Nowadays finding a good university has been considered to be a daunting task due to many available universities that offer a variety of similar courses.

Many people need money at some point in their lives. This is so true especially when you are starting college and need funds to sustain yourself.

In today’s world scams are common. You can see unscrupulous people trying to get you to give them money or personal information and scam you as if they are the real thing.

6 Tips for Filling Out the FAFSA

Posted on by Posted in Financial Aid .
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When it comes time to apply for schools, you will also find it is time to apply for financial aid. If you have never applied before, you need to fill out the FAFSA, which is a free application that evaluates your need for financial aid and estimates the loan amount you can receive based on your situation and the cost of attendance at your school.

It is important that you do not skip the step of filling out the FAFSA. Below, we will go over some tips to help you fill it out the best way possible.

  1. File in Time

ssa653334The key to the FAFSA is that you want to file on time and early. There is a deadline that you are supposed to have your application in by and you want to stick to that deadline. While you can fill out the FAFSA past this date, it is not recommended.

The FAFSA does take time to process and if you file too late, you may not receive the funds or be approved for funds until after school has already started.

In addition, the FAFSA will evaluate your need for financial aid assistance in the form of grants. Some schools will only hand out money on a first come first served basis, which means if you file too late and qualify, but no money is available, you lose out.

  1. Do Not Leave Blanks

If you file your FAFSA early, but you do not fill it out in its entirety, you will run into problems. It is important that you fill out the application and then look it over for any inaccuracies or missed boxes. You do not want to leave anything blank, as your application will be bounced back to you and you will then have to refile.

If there is a box that requires input, but it does not apply to you, either place “N/A” in the box or put a “0” for any monetary or numerical boxes.

  1. Explain Your Circumstances

One thing you will notice is that the FAFSA does NOT have any boxes on it for you to type a message or explain a situation. This can hurt you in the end, especially if you are unable to explain something important.

If your situation calls for an explanation, you should write a letter and explain those circumstances. For example, maybe this is your first year applying and you are considered a dependent student. Your parents’ income will be evaluated and taken into consideration. Maybe your parents made $100,000 combined last year, but they both lost their jobs. The FAFSA may say you are not qualified for aid or it reduces the amount you can borrow based on the income. You would want to write a letter in this situation and explain both of your parents are now unemployed.

While the FAFSA can be very helpful, it can hinder you, especially when you cannot explain your side.

  1. Don’t Expect the Max and Appeal a Bad Decision

You never want to assume that you will receive the max amount of aid because you likely will not. If you do happen to receive a package that is disappointing, you should appeal the decision and supply any documentation to support your claims.

  1. Pay Down Debt BEFORE Applying

If you have a hefty savings account in place, consider using that money to pay off some of your outstanding debt. A hefty account balance will net you less on the aid front and for good reason too. Because, let’s face it – if you have $20k in the bank, you can use some of it for school.

  1. NEVER Lie

gss653sdfsdNEVER EVER lie on your FAFSA application. This will only end badly for you and may make you ineligible to apply for aid later on down the road. Do not be afraid of your income and don’t lie about it. We cannot say this enough. Remember, your information can be verified.

If you are planning on going to college, make sure to fill out your FAFSA and keep the above tips in mind to help you fill it out. If you are having any trouble or need advice, talk to your college financial aid counselor.

5 Great Tips to Avoid Debt after Graduation

Posted on by Posted in Money .

Debt. It is a scary word and one that often haunts many college students once they graduate and begin to move on with their lives. Before you panic, there are ways that you can avoid having debt or too much debt after graduation. Below, we will go over some of these ways and hope that you can make use of the tips to keep yourself out of debt.

  • Choose Your School Wisely

One mistake that many students make is they are eager to go to the best and top name colleges and they end up spendkm35edt62y7eu72ing more money on tuition than they initially planned to. Instead of going to a top school and spending $75,000 for a degree, you can go to a different college, typically a community or local college, and spend $30,000 for the same degree.

If you do not have your heart set on a specific school, then you may want to consider all of your options. There is nothing wrong with going to a community college for the first two years and then switching over to a university. Weigh your options and choose what is best for yourself.

  • Pre-Pay or Pay Interest While in School

If you have not entered into college just yet, it may help to start allocating some money to your tuition and pre-pay for your college. There are many good pre-paid plans that will allow you and your parents to save money for your education.

Another great option is for those who are already in college and have an existing loan. You should pay the interest on your student loans while in school. The interest amount is only going to be a handle of bucks and it will save you thousands over the course of your student repayment period.

  • Budget for Your Bills and Expenses

When it comes time to graduate from college, you need to have a budget in place to help gb53etd6y272u8ei92you properly plan and pay for all of your bills and expenses. You may need to cut some of the luxury or unnecessary items that you currently splurge on, but it will be worth it in the end.

When the time comes to make your budget, you should think about all of the bills you have including your student loan repayment amount. Sit down and find out what items you NEED and which ones would be nice. You should budget for the necessities and obligations FIRST then you can slowly add other items into your budget.

  • Borrow Wisely and Not Excessively

It may be tempting for students to borrow the entire loan amount that they are offered, but this is not a wise strategy and should not be practiced. To help you avoid debt after you graduate, you should make sure that you are ONLY borrowing the amount of money you need to pay for your tuition, books, and educational expenses. Therefore, if you are offered $12,500 to borrow, but schooling will only cost you $4,500, then you should only take out the $4,500 and NOT the entire amount.

The less you take out now, the less you have to pay back later on. In fact, when it comes time to calculate your interest payments and monthly payments, you will pay much less if you borrow less.

