Student Loan Help

StudentPlatinum.com has created a useful guide for those of us who don’t understand as much as they should about their credit. More importantly, the site guides you through the steps you will need to improve your credit score to insure you qualify for student loans. Visit:

http://www.studentplatinum.com/improve-credit-score/

Remember, when applying for private student loans, a qualified cosigner helps you to get approved with the best rates and lowest fees. And always maximize scholarships and federal student loans first!

The more you know the farther you’ll go!

Here’s a look at earnings by educational attainment of the population 25 years and over according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic Supplement.

Over a lifetime a person with a B.A. will earn nearly double that of someone who is a High School graduate.

Of course it is expensive to go to school. If it was free I think most of us would go. Here are some suggestions on helping to reduce the cost of education.

Lower-cost schools: If you are looking to obtain your B.A. than you may want to consider a two-year community college before transferring. Community colleges tend to a lot less expensive.

State Higher Education Agency: Contact your state Higher Education Agency about any aid program or scholarships sponsored by the state.

Tax Breaks: The interest accrued on your school loans is tax deductible. The maximum credit is up to $2,500. You may also qualify for the Hope or Lifetime tax credit.

Scholarships: Pay with someone else’s money. We have a great scholarship search engine you should browse and we even give out monthly scholarships here with nothing more than signing up required. No essays, no merit, just signing up!

Federal Loans: It is always best to obtain federal loans over private student loans as the benefits and interest rates tend to be more favorable to students and parents.

Go exercise that mind of yours; you’ll be making more benjamins in the long run!

The Financial Aid Podcast is hosting a select group of financial aid, media and industry leaders to participate in a live podcast addressing the recent news regarding the credit crunch and student loans. Learn how you, as a student, parent, or family member can pay for college in 2008. Student questions such as the following will be addressed:

* What is the current status of the student lending market? Will loans be available to me?
* I keep hearing that loans might not be available from some lenders - what does that mean for my Stafford loan?
* What is the government doing - or what should they do - to help make paying for college a reality for most students?
* Where can I find scholarships, grants and other financial assistance?
* What do “tighter credit requirements” mean to me?

Show will air live April 9 at Noon EST.
Register Now to ask your questions in advance!

Does money really make the world go around, because I was under the belief it circled on its rotational axis at a 23.5 degree angle from vertical at 1000 miles per hour with no monetary influence, but that’s just me. Others have theorized that money actually makes the world go down like the Dow on black Tuesday. So which is it? Does it make the world go down or around? I guess it all depends on your vantage point and wallet size. The bigger your wallet, the greater your chance of motion sickness.

My goal is simple; find a way to beef up that wallet of yours devoid of any dizzy spells. The number one way to turn your paper thin wallet into a certified Jenny Craig candidate is to take someone else’s money! Scholarships provide the perfect gateway to which I speak.

You would be astounded at the number of scholarships you actually qualify for, and you don’t need to be Deans list to qualify either. I can not possibly stress enough that you need to take the time to look. I’ve even created a top 5 list to help streamline your search.

I get calls from desperate college graduates all the time who inform me they are in over their head with their student loan payments. And as sure as the sun rises in the east I’ll be fielding calls once again this May from despairing students who just graduated looking for advice, but at that point the damage is already done. The point of this blog is to put you in front of the 8-ball instead of behind it

Being proactive about the cost of your college education opposed to reactive can save you thousands of dollars and a whole lot of stress in the long run. And I promise it won’t be long before you’re spinning around the sun with your Ray-Ban sunglasses and calling Jenny Craig to let her know that big is beautiful. Student loan debt is the only thing you need to lose.

Application is fast with no GPA or other requirements

Quincy, MA –The Student Loan Network, an Edvisors Company (www.edvisors.com), is marking its 10th anniversary by sponsoring the Ten-Year $10K Scholarship - a special $10,000 scholarship to be awarded in the first quarter of 2008. “We are celebrating ten years by giving back to our students. It is becoming increasingly difficult to pay for the rising cost of a college education. Our goal for the last ten years has been to help students find the right solutions - from scholarships and grants to federal and private loans,” said Joe Cronin, President of the Student Loan Network. “What student couldn’t use a $10,000 scholarship?”

