The New York Yankees beat the defending Philadelphia Phillies 7-3.
The win is their 27th World Series title.

It’s the first time since New York was attacked on 9/11 they’ve been champions.
And it is fitting they won the World Series Chanpionship in their new ballpark.

Hideki Matsui was the man of the hour with a 2 run home run, a 2 run single,
and a 2 run double for a total of 6 RBI’s out of the scored 7 Yankee Runs.

And he doesn’t even speak English (at least not on camera).

It just goes to show you that anyone with the drive and determination can
“make it” because the USA is the land of opportunity.

Interestingly enough, most of the Yankee players were recruited from college.
It seems if you want to make it in professional sports, you need to make a
name for youself while playing college sports, otherwise the recruiters
will never find you.

But with the US economy in turmoil, college is becoming less affordable
for many families. In addition to the affordability problem to get into and
remain in University comes one of the unexpected and most difficult challenges…

PAYING YOUR STUDENT LOAN’S BACK!

Amanda, a communications major who graduated from a major University this year,
was fortunate enough to land a decent entry level job at the Rachael Raye show.
However, after she pays her rent, electricity, cable, phone, etc etc  bills,
the $600 per month for student loans she has to pay back is unaffordable.

What should she do?
The answer may surprise you.

If anyone has read the book “The Secret” or seen the movie or watched Oprah
when she was talking “The Secret” or has the DVD, then you know that the
secret to getting whatever you want in life is to “focus on what you want.”

Huh?

You see, you have to stay focused on exactly what you want.
So the first thing that needs to be done is to…

Figure out EXACTLY what you want.

Most people Never do this and it is the secret to success.
Consequently and unconsciously, people focus on what they don’t want.

For example, when I asked Amanda what she wanted, she said…
she wanted the bill collectors to stop calling and harassing her.

That’s not really what she wants.

She is focusing on what she doesn’t want. She DOESN’T want the bill collectors
to call her. So by not focusing on what she wants, she’s automatically focusing
on what she doesn’t want and manifest MORE of that into her life.
Hence, more bill collector calls.

I’ll get deeper into the law of attraction at another time.
But for now here is some practical advice…

Paying off college loans can seem like a next to impossible task.
Each year, more people graduate with increasing levels of debt.
This is largely due to the fact that college is expensive.

It doesn’t matter if you’ve graduated from a state school, private college,
or community college. Most people have some level of debt associated
with getting a degree. Now the trick is how you’re going to pay for it.

Depending on the type of loan you have, repayment options are many.
Some people are so overwhelmed by the total amount of the debt,
that they rarely see the various types of repayment options that are available.

A good suggestion is to stay focused on the monthly payment versus the total sum
of what you owe. This should make the idea of repayment more manageable.

If you are a recent grad and you’re wondering exactly how you are going to pay off
your loans, don’t despair. There are a variety of methods you can use.

One of the most popular and effective is student loan consolidation.
Using student loan consolidation, you group your loans into a single loan
which often reduces your monthly payment amount.

Keep checking back at this site for updates. For a ton of information
about scholarships, grants, FASFA, college and paying student loans:

College Scholarships, Grants, FASFA, Paying Student Loans

Here are a couple comments from some of the readers…

“Thanks for the great site i really enjoyed it!”
Jeff

“Wow! This will be my first time visiting, very useful.
Good resources here.”
Allen

Thank you for your comments!

Here is a HUGH Tip that can save you weeks of aggravation… If you have a student entering college this fall and need money quick
Here is How you can get your Parent Plus Loan. Go to HESC.org.
Try to sign up for the Parent Plus Loan.
90% of those that apply are getting this message…

“We cannot process your request at this time.”

Period! - That’s It!
No reason or explanation.

Herein lies the PROBLEM… Nowhere on the forms that you fill out does it say -
MUST answer questions in CAPITAL LETTERS. If you don’t answer the questions in all Caps,
You get the “Not able to process your request at this time” statement.

SO, just answer the questions in ALL CAPS.

