study of admissions at thirty selective colleges and universities has found that legacy applicants, students with relatives that attended the school, have a big advantage over students without family ties. The study also found that students whose parents earned an undergraduate degree at the college have far more benefit than those with other family connections to the institution.
Mentoring: Beneficial to Both Parties Involved
It’s common for newbies in various career fields to find themselves a mentor as they work their way up the ladder, but college students and even young children can also benefit from spending time with a mentor.
Mentors are sometimes called coaches, counselors, role models or a variety of other different names, but in layman’s terms a mentor is simply a person that takes someone under their wing to offer guidance, suggestions and helpful “been there, done that” advice.
Girls Rule at Women’s Colleges
They’re mistakenly considered outdated academic convents or hideouts for die-hard feminists and lesbians, but women’s colleges provide top-notch educations to some of the smartest, most successful women in America.
Surprise, Surprise? College Students Choose Praise Over Sex, Drinking and Money
When it comes to self-esteem, it appears that most young people believe “Too much of a good thing is never enough.”
Researchers from The Ohio State University and Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, New York conducted two separate studies of 282 students that gauged the desire for praise, as well as the desire to engage in sex, drink alcohol, get a paycheck, eat a favorite food or see a best friend. The students favored experiences that boosted self-esteem, such as receiving a good grade or a compliment.
25 New Year’s Resolutions for College Students
It’s hard to believe that January 1st has already come and gone, but it’s never too late to make some resolutions. The spring semester will be in full swing before you know it … why not start off on the right foot by breaking some bad habits and developing a few good ones?
As the saying goes, “Change is good.” For that reason we’ve compiled a list of 25 New Year’s Resolutions for college students. Check them out and see if any appeal to you.
Financial Literacy Education: Making Students Aware of Credit Scores, Debt and More
College is an exciting time of newfound freedom for most people, but many young adults lack basic money management skills. Excessive student loan and credit card debt often accumulates during the college years, creating the foundation for a life full of financial woes.
The recent collapse of the housing market in the United States has some financial experts wondering if borrowers even understood the details of the mortgages that they were signing. Very few states require schools to teach basic personal finance skills and Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont is trying to change that.
Best College Values: Kiplinger’s Top 100 Public Colleges 2011
Kiplinger, the Washington, D.C.-based personal finance giant, has just released its Top 100 Public Colleges list for 2011.
States have cut funding for colleges and universities by tens of millions of dollars over the past few years, and Kiplinger has identified the top 100 public colleges which deliver the “best bang for the buck.” According to the company, the schools on the list maintain a level of quality at a fair price despite the massive budget cuts.
American Students Heading to the UK for Lower College Tuition
British college students have been staging demonstrations in London to protest their government’s plans to triple tuition fees, but earning a degree in the United Kingdom is an appealing idea to some Americans.
Despite price increases and travel expenses, the price of earning an education at some of Europe’s finest schools is considerably less than the cost at equivalent American universities.
Professors Living in Residence Halls Increases Student Interaction
A randomly-assigned intolerable roommate is a legitimate concern for incoming freshmen, but the thought of living down the hall from a professor never even crosses the mind of most new college students.
Student Loan Debit Cards: Full of Fees
It’s common practice for college students to take out loans larger than the amount of their tuition. Colleges are then required to refund that excess money so students can use the refund to pay for books and other school necessities, as well as rent or other living expenses.
Long lines of students waiting to receive their refund checks from the bursar’s office are a common sight at the beginning of each semester, but a Connecticut-based financial services business known as Higher One is trying to change that once and for all. Higher One’s student loan debit cards have made their way onto the refund scene— with mixed reviews.