Student Loan Blog

NextStudent has a sleek new website with upgraded features designed to offer you the most comprehensive and easy-to-use financial aid resource on the Web.We’ve simplified our online application to make applying for student loans even easier, whether you’re a parent, undergraduate, or graduate. Learn more about private student loans, Stafford ...

A university’s financial aid office can and will recommend a private lender for students to work with— however, it is just that, a recommendation. The Higher Education Act mandates that schools can not require students to get loans through the preferred lenders suggested by their college’s financial aid office. According to NextStudent, a leading ...

For the last few years, college tuition has been on the rise across the United States. In 2004/05 Arizona students paid $10,863 in tuition and fees to attend four year public colleges and $19,448 to attend four year private colleges. With approximately 35,366 Arizona residents between 18 and 24 with a Bachelor’s degree, recent grads are feeling ...

It has been the hot topic in the news for the past couple months and on my blog, so we all should know by now that the 110th Congress is controlled by the Democrats. Why is that big news? Because 2007 is the first year the Democrats have controlled the Congress since 1995.   Surprisingly, the hot-button issue in this new Congress has been ...

Forget the boxes of expensive candy and the overdone roses—ever hear of the freshman 15 (pounds that is)? And for those of you who think you are clever, lingerie may look good at first glance, but where is that going to get you, seriously? I am talking long-term, quality relationships based on mutual respect.   Me? I am shooting for ...

This past week I have reported on what is happening with the FY08 budget, a big part of which is the increase in the Pell Grant from $4,600 this year up to $5,400 by 2012. The question on everyone’s mind is: Where is all that extra money going to come from? Many have speculated that the $2 billion-plus required to cover the increase would come ...

As I reported earlier this week, President Bush released his FY08 Budget on Monday, Feb. 5, 2007. And although it promises to increase the maximum Pell Grant to $4,600 this year up to $5,400 by 2012, he will use funds from other grants for low-income students to support the increase. However, how much value do presidential budget requests really ...

In previous blogs, I addressed that college education is becoming more and more unobtainable for low-income students. Many are opting out of the system, choosing to attend community colleges or not to attend at all, since the debt load required for attendance is overwhelming. Many financial aid advocates have been lobbying the federal government ...

Good news for the Department of Education, as it looks like the White House is set to increase the Pell Grant even more than the $260 proposed by the Democrat’s “Joint Funding Resolution” that I reported on Thursday, Feb. 1, 2007. According to a briefing titled “FY08 Budget Proposal” that appeared in the Feb. 5, 2007 issue of the National Council ...

There now is little doubt about social networking becoming an integral part of our culture. It almost is a foregone conclusion. I know you and your friends for years have been into MySpace, YouTube, Facebook, and many other such networks. But mom and dad—“the parent generation”—are just starting to get a ...