April 2008 Issue: How To Read Your Award Letter
In this issue of the Financial Aid News, learn how to read your financial aid award letter. Plus, the three most important pieces of information you need to know about the cost of college. Be sure to check out the YouTube video in this issue, plus the regular complement of scholarships and blogs. - Christopher Penn, Editor
Featured Sponsor: Graduate Student Loans
Are you headed off to graduate school? Don’t go empty handed. Gradloans.com has the loan options you’ll need to help manage rising tuition costs and living expenses. From federal loans and MBA loans to medical, law & residency loans, GradLoans.com offers a suite of flexible options for all areas of study.
Learn more at:
http://www.GradLoans.com
Live Web Teleconference : Paying for College in Uncertain Times
The Student Loan Network and the Financial Aid Podcast invite you to participate in a live Web conference on April 9, 2008 at 12 PM ET. A panel of 6 financial aid experts will answer your questions and discuss how to pay for college in uncertain times, how to get student loans & scholarships, and how current events will impact your family’s ability to pay for college. Participation is free but registration is required.
For more information and to register, visit:
http://www.FinancialAidPodcast.com/faplive
How to read your financial aid award letter
Reading financial aid award letters can be confusing if you’re not sure what to look for. There are three important tasks you must accomplish.
1. Determine what financial aid you’ve received.
2. Determine what financial aid is scholarship or grant money and what financial aid is loan money that must be repaid.
3. Determine if there’s still unmet need that you must cover out of pocket or with alternative student loans or other sources of funding.
These three tasks sound relatively straightforward, but there’s a catch - virtually every college writes its own award letters, and every award letter has a different format and use of language. Some schools call loans financial aid, while others call them self-help, and still others call them by their individual loan types.
To review a step-by-step guide on how to read you award letter, including pictures of actual letters, visit:
http://www.studentloannetwork.com/student-resources/financial-aid-award-letter.php
Video Highlight
This past month, SLN’s Scholarship Search Secrets eBook was featured on ABC News in Boston. Click to watch this video and find out how easy it can be to find free money for school:
Get our scholarship eBook here:
http://www.studentscholarshipsearch.com/ebook.pdf
Register for our 10K scholarship here:
http://www.studentloannetwork.com/10K/?aprilnewsletter
Blog Highlights from SLN Experts
- Lee Anne Hannula has a busy month - first with a blog post on parent loan consolidation.
- And an article on Associated Content with David Bonvie.
- Mark Marquis provides an update on the latest changes to his financial reputation.
- Gearing up for jobs after graduation? The Financial Aid Podcast has job hunting tips.
Please take a moment to rate these blog posts and many more at Financial Aid News Stories (FANS)!
http://www.FinancialAidNews.com/fans/
Featured Scholarships
Congratulations to our Student Loan Network 10K Scholarship Winner, Laura Mack! Laura’s a class of 2009 student at Hartwick College and a relatively new Scholarship Points member. Congratulations to her on winning. The Student Loan Network will be holding another SLN 10K drawing on October 31, 2008, so make sure you’re registered at:
http://www.StudentLoanNetwork.com/10K/?aprilnewsletter
Have you registered for Scholarship Points, our free college scholarship awards site? Scholarship Points gives away $1,000 monthly scholarships and other awards.
Visit ScholarshipPoints.com for more details:
http://www.ScholarshipPoints.com
StudentScholarshipSearch.com (http://www.StudentScholarshipSearch.com) features over $9 billions of scholarships and grants for undergrad and graduate students. New listings are added everyday so make sure you visit often. Here are just a few newly added scholarships and grants:
Vancouver Film School Full Tuition Scholarship:
http://www.studentscholarshipsearch.com/New/2008-03-31.php
I <3 Tap Water Scholarship:
http://www.studentscholarshipsearch.com/New/2008-03-24.php
If Only You’d Heard It Coming Scholarship:
http://www.studentscholarshipsearch.com/New/2008-03-20.php
New York Times Scholarship:
http://www.studentscholarshipsearch.com/New/2008-03-11.php
Student Resources
Are you saving enough? Open an ING Direct savings account and start saving money today! FDIC insured accounts mean your money is safe, even in uncertain economic times.
Visit:
http://www.financialaidpodcast.com/ing
Need more funding for the final weeks of spring semester 2008? Act Education Loans from the Student Loan Network can help you reach the finish line! Visit:
http://www.ActEducationLoans.com
The Very Last Word
Financial Aid News is a publication of the Student Loan Network.
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© 2008 Edvisors. All rights reserved.
Missed an issue? Are you looking for a scholarship but cannot find the back issue? Want to tell a friend about the newsletter? You can always find back issues of the Financial Aid Newsletter at: http://www.FinancialAidNews.com