got tuition?

Using the ARRA for higher education

2009-03-19T09:27:00.001-04:00

There is a nice article on Huffington Post about how the ARRA money can be used to help higher education. Check it out here.

NYT Article

2008-12-03T12:07:00.001-05:00

The New York Times has a great article up, "Higher Education May Soon Become Unaffordable for Most in U.S." Check it out here.

Hannah Karns, WI

2008-11-16T11:29:00.002-05:00

Hannah Karns, a student at University of Wisconsin, Madison, was kind enough to talk to us during the recent USSA conference.

Ginger Calhoon, IN

2008-11-07T15:34:00.002-05:00

Ginger Calhoon of Indiana talks to got tuition.

Election night pics

2008-11-06T13:07:00.006-05:00

'Got Tuition?' team member, Whitney Ripley, lobbied Congressional leaders on election night in Washington, DC. She asked House Education Committee Chairman George Miller and Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman-Schulz, the Democratic Chief Deputy Whip, to make sure that issues of college affordability and student debt be high on the list of priorities as the 111th Congress convenes in the January 2009.

Representative George Miller, D-CA

Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-FL

Dan Marzoni, AR

2008-11-02T12:51:00.001-05:00

Dan Marzoni, president of the Arkansas Education Association, talks to got tuition.

New NYT article on college affordability

2008-11-01T15:51:00.003-04:00

The New York times ran an article on college affordability yesterday, but they take a slightly unusual approach. The article, "Even at Costliest College, Unease Over Downturn" focuses on the effects the Wall Street meltdown has had on the costliest campus in the nation, Sarah Lawrence. You can read the complete article here.

Video contest winner announced

2008-10-31T15:34:00.002-04:00

Got Tuition has announced the winner of our video contest. Congratulations Ben Redmond!

You can see our announcement page here.
Ben was also on the line for our most recent teleconference, which you can listen to here.
As part of his prize, Ben was asked to blog for the Huffington Post. You can read his entry here.

More PA Board of Education testimony

2008-10-30T15:31:00.001-04:00

Karyn Reinhold gave testimony on October 28th at Harrisburg Area Community College. You can watch the video below.

Concerned students talk to Pennsylvania government

2008-10-29T13:47:00.001-04:00

The Council of Higher Education of the Pennsylvania State Board of Education has scheduled a series of five regional public hearings to receive input from college students, recent graduates, parents, higher education officials and others regarding the affordability of post-secondary education in Pennsylvania. With costs to attend college continuing to escalate, combined with relatively flat federal, state and institutional financial aid and increasingly restricted public and private loan markets, the Council of Higher Education seeks to understand how these factors are impacting the ability of those wishing to attend college to afford postsecondary education without taking on worrisome debt burdens that must be repaid after graduation

Below is the testimony of Ashley Lovejoy, who is scheduled to testify today, October 29 at Community College of Allegheny County. She is a student at Edinboro University.

When I decided to give this testimony here today I did not want to be the voice for just myself, but for every individual across the United States who want to continue with a higher education, but can not because the cost is simply not in their budget, or they have to alter their dreams to adjust to college tuition.

When I first decided that I was going to attend college my parents were very excited. I would be the first member from my family to attend and graduate with a degree. Up until my junior year of high school I was going to be a lawyer, I wanted to make a difference in the world. It was after I traveled to Australia as foreign exchange student that my vision for life had changed. To change the world I had to start with the youth of today, they would be tomorrow’s future. When I told my parents that I was no longer going to be attending college majoring in pre-law, instead I would be majoring in elementary/special education. The look of disappointment on my parents’ faces startled me. I was sure that they would be happy for me; I thought that they wanted all of my hopes and dreams to come true. The truth is they did and they still do. My father sat me down at the kitchen table and told me that if this is what I truly wanted in my life then they would support me. He just feared about how much debt that I would be in and the annual salary of a teacher. We would not be receiving any additional assistance for my funding for school because we fell into the middle class grey area. Even though my father was disabled from work and my mother had a full time job to try to make ends meet at home. I would be paying for my college through loans. At this point in my life I was not thinking about any of that and I thought that he was just crazy, by the time that I graduated I would be making more than $30,000.00 and it didn’t make a difference as long as I was happy with my career and changing the lives of children.

Now I sit here today $42,940.72 in debts with still another year of school until I graduate. I have had to take time off from school because I could not afford the difference that the cost of tuition to the amount I was receiving in loans. Now that I am a commuter and living off campus I am able to afford the tuition through loans. Yet, with the starting salary of a teacher averaging around $30,000.00 a year I fear of how I will be able to repay my student loans and pay for my everyday necessities to live. I see how I am struggling now to pay my bills, work a job, and maintain a 3.4 GPA full time in school. I fear that my parents were right about how much I would make as an educator and how it will affect the choices in my life. My dream was to teach in a special education classroom, preferably with autistic children or the severe emotional/behavioral disorder children. Then one day teach a third or fourth grade regular education classroom. Now I am looking at teaching in an inner city school where a district will agree to repay some or my entire student loans off for me. If I am unable to find a school in an inner city that offers this type of bonus, I have decided that I may have to set my dream aside and work in a psychiatric hospital for children. A job that would allow me to use my degree in, and pay back my loans and support myself with the cost of living in today’s economy.

I am just one person sharing my story with you, but there are thousands of students out there in the United States that share this same story. All we want to do is receive an affordable education to make a difference not only in our lives, but for the world, is that too much to ask?

Sakeena Kazmi, FL

2008-10-28T16:04:00.001-04:00

This video from the recent USSA conference is courtesy of Sakeena Kazmi of Florida.

"Got Tuition?" visits Western Carolina University

2008-10-27T23:45:00.001-04:00

"Got Tuition?" visited with students at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina today, where 75 students and parents signed the "Got Tuition" petition asking elected leaders to invest more federal resources in student aid, and 17 recorded videos discussing the issue of college affordability and discussing the positions of gubernatorial candidates Bev Perdue and Pat McCrory on this issue.

Whitley Barber, Western Carolina University

Kendra Bettis, Western Carolina University

Latoya Blackwell, Western Carolina University

Kim Browning

Aaron Camp, Western Carolina University

Deon Clark, Western Carolina University

Marley-Ann Cunningham, Western Carolina University

James Hinnant, Western Carolina University

Katie Johnson, Western Carolina University

Rachel Karriker, Western Carolina University

Danielle Lightner, Western Carolina University

Parker Millar, Western Carolina University

Shelby Schiller, Athens State Univ, GA

Sydny Small, Western Carolina University

Joshua Swayngim, Western Carolina University

Brandon Ward, Western Carolina University

Nancy Yang, Western Carolina University

"Got Tuition?" visits UNC-Asheville

2008-10-26T23:49:00.001-04:00

"Got Tuition?" visited with students at the University of North Carolina at Asheville today, where 87 students and parents signed the "Got Tuition" petition asking elected leaders to invest more federal resources in student aid, and seven recorded videos discussing the issue of college affordability and discussing the positions of gubernatorial candidates Bev Perdue and Pat McCrory on this issue.

Michael Yakima, University of North Carolina at Asheville

Daniel Roberts, University of North Carolina at Asheville

Lauren Porricelli, University of North Carolina at Asheville

Emily Porter-Fyke, University of North Carolina at Asheville

Amidha Porter, University of North Carolina at Asheville

Ashley Jenk, University of North Carolina at Asheville

Joanna Boone, University of North Carolina at Asheville

"Got Tuition?" visits Warren Wilson College

2008-10-26T23:46:00.004-04:00

"Got Tuition?" visited with students at Warren Wilson College in Swannanoa today, where 13 students and others signed the "Got Tuition" petition asking elected leaders to invest more federal resources in student aid, and three students and others recorded videos discussing the issue of college affordability and discussing the positions of gubernatorial candidates Bev Perdue and Pat McCrory on this issue.

Hastings Blumer

Julienne Mulzac, Warren Wilson College

Courtney Oliphunt, Warren Wilson College

College Affordability in the news

2008-10-26T13:17:00.002-04:00

Our first article comes from the Philadelphia Inquirer. With the Wall Street meltdown, many schools are scrambling to find ways to keep students in class and help them pay their tuition bills. This article features Graham B. Spanier, president of Penn State University, explaining what his campus is doing to try and help students. Read the complete article here.

The Denver Post has a guest commentary talking about Amendment 58, which would repeal some oil and gas subsidies and instead funnel the money into scholarships. You can check it out here.

"The Strain to Pay for College," from the Washington Post shared some stories from individuals in the class of 2009 who have been priced out of their chosen Universities. Read the complete article here (free registration required).

"Got Tuition?" visits UNC-Charlotte

2008-10-25T20:28:00.000-04:00

"Got Tuition?" visited with students at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where 21 students signed the "Got Tuition" petition asking elected leaders to invest more federal resources in student aid, and seven recorded videos discussing the issue of college affordability and discussing the positions of gubernatorial candidates Bev Perdue and Pat McCrory on this issue.

Christina Villa, University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Leon Seke, University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Janelle McFarlane, University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Sara Howard, University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Asha Burnette, University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Chuck Beamon, University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Robert Ashton, University of North Carolina at Charlotte

"Got Tuition?" visits UNC-Greensboro

2008-10-24T18:42:00.003-04:00

"Got Tuition?" visited with students at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro today, where 55 students signed the "Got Tuition" petition asking elected leaders to invest more federal resources in student aid, and 12 recorded videos discussing the issue of college affordability and discussing the positions of gubernatorial candidates Bev Perdue and Pat McCrory on this issue.

