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Back to $chool

From computers to textbooks to hidden fees, TIME explores how students are paying — and paying, and paying — for college

SAVING UP

ATTN: Need Tuition Help FAST

One enterprising freshman is using e-mail to ask strangers to kick in $25,000. And the craziest part? It's working

FINANCIAL AID

Keeping Up With Harvard

Yes, elite colleges are beefing up their financial-aid packages. But what about all the poor slobs at state schools?

SCHOOL SUPPLIES

Outsourcing the Textbook

College students save money with international textbooks, mostly from India

TECHNOLOGY

Why Colleges Are Making Laptops A Must-Have

Though students may still balk at the prices, required-buy programs are helping them get below-market deals

Fees

Hidden College Costs: Rising Fees

Compared to pricey private colleges, state schools can be an educational bargain. But extra fees are driving up the price of attendance

PHOTOS

The Evolution of the College Dorm

From the monastic rooms of the 1950s to today's luxury residence halls, TIME examines the ever-changing ways that students live