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Debt-Free U: How I Paid for an Outstanding College Education Without Loans, Scholarships, or Mooching off My Parents
 
 
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Debt-Free U: How I Paid for an Outstanding College Education Without Loans, Scholarships, or Mooching off My Parents [Paperback]

Zac Bissonnette (Author), Andrew Tobias (Foreword)
4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (70 customer reviews)

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Book Description

August 31, 2010
This book can save you more than $100,000.

These days, most people assume you need to pay a boatload of money for a quality college education. As a result, students and their parents are willing to go into years of debt and potentially sabotage their entire financial futures just to get a fancy name on their diploma.

But Zac Bissonnette is walking proof that this assumption is not only false, but dangerous-a class con game designed to rip you off and doom your student to a post-graduation life of near poverty . From his unique double perspective-he's a personal finance expert (at Daily Finance) AND a current senior at the University of Massachusetts-Zac figured out how to get an outstanding education at a public college, without bankrupting his parents or taking on massive loans.

Armed with his personal knowledge, the latest data, and smart analysis, Zac takes on the sacred cows of the higher education establishment. He reveals why a lot of the conventional wisdom about choosing and financing college is not only wrong but hazardous to you and your child's financial future. You'll discover, for instance, that:

* Student loans are NOT a necessary evil. Ordinary middle class families can- and must-find ways to avoid them, even without scholarships.

* College "rankings" are useless-designed to sell magazines and generate hype. If you trust one of the major guides when picking a college, you face a potential financial disaster.

* The elite graduate programs accept lots of people with non-elite bachelors degrees. So do America's most selective employers. The name on a diploma ultimately won't help your child have a more successful career or earn more money.

Zac can prove every one of those bold assertions - and more. No matter what your current financial situation, he has a simple message for parents: "RELAX! Your kid will be able to get a champagne education on a beer budget!"

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Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

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. --Joanne Wilkinson

Review

"If the National Association for College Admissions Counseling had anticipated the dire consequences of one of the smartest teenagers in America encountering the ill-examined assumptions of their profession, they might have found some way to buy him off, maybe a full ride scholarship to Harvard. Too late. Bissonnette is 21 now, a senior at the University of Massachusetts. He has written the best and most troubling book ever about the college admissions process."
-Jay Mathews, The Washington Post

"Let Zac Bissonnette help you plan for college-where to go, what to study, and how to pay for it-and you will finish rich"
-David Bach #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Automatic Millionaire and Start Late, Finish Rich

"In the new economy, your college choice is critical. Zac Bissonnette's Debt- Free U is the one book you need to make this life-changing decision-- thoroughly researched, smart, and funny. Grade: A+."
-Ali Rogers, CBS Moneywatch. Author, Diary of a Real Estate Rookie

"With Bissonnette, college-bound students and their parents finally have an unbiased source to help make an educated decision about choosing and affording college. Not to mention, his advice can help you pocket tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars. Want to make a smart investment in this economy? Buy Debt-Free U."
-Farnoosh Torabi, financial expert and author of Psych Yourself Rich --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

  • Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  • Paperback: 304 pages
  • Publisher: Portfolio Trade; 1 edition (August 31, 2010)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1591842980
  • ISBN-13: 978-1591842989
  • Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 6.6 x 0.8 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (70 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,124 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Zac Bissonnette is a personal finance writer. His first book, Debt-Free U, landed him on The Today Show, Sean Hannity, The Dave Ramsey Show, The 700 Club, and the Fox News Channel. The Washington Post called Debt-Free U "the best and most troubling book ever about the college admissions process" and it hit #20 on Amazon.com's bestseller list the day it was released. It has been featured by The BBC, The New York Times, The Huffington Post, Bloomberg, Christian Science Monitor, USA Today, The Suze Orman Show, The Boston Globe, ABC News, and many others.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
83 of 87 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is an excellent book. I cannot recommend enough that all parents with pre-college children read this book and use the valuable information provided to take ownership of the college decision process together as a family by considering what this book has to say.

