In this issue of the Financial Aid News, we’ve got audio and video to help you learn more about paying for college, finding a job after graduation, and so much more. - Christopher Penn, Editor

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Federal Student Loans

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By maximizing your Federal Financial Aid options, such as Stafford and PLUS loans, undergraduate and graduate students can borrow up to the cost of education. At low, fixed interest rates Federal loans are the best place to start. Visit:

http://www.StudentLoanNetwork.com

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Audio Highlight: Paying for College in Uncertain Times

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On Wednesday, April 9, Christopher Penn and the Financial Aid Podcast hosted a round table discussion with 5 financial aid experts to discuss issues in paying for college. Listen to this 45 minute discussion MP3 and learn some new tricks for making college affordable, such as defraying room and board by becoming an RA. Visit:

http://www.StudentLoanNetwork.com/student-resources/

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Feature video article: Building your Personal Network with LinkedIn

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May is traditionally job hunting month for graduating seniors, and there’s no better way to kick your job search into high gear than to use career-oriented web sites such as LinkedIn. Watch and listen to this seminar given by Christopher Penn at PodCamp NYC on how to use LinkedIn to further your career prospects and kick your job search into high gear.

http://www.financialaidpodcast.com/?p=1416

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Reader Q&A

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In this new column, we’re answering questions asked during the roundtable that we didn’t get to.

Joyce asks: I have heard the talk that student loans may be more difficult to get - Is this true? and if so, what alternatives, if any are available to students.

Some student loans may indeed be more difficult to get. Federal student loans such as the Stafford loan should remain available no matter what; even with some lenders ceasing to do business, there are still plenty of other lenders such as the Student Loan Network that will be happy to meet your needs. Private student loans are currently experiencing more difficult credit requirements for borrowers, so virtually all students will require a co-signer, and some families still may need to find alternative funding sources.

More info:
http://www.StaffordLoan.com
http://www.AlternativeStudentLoan.com

Trodessa asks: What is available for very low-income families?

The most important thing that you can do is to file the FAFSA form as early as possible every year. Filing the FAFSA may qualify you for a large amount of scholarship or grant aid from the federal government, primarily intended for very low income families.

More info:
http://www.FAFSAonline.com

Kathleen asks: What do you do when you can not recieve a loan based on your credit history and a cosigner is not an option?

Your best bet is to aggressively pursue scholarships and grants from outside sources. Spend a couple of hours a day tracking down and applying for scholarships, as many as possible, because there are scholarships for everyone, not just valedictorians or quarterbacks. Use our Student Loan Network Scholarship Search Secrets guide to help you!

More info:
http://www.StudentScholarshipSearch.com/ebook

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Scholarships

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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/?maynewsletter

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:

New England Conservatory Directory of Music Scholarships
http://www.studentscholarshipsearch.com/scholarship/864/

Atlantic Media Fellowship
http://www.studentscholarshipsearch.com/scholarship/863/

AISES Google Scholarship
http://www.studentscholarshipsearch.com/scholarship/862/

Marshall University
http://www.studentscholarshipsearch.com/scholarship/861/

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Student Resources

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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. Start saving now!

For everyone who’s new, make sure you’re registered for our 10K scholarship. We’re doing the drawing in October.

http://www.studentloannetwork.com/10K/

Be sure to grab a copy of our Scholarship Search Secrets eBook while you’re at it, too. It’s 35 pages on how to use Google and other tools to find scholarships.

http://www.studentscholarshipsearch.com/ebook

If you think either of these resources is valuable, please add a link to them on your web site, profile, or other online presence!

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

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Featured Sponsor: Graduate Student Loans

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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

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Live Web Teleconference : Paying for College in Uncertain Times

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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

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How to read your financial aid award letter

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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

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Video Highlight

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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

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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/

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Featured Scholarships

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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

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Student Resources

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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

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The Very Last Word

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Financial Aid News is a publication of the Student Loan Network.
1250 Hancock Street, Suite 703N, Quincy, MA 02169
© 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

March brings springtime and scholarships. In this issue, we’ll show you the top 5 scholarship hunting tips to find great scholarships for college. Plus, we’re trying something new this month - you can watch this newsletter as a video news show on YouTube. If you enjoy it, please share it. - Christopher Penn, Editor

Still Need Money for This Semester?

The Act Education Loan is a flexible private student loan designed to help cover education costs beyond the reach of most federal financial aid packages. You can apply for it anytime during the school year and the money is sent directly to you.

Start your application today at:
http://www.studentloannetwork.com/winter/index2.php
or call a representative at 877-328-1565.

