Private universities can be very expensive. However, failure to obtain a degree at an elite university as a result of expensive costs should not be a hindrance for students. Don’t allow the staggering price tags to steer you away from considering them as a viable option. Many students that attend the top Ivy League universities come from families making under $60K a year. These universities offer scholarships and financial aid that significantly lower the final price tag for parents. Consequently, there are smaller colleges that are also trying to attract students by offering scholarships, as well. This article by U.S. News is a great example of attaining an Ivy League education for an affordable price.

http://www.usnews.com/articles/education/paying-for-college/2010/08/17/best-value-colleges-give-big-scholarships-deep-discounts.html

The largest school in the world is run (and taught) by one man. Simple, clear, direct, no frills, no tricks. Have you ever had one of those “when I retire and have enough money, I’ll change the world” plans? Salman “Sal” Khan did. And if you look at his resume which lists work at tech & finance firms, you can see that he was on his way to making that money. But he didn’t want to wait. Just a computer blackboard, YouTube, a great attitude, a gift for straightforward teaching, and a love of sharing. Sal Khan is a new hero. He’s simple and straightforward. No fancy diagrams, just factual and intimate teaching. He represents the future. Leaders of our educational system (in the US at least) need to take notice. What Sal has made possible, is access to this world class education to the third world, where the teacher is just a notch above the student. Sal’s content is free, and there are people out there making local servers where his entire content library is available to remote areas (without any internet access) and poor kids. This is great for parents as a resource for their children and one that is great for adults looking beyond their immediate possibilities of life choices. Find out more about the Khan Academy.

CNN Article:
http://money.cnn.com/2010/08/23/technology/sal_khan_academy.fortune/index.htm