'Easy payment plan' for tuition

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports:

Don't have $900 to pay for a quarter of community college classes?

Now you don't have to -- at least not all at once.

This fall, South Seattle Community College will launch an "easy payment plan" that spreads a quarter's tuition over three payments in the span of several weeks.

The program targets students who want to attend college but can't write one big check at the beginning of the term. Full tuition for the quarter is currently due seven days after a student registers for class.

Anyone taking at least 10 credits is eligible for the easy-pay program, which charges a $15 fee but no interest.

Financing a college education is expensive and hard, said Malinda Newstrom, a 41-year-old mother of three who is studying psychology and nutrition at South Seattle. It can be especially difficult for middle-income students such as herself who may not receive financial aid.

"We just need help paying for the college," she said.

The new payment plan covers tuition and fees. It does not include books, parking or other expenses.

No word yet on offering 30 year style mortgages.