Paying for College

Popularity: 1% [?]

Share This

For many college students, the opportunity to study in another country is a once in a lifetime experience.  Whether it is the chance to study your chosen profession immersed in an environment that doesn’t exist in this country or perhaps you just want to get some life experience by traveling and seeing the world, studying abroad has become an extremely popular avenue for many students.

The dollar is down about 20% against the Euro and about 6% against the Pound.  Europe has traditionally been a top destination for students but is seeing a decline due to the drop in the value of the dollar.  Countries in Asia, Africa, and South America have become a much better value for those looking to study abroad.

The most recent numbers indicate that nearly 250,000 students participated in the program during the 2005/06 calender school year.   While each college has their own set of rules and regulations for studying abroad, there are a few very helpful sites to check out for more information.

-Allows you to search by location, discipline, and more

www.petersons.com/stdyabrd/us.html

-Guide broken down into 5 parts for students

www.handbook.iiepassport.org 

-Blog written by students that shares their experiences

www.blogabroad.com

-Links to personal accounts and tips on how to pay for your trip

www.nafsa.org/students.sec/studying_abroad_from

Popularity: 1% [?]

Share This

Here is a 5 minute audio clip updating the current government legislation regarding the student loan market.  There are a few tips for how to take loans and how to approach financial aid for this year’s incoming students.

Listen to clip here.

The full text of the interview is also  on the above link.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Share This

In a show of support for college students nationwide, H.R. 5715 was signed into law yesterday in the hopes of addressing some of the impending problems in the student loan industry.  The Senate utilized a unanimous consent procedural motion which allowed it to be moved along without holdup.  The entire Bill can be viewed here…. H.R. 5715.

Some of the highlights of the Bill are the following:

The amendments made by this section shall be effective for loans first disbursed on or after July 1, 2008. For students enrolled as regular students in eligible programs:

• The bill introduces an additional unsubsidized Stafford annual limit of $2,000 for undergraduate dependent students.
• The bill increases the additional unsubsidized Stafford annual limits by $2,000 for dependent students whose parents are unable to borrow a PLUS loan. (Previously 1st and 2nd year students would qualify for an additional $4,000, but now will qualify for $6,000. For students who have successfully completed their first two years, the limits will increase from $5,000 to $7,000.)

• The bill increases the additional unsubsidized Stafford annual limits by $2,000 for independent undergraduate students. (Previously 1st and 2nd year students would qualify for an additional $4,000, but now will qualify for $6,000. For students who have successfully completed their first two years, the limits will increase from $5,000 to $7,000.)

• The amendatory language has designated a separate category for graduate and professional students; these students will not see any annual limit increases. Their additional unsubsidized Stafford annual limit remains $12,000. (Previously the Senate sought to increase annual limits for graduate students, but that provision did not make it into the final bill).

• The bill increases aggregate unsubsidized loan amounts for undergraduate dependent students from $23,000 to $31,000 (minus subsidized borrowing)

• The bill increases aggregate unsubsidized loan amounts for undergraduate independent students from $46,000 to $57,500 (minus subsidized borrowing)

Popularity: 4% [?]

Share This