Wis. college student eats to pay for tuition

MADISON, Wis. A University of Wisconsin student with a nickname of "Silo" is eating his way through school — competitively.

In this undated photo provided by Eric Dahl, Dahl, a University of Wisconsin computer engineering student with a nickname of "Silo," fills up on a 13-pound bowl of Vietnamese noodles known as pho.

/ AP Photo/Aramis Phillip Alvarez

Computer engineering student Eric Dahl now ranks third in the world of competitive eating as determined by All Pro Eating rankings, though he once held the top spot. Dahl has earned more than $18,000 in prize money or merchandise to help pay for his education.

"I'm eating for my education," he said. "It helps me get through."

Dahl was drawn to competitive eating in 2011, at the former Big Red's Steakhouse in Madison. Dahl didn't want to pay for his meal so he signed up for a challenge: eat a three-pound cheesesteak sandwich in less than 10 minutes and skip the bill. He finished in 5 minutes, 50 seconds.

"It just started rolling from there," he said.

Dahl's first paycheck came from Dickey's Barbecue Pit in suburban Minneapolis, where he earned $250 for inhaling nine pulled-pork sandwiches in six minutes. The former high school athlete found the competition and its over-the-top atmosphere reminiscent of professional wrestling.

"I really get pumped when the crowd starts cheering," he said. "I'm friends with other competitive eaters, but once I'm on stage I don't have any friends."

The 6-foot-3 Dahl said he walks a few miles a day, lifts weights twice a week and plays intramural soccer and hockey to maintain his 220-pound weight. The State Journal reports that he eats no more than 3,100 calories a day, mostly vegetables to avoid increasing his waistline, and stretches his stomach by eating 10 pounds of cabbage or broccoli in a single sitting followed by a lot of water.

His next bout is scheduled for Saturday. "Silo" will try to win $1,000 at a national pizza-eating contest on Library Mall at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

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Wis. college student eats to pay for tuition

MADISON, Wis. A University of Wisconsin student with a nickname of "Silo" is eating his way through school — competitively.

In this undated photo provided by Eric Dahl, Dahl, a University of Wisconsin computer engineering student with a nickname of "Silo," fills up on a 13-pound bowl of Vietnamese noodles known as pho.

/ AP Photo/Aramis Phillip Alvarez

Computer engineering student Eric Dahl now ranks third in the world of competitive eating as determined by All Pro Eating rankings, though he once held the top spot. Dahl has earned more than $18,000 in prize money or merchandise to help pay for his education.

"I'm eating for my education," he said. "It helps me get through."

Dahl was drawn to competitive eating in 2011, at the former Big Red's Steakhouse in Madison. Dahl didn't want to pay for his meal so he signed up for a challenge: eat a three-pound cheesesteak sandwich in less than 10 minutes and skip the bill. He finished in 5 minutes, 50 seconds.

"It just started rolling from there," he said.

Dahl's first paycheck came from Dickey's Barbecue Pit in suburban Minneapolis, where he earned $250 for inhaling nine pulled-pork sandwiches in six minutes. The former high school athlete found the competition and its over-the-top atmosphere reminiscent of professional wrestling.

"I really get pumped when the crowd starts cheering," he said. "I'm friends with other competitive eaters, but once I'm on stage I don't have any friends."

The 6-foot-3 Dahl said he walks a few miles a day, lifts weights twice a week and plays intramural soccer and hockey to maintain his 220-pound weight. The State Journal reports that he eats no more than 3,100 calories a day, mostly vegetables to avoid increasing his waistline, and stretches his stomach by eating 10 pounds of cabbage or broccoli in a single sitting followed by a lot of water.

His next bout is scheduled for Saturday. "Silo" will try to win $1,000 at a national pizza-eating contest on Library Mall at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

View the original article here

Study: Parents are funding less of their kids' college tuition

(CBS News) LOS ANGELES -- Nobody but bankers was happy when interest rates on college loans doubled to 6.8 percent this month. But Wednesday, the Senate may vote on a plan to roll them back. College costs have been soaring, and a study out Tuesday shows that parents are not picking much of the tab as they used to. In 2010, they funded 36 percent; now it's more like 27 percent.

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Jessica Phan will be a freshman at the University of California, Irvine. Her grades and need got her a state grant that will cover more than 90 percent of the $15,000 tuition.

Jessica Phan will be attending the University of California, Irvine. She acknowledge that cost was a factor in terms of searching for colleges.

/ CBS News

Asked how much of a factor was cost in searching for colleges, Phan replied: "It was the biggest factor, actually. I was actually going to apply to a bunch of private schools, but I didn't apply to any because my mom could not afford them anymore."

The survey released Tuesday showed 67 percent of students eliminated schools during their college search because of cost -- up from 58 percent in 2008. Parents used to pay the biggest share of their children's tuition bill. Now grants and scholarships cover 30 percent of college costs, while parents fund 27 percent. Loans cover 18 percent.

It's not that parents are suddenly cheap -- it's that college tuition has outpaced inflation by 27 percent in the past five years. Tuition and room and board at a private four-year college averages just under $40,000.

"Each year it goes higher and higher," said Phan, "and it's hard because I know my family income isn't increasing at the same rate that college tuition is increasing. I was very careful to make sure that I didn't ask my parents for too much."

Phan plans to live with an aunt close to campus, saving $10,000 in room and board.

"If I didn't have the scholarships or grants," she said, "I would definitely be struggling with debt until I was 40. It's just too much."

While her first year is all but paid for, she has to keep her grades so she can keep her grant.

View the original article here