After talking with News10 Sacramento this morning about financial aid and paying for college, thought I’d share a few additional tips and expand on a few points we discussed: Understanding the Family’s Finances: The more parents can understand the family finances, the better planning can take place for the additional expense of college tuition. Some…
Author: Jill Yoshikawa, Ed M, Partner of Creative Marbles Consultancy
Jill Yoshikawa, EdM, Harvard ’99, a seasoned, 25 year educator and consultant, is meticulous in helping clients navigate all aspects of the educational experience, no matter the level of complexity. She combines educational theory with experience to advise families, schools and educators. A UCSD and Harvard graduate, as well as a former high school teacher, Jill works tirelessly to help her clients succeed.
What Trends in Public University Tuition Means for College Bound Seniors
Public universities and colleges are partially funded by student tuition and partially by state and local government revenues (i.e. taxes collected), alongside subsidies by the Federal government and private donations. Public funding is then allocated per full time student, as shown in the map below. Alaska contributes the most per student at $14,837, while the…
“Summer Reading” Is Not An Oxymoron
As summer vacation begins, so too does the back and forth negotiation to complete summer reading assignments. Even for avid readers, summer reading assignments can sap the pleasure derived from reading. Both parents and teens know all the logical, rational reasons TO complete summer reading sooner rather than later, but there’s that part of the…
3…2…1…Liftoff! Launching the Class of 2013
Commencements can be bittersweet moments–a celebration of accomplishments, while simultaneously a doorway into a new unknown. The following are words of wisdom from graduation festivities around the United States, as the Class of 2013 enters the world with new knowledge and greater experience. And, for posterity, I added my two cents. President Barak Obama, Morehouse University:…
The Complexities of Learning, Part 1
Learning at school can seem like a simple equation: teacher presents material + students listen (including taking notes) + students complete the homework assignments and tests = learning. Yet, in practice, learning can be more complex. The following is the first in an on-going series of posts that will discuss the intricacies of learning in…
Choosing Harvard: Thoughts About a “Prestigious” University
As Juniors and their families begin sizing up prospective colleges for application and weighing the value of a college’s reputation, I thought I’d share I came to be a Harvard graduate, along with thoughts about a recent New York Times article, Measuring College Prestige vs. Cost of Enrollment. Quotes from the New York Times article will…
Ever Wonder Where The Day Went?
The following chart represents the average time spent each day on a variety of activities for ALL American adults (people aged 15 or older), from the Bureau of Labor Statistics most recent American Time Use study. Might give you some answers to “where did all my time go today?” pondering. Some highlights: Only .47 hours of…
The Student Debt Dilemma
While debt can be a useful tool to finance a college education, potential borrowers (and their families) would be prudent to think through their choices, as we discussed in a earlier 6-part series on fiscal planning. And, to add emphasis on the need to think ahead, Fidelity Investments recently found that, “[e]ven with the…
More 25 Year Olds Have Student Debt…And At Higher Average Amounts
As seen in the chart below, the red line indicates that the portion of 25-year olds with student debt has grown from 25% in 2003 to 43% in 2012–meaning an increasing portion of young adults are choosing to “bring forward” expected future earnings to pay for a college degree. Furthermore, the black line on the chart…
U.S. Congress Considering Student Loan Interest Rate Increase
Federal student loan interest rates on subsidized* (see below) loans are set to rise from 3.4% to 6.8% on July 1, 2013. (Note: the interest rate for unsubsidized Federal student loans, in which interest begins accruing from the date of the loan, is currently 6.8%.)
Will College Price Itself Out of Its Demand?
As the price of tuition continues rising, will students (and their families) choose to forgo a college education? The most recent college application cycle for Fall 2013 doesn’t seem to indicate that students are not choosing a college education. Applicant numbers are up around the country from a 10.7% increase for the University of California…
Greek Life: One Perspective on College Fraternities & Sororities
Clients often want to consider colleges where they’ll be opportunities to join Sororities and Fraternities, also known as Greek Life. In response to clients’ questions, I interviewed Drew, a former Creative Marbles Consultancy client, Fraternity member and soon-to-be-graduated college student with a degree in Biology. He talked with me about how joining a fraternity added to his…
What’s The Value of a University of California Education?
Roughly 30 percent of every dollar we take in from tuition we reinvest back in financial aid. So the nominal tuition is $12,000 but the real tuition is probably about $8500. It’s like the sticker price on an automobile: 62 percent of our students don’t pay the sticker price, [which is] income adjusted. But it’s…
Purposeful Failure
“I have not failed. I have just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” Thomas Edison I am the anti-Thomas Edison. I fear making mistakes. I fear mistakes will expose me to others’ (mis-)judgements, like being seen as stupid. I’ve evolved into a cautious reactor, preferring to watch others from the sidelines go first, make my…
812% = Rise of College Text Book Prices Since 1980
While families know they’ll pay for college textbooks, the actual expense may be seen as, “OMG, ONE more thing I have to pay for?!?” When families may already feel limited in savings and income to pay for rising college tuition, planning ahead can help reduce stress. Knowing the average annual textbook expense at potential colleges,…