Beating The College Debt Trap: Getting A Degree Without Going Broke [Paperback]

Alex Chediaks latest book is much better than mine. Easy to read, immensely practical, and deeply empowering, it cuts through the fog of how paying for college works, how you can get the most value for your money, and how you can land on your feet after graduation. If you dont want to waste a decade languishing in student debt, this is the book.Far too many high school graduates take out college loans before realizing they have unwittingly subjected themselves to years of crippling debt. Alex Chediak feels their pain, and he has written a practical primer for helping to avoid the college debt trap. Before you head to college---before you even decide whether or not to attend college---you need to read this book!The author wants to you take college debt seriously---very seriously. After the first couple of chapters, you will feel youve been through college finance boot camp. But do not mistake the authors take no prisoners approach against unthoughtful college financial planning as a lack of support for college as a whole or for necessary college debt. After reading this book, you will never be naive or uninformed about the why of college costs or how to understand the financing of this important investment---an investment the author finds worthy. But you must bring, to use his words, planning, grit, determination, and consistency to the process. Once he asserts that poor upfront understanding and planning lead to some long-term remorse, his tone softens as he recommends college choice websites and demystifies government loans, institutional merit aid, and private loan options. His chapters on how to choose a major and how to make the most of a college experience, including through college jobs and internships, are right on the money. Every college student should read this advice sometime during their college career. I particularly liked his suggestion that students tithe and save from the get-go instead of waiting until that first real job. Lastly, his adlƒ+