How to Report Rent Payments to the Credit Bureaus
Q. Is there any way to report to the credit bureaus all the things you do pay on time to raise your credit score? (i.e., rent, electric bill, child care, etc.) If so, is there a form I need to fill out to send to Experian, TransUnion & Equifax indicating my positive payment history? A. If […]
How to Get Your Employer To Pay Your Tuition
According to a survey by Citigroup and Seventeen magazine, nearly four out of five U.S. students work while in school. That includes students in high schools, community colleges, online institutions, and four-year colleges and universities. The average working student logs 19 hours a week during the academic year, the study found. Many students work in […]
How Prepaid College Tuition Can Save Parents Thousands
At scores of institutions nationwide, students and their families have a chance to save thousands of dollars on future tuition expenses by prepaying based on today’s tuition price. The sooner you pay, the more you can save. For those who are able to pre-pay for college expenses, they typically save about 10% off their college […]
2 Easy Ways to Cut College Costs
The total cost of college now exceeds $23,000 annually at the average four-year public school in America, according to the College Board. Total yearly costs are twice that amount, more than $46,000, at private schools in the U.S., leading students everywhere scrambling for ways to cut college tuition and other expenses. With the typical college […]
Student Tuition Discounts: Save Thousands With Legacy and Employee Benefits
Student tuition discounts are one of the most overlooked ways to cut the cost of college. Whether through your parents’ alumni status or their employment at a higher education institution, you may be eligible for thousands in tuition savings—often without realizing it. Many families know that having a parent who attended a college can help […]
Work Colleges Help Students Avoid Loans
There are seven federally recognized “work colleges” in America where students can earn while they learn. If you get into one of these colleges, you’ll be happy that your tuition is either free or very low compared to the vast majority of U.S. colleges and universities, where total annual costs can top $50,000 annually. Work […]
7 Smart Reasons to Quit Your Job and Reclaim Your Career
Tired of dealing with unreasonable bosses, difficult coworkers, or long, unappreciated hours? You’re not alone. Many employees face workplace dissatisfaction—but knowing when it’s time to quit your job requires careful thought. Before making a sudden move, ask yourself: Is this something I can fix, or has the situation become unworkable? If your problems are deep-rooted […]
The Scoop On Getting College Tuition Waivers
Tuition waivers allow you to forgo paying college tuition, or to pay greatly reduced tuition rates. Tuition waivers can offer an enormous savings for students savvy enough to track down and secure any waivers for which they qualify. Waivers vary from college to college, often depending on whether you’re an in-state or out-of-state student. But […]
3 Steps to a Bachelor’s Degree in 3 Years
When I was an undergraduate at the University of California, Irvine, I had a close friend who was smart, ambitious and very focused on her academic studies. Her goal was to graduate in three years – and she did just that. Not surprisingly, she later went on to quickly earn a graduate degree too, even […]
Is Your Credit Card Debt Making You Depressed?
You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to figure out that having a lot of credit card debt can be a drag. Duh. It’s no fun stressing every time you get your monthly credit card statements or worrying if you’ll have the money to at least cover the minimum payments on your credit card […]
List of Colleges That Don’t Raise Their Tuition Each Year
Hundreds of colleges and universities in America offer fixed-price tuition, a model that theoretically should save students money over four years. If you attend a fixed-price school, the campus guarantees that the tuition rate you pay as a freshman will be the exact same rate you pay in your fourth (and hopefully final) year as […]
Learn to Break These Bad Spending Habits
= If your credit card debt is growing larger than ever or you can’t seem to stick to a budget, it’s probably time to revamp your spending habits. Creating a realistic budget can help. But that’s really just a start. To avoid being cash-strapped and constantly feeling broke, you also have to avoid some common spending […]
3 Ways to Make Sure Your Community College Credits Transfer
When you attend a two-year college, not being able to transfer college credits can hinder your ability to graduate, or graduate on time, both of which can be costly. So before you attend any community college, make sure you have a game plan for getting in an out as quickly as possible, and then transferring […]
The Best Credit Cards to Reach Your Financial Goals
When you take the time to interact with a number of credit card holders, you will learn that they all have a reason for using their credit cards. Some would like reassurance that they have access to finance, even during periods where they cannot access cash. Others use their credit cards to reduce debt more quickly, by […]
Drawbacks of Transferring From Community College to a University
To tackle high tuition expenses and save money on college, many students start off at an affordable two-year college, earn an associate’s degree, and then transfer to a four-year college or university where they earn their bachelor’s degree. In my book, College Secrets, I call this process the “two-step” college option. And for strategic, focused […]