Welcome, Freshmen. Have an iPod.

August 21, 2008 - 2:15 pm , By COED Staff

Welcome, Freshmen. Have an iPod.

Taking a step that professors may view as a bit counterproductive, some universities are doling out Apple iPhones and Internet-capable iPods to students.

The always-on Internet devices raise some novel possibilities, like tracking where students congregate. With far less controversy, colleges could send messages about canceled classes, delayed buses, campus crises or just the cafeteria menu.

While schools emphasize its usefulness — online research in class and instant polling of students, for example — a big part of the attraction is, undoubtedly, that the iPhone is cool and a hit with students. Basking in the aura of a cutting-edge product could just help a university foster a cutting-edge reputation. [NY Times]

diivider1.jpg

Study: Cost Often Not Factor When Picking College

Even if a student plans on a major where the financial rewards aren’t so obvious, such as art history or philosophy, most American families don’t factor in their child’s expected earning power when considering the potential debt load for college.

That’s according to a study released Wednesday by student lender Sallie Mae, which also found 40 percent of families don’t limit their search for a school based on the total expense. [AP]

diivider1.jpg

Becoming Textually Active with Obama

I’ve been textually active for about a year now. Everyone my age is doing it. And, now, Democratic presidential nominee, Barack Obama is too — and he wants to be textually active with me.

Sure, he’s intelligent and good-looking. And he seems nice enough. But do I really want this relationship with him? [Youth Vote Blog]

289119 clicks   Posted in Daily
Comments   Tags: , , , , , ,

Post-Grad Finance Crash Course

June 11, 2008 - 3:15 pm , By Stephen - WallStreetFighter.com

wall-street-fighter-header.JPG

So you just made Mom and Dad real proud–you’ve graduated from college and you’re still completely alive. Both nuts still attached? What a champ! Although the keg parties and late night puking into laundry baskets might not end for another few months, you should probably start thinking about your money situation.

Step One: Student Loans

If you took out student loans to pay for those joyous four years, you will soon be approaching a very important time period. You may have been made painfully aware of this by your parents or from countless postcards and solicited junk mail. Student loan interest rates recalculate each July 1st.

And thanks to a huge collapse in the financial market along with the continuing signs of a nationwide economic recession – interest rates are nice and low. Just follow this little formula I came up with:

Massive Financial Sector Layoffs = Massive Personal Financial Savings For Those In Student Debt= Massive Boner. Read More »

383673 clicks   Posted in School’d
Comments   Tags: , , , , , ,

Lance Stephenson Narrows Choice to 3 Colleges

June 2, 2008 - 4:00 pm , By Editor

 

High School B-Ball Phenom Lance Stephenson’s Choice Down to Three Schools

Lance Stephenson, the only junior on USA TODAY’s All-USA Boys Basketball Team, has narrowed his college choices to three schools, according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette via Zag’s Blog.

A 6-foot 5-inch star from Brooklyn, N.Y., Lincoln will decide between USC, UCLA and Kansas.

Check out the entire 2007-08 USA TODAY’s All-USA boys team. [USA Today]

diivider1.jpg

Student Loans Start to Bypass 2-Year Colleges

Some of the nation’s biggest banks have closed their doors to students at community colleges, for-profit universities and other less competitive institutions, even as they continue to extend federally backed loans to students at the nation’s top universities.

Citibank has been among the most aggressive in paring the list of colleges it serves. JPMorgan Chase, PNC and SunTrust say they have not dropped whole categories, but are cutting colleges as well. Some less-selective four-year colleges, like Eastern Oregon University and William Jessup University in Rocklin, Calif., say they have been summarily dropped by some lenders.

The practice suggests that if the credit crisis and the ensuing turmoil in the student loan business persist, some of the nation’s neediest students will be hurt the most. The difficulty borrowing may deter them from attending school or prompt them to take a semester off. When they get student loans, they will wind up with less attractive terms and may run a greater risk of default if they have to switch lenders in the middle of their college years. [New York Times]

diivider1.jpg

miami-329.jpgCollege Baseball World Series 20 Team Preview

With two-time defending champion Oregon State sitting on the bench, the College World Series is wide open. No. 1 Miami and the other seven seeded teams own 11 of the past 20 titles, but the road to Omaha is always full of upsets and drama. As the tournament gets under way across the nation, UWIRE has the inside pitch from the reporters who have been covering the teams all season – who’s hot, who’s not, players to watch and more. [UWire's Inside Pitch]

248115 clicks   Posted in News-ish
Comments   Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Is Your Study Abroad Office Playing Dirty?

February 11, 2008 - 11:15 am , By Editor

Chances are you or someone you know has studied, or plans to study abroad. It’s a great opportunity to experience a new culture, learn a language, and travel to places you’ve never been before. But according to New York State Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo (he’s the head of all law enforcement for the state), your choice of programs may have more to do with benefits for your study abroad office members than for you and your friends.

Remember that financial aide scandal last year? Large universities usually hire external companies to deal with student loans, and it turned out that several of these companies were bribing colleges with gifts and rewards in return for directing students to them. They got busted for it, and schools were forced to give back the cash they received. Read More »

435592 clicks   Posted in School’d
Comments   Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,