Podcast Listener: Question about financial aid
Christopher Penn: yessir
Podcast Listener: I will be taking Fall classes in September, and haven’t yet totally gotton all of the financial aid stuff together..
Podcast Listener: Is there some kind of financial aid out there other than loans besides grants and scholarships, I really want to use loans as the last resort
Christopher Penn: Scholarships and grants are about it, unless you find a company that can sponsor you; some companies have sponsorships for employees.
Christopher Penn: Other non-loan aid can include working for the university full time …

I had an hour long chat with a podcast listener today and got to essentially “listen” as they talked with their loan holder, Sallie Mae. I’ll publicly put out this plea: if you ever experience customer service like this from the Student Loan Network, please call me personally at (206) 350-1208. I never want us to be even remotely this bad.
Warning: this chat contains profanity and is inappropriate for anyone who wouldn’t be let into an R-Rated movie. More after the break.

A quick afternoon chat with a podsafe musician who was about to brave the cold – and resources she could use online to market there, where presumbly it’s warmer.

A conversation I recently had with a fellow podcaster.

This was a funny moment. Financial Aid Podcast listener Leah Lage and I were sitting in Crayonville’s diner, talking about new media. A funny conversation ensued.

A transcript of a chat held on Friday, December 15.
Podcast Listener: hello?
Financial Aid Podcast: hello?
Podcast Listener: hi, i just listened to your podcast on myspace
Financial Aid Podcast: oh, cool!
Podcast Listener: yeah man i just have a few questions
Podcast Listener: i was wonderin if you could give me some advice
Financial Aid Podcast: possibly!
Podcast Listener: sweet well i’m 19 and soon to be married but i’m dead broke i have barley a few buckes left that i’d like to invest but i just need direction as to where to put this money, …

The following is a chat transcript with a college student doing a paper about podcasting.
FAP: let’s start roughly with the history of Podcasting.
Interviewer: I’m at the podcamp website now
FAP: Dave Winer and Chris Lydon pioneered it back in 2003.
Interviewer: ok
FAP: back then it was an extension of RSS.
FAP: still is.
FAP: in 2004, former MTV VJ Adam Curry took it up as a hobby and started producing one of the oldest and most popular podcasts, the Daily Source Code.
FAP: and that sort of set the tone of the podcasting culture. fiercely …

Visitor: wuddduuupp
Financial Aid Podcast: hello.
Visitor: lol – um you handle financial aid right
Visitor: or
Visitor: not handle per se but know whats up
Financial Aid Podcast: yes, I do. I produce the Financial Aid Podcast, the internet radio show.
Visitor: idk what that is
Visitor: but
Visitor: i go to ccri [community college in rhode island”>MP3 file anndd i got a pellgrant for 950
Financial Aid Podcast: ok.
Visitor: could i apply for like… more grants or something
Visitor: or do i only get one
Visitor: i know im pretty stupid huh
Visitor: youre excited youre talking to me i …

From a recent AOL Instant Messenger session…
Visitor: can you help me with my financial aid application
Financial Aid Podcast: possibly. what’s the issue?
Visitor: i was wondering if i had no income for 2005 b/c i was 17 and living with my parents is it better to wait for the 2006 tax results where my medicaid, wic, food stamps, and im shown as an independent
Financial Aid Podcast: for the FAFSA, you mean?
Visitor: yeah
Visitor: im 18 now and worked 2 months for 2006, im pregnant can not work due to pregnancy and my …

Another in our interview series.