"College student" has always been synonymous with, well, "thrifty." In these tough economic times, college students are thriftier than ever,
Poynter's Al Tompkins reports in
"The Cost of going back to college." Marked by a 7 percent drop in back-to-college spending, the
National Retail Federation says students will spend less on clothes and dorm furnishings to cope with economic hardship.
Use Al's post as a jumping off point for your own story on the costs of going back to school. Keep with the alternative story form theme by interviewing five students together about the costs of going back to school. If broadcasting, hold a roundtable discussion. If writing a story, make it a charticle to make an easy comparison among your sources.
Print or showcase copies of actual receipts to add a visual component and avoid guesstimates about the costs of school supplies.
