Let’s face facts. Going to college these days, especially private universities, is no cheap task and can put you well into debt before you even enter the “real world” for yourself. Most people, especially young college students, do not have the tens of thousands of dollars to pony up every year for college tuition either. Therefore, most college students choose to use student loans to put themselves through college, whereby they can pay the tuition without breaking a sweat. However, when it comes time to graduate from college and pay these student loans back, many people do not know where to begin. How about refinancing these loans before you even start anything else? Read the rest of this entry »

So you’ve made the decision to go to college? Great! But the decisions are just beginning for you, as in the coming months, you will need to make dozens of decisions concerning your future. While searching for scholarships may be one of those tough decisions, make it a whole lot easier by following these 10 simple things that you will need to do before applying for scholarships. Read the rest of this entry »

Scholarship Search Engine

Getting scholarships for college is not the hard part - but actually going out and finding scholarships that fit your requirements is! For years, high school guidance counselors used to suggest possible scholarships to students or give them large booklets filled with hundreds and thousands of college scholarships. Going through these books and actually finding a scholarship became a task all in and of itself. With the popularity of the internet though, finding a scholarship for college through a search engine has never been easier and has even been made simpler through the usage of specific search engines tailored just for college scholarships! Read the rest of this entry »

A Stafford Loan, which can help to finance your way through a college or university, comes in two forms:

Subsidized Stafford Loans

A subsidized Stafford Loan, which you can receive based upon your specific financial aid. When a Stafford loan is subsidized, you are not required to pay any interest on the loan while you attend school. The federal government subsidizes the interest accrued on your account while you attend school and does not charge you interest until you finish school. Read the rest of this entry »

College is a time filled with important decisions and problems that must be solved in order to ensure your future and positive results at the time of your college graduation. Everything from choosing a college to choosing your roommate to choosing your computer for college can rack your brain and make the decisions that much harder. So, why not let one decision fall squarely on the shoulders of your old standby? Your parents. With the Federal PLUS Loan Program, your parents can help you to obtain loans that will put you through college. Read the rest of this entry »

Looking for a way to pay your way through college? The William D. Ford Student Loan is the newest federal financial aid program that was established for college students in 1994. While older student loans for college forced students to apply for loans through private banks, these days students are able to receive direct loans through the U.S. Department of Education, because of the William D. Ford Student Loan Program. These loans are applied for through the FAFSA (Federal Application For Student Aid) and are then distributed directly (if accepted and applied for) to your school to pay for your education. Read the rest of this entry »

The passing of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 in February brought with it major cuts to the federal student loan program. Along with cuts to other federal programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and food stamps, the student loan program was hit hardest, with a whopping $12 million in cuts.

In addition, legislation instituted and set to take effect on July 1 will negatively impact student loan consolidation, which will prove to be a thorn in the sides of students throughout the country.
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Students and concerned citizens may see some recourse after the upset of the passage of the Deficit Reduction Act, S. 1932, that was approved narrowly Dec. 21 by the Senate and then signed into law Feb. 8 by President Bush.

Due to a clerical error in the bill and in a move that challenges the bill’s constitutionality, Republican activist and Mobile, AL, elder law attorney Jim Zeigler on Feb. 13 filed a lawsuit disputing the bill. Along with cuts to programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, the bill hits the federal student loan program hardest, slashing a total of $12.7 billion. Zeigler served as President Bush’s attorney during the 2004 election.

The clerical error followed the bill’s approval, as the bill was forwarded to the house where it then was mistakenly changed by a Senate clerk.
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Student loan reconsolidation is a prime example of how graduates can ease their financial burden after college. Many college graduates and even students still attending college take advantage of student loan consolidation, which bundles together all of a student’s loans into one easy payment at one set interest rate. With reconsolidation students can receive additional financial and program benefits.

There are those current and former students who are unschooled about student loan reconsolidation, according to NextStudent, a premier education funding company based in Phoenix. The company offers a legitimate and valuable reconsolidation program that can further help student borrowers with their monthly payments.
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NextStudent, http://www.nextstudent.com/, one of the nation’s premier education funding companies offering both consolidation and reconsolidation programs, offers students their last chance to reconsolidate student loans. There only are two days left to reconsolidate, as the option no longer will be available anywhere after March 31. Borrowers now must take advantage to reduce their monthly payments and save thousands before reconsolidation is a thing of the past.The Deficit Reduction Act was signed into law in February by President Bush and included major cuts and changes to the federal student loan program, including reconsolidation, set to take effect on July 1. However, the effective date for reconsolidation recently was changed to March 31 by the Department of Education so that all completed paperwork is in by June 30. Borrowers must reconsolidate now so their applications are in by March 30, as the Department of Education will not accept applications after March 31.
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