If you run into problems call HESC…
1(888) 697-4272

By The Way…

When you enter your phone number on the Parent Plus Loan application
the numbers must be written in this format… 8886974272
(unless you want another error message).

As well as borrowing money for college, an even better way are
scholarships and grants - YOU DON”T HAVE TO PAY them back.

An excellent resource is available to help you win scholarships.

Gain the favor of scholarship committees…Win More Scholarships!
http://ScholarshipMoneyInformation.com

TAGS: grants, HESC, Parent Plus Loan, scholarships

According to the Federal Trade Commission…

There are “unscrupulous companies that guarantee or promise
scholarships, grants or fantastic financial aid packages”.

Many use high pressure sales pitches at seminars where students
are required to pay immediately or risk losing out on the “opportunity.”

The FTC cautions students to look and listen for these tell-tale lines:
- “The scholarship is guaranteed or your money back.”
- “You can’t get this information anywhere else.”
- “I just need your credit card or bank account number to hold this scholarship.”

- “We’ll do all the work.”
- “The scholarship will cost some money.”
- “You’ve been selected” by a “national foundation” to receive a scholarship”
- “You’re a finalist” in a contest you never entered.

If you hear any of those pitches - WATCH OUT!
I have found a website “The FindTuition website” which is “Built on Trust”.
They doesn’t guarantee that any student will be awarded a scholarship.
Scholarship awards are granted based on the eligibility requirements
established by each individual scholarship sponsor.

FindTuition offers the largest database of scholarships available on the internet.
By using technology and superior search engines they can match scholarships
with students. But it is the student’s job to win the award.

In order to win a scholarship award, you have to understand how the
scholarship committee thinks and what they base their decisions on.

Gain the favor of scholarship committees…Win More Scholarships!
http://ScholarshipMoneyInformation.com

In the last post you heard the horror story about how much college costs now.
Imagine what it will cost in 10 or 20 years. Regardless, it’s not too late to find a way
to make paying for college manageable — not easy, but manageable.

Parents and students have to work together to make college affordable.
The earlier you start, the easier it will be.

There are three basic ways to pay for a college education.

* You can pay for it before your child enrolls by saving.
* You can pay for it while he or she is enrolled in college by working.
* You can pay for it after graduation by paying back student loans.

Many people use a combination of the three strategies.
Think of the best approaches that fit your family’s payment strategy.

Most people will use college financial aid…
- scholarships and grants
- work/study jobs
- student loans

Start planning NOW!

In the next post we’ll start diving into the specifics.

Gain the favor of scholarship committees…Win More Scholarships!
http://ScholarshipMoneyInformation.com

Millions of seniors graduating from high school
will start turning their attention over the next few weeks
to paying for college.

Scholarships and grants (which don’t have to be paid back)
are the best options. But not everyone has the academic record
to win scholarships and merit aid.

About two-thirds of four-year college students who graduate
are typically about $20,000 in debt - and the numbers are rising.

Many are confused by the programs and options for borrowing.

Look over to the right hand side on this page where it says “Archives”.
Check out some of the past post. They are a treasure trove of
information about loans, scholarships, grants, work-study programs
even savings and earnings.

Many parents and students get stuck with more debt than they should.
An investigation by New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo
has exposed some questionable financial arrangements…
(he calls them “kickbacks”) involving lending companies and universities.

The whole situation has called into question whether the advice
many students get is really unbiased.

As I have noted in the past couple previous posts,
the education cost for my daughter will be over $200,000 by the time 
she gets her Masters Degree from St Johns University.

And now she’s taking about getting her Doctorate!… Ouch!

Just Remember This: The more you get in scholarships and grants…
the less you have to pay back. I have found an excellent tool
for helping you to win scholarships.