5 Scholarship Hunting Tips

If I had to tell you in a very short amount of time the five most effective things you could be doing to boost your scholarship search efforts, they’d be as follows:

1. Commit a day a week to find and apply for scholarships. One of the easiest ways to sabotage yourself is to not set up a routine or a schedule. You’ll put off your scholarship search until it’s too late. Instead, pick a day of the week, like every Sunday, and make a commitment that by sundown, you will have found three new scholarships to apply for and have filed applications for them.

2. Learn to harness the power of Google. As detailed in our free eBook, Scholarship Search Secrets, Google is probably the most powerful tool you can use to find scholarships. Search websites like Google require a little bit of learning in order to get the most out of them. But when you do, the value they can deliver is immeasurable. The more specific you can be in your scholarship searches, the better the results will be.

3. Search your own school’s website. Here’s a perfect example of using the power of Google to search a specific site. Head over to Google.com and type in this exact query: scholarship site:sunydutchess.edu

What we’ve told Google to do is show us any page on the SUNY Dutchess Community College website that has the word scholarship on it. This is a great way to find scholarships on your own college’s website that you may never have known otherwise.

4. Get personal and ask your financial aid office what other awards and resources are available. Financial aid offices are full of not only scholarship resources, but also financial aid administrators, some of whom have decades of experience in helping students pay for college.

Make sure to visit during off-peak hours and times of the year to get to know your financial aid staff; they may be able to point you towards additional resources.

5. Expect rejection and don’t take it personally. In a recent interview I did on the Financial Aid Podcast, I talked with Shayla Price, a woman who applied for 60 scholarships. She landed 15 of those 60 - but that was enough to earn her $130,000 in college funding and a free ride for four years. Had she given up after the first couple of rejection letters, she would never have managed to pay for college. Instead, she kept going and going, and the results speak for themselves. Keep going!

These are just a few hints and tips for finding scholarships - for more, please grab a copy of our Scholarship Search Secrets eBook, now in its fourth edition, completely free of charge at:

http://www.StudentScholarshipSearch.com/ebook

Blog Highlights from SLN Experts

• College Search Advisor shares some ground rules for comparing financial aid offers.
• Credit Card Guy shows you what to do as credit card companies get picky in 2008.
• Do Stafford student loans need to be paid back if a company goes out of business?
• Learn how to read your FAFSA results.
• Jon Rudy tells you why many federal student loan consolidation programs are on pause.
• Learn about how the credit crunch is affecting students.

Please take a moment to rate these blog posts and many more at Financial Aid News Stories (FANS)!
http://www.FinancialAidNews.com/fans/

Scholarships

Have you registered for Scholarship Points, our free college scholarship awards site? Scholarship Points gives away $1,000 monthly scholarships. Each point you earn gets you an additional entry into the drawing for the current month. 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:

• Totally Patriots Scholarship
• Ron Brown Scholarship
• The Superpower Scholarship
• University of Rochester MBA Scholarships
• Boston College Asian American Scholarship
• GFOA Minorities in Government Graduate Scholarship

Student Resources

SLN’s Resource Center is packed of useful tips, advice, and tools to help you reach your education goals. From student financial aid basics to scholarship search secrets, we have all the resources you need to help you finance your college education.

Visit the SLN Resource Center at:
http://www.studentloannetwork.com/resources/

Read blogs from our financial aid experts to stay on top of news and changes in the student finance world. Learn how these changes affect how you pay for college.

The Very Last Word
Financial Aid News is a publication of the Student Loan Network.
1250 Hancock Street, Suite 703N, Quincy, MA 02169

Check out our new FAFSA video - 6 updates on the 2008 - 2009 FAFSA application.

February is FAFSA month and we’ve got some inside tips from a recent FAFSA event you must check out before filing your application. We are also including information on SLN’s 10-Year $10K Anniversary Scholarship – a $10,000 scholarship you won’t want to miss.

Please give us a call toll-free at (877) 328-1565 if you have comments or questions. If you know someone who should be getting this newsletter but is not, please tell them about it!

Christopher Penn, Editor

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10-Year $10K Anniversary Scholarship

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SLN is celebrating its 10th anniversary by sponsoring a $10,000 scholarship. The 10-Year $10K Scholarship is open to any college or graduate student who will be enrolled full-time in 2008 – so any high school senior, college undergrad, or graduate student is welcome to enter this drawing. The best part is… there is no essay writing, GPA minimum, or anything that other scholarships typically require. Registration only takes half a minute to complete.

