Paying For College The income gap between people with a college degree and those without keeps growing — but so does the price tag for a college education. NPR explores the complexity of college financing and how families are coping.
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Paying For College
For many low-income students, economic trends are making the prospect of getting into the college of their choice, and reaching graduation, even more difficult. iStockphoto hide caption
The Kalamazoo Promise, a full-tuition scholarship program announced in 2005, created a stir in the city when it launched the following year. Mark Bialek/AP hide caption
Student loan debt forces many young adults to make hard choices about how they spend their money — and can prevent them from making investments that will pay off down the road. David Sacks/Getty Images hide caption
It's probably not a surprise, but women are more burdened by student loan debt than men are. It starts right after college, when the wage gap begins. Emma Innocenti/Getty Images hide caption
Colleges send each prospective student a letter detailing a financial aid award package — but many families say the letters are difficult to understand. iStockphoto hide caption
Students from CUNY's AstroCom NYC program meet for a weekly class at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. Dennis Robbins, an associate professor of science education at CUNY's Hunter College, teaches Betsy Hernandez (from left), Jaquelin Erazo, Ariel Diaz and Mario Martin. Beth Fertig/WNYC hide caption
Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, presents a Senate report on for-profit colleges in 2012. He wants changes to the federal student loan system. J. Scott Applewhite/AP hide caption
World War II veterans and other students at the University of Iowa in 1947. That year, due to federal assistance from the GI Bill, 60 percent of the school's enrollment was made up of veterans. Margaret Bourke-White/Time Life Pictures/Getty Images hide caption