It’s called the Unfair Advantage Scholarship Superpack.
It gives you an inside look at what it takes to win scholarships.
It will give you an advantage over everyone who doesn’t read it!

http://ScholarshipMoneyInformation.com

While I’m on the subject of “what NOT to write in your
scholarship essay, let me mention a couple more things…

1) Don’t talk about religion. It’s fine to have religious
convictions and many of the scholarship judges will
appreciate that, but it’s also one of the quickest ways
to offend that one judge who doesn’t agree with you.

2) Don’t talk about sensitive political issues.
The same reasoning applies as to #1 above.
Many of the judges may agree with your political stand.
But many may not. It’s just not worth the risk.

3) Don’t use slang. Most judges are from an older generation
than the college applicant. They may not understand
your use of a slang term and it’s very easy for them
to just “file your application in the circular basket”.

Out of thousands of applicants, only one will get the scholarship.
If you are THE ONE chosen, Scholarships are an excellent way
to finance your higher education. However, for the rest of us…

Up to this point we’ve talked about scholarships, grants, credit,
work-study, debt consolidation, student loans and parent plus loans.
One way to finance your college education which has not been
discussed is… Making Money online and paying your way
through college DEBT FREE!

Check out:

www.MoneyPlus2000.com

My daughter is a Junior at St John’s University in New York City.
I just checked her financial aid record and discovered that so far,
it has cost over $82,000 to attend.

$82,000 THOUSAND DOLLARS.

$82,012.36 to be exact. And she still has at least one more to go.
The tuition is $24,400 per year (and increasing).

That adds up to about $72,000 over 3 years
- according to my calculations.
So where did the other $10,000 go?

FEES…

New Student Fee, University General Fee, Student Activity Fee,
Late Payment Fee, ID Card Replacement Fee,
A/R Interest (what’s that?).

And this doesn’t even include books (which average about
a hundred bucks each), food, transportation or room and board.
She doesn’t even live on campus.

According to St John’s University - the cost of attendance
for the 2007-2008 Academic Aid Year will be:

Books and Supplies…………….. $1,000.00
Fees…………………………………    $640.00
Home Maintenance………………. $2,700.00
Personal Expenses………………. $1,800.00
Transportation……………………. $1,100.00
Tuition……………………………… $26,200.00

Total: ……………… A Whopping $33,440.00 

Damn!

Her grades are pretty good… All A’s and a couple B’s.
You’d think she could get some grants and scholarship money 
since she’s a good student. Well, she can.

But not $33,440.00 worth.

Which means the balance will have to come from loans.
By the time she graduates, she AND I, will be up to our eyeballs
in student loans and debt.

Now I don’t know about you, but it took me years and years
to pay off my own student loans. Now I have to start all over again
by taking out Parent Plus Loans to help pay for my daughter’s education.

So, what’s the solution?
The solution is MORE SCHOLARSHIPS.

More Scholarships = Less Loans.
   
College is more expensive than ever.
The scholarships you win can change your life forever.

Example… If you can pull off a $5,000 scholarship,
that’s $5,000 less in student loans you have to take out.

A $5,000 student loan means 10 YEARS of paying 
about $100 a month… EVERY MONTH!

Instead of paying that money to the government in the form
of student loan repayment, you could save about $12,000
or so for your retirement. 

Assuming a modest 8 percent rate of appreciation,
that $12,000 can easily grow to over $120,000 in 30 years.

In 40 years, it’ll grow to over $260,000!

That’s a serious life style change. And that’s just for a small
$5,000 scholarship. Just imagine what a $10,000, $20,000
or more in scholarships can do for your lifestyle.

Billion$ of dollars are available in scholarship money.

But the irony is that most students (and their parents)
don’t know where, and more importantly, HOW to apply
for scholarship money.

There are a couple books that are available that list
a couple thousand scholarships that you can apply
for such as Petersons.

But they don’t tell you HOW to win them.
I have finally found such a resource.

www.ScholarshipMoneyInformation.com

Below are some terms that you often come across  as you sort through
the maze of financial aid readings to apply for financial aid…

Expected family contribution (EFC)

Expected family contribution (EFC) is a formula used by the
U.S. Department of Education to determine student eligibility for
such financial aid as Grants, Subsidized Student Loans, or
participation in Work-Study.