Enter the 10-Year $10K Scholarship drawing now:

http://www.studentloannetwork.com/10K

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Featured Editorial: FAFSA Filing Tips from College Goal Sunday

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I had the opportunity this year to again volunteer at Massachusetts College Goal Sunday, a day when students, parents, and families gather to receive help completing the FAFSA. Along the way, I had the opportunity to answer lots of questions from attendees about the FAFSA as well as the greater financial aid picture. Here are several tips from the event that may help you when it comes time to file your FAFSA.

One of the main issues with the Web FAFSA application is inconsistency in its user interface. There are buttons underneath many tables as you go through the FAFSA from. Such button (centered and directly below a table) typically fulfills the role of submit elsewhere on the Web. Not the case here - it usually does something else. The previous and next buttons are also not big, huge, or easily noticed; but they are important. Be on the lookout for them.

The Save button appears intermittently throughout the application. When it’s available, however, make use of it as it will preserve your data in case something goes wrong. Just going to the next page in the Web FAFSA application does not save your FAFSA information.

You should not use the Back button at any point or your FAFSA application will blow up and start spitting out errors.

At the end of the process, all available actions are crammed into one small toolbar in the middle of the screen. When you’re ready to file, simply click on the Submit Your FAFSA for Processing button - it’s lumped in the middle of the toolbar.

If you are a current student looking for the 2008-2009 renewal FAFSA, be warned: there is no link or button which would direct you to such section on the FAFSA site or in the initial application. Thankfully, Carla Berg of Bentley College pointed out that the FAFSA renewal option is now gone. When you go to file a FAFSA as a returning student, the application apparently pre-populates with last year’s data, but that’s not obvious anywhere on the site.

I also met a gentleman who was stopping by to get a second opinion about his child’s FAFSA before paying $100. I asked him what he was talking about when he said this - he’d been on a paid FAFSA filing service that was charging him $100 to file his FAFSA. When we sat down and went over his application, there was absolutely nothing in his finances that warranted any kind of fee. Beware - except for a rare few individuals who have extremely complicated finances, there is no reason to pay to have your FAFSA filed; those few individuals are likely already have a CPA and CFA on retainer. If you’re on a website asking you to pay to file your FAFSA, odds are you don’t need to pay - make sure you’re on the official government web site, FAFSA.ed.gov. You can get there easily from the also-free FAFSAonline.com.

Finally, the school code finder in the FAFSA website is still less than ideal, especially if a school is generally known as one thing but the Department of Education has a different canonical name. For example, three students said they couldn’t find their school, Mass Bay Community College, in the school code finder. When I pulled up the list from FAFSAonline.com, we were able to find it easily. The FAFSA application didn’t understand that the canonical name, Massachusetts Bay Community College, is not how the school is generally known, even by the school itself (their website is MassBay.edu). When you go to file your FAFSA online, keep FAFSAonline.com open in another window so you have easy access to our browse-able school list.

We hope these inside tips from Massachusetts College Goal Sunday are helpful as you go to file your FAFSA. Visit FAFSAonline.com for more FAFSA filing tips and tricks.

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Blog Highlights from SLN Experts

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• Our College Search Advisor shows you how to compare your financial aid offers.
• Lee Anne Hannula explains a school’s role in the Stafford Loan.
• Jon Rudy shares the Personal Finance First-Aid Kit to help you build a budget.
• Can Congress shame colleges into decreasing tuition?
• Russ Ain shares some great credit card options for recent graduates.

Please take a moment to rate these blog posts and many more at Financial Aid News Stories (FANS)!

http://www.FinancialAidNews.com/fans/

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Scholarships

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Have you registered for Scholarship Points, our free college scholarship awards site? Scholarship Points gives away monthly ($250) and quarterly ($1,000) scholarships. Each point you earn gets you an additional entry into the drawing for the current month and quarter. It’s quite simple - the more points you earn, the better your chances of winning. Visit: http://www.ScholarshipPoints.com

Here’s highlights of awards from StudentScholarshipSearch.com - visit the site to see all the new awards posted recently:

• David W. Miller Award for Student Journalists
• American Standard Scholarship
• ChooseNursing.com Scholarship Program
• MLA Scholarship for Minority Students
• Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Scholarships
• Lycoming College Academic Scholarships

Keep in mind that you can get daily scholarship updates by listening to the Financial Aid Podcast (http://www.FinancialAidPodcast.com) and visiting the Student Scholarship Search website (http://www.StudentScholarshipSearch.com).

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A Word from our Partners

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We look forward to helping you reach your education goals in 2008. Visit our Resource Center for useful tools to help jump start your new year with more money to pay for college. Visit: http://www.studentloannetwork.com/resources/

and download our 2008-2009 FAFSA Help Guide and the 4^th edition Scholarship Search Secrets.

