FAP828: 10 key factors influencing your financial aid
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Student Financial Aid News
+ Chronicle: Here’s a frightening thought for every college administrator planning for a big disaster: What if the sort of extreme weather that has left the University of Iowa inundated in floodwaters is not a freak event? What if it is a sign of things to come?
+ In June the U.S Climate Change Science Program, which is sponsored by 13 government agencies, released a report saying that extreme weather like heat waves, heavy downpours, …

A short while ago, Mignon Fogarty (aka Grammar Girl) sent me a copy of her new book, Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing, for review. Here’s my thoughts on her work.
First, every college student and every college-bound student should get a copy. If you’re an admissions director, if you’re an English professor, if you’re a parent – get a copy of this book and give it to your kid(s). It’s terrific, well-written, with clear explanations of why certain forms of usage are appropriate and not appropriate. Call …

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FAP827: Student credit cards, coffee scholarship, Free stuff Friday
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Student Financial Aid News
+ Chronicle: Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo of New York hopes to have completed by this fall an investigation into the relationships between credit-card companies and college officials, according to Benjamin Lawsky, deputy counselor to Mr. Cuomo, who previously investigated questionable ties between student loan companies and financial-aid officials.
+ Mr. Lawsky testified at a hearing today of the House consumer-credit subcommittee in which members considered various ways to reduce students’ credit-card …

Update: this job has been filled! Thanks!
A good friend and mentor of mine recently wrote to me to say that his mother’s personal web site and blog aren’t getting the traction she would like. He’s offered $300 FIRM for someone to implement the recommendations from this Web Site Grader report (mostly little tweaks, etc, shouldn’t take more than 10 hours total).
If you’re a Financial Aid Podcast listener, perhaps a high school or college student looking for some short money for the summer, please get in touch with me and I’ll …

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FAP826: Deceptive student loan marketing, Sallie Mae leak
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Student Financial Aid News
+ The FTC has issued a guide on deceptive student loan marketing
+ If you are considering a private student loan, it’s important to know whom you’re doing business with and the terms of the loan. The FTC and ED offer these tips to help you recognize questionable claims and practices related to private student loans.
+ Some private lenders and their marketers use names, seals, logos, or other representations similar to those of …

FAP825: Expert interview: Ron Burniske, Chartway FCU
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In today’s podcast, I talk with Ron Burniske, CEO of Chartway Federal Credit Union, about credit unions, how they’re different than banks, and why they might be in your banking future. Plus, we discuss the philosophical issue of a consumer society, savings rates, and financial aid.
Did you enjoy today’s show? If so, please consider subscribing for free to get it delivered to you. Subscribing for free means you don’t have to remember to download it every day.
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I’m starting an interview series this week with a bunch of credit union executives, to ask them about credit union stuff. Here’s my current list of questions:

What’s the difference between a bank and a credit union?
When is a credit union the right choice for a student, parent, or family?
When is a credit union the wrong choice?
What financial aid options do credit unions offer?
What are some of the benefits of being a credit union member?
How are you addressing the negative savings rate?
What one piece of advice would you offer a student …

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FAP824: Tea scholarship, Amazon textbooks, international financial aid
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Student Financial Aid News
+ Inside Higher Ed: The Subprime Solution: How Today’s Global Financial Crisis Happened, and What to Do About It is a promising title for Princeton University Press. The topic couldn’t be more timely and the author is Robert Shiller, a Yale University economist who has managed with works such as Irrational Exuberance to attract big audiences for complicated topics.
+ The Princeton press is planning something new for the release: Two weeks before …

FAP823: Merit based financial aid, free stuff Monday
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Student Financial Aid News
+ Inside Higher Ed: Despite increased pressure to move more money away from merit-based aid programs and into need-based grants, there is little sign of such a shift happening across the nation as a whole, according to a report released today.
+ The annual report, issued by the National Association of State Student Grant and Aid Programs, shows that need-based grants made up about the same proportion of total grants awarded in 2006-7 as they …

Podcasters Across Borders 2008 Review

Podcasters Across Borders 2008 has wrapped up, and I’m back in the office. Another terrific weekend, full of great friends and interesting discussions. A few takeaways from this weekend that I picked up:
Sylvain Grand-Maison showed a great slide of song structure and podcast structure – comparing the two, and suggesting that the same ideas that make a song worth listening to could make your podcast worth listening to.

Jay Moonah did a great demo of how the medium is the message by having a blindfolded volunteer identify …