Finding scholarships is tough. With so many students looking for aid, many often get discouraged and stop applying. However, searching for scholarships has never been easier. Recently relaunched, the new StudentScholarshpSearch.com allows students to find scholarships quickly and easily, no registration required!

With Student Scholarship Search, you can find scholarships for all sorts of things like state scholarships, scholarships by interest or even by career. The important thing when searching for scholarships is to look for what’s unique to you. Are you a 6’5″ girl? Search for tall scholarships. Do you live in Hawaii? There are scholarships for that too. Searching for scholarships is more effective when you narrow down your criteria – it’s less overwhelming, and you can be more productive.

To make it even easier, you could always use the scholarship matcher, which identifies applicable scholarships based on 5 simple questions like your GPA or gender. Or you can check out scholarship lists created by other students with your interests.

With thousands of scholarships in one place, you can now spend less time hunting, and more time winning money to help get you through school.

Head on over to StudentScholarshipSearch.com to see what scholarships you can find!

Did you know that the average student productively uses 128 hours out of the 168 hours in a week? When you’re in college time management can make or break you. Successful students will learn pretty quickly that effective time management strategies can help make college less stressful and more fulfilling.

One such strategy is getting a day planner AND USING IT. Whether you use a physical planner like the ones provided at many college bookstores, or keep track of your time on your google calendar, planning for all your activities in one place is a huge help!

This brings me to the next time management tip: don’t procrastinate! I know, students are sick of hearing this, but it’s still a good piece of advice. Staying on top of your assignments and getting them done early can help you manage your time more effectively, as well as keep your stress levels down. Plus, the less all-nighters you have, the more time there is for sleeping!

To find more helpful time management strategies, check out our newest infographic, Time Management for Students! While you’re there, leave a comment and let us know how you manage your time in college!

Students who have received financial aid in the past know the drill – the financial aid office receives the funds, applies them to the student’s account for tuition, room and board, and other expenses, then returns the remainder to the student. In the past, students have been given the option of receiving the refund by check or direct deposit, but this year, there’s a new option across many campuses – a pre-loaded debit card.

The problem

These debit cards (often endorsed by the school) may seem like a great idea up front (easy, right?) but students are warned to be cautious if selecting this method. These cards can come with high fees that can eat into your federal aid funds! Not ideal for cash-strapped students. Fees include things like “$0.50 to swipe the debit card using a PIN number, inactivity fees of $10 a month starting as soon as six months and overdraft fees as high as $38 per transaction” according to the Huffington Post.
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Did you know that 93% of Freshmen have off-campus jobs? Paying for college and living expenses is tough, that’s why we want to help you make money during the school year! It’s not always easy finding steady employment, but there are plenty of odd jobs for college students to earn cash, such as:

• Babysitting
• Mowing lawns
• Shoveling snow
• Delivering food
• Being a bike courier
• Stuffing envelopes

The options are seemingly endless! For more ideas on great jobs for college freshmen (both on and off campus), check out our recent infographic, Freshmen Jobs: Ways to Earn & Save Much Needed Cash.

While you’re there, let us know how you make money while in school!

This week has seen some interesting news in the financial aid community. From a new private loans report to a college shopping sheet unveiling, here are some of the hot topics in financial aid right now:

CFPB’s “Private Student Loans” Report Released

Last week, the Consumer Financial Protection bureau released a 131 page report on the state of private student loans. This is the first time a report like this has been issued and it has produced some interesting findings. Read the full report or check out some highlights of the report below:

Stats:

• 90% of all student loans in 2011 were cosigned and required school certification
• In 2008, 42% of undergrads at for-profit schools received private loans, compared to 14% of all undergrads – Less than 15% of all outstanding loans are from private student loans
• More than 40% of students don’t exhaust their federal aid before seeking private loans
• The mean interest rate for private loans in 2011 was about 8.5% (down from about 10% in previous years)

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You may recognize Jane Lynch from the wildly popular TV show GLEE where she plays Sue Sylvester, cheerleading coach. Well what you may not know is that she wants to help families and students be smart about paying for college. In the video below, Lynch talks about how student loans have impacted her family, and encourages families to research loan options, saying “going forward, we have to go in there with our eyes open”.

Couldn’t agree more, Jane!

Hear more from Jane in this interview from Fox Business:

With all this talk of the impending Stafford Loan interest rate hike, many other regulation changes have been overlooked. Starting July 1, there are a handful of other updates to federal loan programs that borrowers should be aware of. These changes will not affect loans that were originated before July 1, only loans originated for 2012–2013.

Here’s a breakdown of what you can expect to see for this upcoming academic year:

Subsidized Stafford Loan Changes

No more subsidized loans for grad. students — Just like undergraduates, graduate students were previously able to receive both subsidized and unsubsidized loans. Starting this year, only unsubsidized loans will be available for grad. students at a 6.8% interest rate.

Elimination of interest subsidy for grace periods — Subsidized Stafford Loans were less expensive than their unsubsidized counterparts because 1) the interest rate was lower and 2) interest was subsidized while enrolled in school and during the 6 month grace period after leaving school. Starting this year, there will be no interest subsidy during grace periods, however, the subsidy will still exist while enrolled in school at least half-time.

UPDATED: Extension of reduced interest rate — As I’m sure most students have heard, a bill was set to expire this year, doubling the rates for Subsidized Stafford Loans to 6.8%. Luckily, Congress just passed a bill to keep the rate at 3.4% for the 2012-2013 year. Learn more about Stafford interest rates, past and present.
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Thanks to Peter J. Reilly at Forbes for sharing this!

Welcome back readers.  For those just tuning in, I’m a student who recently completed his freshman year of college.

College is a blast, but it’s also expensive.  After breaking the bank this past year, I’m here with advice on how to have a great time in college without spending your entire summer paycheck.

Purchasing tickets to shows/sports events

1. Look for student discounts – When purchasing tickets to a concert, movie, sports game, etc., always see if you can get a student discount. Many such shows offer tickets at a discounted price to students.
2. Buy cheap seats - You may really want first row seats to see your favorite team, but for the price they charge, it may not be worth it. When going to shows or sports events with friends, buy bleacher seats – You’re still going to see your favorite athlete and have a great time.

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Recently, the U.S. Senate rejected President Barack Obama’s plan to maintain the 3.4% interest rates on federal student loans. If both parties are unable to agree on terms by the July 1 deadline, the rate will jump to 6.8%.

Both parties agree that the rates should remain at 3.4%, but paying for an extension of this proposal would cost $6 billion. So the question is, where will this money come from?

The Democrats are proposing the money come from shutting down a Medicare loophole that business partners can currently use to save money, while the Republicans suggest that eliminating a preventative health fund could provide the funding.

Background

In 2007, when interest rates on subsidized Stafford loans were 6.8%, the Senate approved a law that temporarily reduced the rates to 3.4% for low and middle-income students. While the rates are expected to return to 6.8% on July 1, President Obama is urging legislators to keep those rates at a more affordable level for students and their families.

Learn more about Stafford loans so you can prepare for the upcoming semester.