Ever take out jackets from last year and find money in the pockets? Is that always a pleasant surprise? You’ll feel the same way after you combine your federal or private student loans. Cut your monthly payment by nearly half, simplify your budgeting, and start finding money in your pocket every month. Visit: http://www.StudentLoanConsolidator.com

Get daily free financial aid information on your iPod or computer! Tune into the Financial Aid Podcast every weekday for news, scholarships, and great music. Money talks. Are you listening? Visit: http://www.FinancialAidPodcast.com

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The Very Last Word

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Financial Aid News is a publication of the Student Loan Network.

1250 Hancock Street, Suite 703N, Quincy, MA 02169

© 2008 Edvisors. All rights reserved.

iPod and iTunes are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc.

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

To celebrate our 10th anniversary, the Student Loan Network is giving away a $10,000 scholarship! Enter to win our drawing at:

and then start participating in Scholarship Points.

Who can win?

Any college student or graduate student attending school in 2008. Money will be paid directly to the financial aid office, and the contest ends on Leap Day, February 29, 2008.

Happy New Year! From all of us at SLN, we wish you a safe, happy, and prosperous 2008, and we’re going to do our part this month with an in-depth review of the FAFSA process.

As always, if you have comments or questions, please give us a call toll-free at (877) 328-1565. If you know someone who should be getting this newsletter but is not, please forward them a copy!

Christopher Penn, Editor
http://www.FinancialAidNews.com
http://www.StudentLoanNetwork.com

Featured Product Announcement

Once you have maximized your federal financial aid, look into a private student loan to help cover the entire cost of education. With second semester here, an Act Education Loan is ideal for those additional expenses you may not have planned on, including transportation, a new computer, or books for the spring semester.

Visit ActEducationLoans.com today or call a representative at 877-328-1565.

Feature Editorial: Top 5 Things You Need To Know About the FAFSA

Suppose there were one form which could open all kinds of scholarships, grants and financial aid, and completing that form was both free and relatively straightforward? Suppose it only took an hour or so? Would you fill it out? Would you complete it and get your foot in the door?

There is such a form. It’s called the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, and millions of college students each year ignore it at their financial peril. The FAFSA has been around for years, and in terms of financial aid, no one form controls more aid than the FAFSA. Filling out the FAFSA is relatively easy as long as you’ve done your taxes; approximately 80% of the FAFSA paperwork just pulls numbers off federal tax forms. There are two basic ways to file a FAFSA - by mail and online. Both are available from the Department of Education’s FAFSA website, www.FAFSA.ed.gov.

Here are some secrets, tips, and hints for filing the FAFSA. You can find a more comprehensive list at www.FAFSAonline.com.

Step 1: Gather your stuff. One of the reasons students don’t fill out the FAFSA is that they don’t have all the information handy. They say they’ll get to the form, but never do, and pass up free money. Before you begin, here’s a list of some key things to have on hand.

You’ll need the previous year’s paperwork, including your parents’ tax paperwork if you are a dependent student. If you plan to file a FAFSA for this calendar year, you’ll need relevant tax information from last year . For example, if you’re filing the 2008-2009 FAFSA, you’ll need tax information from 2007.

+ Your Social Security Number (can be found on Social Security card)
+ Your driver’s license or state ID (if any)
+ Your W-2 Forms and other records of money earned
+ Your Federal Income Tax Return (IRS form 1040, 1040A, or 1040EZ)
+ Federal Income Tax Return supplementary documentation
+ Your parents’ Federal Income Tax Return (if you are a dependent student)
+ Your untaxed income records - Social Security, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, welfare, or veterans benefits records
+ Your current bank statements
+ Your current business and investment mortgage information, business and farm records, stock, bond, and other investment records
+ Your alien registration or permanent residence card (if you are not a U.S. citizen)

Step 2: Do your taxes first. One of the easiest ways to get through the FAFSA form is to do your federal income taxes first, as about 80% of your FAFSA data comes right off federal tax forms like the IRS 1040. Do your federal tax forms first, even if you don’t plan to file your income taxes right away. If you need help with federal tax forms, many small community banks and credit unions offer complimentary or low cost access to professional, certified financial planners and accountants who can advise you on your taxes and personal finances. Many fee-based preparation services also offer free federal tax return preparation if your annual income is below a certain amount, so shop around to see what help is available.

