Student Loans

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Hey fellow college students! Winter semester has begun and many of us don't have the money to pay for it!

We're going to need student loans (if not this semester, next) and in order to get the right loan with the right interest rate we have to be educated- I mean on student loans!

Luckily, the Student Loan Ninjette has gathered together all the information you are seeking.

Click the links to your left to start learning about student loans!

Our college years can be very stressful. Trying to juggle classes, study, get homework in on time, develop your social life, sleep, work, fight pirates and participate in extracurricular activities (not to mention all the domestic chores such as shopping, cooking, cleaning and laundry) is a pain in the -you know where-. However, the most stressful and agonizing aspect of college life is usually figuring out how to pay for it all (unless you're lucky enough to have a rich uncle).

About-Student-Loans.com will help you get the information you need to find a student loan that is perfect for you! We also provide free information on other student finance options such as scholarships and grants.

Remember to

Student Loan Alternatives-
An "alternative college loan," also known as a private college loan, is different than a federal student loan. Click here to see if it's right for you.
Low-Interest Student Loans-
Find out how to get the low interest college education loans you've been looking for. What are the qualifications for obtaining a low interest loan? Where can you find one? Is there a low-interest federal government loan?
Student Loan Consolidation-
Great information on school loan consolidation. Student education loans can get out of hand sometimes, especially once you've graduated from college. Debt consolidation may or may not be the best option for you. Consolidation is when you compile all your student loans into one. Whether it's private loan consolidation or Stafford loan consolidation, read these articles to find out if student consolidation loans are right for you.
Stafford Student Loans-
Stafford student loans are the most popular loans. Why? Check out our Stafford Student Loan information page to find out! And to check out information on other federal student loans.
Managing Student Debt-
Awesome information that will help you successfully manage your student debt and reduce it as quickly as possible. Also, tips to help you make more and spend less!
Student Finance Options-
Taking out a loan isn't your only option, and quite often it isn't the best choice for you. Scholarships and grants are great alternatives to taking out a loan because you don't have to pay them back. Visit our Student Finance Options page to explore finance options other than student loans.
Other College Information-
Learning how to take out loans, find scholarships, and manage your debt are all great things that you ought to know while your in college. However, there are other important things that college students should know. Here are Other College Articles that explain a few of these important things.

We are always looking for additional articles. If you have an article you would like to submit about student loans, please fill out the form here and we will post it shortly.

Recent Student Loan News- February 11, 2008

Budget May Cut Student Loans

Daily Tar Heel

by Meghan Cook

Bush's 2009 budget proposal would cut some federal student loan programs in order to channel funds toward an expansion of Pell Grants, while recently passed congressional legislation excludes such cuts.

Bush's proposal would eliminate the Federal Perkins Loan Program, the oldest federal need-based program, as well as the Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant program, aimed at students with exceptional financial need.

Those cuts would fund a $2.7 billion expansion of annual Pell Grant appropriations. According to the proposal, the maximum award for the need-based Pell Grant would increase by $69 to $4,800.

Shirley Ort, director of UNC Scholarships and Student Aid, praised Bush's proposal to increase the Pell Grant, but said eliminating the Perkins Loan program and scaling back the Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant might hurt the very students the president is trying to help.

Last year 270 UNC undergraduate students received about $2,500 each from Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, she said.

"We would have to scramble to come up with that kind of money to fill the gap," Ort said.

The impact of eliminating Perkins Loans would vary from campus to campus, said Steve Brooks, executive director of the N.C. State Education Assistance Authority, the state financial aid agency.

"In general, some students would be able to borrow from more expensive sources with high interest loans, but others would be left short," he said, adding that availability of loans offered through College Foundation of North Carolina, a state nonprofit, would not decrease.

Kimrey Rhinehardt, UNC-system vice president for federal relations, said Bush's budget is not a blueprint for Congress, adding that the legislature has its own ideas for the future of higher education.

"Congress is very concerned about the rising cost of tuition," she said. "They're trying to put controls in place so that people have more transparent information about costs of college."

The College Cost Reduction and Access Act, signed into law on Sept. 27, extended Pell Grant funding by $11.4 billion over the next five years.

On Thursday, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed the College Opportunity and Affordability Act, a reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, the federal law focused on increasing college access for low-income students.

A final version of the act will be sent to Bush for his signature after a meeting between members of both houses.

Perkins loans have a fixed interest rate of 5 percent, which is paid by the federal government while the student is enrolled, and the program includes forgiveness provisions for students entering certain teaching and public service careers.

"Many students who major in certain high-need fields, such as teaching and nursing, rely on the forgiveness provision of the Perkins Loan program to reduce the burden of their loan repayment after graduation," Ort said. "That would be gone."