Any current college or graduate student - or anyone who will be enrolled in 2008 - is eligible for this scholarship. By registering at www.studentloannetwork.com/10k, students will receive one entry. The application is simple - it takes about half a minute to complete and has no essay, transcript, or GPA requirements. Each time someone refers a friend who registers, they will receive another entry. “The funds will be sent directly to the winning student’s school,” explained Cronin, “so our only requirement is that the student will be a full-time student during 2008. It’s important that these funds are used for tuition and other essential education expenses, and sending money directly to the school ensures that.”

Visit www.studentloannetwork.com/10k to learn more about the Ten-Year S10K Scholarship. Students do not need to be customers of the Student Loan Network to be eligible. No purchase is necessary.

About Student Loan Network
The Student Loan Network, an Edvisors company, is one of the nation’s fastest growing providers of student loans and related information. Since 1998 we have connected 25 million students and parents with over $1 billion in scholarships, grants and federal, private and consolidation loan funding. To help make the confusing and stressful financial aid process easier, the Student Loan Network also delivers helpful information, including the award-winning Financial Aid Podcast, a multitude of financial aid-related blogs and the monthly Financial Aid Newsletter. Learn more about the Student Loan Network at http://www.StudentLoanNetwork.com.

If I could make two suggestions to anyone applying for financial aid, they would be:

• Complete the FAFSA Form EARLY, and
• Search for and Apply for scholarships as often as possible

Why?  The two biggest mis-perceptions are:

• The FAFSA Form is too complicated (so I will put it off until later)
• There are no scholarship I will qualify for

The FAFSA Form is not easy.  However, it can be done and most people will have to complete it anyway.  The Student Loan Network has created a guide to help you with this challenging task: www.FAFSAonline.com.   Use the guide to help you complete the FAFSA.

Get it done early to qualify for more aid.  Most federal and school financial aid programs will require that you have completed the FAFSA.  If you have it done early, there will be more financial aid available for you to qualify for.  The longer you wait, the less aid there will be left for you to apply for…

Finally, there are thousands of scholarships designed for all types of people - even you.  We have created a useful tool with an ebook on searching the internet and applying for scholarships.  Search our database and/or download your free ebook online at: Student Scholarship Search Guide.  Again, apply early as many awards won’t be there if you wait too long.

Have you received your award letter and upset that you still don’t have enough money to go to school? Are you in need of a scholarship? If yes, then check out this site www.Scholarshippoints.com.

First step is to register and create an account on Scholarshippoints. Next you login to your account to get the link to the survey and directions how to claim your points. Each point gives you another chance to win a scholarship! Every quarter of the year we hold a drawing for three scholarships - $1,000, $500 and $250 each. Every point you earn each quarter is another chance you have towards winning the scholarships. It’s quite simple - the more points you earn, the better your chances of winning.
Want free scholarships? Sign up now!

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

The Federal Pell Grant is only awarded to students who have not earned a bachelors or professional degree. Federal Pell Grants, which do not have to be repaid, are awarded to students based on need. The need is based on the FAFSA.

A Federal Pell Grant can be used for tuition, fees and educational expenses. A recipient of a Pell Grant may still apply for other Federal and Private Loans. It’s no secret that most of the federal loans only offer a minimal amounts. Nowadays, most students carry multiple federal and private student loans in order to best manage college expenses.

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

We all know attending college is expensive. While the government contributes billions toward financial aid, it just isn’t enough. And if we really wanted the government to pay the full cost for everyone, our tax rates would be closer to the 50% or more paid by many Europeans where Education is state-sponsored. But this isn’t about geo-economics - it’s about how you can best fund your education. So, since you do need to carry the burden of financing your education, where do you turn?

Grants and scholarships are funds for education that you don’t have to repay. Grants are based on your financial need - for example the Federal Pell Grant offers up to $4050 (for 2006-07) depending on your financial need and the cost of attendance at your school. Your Student Aid Report (SAR) will inform you if you’re eligible for a Pell Grant, and for how much money. The SAR should also tell you how to apply - there is no cost to apply for a Pell Grant.

Scholarships are another source of funds for education that don’t have to be repaid. These can range for scholarships disbursed by your school for merit (for athletes, exception students, future piano maestros, etc) to those offered by your local Lions Club. There are millions of need- and merit-based scholarships out there worth over $10 Billion. Research these scholarships early as many require an application and/or interview. There are many websites listing scholarships - the Student Loan Network operates www.studentscholarshipsearch.com which currently has over $3B in scholarships available for search.

We’ll get to loans in future posts - but be sure to start your funding process by considering and applying for grants and scholarships. It’s rare in life that you’ll find an opportunity for free money”¦