Video Post: Think About Debt Before Graduation by Christina Barks* (Guest Contributor)

VIDEO: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7423408n&tag=strip

            In this economy you have to get a higher education greatly increases your chances of getting a good job. However, college is expensive and many students (or their parents) cannot pay for all of it out of pocket or through scholarships. The reality is that most students obtain student loans, and subsequently go into debt. This is a hard concept for many college students to grasp. Many students don’t deal with repaying debt it until after they graduate from college. However, the delay  may cause some issues once they graduate, being suddenly obligated to pay back the debt plus all the interest.

Quick Thought:

            As noted in the video, if you don’t think about your debt before you graduate, then you might not be prepared for your monthly loan payments. One thing that the video talked about was finding a school that is in your budget. If you are currently going to a school that is too expensive, it might be wise to transfer to a cheaper school with your major. Another thing the video mentioned is paying off student debt while still in school. This is worth looking into so that you can cut down on some of the debt after school.

            With the unemployment rate rising it is important to know how much debt you are getting into and to have a plan to pay it off after school. If you have student loans, or are planning on getting student loans, you should look at your options for paying them back. There are many options to choose from, such as paying down the interest while in school, paying a set rate after graduation, and paying a rate based on income. Figure out what works best for you, and stay focused so that you can get through your schooling as quick as possible and with as little debt as possible. The sooner you pay it off the less interest added and the less money you have to pay in the long run.

READERS, what are do you think?

·         How do you plan on paying for college or paying off your debt after college?

·         Do you think that a college education is worth going into debt?

*Christina Barks is an undergraduate student with UK Department of Family Sciences

Reference

Quijano, E. (Performer). (2012). U.s. student debt over $1 trillion. [Web Video]. Retrieved from http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7423408n&tag=strip.

Web Site Pick of the Week: NCES.ed.gov by Rachael Chihak* (Guest Contributor)

Web Site: NCES's College Navigator  (http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/)

REASON:

So, you know what you may want your major to be in college (or at least have it fairly narrowed down?). Congratulations!  So how do you find the right college for you? Choosing a college is one of the most important things that you ever will do, so how do find the right one without breaking the bank? The College Navigator site from the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) may be what you need.

            NCES's College Navigator is an interactive site that allows you to search for colleges with the programs that you want based on location. Not only that, but you can also narrow down your school choices by tuition prices.This provides students with the programs and options that they want in the price range that they can afford.  

            By using the site to search for colleges that are close to you, have all the majors that you are interested in, and has a reasonable tuition, you can eliminate colleges that are not going to be a good fit for you. By narrowing your college search, you can avoid many unnecessary costs and reduce your dependence on student loans. Have realistic goals and try not to spend money on colleges that are not true to your goals. 

            Choosing the correct college for you is important, and helps to control your future student debt. NCES's College Navigator lets you look at not only colleges' programs and surrounding areas, but also their tuition. 

• Do you have a tuition range in mind?
• Are you willing to go to a more expensive college (and possibly incur more debt) if the school offered everything you were looking for?

 * Rachael Chihak is an undergraduate student with UK Family Sciences Department.

Reference:

College Navigator. (n.d.). National Center of Educational Statistics. Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/.

Video Post: "How Super PACs Work"

This video is a discussion of how Super PACs were influencing the South Carolina Republican primary. Michael Scherer, from Time Magazine, is being interviewed about how Supers PACs have funded campaign commercials, and these commercials seem to be swaying the results of the primaries. 

The interview mentions that before 2010, only candidates and their campaigns could advertise with an expressed support for their political goal. Then, a campaign mainly received funding from the candidate's own pocket, and from a lot of average people who gave donations of a few hundred (maybe thousand) dollars bundled together. Now, Super PACs are allowed to pursue expressed political goals using their combined funding. Instead of depending on a lot of average people donating small sums, Super PACs can count on enormous sums from a few companies and billionaires. Also, a Super PACs do not have to follow the same rules that the candidates do. 

Scherer mentions that Super PACs are spending more money on campaign commercials than the candidates. Also, the candidates that have the most commercials on their side do better in the primaries. The elections seem to be operating as one Super PAC fighting against another Super PAC, and less like one candidate's views fighting another candidate's views. 

Quick thought: 

Since Super PACs can get unlimited funding from the rich, candidates who gain funding mostly from average people (and not PACs) are at a disadvantage. The PAC that spends the most money, which is not necessarily  the PAC with the most popular views, will likely get its candidate elected president. This is an example of how economic and financial power carries over into the political aspects of life.

Readers, what do you think?

• Are Super PACs overshadowing the political views of regular people?
• Are Super PACs fair?

References

How super PACs work. (2012, January 14). [Video file]. CNN. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2012/01/14/nr-scherer-super-pacs.cnn