Step 3: Do a practice run. It’s not uncommon to feel a certain amount of apprehension when completing the FAFSA form, particularly if you’re filing online. To ensure the fewest errors possible and the least amount of stress, download a printable copy of the FAFSA form and do a “practice” round of the form. Understand and be comfortable that you’ll probably make a few errors as you fill out the practice form, and make several photocopies so that you can refine your answers. Having a printable form also makes it easier to take with you if you need to consult with your financial aid administrator about questions you have.

Step 4: File early. When should you file your FAFSA form? As early as possible after January 1st of each calendar year, keeping a careful eye on your state and school deadlines. Why? Because the FAFSA application controls access to student financial aid and grants, and the earlier your FAFSA gets processed, the more eligible you are for grants and scholarships which have a limited pool of money that is distributed on a first come, first served basis. File early.

Step 5: Get Help. If you have questions on the FAFSA, there’s plenty of help available. Ask your school’s financial aid administrator, visit www.FAFSAonline.com, or attend a College Goal Sunday (www.CollegeGoalSundayUSA.org) event for help in completing and filing the FAFSA.

Last Words: Selections from Student Loan Network Experts

• Jon Rudy shares a few methods on how to stick with your New Year resolutions.
• Line-by-line interpretation of the FAFSA4Caster output.
• Mark Marquis lays out the credit card offer decoder.
• Weighing expansion as more top students clamor at Ivy gates.
• Monique Leonard explores other possibilities to student loan forgiveness.
• Student Loan Guru shares with you changes in how default rates are calculated at your college.

Please take a moment to rate these blog posts and many more at Financial Aid News Stories (FANS)!

http://www.FinancialAidNews.com/fans/

Scholarships

Have you registered for Scholarship Points, our free college scholarship awards site? Every month, we pick a lucky recipient for two hundred and fifty dollars; every quarter, we select a lucky recipient for $1,000. Visit: http://www.ScholarshipPoints.com

Here’s a selection of awards from StudentScholarshipSearch.com - visit the site to see all the new awards posted recently: http://www.StudentScholarshipSearch.com/new/

• AHS Student Research Fellowship
• NRAEF Academic Scholarship for High School Seniors
• Hyatt Hotels Fund for Minority Lodging Management Students
• Rama Scholarship for the American Dream
• NOPHNRCSE Scholarships
• Reading Scholarship Foundation, Inc.

Keep in mind that you can get daily scholarship updates by listening to the Financial Aid Podcast (http://www.FinancialAidPodcast.com) and visiting the Student Scholarship Search website (http://www.StudentScholarshipSearch.com).

A Word from our Sponsors

We look forward to helping you reach your education goals in 2008. Visit our Resource Center for 2 useful tools to help jump start your new year with more money to pay for college. Visit: http://www.studentloannetwork.com/resources/ and download our 2008-2009 FAFSA Help Guide and the 4th edition Scholarship Search Secrets.

Ever take out jackets from last year and find money in the pockets? Is that always a pleasant surprise? You’ll feel the same way after you combine your federal or private student loans. Cut your monthly payment by nearly half, simplify your budgeting, and start finding money in your pocket every month. Visit: http://www.StudentLoanConsolidator.com

Get daily free financial aid information on your iPod or computer! Tune into the Financial Aid Podcast every weekday for news, scholarships, and great music. Money talks. Are you listening? Visit: http://www.FinancialAidPodcast.com

The Very Last Word

Financial Aid News is a publication of the Student Loan Network.

1250 Hancock Street, Suite 703N, Quincy, MA 02169

© 2007 Edvisors. All rights reserved.

iPod and iTunes are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc.

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

It’s now 2008, and that means it’s time to file your FAFSA as soon as possible! Head over to FAFSAonline.com for some great tips on how to get the most financial aid possible.

This month, we’re going to examine some end-of-year tips for improving your financial aid eligibility, plus refresh the financial aid calendar so you know how to map out your 2008 plan.

As always, if you have comments or questions, please give us a call at 877-328-1565. If you know someone who should be getting this newsletter but is not, please forward them a copy.

Christopher Penn, Editor
http://www.FinancialAidNews.com
http://www.StudentLoanNetwork.com

PS: In our last issue, we asked our readers to share their own personal finance tips and creative gift ideas for the holidays. Check out what they had to say.

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Featured SLN Announcement

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Once you have maximized your federal financial aid, look into a private student loan to help cover the entire cost of education. With second semester right around the corner, an Act Education Loan is ideal for those additional expenses you may not have planned on, including transportation home for the holidays, a new computer, or books for the winter semester.Visit http://www.studentloannetwork.com/winter/index2.php
today or call a representative at 877-328-1565.

