In an effort to increase transparency about college costs, a new federal rule which will be enacted next October mandates that colleges must post online calculators that determine the approximate cost of attendance for a student after receiving grants, The Chronicle of Higher Education reported Sunday. Students often have trouble determining the real cost of attending a certain college because details are not available until just weeks before they must accept colleges' offers, giving students little time to consider their implications, according to The Chronicle. The expected family contribution calculators are anticipated to have considerable effects on student decisions, according to The Chronicle, leading to some concerns that they could pose problems for colleges if they are inaccurate. Although many colleges support the implementation of the new rule, some universities that do not utilize a simple formula when awarding grants such as the University of Pennsylvania may have difficulty designing accurate calculators.
Federal plans to outlaw caffeinated alcoholic beverages have resulted in a surge in Four Loko sales as people, mainly college students, rush to buy the drink before it is taken off the shelves, The Washington Post reported last week. Four Loko will continue to be sold, but the company will remove caffeine and other substances from the product, according to The Post. As currently manufactured, the 23.5-ounce can contains an amount of alcohol equivalent to that in several beers and the same amount of caffeine as a strong cup of coffee. Four Loko appeals mostly to college students and young adults who may not realize the potency of the drink, resulting in many injuries attributed to its consumption in recent months, according to The Post.
