Tracy Davidson

A house bill that would boost Pell Grants and kill subsidized student loans has gained widespread support and will go next to the Senate, where its fate is still uncertain. Supporters say it would save an estimated $87 billion, although critics have disputed that figure.
Republicans disagree with putting the government in near-total control of student lending, [...]

Kevin Waldron, from Merrill Lynch fills us in on common financial mistakes that college students make and some great advice for parents on how to proactively help their children avoid making these mistakes.

The National Retail Federation predicts that families will cut back-to-school spending by 8% this year, as they adjust to job losses, reduced hours, and lower credit limits. Those statistics paint a picture, but the rows and rows of plastic bags filled with notebooks, pencils, magic markers, and backpacks hanging in K-mart’s layaway department awaiting payment, [...]

Since 2005, tuition in New Jersey’s public colleges and universities has increased an average of 7.4% per year but this year the trend has changed, offering students a little break. Thanks to the federal stimulus funding and a cost limit imposed by state lawmakers, students attending Public Colleges and Universities in New Jersey will see [...]

The Philadelphia School District and its 16,000 member union are in negotiations to reach a new contract agreement before their current pact expires at this month’s end. Superintendent Arelene Ackerman wants to bring changes to a district where half of students can’t read or do math on grade level.
Proposals sent to the Philadelphia Federation of [...]

In the tough job market, grads are finding it increasingly difficult to land a job post graduation, so new programs are focusing their efforts on lending a helping hand. BridgeSpan Financial introduced SafeStart this week, which helps grads who are either unemployed or have loan payments greater than 10% of their income to repay their [...]

As families struggle to readjust to lower incomes, many students are facing the tough decision of whether or not to transfer to an in-state college to save on tuition and eliminate their housing costs by living at home. In NJ, some colleges are attracting transfers by offering more scholarships and ramping up programs to [...]

As cash-strapped families try to readjust to lower incomes, many are finding it harder to pay for their childrens’ college educations. The numbers are staggering- financial aid applications have increased 21% nationally, in the first quarter of this year compared to last. State universities are expecting an increased number of students, as many downsize from [...]

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This year, there was a 70% increase of unemployed workers ages 55 and older, and it’s becoming harder for seniors to live on Social Security alone considering 35% of workers have no retirement savings. A federally funded program called Experience Works, has been around since 1965, but now their business is busier than ever. [...]