No Sucker Left Behind Avoiding the Great College Rip-off

Look before you learn: With classes topping $100 per hour, the average graduate owes $23,000 in student loans and $3,000 in credit cards or more. But the real cost-when missing income, interest on loans, and other costs are factored in-averages almost $85,000. Debt, not academic problems, is the leading cause of dropping out. The debt is a risky business proposition: Only 33 percent of full-time students graduate within four years, and only about half (54 percent) graduate within six years. About 33 percent drop out without finishing their degrees. In 2003, six out of 10 college students said that they planned to move back in with their parents after graduation. Also in 2003, half of 2002 college graduates were living at home, and one out of three were still looking for a job. Many students cite high college cost, or high costs of living, as the reason they decide to return home. College is a bad short-term financial investment. The earnings of the average high school graduate who does not attend college will outpace his/her counterpart in college for 15 years. These high costs are accepted as a necessary evil for great-paying jobs. But student expectations are far higher than reality. On average, students expect to earn 44 percent, or $11,000, more than they actually will when they graduate. But there are things students can do to strike back, including: Getting around expensive application fees Increasing their financial aid or offers of financial aid Taking courses for free No Sucker Left Behind gives you the tools to get your degree without getting robbed. Marc Scheer is a career counselor and writer living in New York.Scheer, Marc is the author of 'No Sucker Left Behind Avoiding the Great College Rip-off' with ISBN 9781567513424 and ISBN 1567513425.