Alex Titus, University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Halston Simmons, University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Kristen Prosser, University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Madison Potter, University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Jerrica McDonald, University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Vanessa Hunter, University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Elizabeth Gwyn, University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Chanelle Davis, University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Aquella Copeland-Reid, University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Shawn Bradford, University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Joseph Boatwright, University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Tara Beal, University of North Carolina at Greensboro

"Got Tuition?" lobbies NC Lt. Gov Bev Perdue

2008-10-24T14:00:00.001-04:00

From Perdue

Educator Pam Stowell talks with North Carolina Lt. Governor Bev Perdue in Greensboro about NEA's "Got Tuition?" campaign to win greater investment of federal and state funding in student financial aid programs, making the opportunities of college education more accessible and more affordable to more students and their families.

Perdue told "Got Tuition?" that she has strongly supported efforts to make college more affordable, including her proposal to expand North Carolina's EARN scholarship program from two to four years. Perdue's proposed expansion would allow eligible students to qualify for up to $16,000 in grants for college.

"Got Tuition?" visits the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

2008-10-24T00:17:00.004-04:00

"Got Tuition?" visited with students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill today, where 31 students signed the "Got Tuition" petition asking elected leaders to invest more federal resources in student aid, and 15 recorded videos discussing the issue of college affordability and discussing the positions of gubernatorial candidates Bev Perdue and Pat McCrory on this issue.

Victoria Allen, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Kelly Chesson, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Amber Clifford, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Taner Ergin, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Laura Escobar, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Sara Fender, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Anslei Foster, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Keyachtta Hawkins, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Brint Hayes, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Raquel Hoover, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Alexis Ivey, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Danielle Kucera, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Kristen Maye, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Jordan Teague, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

"Got Tuition?" visits Meredith College

2008-10-24T00:15:00.003-04:00

"Got Tuition?" visited Meredith College in Raleigh, North Carolina, today, where 328 students, parents, grandparents and others signed the "Got Tuition" petition asking elected leaders to invest more federal resources in student aid, and three recorded videos discussing the issue of college affordability and discussing the positions of gubernatorial candidates Bev Perdue and Pat McCrory on this issue.

Bethany Burris, Meredith College

Courtney Cooke, Meredith College

Joelle Gordon

Students at North Carolina Central Univ weigh in

2008-10-24T00:08:00.002-04:00

Two students attending North Carolina Central University recorded videos today discussing the issue of college affordability and discussing the positions of gubernatorial candidates Bev Perdue and Pat McCrory on this issue.

Orlando Curry, North Carolina Central University

Natasha Gordon, North Carolina Central University

"Got Tuition?" at St. Augustine's College

2008-10-22T14:31:00.000-04:00

Thanks to an invitation from St. Augustine's College student body president Amber Thomas, "Got Tuition?" visited with students there today. Six students and others recorded videos promoting the issue of college affordability and discussing the positions of gubernatorial candidates Bev Perdue and Pat McCrory on this issue.

Westley Brand of St. Augustine's College

Julese Dortch of St. Augustine's College

Christopher Reed of St. Augustine's College

Clarenda Stanley

Amber Thomas of St. Augustine's College

Brent Wright of St. Augustine's College

"Got Tuition?" visits East Carolina University

2008-10-21T13:09:00.001-04:00

Thanks to an invitation from SNCAE advisor Tarrick Cox at East Carolina University in Greenville, "Got Tuition?" visited with students there on Monday. Twenty-five students signed the "Got Tuition?" petition asking elected leaders to invest more federal resources in student aid, and nine students recorded videos promoting the issue of college affordability and discussing the positions of gubernatorial candidates Bev Perdue and Pat McCrory on this issue.

Emily Cash at East Carolina University

Allison Cherry at East Carolina University

Ebony Graham at East Carolina University

Rebeckah Hauss at East Carolina University

James Kennington at East Carolina University

Alyssa Mahon at East Carolina University

Alex Maxfield at East Carolina University

Lauren McMahon at East Carolina University

Margie Sample at East Carolina University

"Got Tuition?" visits UNC-Wilmington

2008-10-21T12:32:00.004-04:00

Thanks to an invitation from SNCAE advisor Kathy Fox at University of North Carolina at Wilmington, "Got Tuition?" visited with students at the Watson School of Education and in the Fisher Student Union there on Monday. One hundred and five students signed the "Got Tuition?" petition asking elected leaders to invest more federal resources in student aid, and eight students recorded videos promoting the issue of college affordability and discussing the positions of gubernatorial candidates Bev Perdue and Pat McCrory on this issue.

Stephanie Buck at UNC-Wilmington

Laura Callonia at UNC-Wilmington

Chakyra Cherry at UNC-Wilmington

Toby Fakuale at UNC-Wilmington

Richelle Fonville at UNC-Wilmington

Stephanie Huza at UNC-Wilmington

Whitney Kornegay at UNC-Wilmington

Shannon Murdico at UNC-Wilmington

Tammi Smith of Charlotte, North Carolina

2008-10-21T12:29:00.001-04:00

Tammi Smith of Charlotte, North Carolina

Erin Galbreath of Durham, North Carolina

2008-10-21T12:27:00.003-04:00

Erin Galbreath of Durham, North Carolina:

Barry Melamed, NJ

2008-10-20T15:55:00.003-04:00

Today we have another video from this summer's National Education Association RA. This video is courtesy of Barry Melamed of New Jersey.

Want to share your story with got tuition? Please e-mail your stories, pictures, and videos to gottuition08@gmail.com.

got tuition? visits Indiana State

2008-10-17T15:34:00.000-04:00

The Indiana Student Education Association local chapter at ISU hosted a ‘Got Tuition’ table at ISU on Monday, October 13. ISEA members passed out information, t-shirts, and mini-footballs to all participants. Students had the opportunity to sign a nonpartisan ‘Got Tuition’ petition asking Congress to address college affordability and student debt. Over 200 signatures were collected, information about Indiana student aid was distributed, and students learned policymakers’ positions on the issue of college affordability.

Got Tuition? visits Tennessee State University

2008-10-16T13:24:00.001-04:00

On Tuesday, October 7, "Got Tuition?" visited Tennessee State University in Nashville. While the presidential candidates were spending the rainy day preparing for the second Presidential debate, students at TSU were holding a "Day of Action" in their Student Center.

Obama, McCain address college affordability in debate

2008-10-15T22:56:00.003-04:00

For the last question of the last presidential debate sponsored by the Commission on Presidential Debates, moderator Bob Schieffer of CBS asked Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain how each will address the challenges of education policy in America. Both spoke about the college affordability crises facing American families in their responses.

The text of the question and the candidates' responses follows:

Schieffer: Let's stop there, because I want to get in a question on education and I'm afraid this is going to have to be our last question, gentlemen.

The question is this: the U.S. spends more per capita than any other country on education. Yet, by every international measurement, in math and science competence, from kindergarten through the 12th grade, we trail most of the countries of the world.

The implications of this are clearly obvious. Some even say it poses a threat to our national security.

Do you feel that way and what do you intend to do about it?

The question to Sen. Obama first.

Obama: This probably has more to do with our economic future than anything and that means it also has a national security implication, because there's never been a nation on earth that saw its economy decline and continued to maintain its primacy as a military power.

So we've got to get our education system right. Now, typically, what's happened is that there's been a debate between more money or reform, and I think we need both.

In some cases, we are going to have to invest. Early childhood education, which closes the achievement gap, so that every child is prepared for school, every dollar we invest in that, we end up getting huge benefits with improved reading scores, reduced dropout rates, reduced delinquency rates.

I think it's going to be critically important for us to recruit a generation of new teachers, an army of new teachers, especially in math and science, give them higher pay, give them more professional development and support in exchange for higher standards and accountability.

And I think it's important for us to make college affordable. Right now, I meet young people all across the country who either have decided not to go to college or if they're going to college, they are taking on $20,000, $30,000, $50,000, $60,000 worth of debt, and it's very difficult for them to go into some fields, like basic research in science, for example, thinking to themselves that they're going to have a mortgage before they even buy a house.

And that's why I've proposed a $4,000 tuition credit, every student, every year, in exchange for some form of community service, whether it's military service, whether it's Peace Corps, whether it's working in a community.

If we do those things, then I believe that we can create a better school system.

But there's one last ingredient that I just want to mention, and that's parents. We can't do it just in the schools. Parents are going to have to show more responsibility. They've got to turn off the TV set, put away the video games, and, finally, start instilling that thirst for knowledge that our students need.

Schieffer: Sen. McCain?

McCain: Well, it's the civil rights issue of the 21st century. There's no doubt that we have achieved equal access to schools in America after a long and difficult and terrible struggle.

But what is the advantage in a low income area of sending a child to a failed school and that being your only choice?

So choice and competition amongst schools is one of the key elements that's already been proven in places in like New Orleans and New York City and other places, where we have charter schools, where we take good teachers and we reward them and promote them.

And we find bad teachers another line of work. And we have to be able to give parents the same choice, frankly, that Sen. Obama and Mrs. Obama had and Cindy and I had to send our kids to the school -- their kids to the school of their choice.

Charter schools aren't the only answer, but they're providing competition. They are providing the kind of competitions that have upgraded both schools -- types of schools.

Now, throwing money at the problem is not the answer. You will find that some of the worst school systems in America get the most money per student.

So I believe that we need to reward these good teachers.

We need to encourage programs such as Teach for America and Troops to Teachers where people, after having served in the military, can go right to teaching and not have to take these examinations which -- or have the certification that some are required in some states.