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Featured Editorial: 5 Year-End Financial Aid Tips

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As we approach the end of calendar year 2007, it’s a good time to turn our eyes to the future and start thinking about your 2008 financial aid efforts. Here are 5 advises to help you make the most of the waning days of 2007 with payoffs in the coming year.
1. See an expert. Many community banks and credit unions provide access to a certified financial planner for little or no charge, making them a great, hidden resource for figuring out your finances. Take the time to see one and review your personal finances. Get a sense for where you are and how your finances are currently set up.
2. Start writing scholarship essays. Scholarship season really starts in earnest in January of each year, and the sooner you can get your applications to a scholarship foundation, the sooner you can move onto the next application. Do your research for which scholarships would be appropriate to apply to, and download their applications. The most time consuming part of the scholarship search is the essay, so start writing now.
3. Make last changes and adjustments to your 2007 taxes. For instance, the FAFSA form derives much of its information from your IRS 1040, specifically your adjusted gross income (AGI). Whatever you can do to lower your AGI, such as making contributions to individual retirement accounts (IRAs), will benefit both your taxes and your financial aid eligibility. Consult with a certified financial planner to determine whether the tuition and fees tax adjustment makes more sense than the education tax credits which do not impact your AGI, as well as evaluate any other tax tactics you can employ.

4. Set goals. Set measurable, achievable goals for yourself in 2008, like a scholarship application a weekend. Create an application calendar to help facilitate your application priorities.

5. Get ready to file your FAFSA. The FAFSA process kicks off on January 1st, but having your IRS 1040 mostly completed will speed up the process, as will completing the FAFSA worksheets. Run through our FAFSA tutorials on FAFSAonline.com and make notes of where you have questions - then contact your financial aid officer or attend a College Goal Sunday event to get those questions answered.

For more information about the financial aid calendar, visit our Financial Aid 101 calendar at:
http://www.studentloannetwork.com/financial-aid-101/aidcalendar.php

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Holiday Financial Tips from Our Readers

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In our last issue, our staff got together and shared their holiday personal finance tips for making the most out of your money – giving great gifts, and not breaking the bank. We also asked our readers to share their personal finance tips and creative gift suggestions. Here’s what they had to say:· Don’t underestimate the power of the written word. What is unique about this person? Was there something special you did together, or he/she did for you or someone else? What is it about him/her that inspires you to be a better person? Write a few paragraphs about how this person has affected your life. People that don’t seem thrilled with all the gift-giving tend to like this type of gift. Hand them the letter with a hug and say, “I just wanted you to know that you are a very special person in my life.” This is my favorite gift to give, and especially to get.· You can register a friend or family member’s name as a domain name and give this registration as a holiday gift. Even if the recipient is not tech savvy, he or she will have ownership of the name when it’s needed in the future. It is becoming more important for people across many career fields to have an online presence and creating a career folio is a great way to do that.

· I received a personalized cookbook from my aunt last Christmas with recipes for my favorite dishes and a list of easy-to-prepare meals for during the school year. It comes in very handy whether I just want to fix up a quick, tasty meal that remind me of home, or try to impressive friends with an awesome appetizer.

· Get your friends and family members to stop using wrapping paper and switch to cotton reusable bags. Every year my mom makes bags for the gifts we give to others - and the following year our friends and family use the bags to give their own gifts. We reuse the same bags in our own house year after year. This action would cut the amount of wrapping thrown out and, needless to say, helps the environment.

· My younger cousin made me a CD of music completed with a set of handwritten liner notes explaining why she had chosen the song, why it was important to her, or why it made her think of me. I have blue eyes and there were a number of songs that mention blue eyes. The music was great but the personal liner notes made the present very special to me. It was a present that made me feel close to her and also appreciated.

· Last year for Christmas, I made small pillows (5″ x 5″) out of scrap fabric and filled them with soothing herbs, lavender, rose, etc. Buying these herbs in bulk at the health food store cost almost nothing. My friends loved these gifts and I spent only a small amount of my budget and my time in making them.

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Last Words: Blog Highlights from SLN Experts

• I posted the procedure for changing lenders if you’re not happy with yours.
• Monique Leonard cautions against parental over-involvement.
• David Bonvie gives you a great two-step entry plan to make college as affordable as possible.
• Jon Rudy chronicles a less visible but still important milestone in your financial aid.
• Russ Ain lays out the details of how to avoid common financial tricks online.
• An important debate is happening about the cost of a college education and whether it’s worth it or not.

