Beginning June 16, 2008, you’ll be able to get a free credit report PLUS score PLUS free credit monitoring for six months from Transunion, one of the big three credit bureaus.
Why? Transunion settled a major class action lawsuit, according to this Denver Post article.
Who is eligible? If you had an active loan of any kind – mortgage, credit card, student loan, etc. – between January of 1987 to May 28, 2008, you are eligible to participate in this class action lawsuit and claim your free goods.
You can also opt for …

It’s much more entertaining than you’d think.

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FAP808: Get $1 for listening to the Financial Aid Podcast
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Student Financial Aid News
+ Chronicle: After months of artfully promoting doomsday scenarios for the federal student-lending system, the nation’s student loan companies appear to have won terms from Congress and the Bush administration that could help both the lenders and the student borrowers.
+ The federal program already hands out interest-rate subsidies and repayment guarantees to enable lenders to offer cut-rate student loans. Now, with the administration’s financial rescue plan, the lenders can either use their …

FAP807: Finding a summer job in a tight economy
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Student Financial Aid News
+ Chronicle: Citibank (ticker: C), one of the nation’s largest providers of student loans, has told a series of colleges in recent days that it won’t be doing business with them any longer.
+ The bank’s student-lending division, the Student Loan Corporation (ticker: STU), said in a statement that it was “suspending lending at certain schools where we anticipate processing minimal loan volume. We have also temporarily suspended lending at schools which tend to …

Dr. Day and the NASFAA community,
In your recent letter to NASFAA members, you spoke of reducing costs while maintaining or expanding services in a tight economy. I wanted to make you aware of a near-literal buffet of options available to NASFAA and its members that carry a very small financial footprint. These services are ideal for NASFAA to communicate with its members and also for financial aid administrators to communicate with students as well.
For training over distances:
I’m a fan of UStream.tv and Blogtv.com. Both are great services free to broadcasters …

For all you stock and investment junkies, Yahoo Finance comes out swinging with real-time stock quotes!
If you’re not an investment or finance nerd, this is probably not a big deal, but for those who want to be, most stock quotes online are delayed by at least 20 minutes. Real-time stock quotes are typically not something you find online for free – some services, like Bloomberg, will run you $1,800/month.

FAP806: Dr. Eric Abercrumbie on Diversity (EASFAA 2008)
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A special presentation today from the EASFAA 2008 Conference. Dr. Eric Abercrumbie speaks to EASFAA on the topic of diversity in a 48 minute talk that is engaging, hilarious, and powerful. Laugh out loud, think a lot, and enjoy this terrific keynote talk.
Dr. Eric Abercrumbie hails from the University of Cincinnati.
EASFAA is the Eastern Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, of which the Student Loan Network is a proud member.
Did you enjoy today’s show? If so, please …

FAP805: Selling names, FAFSA EFC, MN SELF Loans
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Student Financial Aid News
+ Two blog posts over the weekend for you to check out
+ Yesterday we presented the Veterans Administration list of educational benefits for surviving dependents of active duty service members killed in action
+ Also had a blog post on staycationing, some tips on how to do it right
+ Inside Higher Ed: The College Board is experimenting with allowing admissions offices to obtain the names of potential students from low-income backgrounds in a program that …

Something important for today. This pamphlet, published by the VA, details the educational assistance benefits offered to spouses of soldiers killed in active duty. If you are a surviving spouse, you have up to 10 years to file a claim with the VA to take advantage of these benefits for yourself and your children, if any.
On this Memorial Day, our thoughts focus on honoring loved ones and soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice to their country, but it’s also important to help connect those who are still here with the …

How To Staycation
Staycation’s the buzzword of the summer with record gas prices, record airline ticket prices, record… you get the idea. Staycation? The vacation you take when you stay at home, since transportation and lodging are the two biggest costs of a vacation. Here’s the catch – lots of people try to staycation and not many succeed at it. Let’s look at how to do it right.
What Vacation Is
Vacation is not going away and spending lots of money. Vacation is fundamentally about a change in routine. Think about it – …