Wow...it has been a long time...

January 8th...last time I posted...that is horrible, but you can see how crazy the beginning of my year has been. I hope yours has been a little calmer. The financial aid arena continues to be a chaotic one. Many schools are feeling the pinch and the states that support those schools are feeling it as well. According to a recent article in U.S. News and World Reports, 44 states are going to cut funding to higher education because of budget cuts. In NYS, our state university system known as SUNY, in an unprecedented move, raised tuition $310 between the fall and spring semesters. Even with increased costs, the admission applications at schools within the SUNY system are skyrocketing. Why? Because even though costs are going up, the cost of education at a SUNY school is about 1/3 of that at a private institution. One of our state universities have seen a 102% increase in admission applications for the 2009-2010 year. What does that mean for the average college senior? Admission to these colleges will become much more competitive. While a state university might have been a "safety school", in terms of admission applications, that school might now go to the top of the student's list!!! So kids, keep those grades up, because if you don't, even a public institution may be out of reach!!!