Ben Kaplan is a Harvard-trained economist, public commentator specializing in education, scholarships and economics, and author of the books How to Get to College Almost for Free and The Scholarship Scouting Report, published by HarperCollins. He has written columns for The New York Times, Time, and U.S. News & World Report. His "Scholars & Dollars" education column was launched in The Oregonian (Portland's daily newspaper) in 2006. In 2008, he launched a companion radio feature on KMOX-AM in St. Louis. He is a graduate of South Eugene High School in Oregon.