» Financial Aid

The College Board Is Getting Out of the Student Loan Business

admin31 — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 04:51:43 +0000

The College Board is ending its Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) student loan program.Â They will not accept new loan applications after Oct. 15, 2007, but will continue to honor its obligations to existing borrowers through the 2007-2008 academic year.

The College Boardâ€™s decision to end its student loan program was based on the enactment of new legislation and codes of conduct regarding the student loan industry.

Read the full press release.

Bills, Bills, Bills–New Bills Promise Major Student Loan Reform

admin31 — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 22:45:28 +0000

Two bills, one in the House and one in the Senate, will deliver student loan reforms not seen in over 60 years.Â This is great news given that the average U.S. college grad leaves college with $19,200 in debt.Â Many students struggle to pay down their college debt, which usually comes due within 6 months of graduation.Â This struggle is exacerbated when students pursue careers in public service or teaching, careers that traditionally pay lower salaries.Â Even students that accept jobs in higher-paying career fields can find themselves unable to manage student loan payments, rent on new apartments and, oh yeah, food.

Both the House and the Senate’s bills will provide some much-needed relief to current and future college students, and families considering the amount of debt their students’ may have to carry in order to attend their first-choice schools.Â Though, the House bill, the 2007 College Cost Reduction Act, may be the most beneficial to the most students.
Get the full scoop on Everybody ElsesGuidetoCollege.comÂ

Free College for Children, Spouses of Some Military Families

admin31 — Thu, 17 May 2007 07:41:33 +0000

This July public colleges in Washington State will join those in Connecticut, Minnesota, New Hampshire and Iowa in waiving tuition and fees for state residents who are disabled veterans or the spouses or children of members of the U.S. military or National Guard who are killed or disabled while on active duty, or who are taken prisoner or are missing in action. Washington legislators passed the bill on April 8, 2007 and signed into law on Monday.

Connecticut’s law provides free tuition to all public colleges and universities for qualified veterans, but no books or other fees.

Minnesota’s law waives undergraduate tuition at public colleges and provides up to $750 a year for books, supplies and living expenses.Iowa’s revised policy grants post-Sept. 11 “war orphans” up to $5,500 a year for tuition, fees and books at public colleges and universities.

New Hampshire’s updated law covers the current wars as well as unspecified future conflicts, providing eligible students up to $2,500 a year for four years.

Washington’s bill only applies to public colleges; private colleges are encouraged to participate.Â There is a limit on the total amount of tuition and fees that can be waived, an age restriction for dependent children (ages 17-26), a time limit after which surviving spouses cannot use the benefit (10 years after the death of the veteran) and a requirement that veterans using the waivers be totally disabled.Â And, while State appropriations to the colleges will cover some of the lost revenues, veterans will be encouraged to use any remaining GI Bill benefits before using the waivers.

New Scholarships, Internships and Other College Info Available at Everybodyelsesguidetocollege.com!

admin31 — Tue, 08 May 2007 23:27:39 +0000

Check out the latest scholarships, athletics, internships and other information for college-bound students at Everybodyelsesguidetocollege.com, a great online resource for all college-bound students.Â Everybodyelsesguidetocollege.com also featuresÂ hundreds of scholarships, internships, grants and more for minority students.

FAFSA Tips for Foster Youth

admin31 — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 03:56:25 +0000

Foster Youth face many challenges when preparing for college, not the least of which is navigating the financial aid process. Completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) can be troublesome for foster youth given that they are more likely to be supporting themselves and/or live in atypical family/custodial arrangements that may be difficult to articulate on a form designed for typical parent-dependent child arrangements.

The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) and the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) partnered to complete the valuable guide, Foster Youth: Tips for Completing the FAFSA.

Federal Student Financial Aid Deadlines

admin31 — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 08:43:31 +0000

FAFSA Deadlines:

The 2006-2007 School Year (July 1st, 2006 – June 30th, 2007):

FAFSA on the Web and Renewal FAFSA on the Web applications must be submitted by midnight Central Daylight time, July 2, 2007.
Corrections on the Web forms must be submitted by midnight Central Daylight time, September 17, 2007.
Note: Your college must have your complete and correct information by your last day of enrollment in the 2006-2007 school year.

The 2007-2008 School Year (July 1st, 2007 – June 30th, 2008):

FAFSA on the Web and Renewal FAFSA on the Web applications must be submitted by midnight Central Daylight time, June 30, 2008.
Corrections on the Web forms must be submitted by midnight Central Daylight time, September 15, 2008.
Note: Your college must have your complete and correct information by your last day of enrollment in the 2007-2008 school year.

