FAP293: Guest host Katie Dexter, 16 hours left to consolidate student loans, rates, Indian scholarship, 7 finance lifehacks, David Ippolito

Student Financial Aid News
+ 16 hours left to consolidate federal student loans at today’s interest rates
+ Just a bit of amusement – Financial Aid Podcast listeners who consolidated through the links on the site got moved to the front of the line
+ This is the busiest I think it’s ever been
+ Fed moves funds rate to 5.25%
+ Recent indicators suggest that economic growth is moderating from its quite strong pace earlier this year, partly reflecting a gradual cooling of the housing market and the lagged effects of increases in interest rates and energy prices.
+ Education Secretary Margaret Spellings’ Commission on the Future of Higher Education released a draft report on Monday recommending “a substantial increase in need-based aid” and overhauling student financial aid to create a “streamlined” system. The draft harshly criticized the current financial aid system, describing it with words like dysfunctional, confusing, inadequate, unwieldy, inefficient, convoluted, counterproductive and redundant. It offered many general recommendations like consolidating the aid system and some specific recommendations like eliminating the FAFSA and using tax information to determine student need.
+ Education Department officials said Thursday that the department had approved alternative ways for residents of 37 states to qualify for a new federal grant program. In a telephone news conference, department officials said that they had granted requests from the states for additional ways that students could show that they had taken a “rigorous” high school curriculum, which is a requirement to receive the new Academic Competitiveness Grant created by Congress as part of budget cutting legislation last winter. In several states, the department approved dual-enrollment programs, in which students attend high school and community college at the same time, and in others it endorsed programs in which graduating students must take coursework that fulfills their state’s higher education admission requirements.
+ A brief mention about PodCamp – www.PodCamp.org
+ Looking for a venue

Scholarship Update
+ Scholarship to foster Native American Economic Development
+ Six graduate scholarships of $5,000 each will be awarded to Native American graduate students who are studying in the areas of law, business, or planning, and who are committed to economic development in Native American communities
+ enrollment in an American Indian tribe, recognition as an Alaska Native by an Alaska Native government, or status as a Native Hawaiian
+ experience and background in Indian Country or other Native communities
+ commitment to economic development in Native communities
+ potential for leadership in Indian Country or other Native communities
+ other available financial resources
+ Detailed information at our free scholarship search secrets web site
+ Search term: economics scholarship deadline

News You Can Use
+ 7 financial tips from a broke guy
+ Guest hosting today, Katie Dexter, our director of student loan origination
+ From LifeHack.org
+ Keep the change
+ 5% anti-raise
+ Pay debt first
+ Negotiate a better credit card
+ Plug for the Financial Aid Podcast 8% fixed rate card
+ Multiply expenditures
+ Consider entertainment options
+ Plug the holes
+ Additional tips – buy Treasuries, start saving
+ US treasury web site

Podsafe Music
+ Heard it on the Daily Source Code
+ Nearly fell out of my car laughing
+ David Ippolito, Tom Cruise Scares Me
+ Music via the Podsafe Music Network

Reminders
+ Consolidate your student loans at StudentLoanConsolidator.com
+ Student loans available at any time – visit privatestudentloans.com

+ Financial Aid Podcast Show Notes at FinancialAidNews.com.
+ Add us to your iTunes at www.FinancialAidPodcast.com/subscribe
+ The Financial Aid Podcast is a publication of the Student Loan Network.

Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Email me at financialaidpodcast {at} gmail {dot} com, visit http://www.FinancialAidPodcast.com. Add me to your iTunes by visiting http://www.FinancialAidPodcast.com/subscribe/

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