Please take a moment to rate these blog posts and many more at Financial Aid News Stories (FANS). http://www.FinancialAidNews.com/fans/

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Scholarships

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Have you registered for Scholarship Points, our free college scholarship awards site? Every month, we pick a lucky recipient for two hundred and fifty dollars; every quarter, we select a lucky recipient for $1,000. Visit: http://www.ScholarshipPoints.comHere’s a selection of awards from StudentScholarshipSearch.com - visit the site to see all the new awards (over 60!) posted recently: http://www.StudentScholarshipSearch.com/new/

• Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising National Scholarships
• Kathi Bowles Scholarship for Women in Computing
• American Medical Technologist Scholarship
• Caterpillar Scholars Award
• E. Wayne Kay High School Scholarship
• AiCHe Minority Scholarship Awards for College Students

Keep in mind that you can get daily scholarship updates by listening to the Financial Aid Podcast (http://www.FinancialAidPodcast.com) and visiting the Student Scholarship Search website (http://www.StudentScholarshipSearch.com).

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A Word from our Sponsors

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Ever take out jackets from last year and find money in the pockets? Is that always a pleasant surprise? You’ll feel the same way after you combine your federal or private student loans. Cut your monthly payment by nearly half, simplify your budgeting, and start finding money in your pocket every month. Visit: http://www.StudentLoanConsolidator.comGet daily free financial aid information on your iPod or computer! Tune into the Financial Aid Podcast every weekday for news, scholarships, and great music. Money talks. Are you listening? Visit: http://www.FinancialAidPodcast.comWant to participate in our special drawing for a $250 scholarship? Tell us what you think about the SLN by taking our brief online survey (only takes a few minutes) and you’ll be entered into this special drawing for a scholarship or an Amazon.com gift certificate if you are not currently in school. Take our survey at: http://www.studentloannetwork.com/survey/index.php?code=SLN1107C

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The Very Last Word

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Financial Aid News is a publication of the Student Loan Network.
1250 Hancock Street, Suite 703N, Quincy, MA 02169
© 2007 Edvisors. All rights reserved.iPod and iTunes are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc.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

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Financial Aid News, November 2007 Issue A Publication of the Student Loan Network

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In this issue, our staff gets together and shares their holiday personal finance tips for making the most out of your money – giving great gifts, and not breaking the bank – plus our usual collection of scholarships! If you’ve got comments, questions, or feedback, please email newsletter@FinancialAidNews.com or give us a call toll-free at (877) 328-1565. If you know someone who should be getting this newsletter but is not, please forward them a copy.

Christopher Penn, Editor www.FinancialAidNews.com www.StudentLoanNetwork.com

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Featured Product Announcement

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Fall semester is well underway, and you’re most likely finding you have a bunch of expenses, from tuition, travel, room and board to computers and books. We want to introduce you to a private student loan option, the Act Education Loan, which can supplement and cover all education-related expenses such as books, school supplies, lab fees, even a laptop.

Act Education Loans offer many great benefits: * Apply online or over the phone * Get preliminary approval in as little as 15 minutes * Receive your check in about a week

Use the funds for tuition, room and board, unexpected expenses, even a computer. Apply for a private loan today at http://www.ActEducationLoans.com or call toll-free at 877-328-1565.

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Top Holiday Financial Tips

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Around the holidays, many cash-strapped students are looking for ways to save money - on gifts, travel home, etc. Because saving money for students is always on our mind, we asked a panel of our experts what holiday personal finance tips they suggested in order to make the most out of your money. Here’s what they had to say:

• If you have a large extended family that you need to buy gifts for, you can get the same gift for each person. Make it something everyone will enjoy, but that won’t break your bank account. One year I visited a wine vineyard where you can bottle your own wine and make your own labels with the person’s name on it.

• Another great gift for everyone would be personalized book labels (i.e. “From the Library of Lee Anne Hannula”) for anyone in your family that likes to read and keep track of their book collection. These types of labels can be used for many things, such as DVDs. You can find them online and it is a great and thoughtful gift.

• eBay is a great option, particularly for high margin items like accessories. You can get a great deal on items in “like new” condition, so they are as good as buying from the store.

• If you’re interested in buying a car, the end of the year is a great time to do that as dealers might be more inclined to sell and improve their sales volume.

• If you’re making donations for tax deduction purposes, get them in before the end of the year and get receipts for what you donated, so they’ll be applicable when you file in April.

• Always include gift receipts with your holiday gifts. Some stores make it very difficult to return or exchange items without a receipt and may give you the lowest, most recent sale price for the item as store credit.

