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Archive for the ‘Financial Student Aid’

4 Ways Obama’s Federal Loan Program Affects Your College Choice

December 09, 2011 By: Category: Aid for College, Financial Student Aid, Loans No Comments →

In his October speech, President Obama outlined a new federal loan program that could mean big savings for students borrowing money to pay for college. Let’s look at how the law could affect your college choice.

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Filing For Financial Aid

March 30, 2011 By: Category: Aid for College, Financial Student Aid No Comments →

Filing for financial student aid can be a daunting task. There’s a reason why there’s been a push for simplifying the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) with almost every recent election cycle. Luckily, with online filing and our suggestions below, you can get aid for college faster! Here’s what you’ll need to get your aid for college as fast as possible:

Photo by Steve Wampler

  1. Determine whether you need to file a separate form for state and federal aid. Some states don’t require you to fill out a separate form from the FAFSA, while others do.
  2. Collect your and/or your parents’ tax forms . You’ll just need the forms with the total number of deductions, total taxable income amount, taxes paid, etc, so search for the actual form that you and/or your parents filed. If your parents claim you as a dependent, the amount of aid you are eligible to receive from state and federal funds will be determined by your parents’ income.
  3. Apply for a PIN (Personal Identification Number) for FAFSA processing— Students with PIN numbers registered with the U.S. Department of Education can complete their application online and receive aid for college faster. You’ll need to apply for a PIN to be sent to your home address, but once you have it, you can use it for the rest of your college career.
  4. Remember to cancel any federal or state aid package from a former school when transferring mid-semester. Schools check state and federal databases for duplicate entries before awarding aid for college to prevent a student from receiving two or more aid packages. If you don’t cancel the aid package from your former school, your new school may not be able to offer you a package and will cancel any package they formerly extended.
  5. Be Honest. It’s important to keep in mind that the FAFSA is a federal document. Lying on this form can come with harsh punishment, including a steep fine and possible prison time. You also need to be aware that those convicted of certain crimes, including drug offenses, are not eligible for federal aid for college. If you have any questions, you can contact your school’s financial aid office or the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-4-FED-AID.

Good luck!

Five Ways to Cut the Cost of College

December 23, 2010 By: Category: Aid for College, Financial Student Aid, Finding a scholarship, Maximize your savings 1 Comment →

Why pay full price for college? Here are five strategies that can cut costs by 25 percent or more and take the pain out of finding aid for college. 

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How to Find International Scholarships: Advice for Students on the Move

December 14, 2010 By: Category: Aid for College, Financial Student Aid, Finding a scholarship, Scholarships No Comments →

Are you an American student heading off to study abroad? Or a non-U.S. student bound for America?

Whatever your situation, international scholarships are waiting for you. Let’s see if we can hook you up with some financial aid.

International Scholarship Money

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Can You Afford to Go to College?

July 09, 2010 By: Category: Aid for College, Financial Student Aid 2 Comments →

Today we have a guest post from Mary Fallon from Studentaid.com

The most confusing part of college planning is understanding your net price and out-of-pocket costs before applying.  Your specific cost of college is a mystery because your eligibility for student aid, which reduces costs, usually isn’t provided until after a college accepts you and issues an aid award letter. By then, it’s too late to comfortably comparison shop to find which college will offer you the best deal.  Not having a choice among affordable colleges may lead to borrowing huge amounts that will take many years to pay back after college graduation.

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Photo by Medium Boy

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How to Graduate from College With Less Debt

April 13, 2010 By: Julie Manhan Category: Aid for College, Financial Student Aid, Loans, Scholarships 1 Comment →

Everyone knows how expensive a college education can be and that most people graduate from college with at least some debt.  The important thing is to not let the “sticker price” prevent you from pursuing your college diploma.  There are ways to lower your debt that may make a college degree more affordable.

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The Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (SAFRA)

March 22, 2010 By: Category: Aid for College, Financial Student Aid, Loans No Comments →

Today we have a guest post from Brennon Garrett, from Campus Book Rentals. Campus Book Rentals, a college text book rental company, is conducting an online petition for this bill. 

The United States Congress is currently considering whether to pass the The Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2009 (SAFRA).  The legislation passed in the Senate last September by a vote of 253 to 171, but it’s unclear whether it will pass successfully in the House.  The legislation includes many different initiatives, but the primary purpose of the bill is to make college more affordable to more Americans.  One of central components of the bill would remove private banks as middle-men in the student lending process.  As it stands today, many student loans are made by private banks with subsidies from the US Government – while those same loans are also being guaranteed by the US Government, thus removing the loan default risk to the private banks, and passing on the extra cost to students.  In April President Obama said “We have a student loan system where we’re giving lenders billions of dollars in wasteful subsidies that could be used to make college more affordable for all Americans.”  SAFRA would put an end to government payments to commercial lenders, and and the government would become a direct student lender.  This would save $40B over 10 years that would be directly re-routed into the Pell Grant system, increasing Pell grant scholarships from $5,550 in 2010 to $6,900 by 2019.  The increase in Pell grants would become linked to the cost of living, rising along with the Consumer Price Index, plus 1%.

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Photo by Gadget Dude

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Eight is Enough: The Top 8 Financial Aid Tips for Families

February 01, 2010 By: Category: Aid for College, Financial Student Aid 1 Comment →

The cost of a college degree is getting more expensive every year.  According to College Board, the average four-year public college charges a tuition rate of $7,020 and the average tuition cost of a four-year private college is $26,273.  That’s a lot of money.  And while there are resources out there to help families cover their college expenses, who has the time to research these opportunities?  It’s tough.   The purpose of this blog is to simplify your life.  If you follow these quick tips on financial aid, your college financing process will be a lot easier.  Let’s get started…

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Photo by Borman 818  

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Understanding the Four Most Common Types of Financial Student Aid

November 16, 2009 By: Category: Aid for College, Financial Student Aid No Comments →

Today we have a guest post from Kelsey Murray. Kelsey Murray is a junior at the University of Oklahoma studying advertising. She also writes about news, trends and advice for college students at EDUInReview.com, an educational resource helping students at all stages of the education process find student loans, scholarships, testing advice and more.

Being a student is hard work. You attend classes, spend countless hours studying and prepping for exams, stay involved in extracurricular activities, and you might have a job as well. But the hardest part of college can be actually paying for it.

While financial student aid is a saving grace for so many students, it can be difficult to know which type of aid for college suits your academic and economic needs.

Here’s a quick overview of some of the most common types of financial student aid and what factors play into determining who qualifies for each type.

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Financial Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act: How Does it Affect You?

October 26, 2009 By: Category: Aid for College, Financial Student Aid 3 Comments →

Paying for college can be even more of a struggle than getting in, but new legislation might make it a little easier for families by increasing federal financial aid. Last month Congress passed the Financial Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act. The legislation expands financial aid, shifts direct federal lending and removes subsidies to private lenders. Supporters have claimed that the bill would save taxpayers $87 billion over the next 10 years. The legislation promises to make college more affordable, but what does that mean for you and your family?

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Photo by Borman818

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