Reading Room: Taming the Tuition Tiger

Taming the TuitionTiger

LosAngeles Times

When it comes tomoney matters, collegetuition financing canbe a beast. While theremay be no sword to slay it,there are many strategiesto help parents and studentsto at least domesticateit. ($18.95; BloombergPress; 2003), written by financial journalistKathy Kristof, is a veritable bullwhip inthe hands of the otherwise potentiallydefenseless tuition financer.

The book explores many topics.Among the topics discussed are 529plans, Uniform Gifts to Minors Act Accounts(UGMAs), Coverdell EducationSavings Accounts (education IRAs), IndividualDevelopment Accounts (IDAs) forlow-income families, student loans,financial aid programs, andscholarships, both publicand private.

Tamingthe Tuition Tiger

Garnished with manyuseful charts and worksheetsthroughout, is easy tounderstand. The book readsmore like a conversationwith a very knowledgeablefriend, unlike other bookson the subject, which often crawl alongat the snail's pace of a boring lecture.Kristof's lively, witty style includesgood, old-fashioned honesty.

Taming the Tuition Tiger

Though the strategies are moregeared toward undergraduate students,they could easily be applied to graduatestudents. maynot slay the college finance beast, butit's a worthwhile step toward making itbehave.