In today’s rundown: The basic costs of raising a child. | More students are saving money by beginning their college careers in community colleges before transferring to public universities.
— Raising a child is 22 percent more costly today than it was in 1960, according to a USDA study which found that a two-parent, middle-income household will spend $222,360 on raising one child through the age of 17. The study also found that, on average, low-income households spend more than twice as much of their before-tax income than high-income households do. Click here for a slide show breaking down the costs of child-rearing.
— A record number of students are using community colleges as a transfer pipeline to public universities in Virginia and Maryland, according to this article in the Washington Post. A shift in admissions standards guaranteeing acceptance for community college students with good grades is helping families save money and bringing diversity to four-year schools.