Look, we must improve education in this country. As far as college education is concerned, we need to make those student loans available. We need to give them a repayment schedule that they can meet. We need to have full student loan program for in-state tuition. And we certainly need to adjust the certain loan eligibility to inflation.

Schieffer: Do you think the federal government should play a larger role in the schools? And I mean, more federal money?

Obama: Well, we have a tradition of local control of the schools and that's a tradition that has served us well. But I do think that it is important for the federal government to step up and help local school districts do some of the things they need to do.

Now we tried to do this under President Bush. He put forward No Child Left Behind. Unfortunately, they left the money behind for No Child Left Behind. And local school districts end up having more of a burden, a bunch of unfunded mandates, the same kind of thing that happened with special education where we did the right thing by saying every school should provide education to kids with special needs, but we never followed through on the promise of funding, and that left local school districts very cash-strapped.

So what I want to do is focus on early childhood education, providing teachers higher salaries in exchange for more support. Sen. McCain and I actually agree on two things that he just mentioned.

Charter schools, I doubled the number of charter schools in Illinois despite some reservations from teachers unions. I think it's important to foster competition inside the public schools.

And we also agree on the need for making sure that if we have bad teachers that they are swiftly -- after given an opportunity to prove themselves, if they can't hack it, then we need to move on because our kids have to have their best future.

Where we disagree is on the idea that we can somehow give out vouchers -- give vouchers as a way of securing the problems in our education system. And I also have to disagree on Sen. McCain's record when it comes to college accessibility and affordability.

Recently his key economic adviser was asked about why he didn't seem to have some specific programs to help young people go to college and the response was, well, you know, we can't give money to every interest group that comes along.

I don't think America's youth are interest groups, I think they're our future. And this is an example of where we are going to have to prioritize. We can't say we're going to do things and then not explain in concrete terms how we're going to pay for it.

And if we're going to do some of the things you mentioned, like lowering loan rates or what have you, somebody has got to pay for it. It's not going to happen on its own.

Schieffer: What about that, Senator?

McCain: Well, sure. I'm sure you're aware, Sen. Obama, of the program in the Washington, D.C., school system where vouchers are provided and there's a certain number, I think it's a thousand and some and some 9,000 parents asked to be eligible for that.

Because they wanted to have the same choice that you and I and Cindy and your wife have had. And that is because they wanted to choose the school that they thought was best for their children.

And we all know the state of the Washington, D.C., school system. That was vouchers. That was voucher, Sen. Obama. And I'm frankly surprised you didn't pay more attention to that example.

Now as far as the No Child Left Behind is concerned, it was a great first beginning in my view. It had its flaws, it had its problems, the first time we had looked at the issue of education in America from a nationwide perspective. And we need to fix a lot of the problems. We need to sit down and reauthorize it.

But, again, spending more money isn't always the answer. I think the Head Start program is a great program. A lot of people, including me, said, look, it's not doing what it should do. By the third grade many times children who were in the Head Start program aren't any better off than the others.

Let's reform it. Let's reform it and fund it. That was, of course, out-of-bounds by the Democrats. We need to reform these programs. We need to have transparency. We need to have rewards. It's a system that cries out for accountability and transparency and the adequate funding.

And I just said to you earlier, town hall meeting after town hall meeting, parents come with kids, children -- precious children who have autism. Sarah Palin knows about that better than most. And we'll find and we'll spend the money, research, to find the cause of autism. And we'll care for these young children. And all Americans will open their wallets and their hearts to do so.

But to have a situation, as you mentioned in our earlier comments, that the most expensive education in the world is in the United States of America also means that it cries out for reform, as well.

And I will support those reforms, and I will fund the ones that are reformed. But I'm not going to continue to throw money at a problem. And I've got to tell you that vouchers, where they are requested and where they are agreed to, are a good and workable system. And it's been proven.

Obama: I'll just make a quick comment about vouchers in D.C. Sen. McCain's absolutely right: The D.C. school system is in terrible shape, and it has been for a very long time. And we've got a wonderful new superintendent there who's working very hard with the young mayor there to try...

McCain: Who supports vouchers.

Obama: ... who initiated -- actually, supports charters.

McCain: She supports vouchers, also.

Obama: But the -- but here's the thing, is that, even if Sen. McCain were to say that vouchers were the way to go -- I disagree with him on this, because the data doesn't show that it actually solves the problem -- the centerpiece of Sen. McCain's education policy is to increase the voucher program in D.C. by 2,000 slots.

That leaves all of you who live in the other 50 states without an education reform policy from Sen. McCain.

So if we are going to be serious about this issue, we've got to have a president who is going to tackle it head-on. And that's what I intend to do as president.

Schieffer: All right.

McCain: Because there's not enough vouchers; therefore, we shouldn't do it, even though it's working. I got it.

Schieffer: All right.

Kenasha Paul, FL

2008-10-15T15:18:00.003-04:00

This video from the recent USSA conference is courtesy of Kenasha Paul of Florida.

Want to share your story with got tuition? Please e-mail your stories, pictures, and videos to gottuition08@gmail.com.

College affordability in the news

2008-10-14T15:02:00.002-04:00

The Gainesville Sun (Florida) has a great article that compares and contrasts the McCain and Obama college affordability plans. You can read the article here.

The Seattle Times has a story about Lora Ladd, a recent graduate who can't afford to pay for her loans. Check it out here.

Your stories, part 5

2008-10-12T13:36:00.003-04:00

Our first story comes from Sabrina I.

My name is Sabrena I, I'm a single mom of two and 33. I got laid off in March of this year and thought I would go back to school to become a nurse. I tried for aid but since I already had a degree and too many hours the college wouldn't award me a grant of any kind. On top of that my unemployment was stopped since I was going back to school because being a student is considered an occupation. College is a BIG financial crunch on many today and in the future if something is not done to help students and parents. What I have been through it seems to me everyone wants your money but if you don't have any these people do not want to help so we can better ourselves in anyway.

Our next story is from a student at Oakland University.

Every year I calculate about how much it will cost to live on campus and take 16 credit hours and obtain enough scholarships and grants to cover my costs and without fail every year they take away my grants as my scholarships process and raise tuition and housing fees. I'm always left short enough to clear out my entire bank account every year. My school has raised tuition over 20% since I started at Oakland University in Fall 2006. That is ridiculous and unacceptable for a public university. Every student I know works 1-4 jobs while taking classes in order to pay for one of the least expensive educations in the state. I am tired of earning scholarships based on my good performance in the Honors College and then being penalized by having housing grants taken away. My family cannot afford to pay for my education and that is shown on my FAFS A so I should at least get the financial aid I was proposed to get in the beginning of the year. This is a major issue for all students and we need to let our voices be heard.

Want to share your story with got tuition? Please e-mail your stories, pictures, and videos to gottuition08@gmail.com.

Matthew Wendt, WI

2008-10-10T14:59:00.002-04:00

This video from the USSA conference is courtesy of Matthew Wendt of Wisconsin.

Want to share your story with got tuition? Please e-mail your stories, pictures, and videos to gottuition08@gmail.com.

Some more articles

2008-10-09T19:28:00.003-04:00

GoDanRiver, the news source for Danville, VA has a great opinion piece written by a student who is struggling to pay for college. Read it here.

The Witchita Eagle (Kansas) has an article about recent grads trying to get by. You can check it out here.

The Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority (MOHELA) is having trouble keeping up with credit crunch. Read about it here.

Kathleen Templin, AZ

2008-10-08T14:19:00.002-04:00

This video from the USSA conference comes courtesy of Kathleen Templin of Arizona.

Want to share your story with got tuition? Please e-mail your stories, pictures, and videos to gottuition08@gmail.com.

College Affordability hits the news

2008-10-06T15:13:00.002-04:00

We have some articles about college affordability today. Tons of stories have been popping up lately, especially with the financial meltdown.

Student Life, the Washington University in St. Louis has a great article that outlines both Presidential candidates college affordability plans. You can read it here.

The Seattle Times has an article exploring how the financial crunch is affecting student lending. Check it out here.

The Wall Street Journal is running an article about how the financial meltdown is affecting college savings, they also offer some tips on how to help finance your education. The article is available here.

Your stories, part 4

2008-10-05T17:01:00.003-04:00

Today we'd like to share some more of your stories.

Our first story comes from Nicholas G.

When I graduated high school in May of 2004, the thought of being in debt for a majority of my life because of student loans was the primary deterrent for not going to school. I chose to work the next semester (Fall of 2004) rather than beginning a life of debt. Realizing that my job was not what I wanted to do the rest of my life, I reluctantly decided to go to college. At the time of my admittance into Western Illinois University, my parents were still married. According to their income, I was not able to gain financial aid; which is a problem of its own that I will comment on later.

During college, I became involved in many things. Greek Life played a major role in my experience and I took on many officer roles including President my last year as an undergrad. I was also involved in an exuberant amount of volunteer activities, Interfraternity Council, Student Government Association, Promoting the Rights of Individuals with Disabilities Everywhere (P.R.I.D.E.), and numerous committees. The validity behind mentioning these activities is because with all of my time being devoted to studying and extracurricular activities, there was no time for a job during the school year to make money other than on my summer vacations. With that, my student loans paid not only my tuition but also so I could eat.

In August of 2008 I graduated from Western Illinois University and was thrown into a economy that is less than suitable for finding a career. I realize patience is a virtue and a job will come, but rather I find a career or not, the student loans are still in repayment after 6 months. My parents are not going to pay my student loans, I am. So for the government to have said that I couldn't get financial aid because of my parents income is foolish.