I am a CPA and a financial planner in the Boston, MA area. I see exactly what Zac describes with many families whose financial plans are dominated by education financing at the expense of other goals. I'm blown away by a 22-year old college student being able to accurately identify all of these issues, cut through all the BS spewed by the higher education and college financing industries, and support his assertions and analysis with compelling facts, data and research. I would urge anyone reading this book to not hold Zac's age against his analysis. His analysis is spot-on accurate. In fact, his age is useful for lending credibility to the anecdotes he does mention in the book about campus life and his experiences. He knows what he's talking about because he's living it.

For years, I've struggled with the question of whether you need to attend an expensive college to get a quality college education. It didn't seem right to me, but I didn't have the information to assess this one way or the other. As Zac clearly shows, there are huge industries with tons of money at stake to make people believe that an expensive college is a must for your child's education. As Louis Brandeis said, "sunshine is the best disinfectant". This is one book that is the sunshine that exposes these industries for what they are.

Being in Massachusetts, I would feel very comfortable guiding my children to a Massachusetts public college armed with the information that Zac provides. I would know that I am giving my child every opportunity to have a terrific college experience and a wonderful opportunity for a successful and fulfilling life. UMass should be extremely proud of having Zac as a recent graduate.
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55 of 61 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Wow, I couldn't put the book down, with every page I could see all the ways to save money. This book is worth its weight in gold. Words cannot describe what this book has down for me, I really feel I have an insider in college and it has greatly reduced my stress of having my first child go off to college next year. This book contains more than finacial tips, it covers every aspect of college, from course tips to professor information, I can't say enough, you definately won't be dissapointed.
It was a fun read and will share with other college bound students. I have five teens and if I can do this anybody can. take care enjoy the journey. Debbie
PS I wrote this at 6a getting five kids off to school please excuse the typos.
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41 of 45 people found the following review helpful
Excellent September 2, 2010
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Debt-Free U: How I Paid for an Outstanding College Education Without Loans, Scholarships, orMooching off My Parents

The author reveals many ways to get a top flight education without getting yourself and your parents needlessly in debt. He backs up his assertions with hard facts, data, and research. For over-priced universities, it is an "Emperor has no clothes" moment. Highly recommended.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
out of the mouths of babes
This just confirms what I have been screaming about for the last decade. With a junior in high school, I was concerned about the value of college even though I can afford it for... Read more
Published 10 days ago by J. M Ullman
Highly recommend for any student or parent of a student
Just finished this book. I recommend to to any student and parents of students planning or thinking about attending college. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Stan Stinson
U-Debt-Free
This was a very helpful resource book. I used it to prepare to teach a college readiness workshop and recommended it to all participant. Read more
Published 2 months ago by docsandy
NOT worth the money!!
This book was suggested by Amazon after purchasing The Ultimate Scholarship Guide. UNLIKE the Guide, this book merely told readers that going to a community college would save... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Kimberly Lladoc
A MUST read for every college bound student or parent
This book is well-written, very entertaining and loaded with great information that you won't find many other places. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Shelly E. Niemeyer
Excellent read for Collegebound students and current undergrads
Zac Bissonnette has a unique modern outlook on financing college. Although I do not agree with some of his recommendations, the overall book includes some need-to-know things that... Read more
Published 5 months ago by BenK
Debt-Free U
This book is awesome! It shows that there are many great, unadvertised ways to pay for college. It is uplifting to know that I don't have to take out loans that will only delay... Read more
Published 5 months ago by marie
Very useful and practical advise from a student perspective
I bought and read Debt-Free U based on the recommendation from the instructor of the SAT prep class my daughter was attending. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Phil Cutajar
Must read
I came across this highly recommended title in a homeschool to college forum and boy am I glad I read this. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Carrie Levin
The Fox and the Sour Grapes
The author probably had poor SAT scores. Ivy League schools are "need blind" and loaded with endowments. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Pinchy
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