College Students May Be Sheltered From Down Economy, for Now

Student Loan Girl — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 22:01:00 GMT

Regardless of how long the economy remains in crisis or whether or not this crisis becomes a recession, the effect on students will likely be minimal, at least in the short-term, says Fred Ruppel, economics professor at Eastern Kentucky University (“Student Body May Be Safe From Economic Crunch for Now,” The Eastern ProgressOnline, Nov. 6, 2008).

“Students should be well insulated,” Ruppel told The Eastern ProgressOnline, especially financially independent students who tend to finance their college education with student loans or rely on financial aid to pay for school. “The best place to be during a recession is in school.”

Ruppel points out, however, that students who rely heavily on their parents for financial support could be adversely affected by the downturn in the stock market, now that families’ portfolios may have taken a hit.

Jay Adkins, a sophomore at Eastern, still fears that the $700 million government bailout may be a sign that financing for education is in trouble. “If Freddie Mac and everything else is falling apart in the market, who knows if my student loans are going to be secure?”

Ruppel refutes Adkins’ concerns that the credit crisis will significantly impact student loans any time soon, but he says it may make getting a car loan more difficult for first-time buyers, which could be particularly problematic for students who rely on automobile transportation to get to school. “There’s less money for loans, with a lot more qualifications,” he said.

However, Ruppel does caution that the longer the economy falters, the more it will impact students and graduates. Whitnee Centers, a junior at Eastern, says while gas prices have declined, making her commute cheaper, less people are eating out, and, as a server, her tips are currently down 20 percent.

The economic crisis may have the greatest long-term impact on college graduates, Ruppel says. If the economy fails to create jobs, graduates may begin their professional career with bleak job prospects.

Adkins says, “If my parents know people who are getting laid off and are losing their jobs, who knows what jobs there will be available when I graduate?”

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Kentucky Student Loan Provider Is Out of Money

Student Loan Girl — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 21:08:00 GMT

The Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority, the state agency that provides college loans to students attending colleges and universities in Kentucky, will “effectively run out of money” Friday while it waits to receive a $50 million loan from the federal government on August 21, reports the Lexington Herald-Leader (“Student Loan Agency to Run Out of Money,” Aug. 13, 2008).

The one-week funding shortage may temporarily inconvenience KHEAA’s student loan borrowers, some of whom will not likely receive their student loans before classes begin as early as August 18 at some schools.

KHEAA, also known as The Student Loan People, has been in communication with the financial aid offices of affected universities, asking them to be patient until the $50 million “bridge loan” from the government arrives. With the loan, the KHEAA will issue $35 million in financial aid to 16,000 students, says James Ackinson, KHEAA’s executive vice president.

“The issue will not delay or prevent any of our students from beginning classes,” says Shelley Park, director of financial aid at Eastern Kentucky University, which begins classes August 25. Students who rely on their student loans to buy textbooks will get school-issued vouchers to cover the cost until they receive their KHEAA-issued student loans and can repay the school.

By Friday, when the KHEAA will temporarily run out of money, the state loan agency will have issued $40 million in loans to 18,000 students since July 1.

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Student Loan Blog : Eastern Kentucky University

College Students May Be Sheltered From Down Economy, for Now

Kentucky Student Loan Provider Is Out of Money