Student Loan Help

As I wrote before, the first step in the process to funding your education should be completing the Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA).

To qualify for the maximum amount of federal financial aid each year, including loans, students must complete and submit the FAFSA to the U.S. Department of Education annually. Submitting this vital financial aid form determines your eligibility for federal financial aid as well as scholarships, grants, and other aid opportunities. While not required, it is strongly recommended that all college-bound students complete one.

For more information on completing the FAFSA, visit http://www.fafsaonline.com and http://www.fafsaonline.com/fafsa-blog.

While this site will generally be focused on student loans, researching loans is not the first step in the process of funding your education. Reduced to a few steps, the process (and suggested related sites) should be:

1. Complete a FAFSA - the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) - http://www.fafsaonline.com/
2. Apply for Grants and Scholarships - “free money” - http://www.studentscholarshipsearch.com/
3. Evaluate Financial Aid Reward Package
4. Consider Work Study Programs part-time jobs on campus
5. Apply for Student Loans - http://www.studentloannetwork.com

It’s a process that requires you to start early - the FAFSA should be sent in as soon as possible after January 1st! Don’t wait until the last minute to determine how to fund your educatio

September - back to school time. As students return to colleges and universities to kick-off another year of studies, I find myself learning each day as well. I’ve recently switched jobs and have started working at the Student Loan Network - new position, new co-workers, new industry, etc. In order to facilitate the transition, I’m starting Student Loans 101 with the aim of keeping abreast of the Student Loan industry. A couple of times a week I’ll return to add a new financial aid term, post on the latest industry news, or just generally share what I’m learning. Hopefully you’ll learn along with me - comments are always welcome.

Today, we’ll start with some background on the Student Loan Network. The Student Loan Network is one of the nation’s fastest growing providers of student loans and related information. Since 1998, the company has helped approximately 25 million students and parents access over $1 billion in federal and private student loans, scholarships and consolidation funding for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education. Our loan products are available both on the Internet and by phone in consultation with our Financial Aid Consultants. Learn more about the Student Loan Network at www.studentloannetwork.com or by calling toll-free 877-328-1565.

Some of our sites/loan products include:

The Student Loan Network: Stafford Federal Student Loans, Parent PLUS Loans, Student Loan Consolidation, Private Student Loans, Education Loans/College Loans