I majored in law enforcement and justice administration in college and minored in psychology. I'm not naive to the fact that as a civil servant I will never become a millionaire, and will probably never be classified as anything other than middle class. However, I am worried that I will never get ahead of that $50,000 it cost me for my education. The next step in my life would be to buy a house... Possibly a new vehicle to replace my 17 year old truck... I would love to have children... I would love the American cliche of a picket fence... But my next steps are all on hold. I already lived beyond my means by going to college... The sad part of it all is had I known then what I know now, my decision to go to college may have been decided against because I personally don't believe the juice was worth the squeeze.

Our second story comes from Georgette P.

I attend school out of state and owe a prior balance of 8,500. I attend D'Youville college in Buffalo NY. I am eligible for aid to cover the up coming year but am not able to register for classes until that outstanding balance is paid. I am an African American living in a single parent house hold that makes less than 6,000 a year. My Mother is on social security,SSI, and food stamp benefits to make ends meet. Since elementary through high school I had free lunch because she couldn't afford to pay it. She also has a life threatening disease and my father passed away in 2001. No one in my family is eligible to cosign loans for me to pay this balance. I have tried and they all got denied. I really would hate to stop my education because I cannot afford it. I am a hard working student with some financial issues.

Want to share your story with got tuition? Please e-mail your stories, pictures, and videos to gottuition08@gmail.com.

Alexander Scott, NC

2008-10-04T19:33:00.003-04:00

This video from the USSA conference is courtesy of Alexander Scott of North Carolina

Want to share your story with got tuition? Please e-mail your stories, pictures, and videos to gottuition08@gmail.com.

"Got Tuition?" organizer lobbies Gwen Ifill

2008-10-03T21:38:00.002-04:00

Fontbonne University education major David Dickerson, part of the team that helped to rally student support for the "Got Tuition?" campaign in St. Louis in the days leading to last night's vice presidential debate, continued his advocacy this morning at the St. Louis-Lambert Airport, where he met debate moderator Gwen Ifill. On his way to attend an NEA Student Leadership Conference in Minneapolis, Dickerson caught Ifill's eye with his distinctive black-and-white t-shirt and used the connection to talk with -- and snap a photo with -- the PBS news anchor.

From Washington Univ. Public Viewing Area

3 new news clips

2008-10-03T15:38:00.003-04:00

Got tuition has been in the news a lot lately, and we'd like to share the 3 most recent clips with you.

KTKA News: Topeka, Kansas

KGWN News: Cheyenne, Wyoming

KTWO News: Casper, Wyoming

Students rally support for "Got Tuition?" at VP debate

2008-10-02T22:19:00.003-04:00

Fontbonne University education majors and student organizers David Dickerson and Sharon Atlas joined "Got Tuition?" tonight at the public viewing area outside the vice presidential debate at Washington University in St. Louis and canvassed those gathered to support our campaign.

As a result, 245 students, parents and grandparents signed the "Got Tuition?" petition asking federal and state elected leaders to make college education more affordable for more students and put on "Got Tuition?" t-shirts to raise awareness of college affordability as a national issue in 2008.

From Washington Univ. Public Viewing Area

Update from Ohio

2008-10-02T16:49:00.005-04:00

Hello everyone!
A lot has happened in Ohio and around my campus in the past week and a half since I wrote my first blog. I was trying to decide what I should focus this blog on and finally came up with the idea to focus briefly on several different key issues that college students nationwide would find both interesting and pertinent to their struggles with tuition. I have included two newspaper articles from my campus newspaper and my thoughts on these articles. I have also included some general information about a Rock the Vote event on my campus this past week and the upcoming Got Tuition events in Ohio in October. Happy reading!

“Struggling economy will affect students.”

“Students could face difficulties finding loans.”

These articles are from about a week ago discussing the struggling economy and relating it to the issues college students are facing with funding. As the articles suggest the economy is an issue that affects college students whether we like it or not. If the stock market continues to decline at its current rate or fails to rebound from the mortgage crisis currently rocking Wall Street, it will become increasingly difficult for all college students to obtain loan money and acquire credit. In the upcoming election all voters who are active in the election probably have an issue or two that are personal to them such as education, taxes, etc, etc. But the economy and its state will affect all Americans in the upcoming weeks, months, and years to come. Even though news and commentary centering on the economy is not the most exciting topic to discuss, as educated voters we must pay attention to what the upcoming congressional and presidential candidates have to say on these issues because they are the ones that will decide the future of our economy and how our money is going to be spent.

“College Funding at center of Got Tuition?’s message”

This article begins by focusing around the message of Got Tuition?! Though the article’s focus shifts a bit as it goes on it is a great article based on the importance of college students becoming involved in the upcoming election. Much like the Got Tuition? site, this article compares the presidential candidates on their views regarding college funding and other higher education issues. I was actually quoted in this article as the chair of the Ohio Student Education Association (although I was slightly misquoted, my message was still clear.) As college students we need to be our own advocates, we no longer have anyone to speak for us. As high school students or younger we had our teachers (NEA members for example) and our parents to stand up for us in what they believed would best help us to grow and to learn. Now we are adults and we need to be politically active and educated voters because we have no one else to do it for us. Middle-aged adults who have paid off their college loans already do not have a stake in lowering loan interest rates or increasing Pell Grant spending. They may not even care because they feel that, having paid off their own college loans without assistance, our generation needs to as well. This view, however, fails to account for the fact that college loan interest rates and college tuition in general is much greater than it was thirty, twenty, or even ten years ago.

Most importantly from these two articles I am hoping that college students see the importance of voting and being an educated voter. Regardless of who or what you are voting for or what your opinions are. Please…. If you care about your future as an American make sure you VOTE! In Ohio you must be registered by October 6! But even more important than registering is actually casting your vote on election day. This year that is Nov 4! In every election, not just this one… as college students concerned about our futures we must VOTE! It is your right as an American and you need to use that right! Some people in other countries do not have the option to vote. In this country people used to be discriminated against due to their wealth, race, and gender when it came to voting. There have been many Americans up to this point that have worked hard to ensure that WE are all able to vote. Tell these people thanks by using your right. It is the least you can do. When it comes to being an educated voter I believe we should all read up on the issues, talk to others and explore different viewpoints. Don’t vote for someone just because a friend or a family member thinks you should. Have your own reasons and be able to back up your principles. It really isn’t too hard these days to find out information on the campaigns; use the internet, turn on the TV. Again, this is your right and responsibility as an American to vote AND to make an educated vote based on your personal beliefs, values, and convictions. I also feel that to be an educated voter you need to be able to look at ALL of the issues, or at least many of them and not just focus on one or two. As a future educator and a current very active member of the NEA I put an extreme focus on Educational issues. I can recognize that there are other issues that affect me and my future and I realize that I need to be educated on these as well. To me this is a major part of being an educated voter. I know many of you feel the same, I would just again like to point out the importance and significance of each and every election.

Rock the Vote at Kent State Friday September 26
The rock the vote bus pulled onto KSU’s campus on Friday afternoon. I helped out with the event alongside two other Got Tuition? volunteers. This event, as with all RTV events, educated college students on the importance of voting in the upcoming election. In addition to the concert that featured Hawthorne Heights and Ben Taylor (James Taylor’s son), RTV registered KSU students to vote on November 4. This was a somewhat under-crowded event but for those that did attend it was a fun time and gave them encouragement to vote in this election. Below are some pictures from the event.

Got Tuition? Days of Action comes to Ohio
As noted in my last blog, there will be three Days of Action coming up in Ohio in just two weeks! We are busy planning for these events and are very excited to get the word about Got Tuition? out to college students at three of Ohio’s largest campuses. Each of the events will occur from 9am-4pm on the respective campuses with dates listed below.

Monday, October 13 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio
Wednesday, October 15 at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio
Thursday, October 16 at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio

If you are interested in more information on these specific events or anything else I have addressed in this blog please contact me at dsherrit@kent.edu and I would be excited to talk with you! Thanks and keep promoting Got Tuition? at your campuses across the country!

"Got Tuition?" visits STLCC at Meramec

2008-10-02T16:04:00.000-04:00

"Got Tuition?" visited students at St. Louis Community College at Meramec today, where 116 students and instructors signed the "Got Tuition?" petition asking federal and state elected leaders to make college education more affordable for more students and put on "Got Tuition?" t-shirts to raise awareness of college affordability as a national issue in 2008.

During the past two weeks, "Got Tuition?" has organized a series of eight "Day of Action" activities at six area colleges and universities -- including the University of Missouri at St Louis, Harris Stowe State University, Maryville University, Fontbonne University, and the St Louis Community College campuses at Florissant Valley and Meramec -- leading to tonight's Vice Presidential Debate at Washington University. A total of 687 students, instructors and parents have signed the "Got Tuition?" petition, and many of them also wore our distinctive black-and-white t-shirts to promote the issue and our campaign.

From STLCC-Meramec

Gloria Schindler, CA

2008-10-01T15:29:00.002-04:00

This video from the USSA conference comes courtesy of Gloria Schindler of California.

Want to share your story with got tuition? Please e-mail your stories, pictures, and videos to gottuition08@gmail.com.

Maryville Univ students ask tuition questions

2008-09-30T17:04:00.002-04:00

"Got Tuition?" visited students at Maryville University in Town and Country, Missouri where 79 students and instructors signed the "Got Tuition?" petition asking federal and state elected leaders to make college education more affordable for more students and put on "Got Tuition?" t-shirts to raise awareness of college affordability as a national issue in 2008.