  • Consider Work Opportunities on Campus

You may be able to find a job on campus that will help you pay for your education in exchange for working a few hours pekmn3e5t62y7e5262y82r day on campus. These additional funds can be used for your tuition and will cut down on the amount of money you need to borrow.

If you are interested in any work opportunities, you will need to speak with your student advisor to learn more about the availability of work and how the program works.

It can be hard to avoid debt after graduation, especially if you took out any student loans. The average student owes about $30,000 – $35,000 in loan debt once they graduate. The tips above can help you avoid as much debt as possible. Once you graduate, spend time focusing on paying off the debt you have and you will soon be able to live debt free after graduation.

How to Find a Side Job

Posted on by Posted in Careers .
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The world economy is getting worse, and people are finding it hard to make ends meet. It may be a smart idea to get a side job to supplement your regular day jobs income. However, there are a few points you need to take note of.

Check with your present employer

Your day job which pays your bills is important, and you may need to check if
your employment contract prohibits you from working outside your job. For example, if you work as a teacher, you may be able to tutor some private students at home or on the weekends. This will be an excellent source of income that will give you some extra cash in you pocket. Have a look at the Christian Science Monitor website for some great tips.

Choosing the best side job

There are many different side jobs that you can consider if you want to earn some extra money. Here are a few options that you can consider:

1. Part time work in the same industry that you work

If you are a teacher, you may want to get some private classes to help a students who want individual attention. This can give you a rather good income.


2. Start an online business

Since technology and the advancement of the internet have made it easy to work online, you may want to start selling products online or become an affiliate marketer in a niche that you have some interest.

3. Work on weekends

vbtnymuSince most people will not have to go to their regular job on the weekends, you can find a job that will need you to work only Saturday and Sunday.

There are any other options you can choose from, and you should always make the decisions wisely. Do not over exert yourself as you may get worn out and not be able to perform your primary job duties well.

How to find a side job

The best way to find a side job is to look online. There are many classified pages that will have advertisements of part time jobs. You can contact them and check if the terms will match your current schedule as not all side jobs will give you the time you need.

The best option is to start something you can do at home. It will allow you to be relaxed and not stress you out too much. If you play an instrument, you can even start a music class, and you are bound to get many students.

Student Loan Consolidation

Posted on by Posted in Consolidation .

Many people need money at some point in their lives. This is so true especially when you are starting college and need funds to sustain yourself.

Students who begin their education at a college often opt for student loans to support themselves. However, once they leave college and start working then reality hits them as they have to start paying back their student loans.

Student Loan consolidation and refinancing?

In essence, this is the process of paying off all your loans by taking out one big loan. The reason this is beneficial is because having many small loans can be rather difficult to track as far as payments are concerned.

The benefits of student loan consolidation

Save your credit score

When you start working, you will realize that all the loans you have taken while studying tend to build up, and you may find it hard to pay them back. This will hurt your credit score, and it may not be a good thing. You will end up not being able to pay all as there will be other expenses you have to handle when you start working.

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Better organized

When you have many small loan repayments, it can be hard to track them. However, with private student loan consolidation, you will find it easier to make payments as you have only one to worry about. It will allow you to organize yourself better and not lose track of your payments.

Get better interest rates

Lending interest rates change with time and market conditions. You may find that a new loan will carry a lesser interest rate and will help lower the monthly burden on your pocket. You can also spread the loan over a longer period so that you will not feel the repayment that much.

hbvgycfdMore freedom for other purchases

When you have consolidated a student loan, you will find that you can actually spend for other requirements as you will have a better repayment plan. You will not have always to worry about making your repayments as they will be really light on your pocket.

Conclusion

Many people rely on student loans to gi through their education and repaying them should not be a headache. When you consolidate or refinance your student loans, you can actually have the time to enjoy your initial years working and putting your education to good use. Do not let student loans get you down

How to Avoid Student Loan Scams

Posted on by Posted in Student Loans .

aa33In today’s world scams are common.You can see unscrupulous people trying to get you to give them money or personal information and scam you as if they are the real thing.

In fact, student loans are no stranger to such scams. Go ahead and click here to read the full article about student loan scams.

Student loan scams

Who will be targeted

As we all know, the economy is notdoing that well, and many students who wish to go to college will have no choice but to consider taking a student loan to pay for their accommodation, expenses and tuition fees.

You will find many of these students receiving phone calls from telemarketers or brochures in the mail, offering the best solution ever, They will get a student loan which may not carry any interest or may be waived off, etc. However, unsuspecting victims of such scams think that the offer is fantastic, and they decide to go for it and end up in trouble.

How the scammers find you

If you have ever entered your email, address and telephone number in an opt-in form, an online application you may end up getting calls or emails from such people trying to scam you. They will talk with you, and they will make you believe that they are, in fact, actual people from real companies and that they can help you get a student loan as long as you pay them something for the processing.

How to identify and avoid student loan scams

1. If it is too good to be true, it probably is.
2. List your telephone number in a DNC (Do not Call) list. It is against the law for telemarketers to call you if you are on this list.
3. If a telemarketer does call, politely hang up and do not stay on the phone.
4. If you get unsolicited emails from loan companies, immediately delete them and add them to the blocked list.

fghgfdScams are rampant, and they can ruin a person’s hope and even a person’s financial status. Always do face to face business with a loan provider and only check out student loan providers that are recommended by the educational institution you are attending.

Conclusion

We all know that it is hard to pay your way through college without a loan. However, we must be cautious and not allow ourselves to get tricked by these scammers.