San Antonio Schools Evaluate Texas Tomorrow Plan

Students in San Antonio Schools in 2008 will have college savings options that haven’t existed since 2003. The Texas Tomorrow II plan is a revamped version of the original state savings program that many residents in San Antonio Schools blasted as useless before it was ended in 2003.

The problem with the original plan was that it didn’t account for inflation. So San Antonio Schools families who used it as their main vehicle for college savings found themselves no better off. Governor Rick Perry announced this newer version that is based on the purchase of units. Here’s how it works.

Imagine a student in the San Antonio Schools hope to attend a decent four year college. The parents would purchase the appropriate number of units that the family can currently afford. Unlike the old plan, families don’t have to pay for 2, 4 or 5 years, but whatever they want. The Texas Prepaid Higher Education Board will set prices annually. Currently a two-year college costs 23 units for a full year, and four-year colleges range from 57-81 units.

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Posted: 28th July 2010 under College.
Tags:Academic Success, Antonio, Closing The Achievement Gap, College Savings, Correlation, Education Board, Evaluate, Four Year Colleges, Gap, Governor Rick Perry, Higher Education, Income Families, Inflation, Minority Students, Parents, Plan., Poverty, Proponents, Rick Perry, San Antonio Schools, Schools, Texas, Texas Education, Texas Tomorrow Plan, Tomorrow, Tuition Students
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An Honor Roll, Not A Watch List, For Colleges

Members of Congress on the House committee on education have come up with an absolute bonehead idea: to publish a “watch list” of schools that have increased tuition at rates higher than inflation.

I am surprised when members of the House speak of reigning in college costs with measures such as this, when they fail to do the same for health care. I am sure the list of hospitals that have raised charges beyond inflation would be longer than the number of bad-behaving colleges.

What will a watch list do? It will not put colleges and universities on-notice because Congress cannot regulate their business practice, but it will embarrass their presidents and possibly force them to submit paperwork or public testimony to explain their pricing decisions. If the federal government publicizes such a list, it may also scare prospective applicants away from institutions that need students, even if the school is in a position to offer considerable financial aid.  Read more...

Posted: 8th June 2010 under College.
Tags:Business Practice, College Costs, Colleges, Colleges And Universities, Colleges Universities, Higher Education, Honor, Honor Roll, House Committee, Independent Colleges, Inflation, List, Member Of Congress, Members Of Congress, Paperwork, Private Institutions, Prospective Applicants, Public Testimony, Roll, Somethin, State Government, State Governments, Tuition Increases, Tuition Rates, Watch
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Surviving in This Economic Hardship Should Start From the Family Unit

Despite it being a vital aspect of life, some of us find it harsh when told to create a culture of saving for the future. And this has brought me to say that during those formative years it would be of utmost importance for parents to instill knowledge on ways of saving. I thank my parents for where I am now financially; I can still hear my mother’s voice not to be wasteful. Even when it came to serving food, she insisted for one to serve what you know you can finish.

In these tough economic times and the constant fluctuating inflation globally it would suicidal if parents don’t regard teaching their children on how to save even if it just means getting them a piggy bank. Maybe you would call my father old school and a disciplinarian but I thank him for the efforts he took to make sure his children adopted a habit of saving. I came to realize that nothing in life is got easy or overnight but one has to work on achieving some sort to success. I have to believe in small beginnings and building on them not forgetting to follow up until you finish. It’s from my parents’ effort I learnt the saving culture while still in my formative years, as my father found it a character flaw not planning for the future.  Read more...

Posted: 14th November 2009 under Family.
Tags:Business Venture, Challenges, Character Flaw, Disciplinarian, Economic, Economic Crisis, Economic Hardship, Economic Hardships, Economic Times, Family, Formative Years, From, Governments, Habit, Hardship, Inflation, Old School, Parents, Piggy Bank, Regard, Saving For The Future, Should, Small Beginnings, Start, Surviving, This, Unit, Utmost Importance, Vital Aspect
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