A cover story in the USA Today revealed that first-year college students are by far the most at-risk among all college students for death or illness. Health and safety awareness can be the best defense for your high school seniors.

A USA TODAY analysis of 620 deaths of four-year college and university students since Jan. 1, 2000, finds that freshmen are uniquely vulnerable. They account for more than one-third of undergraduate deaths in the study, although they are only 24% of the undergraduates at those institutions, according to National Center for Education Statistics data analyzed by the American Council on Education for USA TODAY.

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Borrowing money to pay for college is a normal part of the college process. Most students receive financial aid, and the majority of financial aid is awarded in the form of student loans. While it is not a bad thing to take out student loans to pay for college, students should use them as a last resort. But even student loans have restrictions. What if you find you can

The numbers of male college students has been on a steady decline for more than a decade. Liberal arts schools noticed the change a while ago. Now, big state schools are starting to experience the trend.

“Colleges and universities throughout the country are grappling with the case of the mysteriously vanishing male. Where men once dominated, they now make up no more than 43 percent of students at American institutions of higher learning, according to 2003 statistics, and this downward trend shows every sign of continuing unabated.” (Taken from “Colleges, universities seek a few good men,” by Michael Gurian, Special to the Washington Post.)
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A large part of planning for college is finding scholarships. Scholarships can be awarded for academic performance, athletic prowess, artistic ability, public speaking, social activism, certain affiliations and a number of other categories. While there seems to be millions of dollars available for scholarships, finding them can be difficult and qualifying for them almost impossible.

“Every year, millions in scholarships and financial aid are awarded at more than 4,200 colleges and universities. But other scholarships, amounting to perhaps several million dollars more, are tied up in endowments that have rules so obscure and restrictive that they are rarely tapped – even as the cost of higher education soars.”

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One of the most stressful aspects of the college search process for your students and parents is the financial cost of a higher education. Even at a state school, parents can expect to spend upwards of $80,000. The cost is far more at private schools. With recent budget cuts, which made their way through Congress late last year, parents and students will be forced to cover more of the cost of a college education.

In an attempt to shave $40 billion in spending, Congress will cut close to $13 million over the next five years from the college loan programs. This budget cut will affect all of your high school students who will rely on federal loans to help cover the cost of their education. During the 2003-04 academic year, that equaled about 35 percent of all undergraduates receiving financial aid according to the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study.
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