Anthony Weigand dot Com

Tuition Up Across the Country

2008-09-09T20:29:00.002-04:00

Endowments Full, Student Pockets Not

The New York Times reported today that a roundtable formed by Senator Charles Grassley and Representative Peter Welch found that tuition has risen at 2x the rate of per capita income. In 2008, it will cost just under $50,000 to attend the average private college. If the cost of milk increased at the same rate as tuition, the price of a gallon would be $15.

The University of Vermont has reduced per student expenses by $886 a year since 2002. I don't know the exact figures but I'm positive Rutgers per student expenses have definitely increased since 2002. That financial burden eventually gets put back on the student.

There are a few solutions (some easier than others) to this problem:

1) Get more state funding - If the state of NJ allocates more money to Rutgers to cover costs, then the students would not have to cover the budget gaps. Of course, New Jersey is in financial turmoil and increasing funding to anything might cost you an arm and a leg. But universities return their investments in the form of an educated, employable workforce.

2) Increase the university's endowment - The RU endowment currently stands at $654 million. That boils down to around $13,000 per student. But only $7.4 million of that endowment was awarded as tuition assistance in 2007. Most schools around the country have endowments that are much much larger than Rutgers. For example, Harvard and Yale have roughly $60 billion in their endowments.

3) Cut expenses - 8.2% of the RU budget is for "Operation and Maintenance of Plant." I don't know what the fancy name is supposed to mean, but I'm pretty sure that means regular maintenance. Sure, most buildings are old and thus need routine maintenance. But I'm sure instituting some energy saving policies (fluorescent bulbs, turn off lights when not in the room) will add up over the course over a year. For a university as large as Rutgers, that could add up to a couple million a year.

Overall, there is not a cure all for the Rutgers tuition increases and the increases at colleges around the country. I realize that there is not a money tree on Livingston Campus that funds this school, but using the money Rutgers does get more efficiently will only benefit all parties.

Listen Up Sports Fans

2008-08-27T12:18:00.002-04:00

Have you always wanted to bet on your favorite sports teams?

Then, here is your chance! Centsports.com goes beyond the obligatory office pools and the small payouts. On this site, you play with house money. After signing up, you are issued ten cents to bet with on numerous sports. Current offerings include college football, boxing, mixed martial arts, baseball, tennis, football, NASCAR, golf, and soccer. The sign-up process is incredibly simple and the actual betting is even easier.

How does this make you money you ask?

When your account balance reaches a minimum of $20, you can cash out $10 and Centsports will send you a check in the mail. Some payouts have reached over $400 after starting out with 10 cents. You could even make more money on your bets by watching an ad by a sponsor after placing your bet. This earns you a bonus of at least 25%.

Sound too good to be true? Try it out for yourself here.

Oh and if you lose your initial ten cents (good thing it's house money), then they will give you another ten cents.

**For any of those who care, Centsports is legal in the United States because the house is giving you money to bet with.

Jumping Out of a Plane

2008-08-20T23:37:00.002-04:00

Skydiving is one of the best things I've ever done. Enjoy!

Congrats Rafael Nadal!

2008-08-18T00:00:00.001-04:00

I know this blog is supposed to be about college but that hasn't started yet so I'm going to talk tennis. Today, August 18, will mark the first time in over 4 years that Roger Federer will not be atop the professional tennis rankings. He is being overtaken by Rafael Nadal; the Spaniard who has reigned at #2 for over 3 of those 4 years.

Nadal has always been the King of Clay but with his win in the Wimbledon Final this year (the best match I have ever seen!) and his success on the U.S. Open Series he has secured the number 1 spot from Federer.

In honor of Rafa, here are a few pictures of him practicing I took at the 2008 Wimbledon Championships.

Congrats to Rafa for winning the gold medal in men's singles at the 2008 Olympics.

Skydiving Tomorrow!

2008-08-17T17:19:00.003-04:00

After tomorrow, August 18, I will be able to cross off the first thing on my 2008 list of goals. That basically means I'll be jumping out of an airplane; by choice.

I'll have lots of pictures and hopefully a video of me falling to the ground from 14,000 feet at 130 mph to post later.

