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Washington College Road Trip: University of Puget Sound

By U.S. News & World Report

Experiential, interdisciplinary learning is a big part of the mission at the University of Puget Sound .

A class about the Mississippi River teaches history, science and leadership and culminates with an adventure rowing the length of the Mississippi River. Education students are required to work in local classrooms, and students interested in health can take a bioethics practicum and work at nearby Tacoma General Hospital.

Hands-on practice also weaves into residential life: Students help run The Cellar, a popular pizza place, and many upperclass students choose to live in one of 20 Greek or theme houses, where service projects and activities are built around shared interests from baseball to green living.

[Explore all the colleges in Washington.]

Unlike most small liberal arts schools, Puget Sound offers a program in business and leadership and has a conservatory-style school of music. Interdisciplinary majors such as science, technology and society and international political economy are popular.

Located in Tacoma’s residential North End, Puget Sound’s scenic campus boasts towering Douglas fir trees and Tudor Gothic-style buildings. On clear days , Mount Rainier is visible from the center of campus.

Location is a big draw — Tacoma is only 35 miles south of Seattle, with all that the city has to offer — including high-tech companies such as Google, Microsoft, Snapchat, Boeing, Starbucks and Amazon offering coveted internships and jobs .

Megan Schowalter, a 2017 grad from Yakima, Washington, who chose the science, tech and society major, says Puget Sound is often referred to as the Pacific Northwest’s “best-kept secret.”

The school attracts students from 46 states and eight countries, with only 20 percent of its 2,600 or so undergraduates coming from in-state. Starting last year, submitting test scores was optional.

[See which students benefit from test-optional, test-flexible admissions.]

An 11-1 student-faculty ratio and small class sizes were part of Puget Sound’s appeal for Keao Rivera-Leong, a senior from Hilo, Hawaii, with an interest in conservation biology. “You can go into a professor’s office, and they know you by name,” she says.

First-years are introduced to the school’s interdisciplinary approach early on by taking a two-semester seminar such as Rhetoric, Film and National Identity or The Third Wave: Rock After the Beatles to hone their research, speaking and writing skills.

A strong interdisciplinary Asian studies program prepares about 25 students for an every-three-year intensive academic year traveling and studying in eight Asian countries. “It’s the epitome of a liberal arts education,” says Kumar Flower Kay, a junior politics and government major going on the 2017-18 trip.

About 15 percent of students take advantage of the music offerings. Anyone can perform in groups and audition for scholarships. Senior English major Sophie Myers auditioned with a few piano pieces and got $24,000 toward her tuition each year. To retain her scholarship , she takes weekly piano lessons, accompanies vocalists and keeps her GPA up.

Puget Sound fields 23 varsity teams that compete in the Division III Northwest Conference, and the newly renovated Athletics and Aquatics Center now has tennis courts, a climbing wall and a smoothie bar. Many students note that the campus can feel small but also that that can be easily remedied by taking advantage of nearby attractions.

The student-run Expeditionary rents outdoor equipment and organizes trips every weekend with Puget Sound Outdoors, a campus group. Nearby Point Defiance Park offers hiking trails, kayaking, beach access, a zoo and an aquarium.

The campus is also a short walk from Tacoma’s vibrant arts scene, waterfront and downtown. A bus gets students to Seattle for only a few dollars.

Washington College Road Trip:

— Gonzaga University

— Whitman College

— University of Washington

This story is excerpted from the U.S. News “Best Colleges 2018” guidebook, which features in-depth articles, rankings and data.

More from U.S. News

Washington College Road Trip: University of Washington

Washington College Road Trip: Whitman College

Washington College Road Trip: Gonzaga University

Washington College Road Trip: University of Puget Sound originally appeared on usnews.com

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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