Three of Maryville's students -- Terin Douglas, Danielle Lavallee and Anna Hurst -- also offered questions for consideration by moderators of the upcoming vice presidential debate at Washington University on Thursday, and presidential debates to come.

Terin Douglas:

Danielle Lavallee:

Anna Hurst:

"Got Tuition?" continues a series of "Day of Action" activities at area colleges and universities leading up to the vice presidential debate. We'll visit the University of Missouri at Columbia on Wednesday.

From Maryville University

Fontbonne Univ students pose questions to VP candidates

2008-09-29T19:06:00.001-04:00

"Got Tuition?" returned to Fontbonne University today, where 95 more students and instructors signed the "Got Tuition?" petition asking federal and state elected leaders to make college education more affordable for more students and put on "Got Tuition?" t-shirts to raise awareness of college affordability as a national issue in 2008.

Two of Fontbonne's students, Minh Truong and Sharon Atlas, offered questions for consideration by Gwen Ifill, the moderator of Thursday's vice presidential debate at Washington University.
Minh Truong:

Sharon Atlas:

"Got Tuition?" continues a series of "Day of Action" activities at area colleges and universities leading up to the vice presidential debate. We'll visit the campus of Maryville University during the lunch hour on Tuesday and the University of Missouri at Columbia on Wednesday.

From Fontbonne

Nicholas Pratt, PA

2008-09-29T15:17:00.002-04:00

This video from the recent USSA conference is courtesy of Nicholas Pratt of Pennsylvania.

Want to share your story with got tuition? Please e-mail your stories, pictures, and videos to gottuition08@gmail.com.

College affordability in the news

2008-09-28T16:57:00.002-04:00

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel has an article about how the state is trying to deal with teh out of controls costs of textbooks. The state Board of Governors and the state Board of Education are working with a "textbook task force" and preliminary recommendations are due are due in mid-November. You can read the article here.

ABC News has clip up called "The High Price of Higher Ed". The clip features interviews with students and some great statistics. You can watch the clip here.

Patrick Emilien and Laymon Hicks, FL

2008-09-27T17:21:00.002-04:00

This video from the USSA conference comes courtesy of Patrick Emilien and Laymon Hicks of Florida.

Want to share your story with got tuition? Please e-mail your stories, pictures, and videos to gottuition08@gmail.com.

"Got Tuition?" visits Harris Stowe State University

2008-09-26T15:39:00.001-04:00

"Got Tuition?" visited students at Harris Stowe State University today, where 126 students and instructors signed the "Got Tuition?" petition asking federal and state elected leaders to make college education more affordable for more students and put on "Got Tuition?" t-shirts to raise awareness of college affordability as a national issue in 2008.

"Got Tuition?" is continues a series of "Day of Action" activities at area colleges and universities leading up to the Vice Presidential Debate at Washington University on October 2. We'll return to Ryan Hall on the campus of Fontbonne University on Monday during the lunch hour.

From Harris Stowe State University

Gary Bell and David Axelrod

2008-09-26T13:54:00.003-04:00

Gary Bell ('got tuition?' team member) lobbies Sen. Obama's campaign manager, David Axelrod, about college affordability.

Got Tuition on the CBS early show

2008-09-26T11:30:00.003-04:00

Got Tuition is on the University of Mississippi campus today to spread the word during the debate this evening. This morning, Gary Bell, one of our 'got tuition?' team members, was on the CBS Early show, and he looks great in his 'got tuition?' gear!

"Got Tuition?" at Fontbonne University

2008-09-25T20:42:00.001-04:00

"Got Tuition?" visited students at Fontbonne University's Ryan Hall tonight, thanks to an invitation from David Dickerson, a student organizer for Missouri NEA on Fontbonne's campus. Eighty-four students signed the "Got Tuition?" petition asking federal and state elected leaders to make college education more affordable for more students and put on "Got Tuition?" t-shirts to raise awareness of college affordability as a national issue in 2008.

"Got Tuition?" is continues a series of "Day of Action" activities at area colleges and universities leading up to the Vice Presidential Debate at Washington University on October 2. We'll visit students on the campus of Harris Stowe State University on Friday during the lunch hour.

FONT ALBUM

From Fontbonne

"Got Tuition?" goes back to UMSL

2008-09-25T15:59:00.001-04:00

"Got Tuition?" returned to the University of Missouri at St. Louis today and met with students in the Quad, thanks again to an invitation from UMSL Student Government President GraceMarie Ritter. There, fifty more UMSL students signed the "Got Tuition?" petition asking federal and state elected leaders to make college education more affordable for more students and put on "Got Tuition?" t-shirts to raise awareness of college affordability as a national issue in 2008.

"Got Tuition?" continues a series of "Day of Action" activities at area colleges and universities leading up to the Vice Presidential Debate at Washington University on October 2.

From Univ of Missouri at St Louis

Tom Ekers, MN

2008-09-24T15:57:00.002-04:00

This video from the USSA conference comes courtesy of Tom Ekers of Minnesota.

Want to share your story with got tuition? Please e-mail your stories, pictures, and videos to gottuition08@gmail.com.

"Got Tuition" at Univ of Missouri at St Louis

2008-09-24T00:03:00.002-04:00

"Got Tuition?" talked with students at the University of Missouri at St. Louis tonight during a chili dinner outside Oak Hall, thanks to an invitation from UMSL Student Government President GraceMarie Ritter. Sixty-two students signed the "Got Tuition?" petition asking federal and state elected leaders to make college education more affordable for more students and put on "Got Tuition?" t-shirts to raise awareness of college affordability as a national issue in 2008.

"Got Tuition?" is conducting a series of "Day of Action" activities at area colleges and universities leading up to the Vice Presidential Debate at Washington University on October 2. We'll be back at UMSL's Millenial Student Center on Thursday during the lunch hour.

From Univ of Missouri at St Louis

Day of Action at Florissant Valley Community College

2008-09-23T16:36:00.009-04:00

"Got Tuition?" partnered today with MNEA Organizing Manager Steve McLuckie, FVCC's Mark Taylor and Linda Hamberg, and others at Florissant Valley Community College in St. Louis, Missouri, in a "Day of Action." Seventy-five students and instructors signed the "Got Tuition?" petition asking federal and state elected leaders to make college education more affordable for more students, and 100 of them put on "Got Tuition?" t-shirts to raise awareness of college affordability as a national issue in 2008.

"Got Tuition?" is conducting a series of "Day of Action" activities at area colleges and universities leading up to the Vice Presidential Debate at Washington University on October 2. For more information, go to www.gottuition.org.

From Flo Valley Comm College, STL

Your stories, part 3

2008-09-22T19:22:00.003-04:00

Our first story comes from Lacy.

I go to a very expensive school, about $47,000 a year. They were generous with scholarships, which cover about half of my education. However, that still leaves about $15-20,000 a year that I have to pull out of nowhere: hello, loans! I plan to graduate with at least $80,000 in loans in 2010. This is really not something anyone should have to deal with. Neither of my parents completed college and this is a very big deal for my family..my parents make about $60,000 a year combined, which may seem like a lot, but isn't when stretched over 5 people, not to mention my loan bills! I am grateful for my work study job at school, but I never even get close to the money limit each year because of lack of hours and low pay rate.. I am lucky to have such supportive, proud parents who will do whatever it takes to get me through school, but there has got to be a limit. My school's administration says they want to make education affordable and accessible to all, but then at the end of the year they send the "adjustment" letters, and tuition just goes up. They need to walk the walk. Something needs to be done. This is no longer acceptable.

Our next story is from Nicole C.

I get a $10,000 a year scholarship, and I do not live on campus, but I am still going to graduate with approximately $55,000 in student loans. The fear of having to repay this bill for the next 20 years keeps me awake at night as I wonder how I will ever afford to own a home, pay for a wedding, and have children. Without the government stepping in to help ambitious college students our economy will never do well because nobody is able to pursue the American Dream if they are starting their lives already tens of thousands of dollars in debt. It is not my fault that my parents did the best they could and yet could still not afford to pay for their three kids to go to college... so why should I suffer? European countries subsidize the education of their civilians and their economy is doing better than ours... coinicidence? I don't think so.

Want to share your story with got tuition? Please e-mail your stories, pictures, and videos to gottuition08@gmail.com.

Carla Dominguez, MA

2008-09-21T19:54:00.001-04:00

This video from the USSA conference is courtesy of Carla Dominguez of Massachusetts.

Want to share your story with got tuition? Please e-mail your stories, pictures, and videos to gottuition08@gmail.com.

Jelisa Difo, MA

2008-09-20T12:04:00.003-04:00

This video from the USSA conference is courtesy of Jelisa Difo of Massachusetts.

Want to share your story with got tuition? Please e-mail your stories, pictures, and videos to gottuition08@gmail.com.

Your stories, part 2

2008-09-19T15:39:00.002-04:00

Our first story comes from two North Dakota educators.

To all, I am an environmental science teacher in North Dakota. I had to pay for my schooling independently using loans and grants. When I decided to start college again, I faced many obstacles such as the paperwork, loan procedures, finding a cosigner, etc. All of this was very difficult and I still wouldn't have been able to do it on my own.

Adding to the obstacles was the schools rejection of my application, which I appealed. I was almost ready to give up like most of my friends and go back to working as a cook in a chain restaurant! With some help and support from friends and family I persevered and graduated with honors. Both my wife and I are educators and with our salaries we are worried about being able to pay off the loans.

