In keeping with the new frugality, this college guide, written by a
senior attending the University of Massachusetts, offers practical
advice on how to pay for college without taking out loans. Decidedly old
school in approach, Bissonnette advocates that students should bear the
brunt of paying for their educations by working while in college and
during breaks. He also suggests that attending community college for two
years before transferring to a four-year college or university would go
a long way toward cutting costs. Systematically and amusingly debunking
the selection criteria used by U.S. News and World Report and others to
rank elite colleges, Bissonnette is a strong advocate of attending
reasonably priced state schools. He makes good points about how debt
from student loans often prevents recent grads from starting families or
buying homes. He also presents convincing research that elite graduate
programs and selective employers accept plenty of people who have
attended nonelite schools. Although the strictly dollars-and-cents
approach to higher education may not sit well with some parents, this is
a timely guide to a decision that has important financial
ramifications.