The cost of a college education is rising every year. This year the average cost of a private four-year school was $26,273, up 4.4% from last year, and the average cost of a public school was $7,020, up 6.5% from last year. For most families, paying for college is a struggle. If you feel like you do not have all the pieces of the financial aid puzzle, you are not alone.

Many students and parents make the decision not to fill out a FAFSA because they think that a Stafford Loan is out of the question. While many are probably right about a Subsidized Stafford Loan they are wrong about an Unsubsidized Stafford Loan.

Many students make the decision to go to graduate school right after they complete their undergraduate education. Often times students are hesitant to go back to school and take out more loans because they already have a significant amount of debt from their undergraduate education.

Transferring from one school to another is an extremely common occurrence for college students. It can be a complicated process but it usually works out for the best. However, students often wonder what happens to their Stafford loan when they transfer schools.

Generally a student ceases to be eligible for aid once he or she has finished the term and is no longer enrolled. However, a student may submit verification documentation and receive a late disbursement after that time if the Department of Education processed a SAR or ISIR with an official EFC while said student was enrolled.

Did you know there are a few mandatory forbearance situations you may qualify for?

The Higher Education Act allows a financial aid administrator (FAA) to make dependency overrides on a case-by-case basis for students with unusual circumstances. If the FAA determines that an override is appropriate, she or he must write a statement detailing the determination and must include the statement and supporting documentation in the student’s file.

I actually hear this question quite often, and in the interest of full disclosure I must admit that I didn’t know who my lender was when I took out my Stafford loan either.

A FFEL lender is prohibited from discriminating against an applicant on the basis of race, national origin, religion, sex, marital status, age, or disability.

Did you know that a student who is otherwise eligible for a subsidized Stafford loan and, after not more than two rejections, who has been unable to find an FFEL lender willing to make such a loan, should contact the guaranty agency in his state of residence or the guaranty agency in the state in which his school is located?