Tuition Bill #1

2008-08-10T20:49:00.005-04:00

My first tuition bill for Rutgers is for my first class at Rutgers (that would make sense I guess) during the current Summer Session. The class is Basic Statistical Methods and I highly suggest you avoid it at all costs...seriously.

Stats is a four credit course that doesn't come cheap. This term bill hits the scales at $1,200.

Tuition Bill #1 Overview

Fortunately for me, I do not have to pay any out of pocket costs to attend Stats. That is due to the generosity of others who thought it would be a good idea to give me money.

First Year Scholarship Summary

2008-08-09T17:00:00.002-04:00

Lucky for me, I managed to make out pretty well for myself in the amount of money I received from scholarships this year. It's not nearly enough to cover Rutgers tuition for an entire year but it does make a nice dent into the total.

Summary:

Insurance Council of New Jersey: $500
Trenton Golden Waves Club : $2,000
McGalliard Elementary School PTA: $500
Historical Society of Hamilton: $200
Hamilton Township Advanced Studies: $1,000
Hamilton West (for Perfect Attendance): $100
Hamilton West PTA: $300
Total $4,600

Hopefully, I can get even more scholarships in the next few years and will be able to focus on my classes and not worrying about how to pay for them. And thanks to all those who gave me a scholarship!

Tuition Free Upon Graduation

2008-08-03T21:46:00.007-04:00

As mentioned in my very first post, I intend to have paid off every single penny of my undergraduate education by the time I walk for graduation. Seem gutsy? I agree with you but I have always liked a challenge.

How do I plan on doing this?

Good question. The plan as of now is through a combination of scholarships, hard work, and a little luck. For the upcoming 2008-2009 year, the Rutgers Board of Governors increased total tuition (including room & board, fees, etc. for in-state students) by 6.5 percent. To make it easy, I'll assume that is the increase each year and for the summer sessions. Rutgers requires 120 to award a bachelor's degree so that is what I'm aiming for.

Let's break it down now:

I figure books are going to cost at least $3,500 over the course of 3 years and transportation costs of $1,500 so I'm looking at a grand total of around $85,000! Over a period of 3 years, that breaks down to $78 a day. Or $3.25 an hour. Or around 8 cents a second. None of these figures account for taxes of any kind either.

Should I just cross my fingers and hope I win the lottery? Some would say yes, but the line has been drawn in the sand and it's time to get to work. After all, I do have $85,000 to find.

To show you where Rutgers matches up with other state schools, take a peek at this. We're already the highest and we continue to raise the cost of public universities even more. Good going guys!

My Goals

2008-07-30T23:12:00.003-04:00

Short Term Goals (July - December 08):

Go Skydiving.
Make the Club Tennis Team at Rutgers.
Pass all of my Fall Classes.

Medium Term Goals (January 09 - May 12):

Graduate Rutgers University in 3 years with a degree in Urban Planning.
Have Rutgers degree paid off by the time I graduate.
Get one of the following: Master of Community & Regional Planning from Rutgers, Master of City Planning from UPenn, or a Master of Science in Real Estate from NYU.

Long Term Goals:

Start my own development firm.
Become a successful real estate developer with a focus on revitalizing vacant urban centers with green, sustainable design.
Start an upscale restaurant with locations around the country with one of my best friends doing the cooking.
Buy an island and a yacht.
Get married; start a family.

In other words, DO WORK.

About Me

2008-07-29T22:34:00.004-04:00

Name: Anthony Weigand

Age: 18

Location: Hamilton, NJ

Occupation: Full-Time Student, AllBallz.Net, and Intern at Capital Real Estate Group.

High School: Hamilton High School West (Hamilton, NJ)

College: Rutgers University (New Brunswick, NJ)

Hobbies: Tennis, Reading, Country Music, Making Money, Real Estate, Crosswords.

Idolize: Those who have made it.

Favorite Quote: "Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish" - Steve Jobs

First Post

2008-07-29T22:22:00.003-04:00

This blog will be dedicated to following my college years at Rutgers University. One month from today, I will be moving to New Brunswick to officially kickoff my college career. Most people plan to graduate college 4 years; I plan to do it in 3.

Oh yeah, I want to have all of my tuition paid off by the time my diploma is in hand. Figuring out How to Pay for College is going to be just as hard as the classes themselves.