• Something to think about next year: If you are coming up short on money for the holidays, and did last year (and the year before)… Open a traditional Christmas club account at your local bank. It’s easier to save $10-20 a week than to scramble for cash or run up your credit cards during the holidays.

• Kayak.com is a little-known search engine that searches through all the other travel websites. Saves time and cash - it’s a great resource if you are traveling home for the holidays.

• One of the neatest gifts I have received was a “six-pack” of home-made beer from a friend. He bought a beer-making kit (forty dollars) and a canned recipe ($15), complete with all ingredients, and made twelve very good six-packs of IPA. You can design your own labels online (www.myownlabels.com/ML112.asp) to customize your presentation. The only hitch is that you will need to make your brew at least four weeks before it’s ready to drink, as it needs to ferment.

• If you still live at home or near your family and you’re short of cash, offer yourself for Christmas! Make up coupons for doing the dishes, vacuuming, mowing the lawn, etc. – any chores that need doing – that your family can redeem for your services. Your parents will especially appreciate them for chores they dislike. Not only does this cost a few dollars for paper, but your family will appreciate your thoughtfulness. Just remember that when your family redeems the coupons, you need to make good and do the chores you promise or you’ll be in trouble!

• Photography can be a great gift, and it is about as economical as you can get. You can give pictures that you think are interesting (like landscape, buildings, etc.) or find good pictures of people at fun events or places you have traveled, then frame them and wrap them up. Lots of stores have very cute, cheap frames. They are always a big hit!

Have your own tip? Email it to us at newsletter@FinancialAidNews.com and we may feature your tip in next month’s issue.

Finally, listen to Episode 659 of the Financial Aid Podcast, detailing some simple, free gifts you can give and alternatives to standard, run-of-the-mill gifts.

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Last Words: Blog Highlights from Student Loan Network Experts

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Lee Hannula examines study abroad financial options for international study.

Katie Dexter explores options for graduate school scholarships.

Russ Ain on things graduate students wished they had known.

Jonathan Rudy looks at what to do when your graduation grace period ends on your student loans.

Please take a moment to rate these blog posts and many more at Financial Aid News Stories (FANS) at http://www.FinancialAidNews.com/fans/

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Scholarships

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Have you registered for Scholarship Points, our free college scholarship awards site? Every month, we pick a lucky recipient for two hundred fifty dollars; every quarter, we select a lucky recipient for $1,000. Visit: http://www.ScholarshipPoints.com

Here’s a selection of awards from StudentScholarshipSearch.com - visit the site to see all the new awards (over 60!) posted recently: http://www.StudentScholarshipSearch.com/new/

ICIF Scholarship http://www.studentscholarshipsearch.com/scholarship/659/

EDSF Scholarships http://www.studentscholarshipsearch.com/scholarship/660/

Blair Chiropractic Scholarships http://www.studentscholarshipsearch.com/scholarship/656/

John Stachurski Memorial Scholarship http://www.studentscholarshipsearch.com/scholarship/657/

Sylva Ashworth Scholarship http://www.studentscholarshipsearch.com/scholarship/658/

SVC Foundation Scholarship http://www.studentscholarshipsearch.com/scholarship/654/

HENAAC Scholars Program http://www.studentscholarshipsearch.com/scholarship/655/

Internview Scholarship Competition http://www.studentscholarshipsearch.com/scholarship/652/

Remember, you can get daily scholarship updates by listening to the Financial Aid Podcast (http://www.FinancialAidPodcast.com) and visiting the Student Scholarship Search (http://www.StudentScholarshipSearch.com) web site.

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Student Resources

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Ever take out clothes from last year and find money in the pockets? Is that always a pleasant surprise? You’ll feel the same way after you consolidate your federal or private student loans at StudentLoanConsolidator.com. Reduce your monthly payment up to 53%, simplify your budgeting, and start finding money in your pocket every month. Visit: http://www.StudentLoanConsolidator.com

Get daily free financial aid information on your iPod or computer! Tune into the Financial Aid Podcast every weekday for news, scholarships, and great music. Money talks. Are you listening? Visit: http://www.FinancialAidPodcast.com

Looking for tips about the FAFSA? Visit FAFSA Online, the Internet’s best FAFSA resource at http://www.FAFSAonline.com

StudentPlatinum.com provides reliable student credit card information, advice on debt management, and applications for quality student credit cards. Visit http://www.StudentPlatinum.com

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Financial Aid News is a publication of the Student Loan Network. 1250 Hancock Street, Suite 703N, Quincy, MA 02169 © 2007 Edvisors. All rights reserved.

iPod and iTunes are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc.

Missed an issue? Did you remember a scholarship but can’t 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