Notes in the Margins: Car loans, veterans and transfers

Are car loans, college loans so different? Before you read on, take a quick look at the car in your driveway or garage. What do you see? If you are like many Americans, you see a symbol of your independence, autonomy, even freedom. (The Washington Post)

Different Tuition Rates Become More Common at Public Colleges, Study Finds An increasing number of public colleges and universities are charging different tuition rates, based on a student's major or year of enrollment, a survey finds. (The New York Times)

New Three-Year Degree Programs Trim College Costs Any student may be able to wrangle similar savings with focus and planning. (U.S. News & World Report)

Coming Home From War to Hit the Books The war in Iraq is over, and approximately 22,000 troops are scheduled to return home from Afghanistan by the fall. Leon Panetta, the defense secretary, is calling for a “smaller, leaner” military, so colleges and universities are welcoming — or in some cases ignoring — an invasion of students taking advantage of the modern heir to the G.I. Bill. Despite the influx of former soldiers on campus, a veterans-only class that awards credit is the exception, not the rule. (The New York Times via NAICU)

One-Third of All College Students Transfer Schools A new report by the National Student Clearing House Center finds that one-third of all students transferred a least once within five years before earning a degree. Most did so in their second year (37 percent), although 22 percent switched in their fourth and fifth years—and 25 percent transferred more than once. Transfer rates were similar for part- and full-time students. (Education Week)

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