Secretary Duncan addressed the 2012 National Council for Community and Education Partnership’s (NCCEP) Annual GEAR UP Conference this week. ED’s GEAR UP program awards six-year grants to states and partnerships to increase the number of low-income students who are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education.
Unraveling the Mystery of College Costs
Posted on July 24, 2012 by Cameron Brenchley
Waiting for college acceptance letters can be a nerve-racking experience filled with excitement and anticipation, but once approved, students and their families begin another anticipatory wait for financial award letters. The letters, which intend on laying out the cost of college, too often do a poor job of providing the bottom line on how much aid, grants and scholarships, and student loans will be needed to pay for college.
Financial aid options to pay this cost, with a clear differentiation between grants and scholarships, which do not have to be repaid, and loans, which do;
The net costs after grants and scholarships are taken into account;
Vital information about student results, including comparative information about default rates, graduation rates, and median debt levels for the school;
And potential monthly payments for the federal student loans the typical student would owes after graduation.
(Left)An example of the easy-to-read information on the Shopping Sheet