The process of denying some really unique and intelligent people due to money from achieving their calling is sad. Our hearts go out to all those out there struggling to make it through the hoops and we offer our encouragement and hopefully inspiration. Don't let others stop you from achieving your dream of a better tomorrow!

Sincerely, Two ND Educators

Our second story comes from Andrea D.

I got married in 1987 and quit school to support my husband through college. We both came from middle-class divorced families but they could not afford to help us with tuition. We chose to move to a state with a low cost-of-living so he could finish his degree. The plan was that I would go to school also, but we ended up needing my paycheck.

Since I only had a high school diploma, I had a hard time finding work and the jobs paid peanuts. We started off our first two years of marriage with student loans to pay our rent and his tuition and books. I didn't have medical insurance or auto insurance. Those were grim years! I think most couples would have divorced under the pressure. My husband worked at the college library part-time and as a house painter during school breaks.

It was no way to start a marriage. We couldn't afford Christmas or Birthday gifts. We could barely afford groceries. I became a master at making meals out of a few ingredients. We lived on oatmeal and powdered milk recipes. We donated blood plasma for the $20.00, we were guinea pigs for the science studies so we could earn money that way too. One month the state computer system failed and government employees didn't get paid. I didn't have gas in my car to pull out of the drive-way. I remember buying a few dollars of gas with my silver nickle collection! It made me sick.

We had no groceries and I was so hungry. My boss sent me to get her lunch and I had to smell food being cooked and I didn't have any. I remembered we had one potato at home. I fantasized all day about going home and frying up that potato. When I got home my husband had rearranged some things in the kitchen and the potato was gone. I yelled at him using profanity, "You ate the last ___ potato!" Then I burst into tears. I couldn't believe we were reduced to fighting about a potato. My concerned husband told me it was in the fridge. He understood my desperation because he was hungry too.

Looking back at photo albums of those years we were so skinny! We could have qualified for food-stamps, but I just had too much pride. Twenty years later my husband has a great job and a master's degree. We have three children and a house. Now I would like to go back to school but we don't qualify for financial aid. So it's back to taking a vow of poverty again and making it work. We don't go on vacations, or out to dinner, we won't exchange gifts this Christmas either with each other. When I graduate and find a job my salary will go towards our childrens' college. I don't want them to go through what we did.

Want to share your story with got tuition? Please e-mail your stories, pictures, and videos to gottuition08@gmail.com.

Got tuition? at UC Boulder

2008-09-18T15:29:00.002-04:00

The got tuition campaign visited UC Boulder this week and we had a great time there. Tons of students showed up to sign our petitions and share their stories. The UC quarterback, Cody Hawkins, was especially excited about our campaign and promised to spread the word at tonight's game against West Virginia (8:30 EST, ESPN). We also got some great press. You can read articles from two campus news sources here and here, and check out the local NBC affiliate's coverage here.

Our newest blogger is Danielle Sherritt

2008-09-17T14:39:00.004-04:00

Hello! My name is Danielle Sherritt and I am your newest Got Tuition? blogger! I am from Ohio and am currently a Graduate Student at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio which is about an hour from Cleveland in the North East region of the state. I am also the current Chair of the Ohio Student Education Association and have been involved with the NEA Student Program for the last four years. I graduated with my undergraduate degree in May 2008 which was Middle Childhood Education (Grades 4-9) Math and Social Studies. My graduate degree will be in Gifted Education and I plan to graduate in May 2009.

Throughout my four plus years in college I have paid most of my tuition independently as my parents are divorced and my mother cannot afford to help me with college tuition and my father believes that I should be independent about earning and spending money. I did well in high school and paid through my first three years entirely by scholarships and money earned through my jobs. In fact I have had a job all throughout college in order to pay my way in school not to mention other living expenses. Even though I saved money being a commuter student, I worked at least one job but usually two or even three at a time in order to help pay for my college tuition. I took out my first college loan about a year ago for $5,000 to help pay for my last year as an undergrad. I took out an additional $10,000 loan for the current school year to help pay for my graduate degree.

Though my college debt will not be as high as many new teachers it will still put a financial strain on my life as I plan to move out on my own, and live on a new teacher salary. It has been increasingly harder for new teachers to pay off college loans as the years have past. The starting teacher salary used to be on average $1,500 short of paying off a college education and now it is $15,000 short! As college students we need to be activists for our rights because if we are not then who will be for us? College tuition does not put a strain on just those who are going to be teachers as 400,000 high school students do not attend college each year just based on the fact that they cannot afford it even if they are qualified enough to continue schooling.

As an education major and a college student I plan to blog for the next year in order to help get the word out about college affordability. I hope to bring you more information about what is going on in the country and in Ohio regarding college tuition fees and loan information. This especially important during the upcoming elections to keep students informed on candidates platforms on college education and college tuition costs so that we can elect politicians who care about us and our needs!

In addition I would like to take a second to make a plug for Got Tuition? Day of Action events that are going on on campuses nationwide. These events are easy to put on with the help of NEA Got Tuition? If you are interested in having an event on your campus contact us at gottuition08@gmail.com. There are three upcoming Got Tuition? events that Ohio will be involved in during a week in October. I plan to blog about these events so that you all can hear about how they go!

Monday, October 13 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio
Wednesday, October 15 at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio
Thursday, October 16 at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio

If you are interested in more information on these specific events please contact me at dsherrit@kent.edu. I am excited to be working with Got Tuition? this year and I know that together we will be able to make a difference in the future of college students nationwide!

Tiffany Coftin, CA and Shane Coleman, MA

2008-09-16T14:29:00.002-04:00

We have another USSA video for you today. This video comes from Tiffany Coftin of California and Shane Coleman of Massachusetts.

Want to share your story with got tuition? Please e-mail your stories, pictures, and videos to gottuition08@gmail.com.

We're in the news

2008-09-15T15:07:00.004-04:00

The first stop of the BET/got tuition tour was at Lincoln University, and the local media picked up the story. KOMU (Jefferson City, MO), has an article up as well as the full video clip from the nightly news broadcast. You can watch the clip on the right hand side of this page.

Julia Cain, WA

2008-09-14T19:15:00.003-04:00

Julia Cain from Washington is another of the USSA members who spoke with us during the recent conference.

Want to share your story with got tuition? Please e-mail your stories, pictures, and videos to gottuition08@gmail.com.

Gov. Ritter of Colorado visits with 'got tuition?'

2008-09-13T16:29:00.004-04:00

Sept 12, 2008--Colorado Governor Ritter sat down today with 13 students who attend Arapahoe Community College in Littleton, CO at a roundtable discussion about college affordability and his efforts to assist Colorado students with their tuition. Last year, the AVERAGE student loan debt at graduation for Arapahoe Community College students was $11,806. Colorado's current need-based financial aid ranks near the bottom in the nation, according to the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education.

Here in Colorado, there is an initiative on the ballot that tries to address this issue. Amendment 58 will end Colorado's outdated $300 million a year tax subsidy for the oil and gas industry and make smarter investments in Colorado's future. Passage of Amendment 58 will create the Colorado Promise Scholarship Fund. It will TRIPLE the financial aid available to Colorado student, enabling as many as two-thirds of Colorado's families to qualify for scholarships.

Darrell Brown, MN

2008-09-12T14:16:00.004-04:00

We have another video for you from the recent USSA conference. This video features Darrell Brown of Minnesota.

Want to share your story with got tuition? Please e-mail your stories, pictures, and videos to gottuition08@gmail.com.

Your stories, part 1

2008-09-11T13:55:00.002-04:00

We've received tons of stories from our blog and website and we'd like to share some of them with you.

Our first story comes from Rachael C.

I started attending Saint Charles community college recently. I have no contact with my parents and live with my aunt who has two kids and is a single mother. I have to pay for everything myself and I'm only 18 getting paid 7.25 on a part time job. I do get financial aid but there were so many problems that i still haven't received any money and had to pay half which was $520. I also had to pay for books and I won't be able to purchase all my books until next week because I have to wait for my next paycheck. Even though its a community college which is cheaper it is still a lot for someone in my situation. Tuition is why I chose community college to start with because even with financial aid, I still have to pay some money and I don't have a lot because I have to pay for my car insurance, my phone bill, and anything else I want or need. Please do what you can to help so it is easier for someone else. Thank you.

-Rachael C.

This next story is from Michael C.

My name is Michael C. When I graduated high school, I was on top of the world. I could do anything I wanted. I got into every school I applied to, except Harvard (and I only applied to see if I could get in). My story begins halfway through my high school career.

My mother and I had sat down to talk to discuss my options for college. She said she couldn't help me with the cost of school because she had taken out loans to pay off a house she had bought. I wasn't exactly thrilled about that, but what other choice did I have. If she couldn't support me, then I'd have to take out loans. I graduated high school salutatorian after being in the number one spot for three years (being in the top spot for so many years gave me a lofty head, and i didn't expect anyone to take my place as valedictorian).

I ended up going to Ithaca college, which meant I definitely had to try to get a loan, but I couldn't get one loan...from anywhere. I didn't have any co-signers...no credit..so basically I had no worth. To top it all off, I was homeless (my mother kicked me out of the house after I came out of the closet) school was starting soon and I wouldn't have a place to stay. I couldn't pay tuition straight off the bat and had to run around trying to maintain my enrollment. They let me stay there for about two months, while adding additional late fees to my tuition.

