Topic: Berea College

U.S. News college rankings: not the only way to judge schools

The U.S. News & World Report annual ranking of colleges is out. But there are other rankings available, giving prospective students and their families information that may be more useful.

Financial aid: One of six tools to graduate debt-free

Financial aid dwindling. Rising tuition. College debt over $20,000. Financing a college education can be as hard as paying off a McMansion on an adjustable-rate mortgage. So why is Zac Bissonnette smiling? The senior art-history major at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, is set to graduate debt-free. "The great thing about graduating debt-free is that you have tremendous flexibility in terms of your postgraduation plans," says Mr. Bissonnette, author of "Debt-Free U: How I Paid for an Outstanding College Education Without Loans, Scholarships or Mooching Off My Parents." "You don't have to rush out and take the highest-paying job to make your sacrifices to the almighty church of Sallie Mae." Here are six ways you, too, can trim or eliminate college debt:

Tired of student loans? These schools will leave you with little debt.

College costs are not only what you pay up front, but also what debt you carry into the future. The class of 2009 graduated with an average of $24,000 in debts from student loans, up 6 percent from the previous year, according to a report Thursday from The Project on Student Debt in Oakland, Calif. But the report also identifies 20 four-year public and private nonprofit colleges where graduates took on the least amount of debt – an average of $3,000 to $8,500.

Essay: A rescued quilt shines brightly

An antique quilt becomes room-brightening artwork.

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