86. Who is to Blame for Student Loan-Debt?

When a student graduates from college with a huge loan-debt, people may ask: "Who is to blame?" You can decide responsibility after reading this case study by Ron Lieber in The New York Times of May 29, 2010, at this link:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/29/your-money/student-loans/29money.html?hpw

85. Federal Direct Loan Program

The Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, which takes effect July 1, 2010, requires that all federal student loans be offered through direct lending rather than from private lenders. Government fees previously paid to lending banks are to be used to expand the federal Pell Grant program, raising the full grant-award to an estimated $5,975 by 2017. To read an explanatory article, dated May 26, 2010, by Caralee Adams in Education Week, click this link:

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2010/05/26/33college.h29.html?tkn=UXUFeF%2Bl%2BNo%2BoNZRjwa8Sz4pGgHC6QMrLm8o&cmp=clp-edweek

84. Sticker Price vs. Net Cost of a College

Often, students and parents are scared off from applying to a particular college or university because it seems high-priced. Rather than focusing on the stated "sticker price," however, a prospective applicant needs to determine their own "net cost"--that is, what they would have to pay after all financial aid for which they are eligible has been deducted from the published cost of attendance (i.e., "sticker price"). To read Lynn O'Shaughnessy's post on this issue, click this link to her blog:

http://moneywatch.bnet.com/saving-money/blog/college-solution/biggest-financial-aid-myth-i-cant-afford-this-college/2143/?tag=col1;blog-river

83. Paying Off Federal Student Loans

If you accept federal student loans, you're obligated to repay them--whether you graduate from college or not. Consequently, you should limit the amout of loan-debt you acquire. For information on repaying your federal loans, see this article, dated May 25, 2010, by Sandra Block in USA Today, at this link:

http://www.usatoday.com/money/perfi/columnist/block/2010-05-25-yourmoney25_ST_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip

82. What to Take to College

Freshmen often wonder what to take to college. Some take too much, while others don't take enough. Like the three bears, aim for just right--because your space will be limited! To see an Off-to-College Checklist of The College Board, click this link:

http://www.collegeboard.com/student/plan/college-success/9763.html

And don't forget: you may be able to save money on many items you'll need for your college dorm room by picking them up at yard & garage sales!

81. Athletic Scholarships Can Be Revoked.

What many student-athletes and their parents often don't realize is that Division I "full-ride" scholarships can be revoked after one year. This revocation can cause students to have to "walk on"--or, if they decide to, transfer to another institution. For more information, click this link to an article by Alan Scher Zagier on The Huffington Post:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/24/revoked-scholarships-surp_n_586854.html

80. How to Get More Financial Aid

Perhaps the most frequent question students and parents ask about paying for college is "Do you know of any scholarships out there?" What they're really wondering is how can I get more--and pay less--to attend college. Financial aid can help. But to maximize a student's financial-aid package, some tips may be useful. Jane J. Kim wrote an article in The Wall Street Journal on May 22-23, 2010, that offers such advice; you can access it at this link:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703612804575222303415618316.html