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Whether you're planning a campus visit or arranging your student's international travel for break, it's important to keep in mind how the time of year could affect your plans. There are, of course, non-negotiable travel dates, such as the beginning and end of a semester, or holiday weekends. However, when possible, you should aim to plan around the most and least popular travel times of the year to reduce your costs and stress.

  "arrow" by flickr user alan berning, cc license  In today's Chronicle of Higher Education, there was a substantive discussion about how costs of books and 'other' college expenses (laundry, entertainment, transportation) are reportedly falling. But who is providing the data behind this reporting? Colleges and universities.  

Data from the National Center for Education Statistics reports on the risks within and surrounding college life are very real.

  sallie mae, how america pays for college, figure 11 It's been known for a while that grandparents help their grandchildren to save and pay for college. But what is that role exactly? Little has been known before. For instance, in Sallie Mae's How America Pays for College, grandparents are lumped into a category with friends and other relatives. In all, this group contributes 5%.  Such data tells us little about the role of grandparents. However, a new Fidelity Investments illuminates the generosity of grandparents when it comes to college savings.