One year’s tuition at my alma mater, University of Southern California, costs more than what the average American family earns each year. I’m not exaggerating—the average American household takes in $44,389 annually, and my college tuition with room and board rang in at $45,212 per year.

The dollar damage is pretty substantial, but I’m actually not here to complain about the cost of my college degree. In fact, the price of my college tuition specifically isn’t really something I deserve to complain about. My strong work ethic paired with a supportive family and great teachers allowed me to excel in high school, and I earned a free ride to my in-state public college, as well as scholarships to other schools to which I applied. However I chose the most expensive school that I had applied to. I knew what I signed up for—the tuition was outrageous, but I went anyway, and now I have debt to show for it.

I surely empathize with the estimated two million academically eligible students over the past eight years who didn’t attend college just because they couldn’t afford it. College tuition costs have grown 40 percent in the past five years, and simply put, college is way too expensive. It is kind of pathetic that we haven’t been able to create a more affordable higher education system, an easier federal financial aid program, and greater access to college scholarships for academically qualified, but less financially fortunate students.

But I’m not going to join the hordes of debt-ridden students who chose to attend ridiculously overpriced colleges, proceeded to max out their credit cards on beer and materialistic items, and now whine and moan about their debts, blaming the economic crisis for their financial hardships. Stop complaining. You knew what you were signing up for, so manage your debt wisely and use that education to start a career.

The same reasoning can be applied to the bankrupt banks in America today—they spent money they didn’t have, took out loans they couldn’t afford, and signed up for more than they could handle. Just because Fannie Mae passed “Go” and collected $700 billion dollars, that doesn’t mean we all automatically deserve a “Get out of jail free” bailout after graduation.

Sure, we’ve all made fun of the way they wave and cry when they are crowned. But you’d be waving and crying, too, if you were getting all that college scholarship money along with the tiara and bouquet.

That’s right: Beyond the evening gowns and talent competition, the Miss America pageant is one of the largest scholarship programs in the world. Last year, over 12,000 contestants competed at the local, state, and national levels for a share of more than $45 million in cash and scholarship grants.

Makes you want to put on a swimsuit and strut around in stiletto heels, doesn’t it?

Don’t forget that beyond the mega-watt smiles and big hair are intelligent women who are trying to put themselves through college. Check out the alma maters of these recent winners:

Miss America 2008: Kirsten Haglund, Univ. of Cincinnati
Miss America 2007: Lauren Nelson, Univ. of Central Oklahoma
Miss America 2006: Jennifer Berry, Univ. of Oklahoma
Miss America 2005: Deidre Downs*, Univ. of Virginia
Miss America 2004: Ericka Dunlap, Univ. of Central Florida
Miss America 2003: Erika Harold, Univ. of Illinois
Miss America 2002: Katie Harman, Portland State Univ.
Miss America 2001: Angela Perez Baraquio, Univ. of Hawaii

*Deidre Downs actually gave up a full volleyball scholarship so she could focus on her studies. Looks like she was able to pay for her college tuition anyway!

Miss America is awarded a $50,000 college scholarship, but don’t think you have to take the title to cash in. Check out this list of recent winners. Cha-ching!

Are you thinking of competing in a pageant? Let BarbaraBlogger know. There could be a guest blogger position in it for you!

So you want to move out of your parents’ house and go away to college. No kidding.

But moving away from your hometown has a price way beyond no more home-cooked meals and laundry.

Choosing an out of state college can really impact your college costs.

For example, let’s say you live in Wisconsin, and you want to go to Universirty of Rhode Island, your college tuition is going to cost you $23,038. But if you are from Rhode Island, it’s only going to cost you $8,184.

We’ll do the math for you. That’s $14, 854 difference.

Ever wonder why public universities charge higher tuition from out of state?

Well, a large chunk of the money that public colleges get each year for operating costs is paid by the taxpayers in the state where the college is located. So, students who are residents in that state get a cost break and students from out-of-state pay more since they are essentially subsidizing the in-state students.

Colleges want to attract in-state students with a low price tag. They know that those students will often stay in state after graduation and help boost the economy. College graduates are more likely to have good jobs, pay money and contribute to the to the state’s economy.

In some cases, state schools will offer in-state prices to out-of-state students. Often, this happens when a certain program of study is not available in a given state and that state makes arrangements with the public schools of a neighboring state. It can also happen if a state has it as a priority to increase enrollment and wants to attract a broader range of students. For instance, South Dakota recently slashed tuition by almost half for all out-of-state students.