State	Deadlines
Alabama	Check with your financial aid administrator
Alaska	April 15, 2007 – date received@
American Samoa	Check with your financial aid administrator*
Arizona	June 30, 2008 – date received@
Arkansas	For Academic Challenge – June 1, 2007date received@ For Workforce Grant – check with your financial aid administrator
California	For initial awards – March 2, 2007For additional community college awards - September 2, 2007 – date postmarked*^
Colorado	Check with your financial aid administrator
Connecticut	Check with your financial aid administrator*
Delaware	April 15, 2007 – date received@
District of Columbia	June 30, 2007 – date received by state*
Federated States of Micronesia	Check with your financial aid administrator*
Florida	May 15, 2007 – date processed
Georgia	Check with your financial aid administrator
Guam	Check with your financial aid administrator*
Hawaii	Check with your financial aid administrator*
Idaho	Check with your financial aid administrator
Illinois	First-time applicants – September 30, 2007Continuing applicants – August 15, 2007 -date received#@
Indiana	March 10, 2007 – date received&
Iowa	July 1, 2007 – date received ^@
Kansas	April 1, 2007 – date received#*@
Kentucky	March 15, 2007 – date received#&
Louisiana	July 1, 2007 (date received)^
Maine	May 1, 2007 – date received@
Marshall Islands	Check with your financial aid administrator*
Maryland	March 1, 2007 – date received&
Massachusetts	May 1, 2007 – date received#^@
Michigan	March 1, 2007 – date received&
Minnesota	30 days after term starts (date received)
Mississippi	Check with your financial aid administrator
Missouri	April 1, 2007 – date received@
Montana	March 1, 2007 – date received#&
Nebraska	Check with your financial aid administrator*
Nevada	Check with your financial aid administrator*
New Hampshire	May 1, 2007 – date received@
New Jersey	June 1, 2007 if you received a Tuition Aid Grant in 2006-2007All other applications – October 1, 2007, for fall and spring terms; March 1, 2008, for spring term only – date received^&
New Mexico	Check with your financial aid administrator*
New York	May 1, 2008 – date received*^@
North Carolina	March 15, 2007 – date received&
North Dakota	March 15, 2007 – date received&
Northern Mariana Islands	Check with your financial aid administrator*
Ohio	October 1, 2007 – date received@
Oklahoma	April 15, 2007 (date received)# for best consideration
Oregon	March 1, 2007Final deadline – Check with your financial aid administrator #
Palau	Check with your financial aid administrator*
Pennsylvania	All 2006-2007 State Grant recipients and all non-2006-2007 State Grant recipients in degree programs – May 1, 2007. All other applicants – August 1, 2007 -date received*@
Puerto Rico	Check with your financial aid administrator
Rhode Island	March 1, 2007 – date received#&
South Carolina	June 30, 2007 – date received@
South Dakota	Check with your financial aid administrator*
Tennessee	For State Grant – March 1, 2007#For State Lottery – September 1, 2007 – date received@
Texas	Check with your financial aid administrator*
U.S. Virgin Islands	Check with your financial aid administrator*
Utah	Check with your financial aid administrator
Vermont	Check with your financial aid administrator*
Virginia	Check with your financial aid administrator*
Washington	Check with your financial aid administrator
West Virginia	March 1, 2007 – date received*^&
Wisconsin	Check with your financial aid administrator
Wyoming	Check with your financial aid administrator*

*Additional form may be required. Contact your financial aid administrator or your state agency.

^ Applicants encouraged to obtain proof of mailing.

# For priority consideration, submit application by date specified.

@ =  Deadline by midnight, Central Daylight Time.

& =  Deadline by midnight, Central Standard Time.

LSU Launches New Financial Aid Program for Low-Income Students

admin31 — Sat, 10 Mar 2007 05:19:58 +0000

BATON ROUGE â€“- A proposed new program at LSU is designed to assist low-income students by supplementing TOPS and other financial aid packages to help those students pay for more of their college costs.

The â€œPelican Promiseâ€ program would provide additional funding to students already receiving TOPS, Pell grants, and various other fee waivers and grants available to low-income students.

Get the full story.

Students With Drug Convictions May Soon Qualify for Financial Aid

admin31 — Sat, 10 Mar 2007 05:16:26 +0000

College students with drug convictions face financial aid restrictions under a current education act that will be up for revision this summer by Congress.

The Department of Education reported that approximately 198,000 college students around the country have been denied financial aid because they checked “YES” for the question on the FAFSA: Have you been convicted for the possession or sale of illegal drugs for an offense that occurred while you were receiving federal student aid?

Get the full story.