Halfway through November, I had to borrow money from a family friend to pay for my first semester. I had to pay them by the end of the month. I dove into my inheritance, about $25,000 u.s. which I had hoped to stretch out for some time, but my tuition heavily outweighed what I had in my possession. I had about 22,000 dollars worth of aid and scholarships. In the end I payed about $15,000 for school (excluding the extra fees). Trying to get my life in order made it hard for me to focus on my studies and my grades started dropping. I was extremely stressed and everywhere I went, I was told that money had to come before help. My tuition was based on my parents earnings...not mine. I was my sole provider, yet I couldn't catch a break on my tuition. The rules are very clear on certain aspects of who gets greater aid. It is nebulous on certain aspects however, and because of that it makes it hard for people like me who fit in between the cracks.

I struggled a lot my freshman year, I had to be a grown up while the rest of my friends had their parents sending them an allowance every week. It was hard to manage my money, and now I can't even afford to go to a local college. I want to earn my place in this world, but I have absolutely no help. I am alone and tired...and I miss being in school. How am I supposed to make it in this world without a college education? I am not satisfied with the way things turned out, but I guess I have to live with it, because there is no remedy. I hope my story helps someone in the future...because i know I'm not the only one with a story like this.

Love and peace,
Michael C.

James Askea, MN

2008-09-10T13:32:00.001-04:00

Got tuition recently had the chance to attend the United States Student Association conference and many of the attendees took the time to talk about their debt. This video is from James Askea of Minnesota.

Want to share your story with got tuition? Please e-mail your stories, pictures, and videos to gottuition08@gmail.com.

Three new articles

2008-09-09T13:57:00.003-04:00

We have three new articles for you today. The first is from the New York Times and talks about a recent round-table that was held with policy makers and college presidents to discus the rising costs of tuition. You can read the article here.

The second article comes from Time magazine. Many state colleges and universities have been coming up with some less than truthful ways to increase tuition. With the recent limits on tuition hikes in some states, universities are looking for new ways to cope with rising costs, and it looks like many of them are simply disguising tuition increases as "fees". Even though the average tuition increase this year is only 6%, the average fee increase is 8%. In Oregon, for instance, fees make up over 40% of the cost of attending college, and since many financial aid packages are based solely on tuition, many students have found it impossible to finance their education. You can read the complete article here .

If you've ever had questions about your voting rights as a college student, you need to check out the article we found in the New York Times. There are many different rules governing where voters can be registered, but almost all states allow you to register at a campus address, even if your permanent address is somewhere else. You can read the article here.

Video contest update

2008-09-08T09:42:00.003-04:00

For those of you who are interested in the video contest that got tuition is running, we just wanted to let you know that we've upped the prize money to $5,000. You can read about the contest here, and view a sample video below.

Lack of loans puts students in bind

2008-09-07T15:38:00.002-04:00

There is a nice article in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review about the lack of student loans. Lots of students have had to change their student loan companies this year due to the lack of loans. This has put many students in the unfortunate place where they aren't sure if they can go back to school. You can read the complete article here.

Tara Bowan, MN

2008-09-06T16:23:00.003-04:00

Got tuition recently had the chance to attend the United States Student Association conference and many of the attendees took the time to talk about their debt. This video is from Tara Bowan of Minnesota.

Want to share your story with got tuition? Please e-mail your stories, pictures, and videos to gottuition08@gmail.com.

Avoid Goal Financial at all costs

2008-09-05T09:23:00.002-04:00

The attorney general of New York is prepping a lawsuit against Goal Financial for luring students with cash and prizes and misleading customers about loan terms and benefits. Some of Goal's marketing materials not only offered incentives to sign up friends, but also used misleading advertising to coerce students into signing up for private loans instead of federal, probably because of the high commissions paid to Goal Financial by private lending companies.

Goal Financial is also the owner of the website eStudentLoan.com. The site has been marketed as a way to compare student loans and find the best rates. However, only companies that pay a commission to Goal Financial have been included, leading many students to end up with inferior loans that are carrying sky-high interest rights.

While this company is, obviously, innocent until proven guilty, I urge you to avoid dealing with Goal Financial and the eStudentLoan.com website until this is all sorted out. You can read the complete New York Times article here.

Lastest blog entry from Shawn B.

2008-09-04T14:31:00.001-04:00

I was checking my bank account online and I saw an ad that worried me. It seems that the bank was offering home equity loans, which is not in the least bit shocking. But I was shocked when the ad suggested using home equity to pay for college This worries me for many reasons. The big one is the fact that it is feasible and makes sense. Alternative loans are decreasing in availability. Student loan and aid limits are too low. Tuition and other costs are rising. Here is a good source of funding. But with the public loan market struggling, what would happen if the equity loan could not be paid? I would feel very guilty if a home were in danger because I needed money.

This is just as bad as paying for school with a credit card, something that I had to do. My aid was low and even maxed loans were not enough to pay the college bill. Once I put the big bills on the card, little stuff was easy. The amount owed became almost impossible to afford, and in the end, I had to file chapter 7.

How do these issues relate? Well, the money has to be paid back now, not later. And the money is probably not all school related, so there is more necessity to pay it. Not everyone can pay it now. I am just glad that, once I reached the age when I was not a dependent, my aid rose enough to pay for all school bills. But I know that this luck is not shared. And a part-time job does not always pay that much and may not be enough to pay credit card or equity debts.

Gregory Cendana, CA

2008-09-03T14:44:00.004-04:00

Got tuition recently had the chance to attend the United States Student Association conference and many of the attendees took the time to talk about their debt. This video is from Gregory Cedana, a recent graduate of UCLA.

Want to share your story with got tuition? Please e-mail your stories, pictures, and videos to gottuition08@gmail.com.

Education lost in hubbub of campaigning

2008-09-02T16:04:00.004-04:00

The Dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Kathleen McCartney, wrote a great commentary for CNN recently. Just like all of us here at 'got tuition?', McCartney exhorts politicians to start talking about college affordability and make education a priority in this country. You can read the complete article here.

LoMay Richmond, TN

2008-09-01T12:15:00.001-04:00

Want to share your story with got tuition? Please e-mail your stories, pictures, and videos to gottuition08@gmail.com.

College affordability featured in Biden's speech

2008-08-28T12:31:00.002-04:00

Got Tuition was pleased last night to hear Sen. Joe Biden, now a vice presidential nominee, express his desire to make college education more accessible and more affordable to more Americans.

Biden included the crisis of college affordability in a litany of economic pressures weighing on America's middle class. He imagined the conversations being held at kitchen tables across the country:

Like millions of Americans, they're asking questions as ordinary as they are profound, questions they never, ever thought they'd have to ask themselves.

Should Mom move in with us now that Dad's gone? Fifty, sixty, seventy dollars just to fill up the gas tank? How in God's name, with winter coming, how are we going to heat the home? Another year, no raise. Did you hear they may be cutting our health care at the company? Now we owe more money on our home than our home is worth. How in God's name are we going to send the kids to college? How are we going to retire, Joe?

And, promoting the leader of his ticket for the presidency, Biden pledged that making college more affordable would be a priority in a new administration.

Barack Obama knows that any country that out-teaches us today will out-compete us tomorrow. That's why he'll invest in the next generation of teachers and why he'll make college more affordable. That's the change we need.

Music to the ears of millions of American families.

Joaquin Guerra thanks NEA for Got Tuition

2008-08-28T11:01:00.000-04:00

Joaquin Guerra of New Mexico thanked NEA for its sponsorship of Got Tuition and drawing attention to the issue on behalf of college students, prospective students and their families.

Kagro X is looking for answers

2008-08-28T00:07:00.002-04:00

Blogger David Waldman is better known as Kagro X at Daily Kos, where he works full-time as one of Kos's contributing editors. His own college debt is long gone, but he's worried about how he and his wife will finance college for their two kids. On their to-do list: Win the lottery. Meanwhile, he's studying the presidential candidates' platforms and asking for answers.

Watch here:

Kevin Murphy offers a proposal

2008-08-27T17:47:00.004-04:00

Kevin Murphy, who blogs at Ghost in the Machine, used his undergraduate degree to become a speechwriter in the 1990s, but returned to graduate school after 2000. While the $15,000 remainder of his undergraduate debt is still in forebearance as he finishes his graduate classes, it continues to accrue interest, he said. He was ready with a proposal when Got Tuition asked how he might urge lawmakers to make a college education more accessible and more affordable to more Americans.

Click to watch Kevin's proposal:

Devilstower shows support for Got Tuition

2008-08-27T17:37:00.003-04:00

Devilstower, aka Mark Sumner of St. Louis, spent the day in a cool "Got Tuition" t-shirt in the Big Tent in Denver.

TygrBright describes a friend's debt quandary

2008-08-27T17:30:00.003-04:00

Got Tuition caught up this morning with Cecile LaBore, who posts as TygrBright at Democracy Underground. Cecile lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and tells us of a friend who is the father of five children -- three of which have already finished college, one is attending now, and the youngest is still in high school. Now in his early 60s, this friend has just lost his job, leaving him and his two college-age daughters in a new quandary.

Watch TygrBright:

Maine has a bright idea for college grads

2008-08-27T13:22:00.003-04:00

Got Tuition talked yesterday with TurnMaineBlue blogger Edward Lachewicz, who described a great and innovative program that helps Maine's college graduates make use of their college debt. It's called Opportunity Maine, and it allows college grads to write off the entire amount of their loan debt as a dollar-for-dollar tax deduction each year. It's one way that states (and maybe the federal government, one day) can encourage our young people to attend college without leaving them in debt and postponing other major life decisions.

