Tag Archives: Student Loans

Top 5: Ways to Cut Student Loan Debt

Saving MoneyDavid Bakke, Money Crashers, shares ways students can cut expenses at college in order to decrease reliance on student loans.

At a minimum, you can expect to pay at least $9,000 for one year of college tuition and fees. Add in all the other expenses, and the cost of attending college reaches a staggering sum. However, rather than resigning yourself to an enormous debt when you graduate, you can reduce your student loan debt.

Remember, when you acquire student loans you have to pay interest on every dollar borrowed. So depending on your interest rate and the time needed to pay back your debt, every dollar saved during college can translate into as much as four dollars earned.

Here are ways to cut student loan debt.

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Report: Obama’s Plan to Keep College Affordable for All Americans

Obama Talks EducationAt the State of the Union last week, President Obama briefly discussed his thoughts on the current and future state of higher education. Although education was a short topic in the broader discussion, the White House has since released a statement that outlines the Obama Administration’s plan to make college affordable for everyone.

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Report: Obama Announces Student Loan Relief Plan

Female Student with BillsThe American student loan debt is well on its way to exceeding the $1 trillion mark sometime next year – the average student loan debt is currently $24,000. Student loan debt has surpassed credit card debt for the first time ever. These alarming facts and figures have forced President Obama and his administration to take action as best as they can without having to wait for approval from Congress.

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Ask the Financial Expert: “What Funding Considerations Are Specific to Graduate Students?”

Graduate Girl Feeding BankQuestion: “What funding considerations are specific to graduate students?”

Answer: Many graduate students utilize their employer’s tuition reimbursement benefits to help fund graduate school (each year the first $5,250 is excluded from your income). Although tuition reimbursement is a nice benefit when offered, it usually means the student is working at least half-time and attending graduate school on less than a half-time basis – a situation that makes the student ineligible for federal student loans and possibly other loans.

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Ask the Financial Expert: “How Much Can You Borrow Each Year for an MBA?”

Graduate On Coin StackQuestion via our Facebook PageDenise Sonnenberg, who studied marketing at Michigan State University, asks: “How much can you borrow each year for an MBA? Is it the same for each school?”

Answer: When it comes to graduate school and financial aid, there are a few differences compared to undergraduate college and financial aid. Though most of the established financial aid programs are available to all students, a select few are not available to graduate students. “Financial aid” refers to loans, grants, scholarships and work-study.

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Back-to-School $1,000 Scholarship Giveaway

Campus Explorer Exclusive ScholarshipIt’s September. Time to go Back to School. This means new school supplies, books, clothes, etc. Expenses for college students are even greater. Tuition, food and housing, travel, computer, internet, phone, student clubs and activities, entertainment (movies, concert, dinner out with friends) all factor into the equation. And the costs add up!

Enter the Campus Explorer Back-to-School Scholarship Giveaway for your chance to win $1,000 to put towards your college education. It’s quick and easy to enter.

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Ask the Financial Expert: “What if our Child’s College does not give us Enough Financial Aid?”

GraduateHoldingBankQuestion: ”What happens if our child’s college does not give us all the financial aid we need?”

Answer: You must make up the difference. A common misconception is that if your child qualifies for financial aid, he or she will receive 100% of the aid he or she needs. In creating financial aid packages, colleges are not obligated to meet all of a student’s financial need. Colleges have limited financial aid budgets and tend to offer the most aid to those students who meet their specific enrollment goals.

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Report: College Dropouts Cost Government Billions

Money Down DrainEarlier this week, the American Institutes for Research (AIR) released a report revealing that an alarming number of students did not finishing their college education. The findings, which focused on one year and one graduating class, concluded that close to 50% of students who entered college did not graduate within six years.

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Poll Results: Student Concerns

Back to CollegeWe asked readers of the Explorer blog and the Campus Explorer Facebook page: “What is the biggest concern of students leaving for college?” Nearly half – 46% – feel student loans are the biggest issue, while 34% are concerned with campus safety. Only 14% are concerned with making new friends and 6% are worried about homesickness.

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Poll Results: Student Loans

College LoansAccording to last week’s poll on The Explorer Blog and the Campus Explorer Facebook page, 75% of our readers have used loans to pay for college.

College expenses include tuition, fees, books and supplies (a computer, internet service, etc.), living expenses (food and housing), personal expenses, transportation and much more.

Students can supplement college expenses by applying for:
- Federal grants
- State grants
- Scholarships
- Fellowships
- Tuition waiver
- Work-study programs
- Loans

Learn more about your options for scholarships, grants and student loans.

The  Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is due tomorrow, June 30. You can apply on the FASFA site.