The program is only two years old -- it started out as a ballot initiative but the legislature enacted it on its own without waiting for the outcome -- and it appears to be the first of its kind in the nation.

Watch Eddie talk about it:

Students on Denver's 16th St Shuttle

2008-08-27T11:20:00.004-04:00

Some enthusiastic college students on the 16th Street shuttle in Denver were excited to join the Got Tuition effort with t-shirts this morning.

College Affordability & the Next Presidency

2008-08-27T11:13:00.003-04:00

A post by Got Tuition teammate Cecil Cahoon was featured this morning on the front page of Huffington Post, discussing the significance of college affordability in the agenda of the next administration.

As the first in my low-income family to attend college, I took every form of aid available on campus -- work study, part-time employment -- and held seasonal jobs off-campus. Thankfully, I qualified for federal loans, signing my first promissory note as the sun set on the Reagan era. Their full weight became clear only after I graduated. A teaching salary paid rent, utilities, used-car payments and insurance, but I spent much of the 1990s freelancing, landscaping and doing other odd jobs to keep loan-default notices at arm's length.

In retrospect, I was lucky; my original debt was less than $10,000, compared to the average $19,000 note that the graduating class of 2008 took home with its degrees. And I was able to pay off mine in under a decade -- a time when gas prices rarely topped $1.25 per gallon.

Mine is one illustration of why the nation's largest association of educators is raising the issue of college affordability. The next president's budget priorities will begin restoring America's competitive edge in the global economy, or will serve as a eulogy to days of economic strength gone by. And the signal issue to watch will be college affordability.

The most compelling parts of the post are notes about several Missourians -- college students, recent graduates and parents of students -- and their own struggles with college affordability and their loan debts. For the rest of the Huffington Post feature, click here.

Bloggers from the Carolinas in the Big Tent

2008-08-26T19:30:00.002-04:00

Got Tuition made friends with bloggers of each of the Carolinas today, Betsy Muse of North Carolina's BlueNC and Tim Kelly of South Carolina's Crack the Bell. Betsy and Tim are representing their home states as bloggers at the Democratic National Convention in the nearby Pepsi Center but took time to visit their blogger colleagues in the Big Tent. They enthusiastically showed their support for Got Tuition with new t-shirts.

Father anticipates his daughter's debts

2008-08-26T19:17:00.001-04:00

A real-life father who blogs (and cartoons) at Avery Voice, Rick Spisak of Florida stopped to talk with Got Tuition this afternoon about the debt that he and his two daughters are accruing to finance their college educations. Both are in graduate school; one will take a graduate degree in architecture, the other in international catastrophe psychology -- or, as he put it, one will help heal our world, the other will help build it. When they're finished, Rick anticipates a combined total of more than $150,000 of debt.

DailyKos, Ned Lamont & Firedoglake

2008-08-26T19:02:00.003-04:00

This afternoon, Got Tuition caught up with Markos Moulitsas, the founder and namesake of DailyKos, one of the largest and most-well-read political blogs. Kos, 2006 Democratic Senate candidate Ned Lamont and Jane Hamsher, editor of the blog Firedoglake, paused to show their support for Got Tuition in the Big Tent's makeshift television "studio." DailyKos, along with ProgressNow, Google, Digg and the Alliance for Sustainable Colorado, is a co-sponsor of the Big Tent.

Another Kossack blogging from the Big Tent is Devilstower, whose wife is a sixth-grade science teacher in St. Louis, Missouri. Devilstower is looking forward, as we are, to the vice presidential debate at his alma mater, Washington University, set for October 2. If he's unable to get tickets to watch from inside, he said, he'll look for ways to raise the visibility of college affordability and other issues at that event.

Annette Taddeo supports Got Tuition?

2008-08-26T18:34:00.002-04:00

This morning, U.S. Congressional candidate Annette Taddeo of Florida stopped to emphasize her support for Got Tuition and our efforts to raise awareness of college affordability.

Blogger and intern Matt Taylor on tuition

2008-08-26T18:24:00.002-04:00

Matt Taylor, a blogger at Progressive Book Club and a New Yorker attending the University of Michigan, described the choices that his classmates make because of the loan debts they're accruing. Some take jobs on- and off-campus, working late hours, which has some impact on the time they can devote to their studies. Though provisions made by Matt's late grandmother will help him to graduate without debt, he likely would be facing the same fate as his classmates without that help. Like most middle-class families, his parents earn too much to qualify for federal financial aid but may not have been enough to fund the out-of-state tuition at the university he chose.

Got Tuition live-blogs from Denver

2008-08-26T17:58:00.002-04:00

Got Tuition has found several new friends at the "Big Tent," a confluence of bloggers from across the nation meeting just outside the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado, this week. The "tent" -- literally a two-story skeletal structure encased in tarp -- is housing several hundred bloggers and hosting several dozen passers-through, include panelists in breakout session upstairs, and luminaries like Dan Rather, Arianna Huffington, Markos Moulitsas, Van Jones and others.

On Monday night, Got Tuition met Joaquin Guerra of New Mexico, and Shanna Weisfeld of Austin, Texas. Shanna talked to us about the work she does with new teachers in Texas, who come to their first years of teaching with thousands of dollars in college debt. They take second and third jobs, she said, and they postpone other life choices.

Watch Shanna's comments here:

Loan cost increases pinch students

2008-08-26T14:02:00.002-04:00

According to the Detroit News, students in Michigan have been hit especially hard by the student lending crisis. At Michigan State University, 98% of federal student loan borrowers participated in a program called Michigan Students First. This state run program refunded all fees when students applied for loans and offered a zero percent interest rate after graduates made three years of on-time loan payments. Unfortunately, with the recent student loan meltdown, this program has been suspended, and thousands of students have been left to try and make ends meet. You can read the complete article here.

Mandy Plucker, NC

2008-08-25T13:23:00.000-04:00

Want to share your story with got tuition? Please e-mail your stories, pictures, and videos to gottuition08@gmail.com.

Are free, online textbooks the answer?

2008-08-24T14:07:00.002-04:00

The Los Angeles Times has a nice article about one way professors are helping their students to afford college. R. Preston McAffee (an economics professor at Caltech) has written a free, open-source textbook and made it available online. This book is so highly regarded that it has been adopted by many prestigious universities, including Harvard. Is this a possible answer to the rising costs of textbooks?

Congress recently passed laws that would require textbook publishers to offer "un-bundled" editions of books, so students won't be forced into buying workbooks and DVDs that aren't used in classes. While this is a good first step, people like R. Preston McAffee believe that this doesn't go nearly far enough to help students cope. You can read the complete article here.

Penni Cyr, ID

2008-08-23T14:59:00.000-04:00

Want to share your story with got tuition? Please e-mail your stories, pictures, and videos to gottuition08@gmail.com.

got tuition?

Using the ARRA for higher education

NYT Article

Hannah Karns, WI

More college affordability articles

Ginger Calhoon, IN

Election night pics

Dan Marzoni, AR

New NYT article on college affordability

Video contest winner announced

More PA Board of Education testimony

Concerned students talk to Pennsylvania government

Sakeena Kazmi, FL

"Got Tuition?" visits Western Carolina University

"Got Tuition?" visits UNC-Asheville

"Got Tuition?" visits Warren Wilson College

College Affordability in the news

"Got Tuition?" visits UNC-Charlotte

"Got Tuition?" visits UNC-Greensboro

"Got Tuition?" lobbies NC Lt. Gov Bev Perdue

"Got Tuition?" visits the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

"Got Tuition?" visits Meredith College

Students at North Carolina Central Univ weigh in

"Got Tuition?" at St. Augustine's College

"Got Tuition?" visits East Carolina University

"Got Tuition?" visits UNC-Wilmington

Tammi Smith of Charlotte, North Carolina

Erin Galbreath of Durham, North Carolina

Barry Melamed, NJ

got tuition? visits Indiana State

Got Tuition? visits Tennessee State University

Obama, McCain address college affordability in debate

Kenasha Paul, FL

College affordability in the news

Your stories, part 5

Matthew Wendt, WI

Some more articles

Kathleen Templin, AZ

College Affordability hits the news

Your stories, part 4

Alexander Scott, NC

"Got Tuition?" organizer lobbies Gwen Ifill

3 new news clips

Students rally support for "Got Tuition?" at VP debate

Update from Ohio

"Got Tuition?" visits STLCC at Meramec

Gloria Schindler, CA

Maryville Univ students ask tuition questions

Fontbonne Univ students pose questions to VP candidates

Nicholas Pratt, PA

College affordability in the news

Patrick Emilien and Laymon Hicks, FL

"Got Tuition?" visits Harris Stowe State University

Gary Bell and David Axelrod

Got Tuition on the CBS early show

"Got Tuition?" at Fontbonne University

"Got Tuition?" goes back to UMSL

Tom Ekers, MN

"Got Tuition" at Univ of Missouri at St Louis

Day of Action at Florissant Valley Community College

Your stories, part 3

Carla Dominguez, MA

Jelisa Difo, MA

Your stories, part 2

Got tuition? at UC Boulder

Our newest blogger is Danielle Sherritt

Tiffany Coftin, CA and Shane Coleman, MA

We're in the news

Julia Cain, WA

Gov. Ritter of Colorado visits with 'got tuition?'

Darrell Brown, MN

Your stories, part 1

James Askea, MN

Three new articles

Video contest update

Lack of loans puts students in bind

Tara Bowan, MN

Avoid Goal Financial at all costs

Lastest blog entry from Shawn B.

Gregory Cendana, CA