The formula assigns a weight to the assets and income of household members
to calculate the EFC. The EFC is stated in dollars.
You can find a worksheet for calculating EFC at the DOE Web site

(www.ed.gov).

FAFSA Deadlines:

Submit 2006-2007 FAFSA on the Web Applications by Midnight Central Daylight Time,
July 2, 2007.

Submit 2007-2008 FAFSA on the Web Applications by Midnight Central Daylight Time,
June 30, 2008

Prepaid tuition plan

Together with college savings plans, prepaid tuition plans are a Qualified
State Tuition Plan (QSTP) that is regulated by Section 529 of the tax code.
These two types of plans are also called Section 529 plans.

As a result of the 2001 tax cut, withdrawals used for qualified expenses
have been exempt from federal taxes since 2002. Depending on the state plan,
contributions or withdrawals may be deductible from state income taxes.

Prepaid Tuition Plans allow you to pay a child’s college tuition today,
usually at current prices. You can usually make installment or lump sum payments.

College Savings Plan

Together with prepaid tuition plans, college savings plans are a qualified
state tuition plan (QSTP) that is regulated by Section 529 of the tax code.

These two types of plans are also called Section 529 plans.
As a result of the 2001 tax cut, withdrawals used for qualified expenses have been
exempt from federal taxes since 2002.

Depending on the plan, contributions or withdrawals may be deductible from state
income taxes. College savings plans invest in a professionally managed mutual fund
or group of funds.

You can save well over $100,000 for most college savings plans.
Since states have some discretion in setting up tax rules, contribution limits,
and management fees, you should read the terms and conditions of the state plan
you are considering.

Section 529 plans

A Section 529 plan is a tax-advantaged account used to save for the college education of
a child, grandchild or other dependent. Section 529 plans are run by state governments
(and some private colleges) and include college savings plans and prepaid-tuition plans.

Section 529 plans are named for the section of tax code that governs them.
Investors contribute to an account that is managed by the investment board or
treasury of the state in which the account is opened.

Section 529 plans are offered in the form of prepaid tuition plans in 20 states
and as college savings plans in 41 states. Tax laws for contributions and distributions
vary from state to state.

Both plan types allow for tax-deferred growth in the account. Since 2002,
the funds taken from a Section 529 plan to pay for qualified higher education expenses
have been tax-exempt.

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants
FSEOG are Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants.
FSEOGs are for undergraduates with exceptional financial need.

Pell Grant recipients with the lowest Estimated Family Contributions (EFCs)
will be the first to get FSEOG Grants.
Just like Pell Grants, FSEOGs don’t have to be paid back.

You can receive up to $4,000 a year, depending on when you apply and
other factors such as:

- Your financial need
- Funding at the school you’re attending
- Policies of the financial aid office at your school

If you’re eligible, your school will usually credit your account.
Or you can get paid directly, usually by check.
You can also combine these payment methods.

Your school must pay you at least once per school term
either semester, trimester, or quarter.

(Schools that do not use semesters, trimesters, or quarters
must disburse funds at least twice per academic year).

Institutional Grants

In additional to FSEOG, SMART Grants and Academic Competitiveness
Grants, there are other grants available. Colleges provide
institutional grants to help make up the difference between
college costs and what a family can be expected to contribute
through income, savings, loans, and student earnings.

Other institutional grants, known as merit awards or merit scholarships,
are awarded on the basis of academic achievement. Some merit awards
are offered only to students whose families demonstrate financial need.

Other Merit Awards are awarded without regard to a family’s finances.

Some grants come with special privileges or obligations.
Ask questions and find out about the types of grants awarded
by each college you are considering.

NOTICE: Not all schools participate in all of the federal student
aid programs administered by the U.S. Department of Education.

A Postsecondary Education Creates Opportunities!

No qualified student should be denied an education
because the cost is too high.

The purpose of this blog is to help you find the money you need.
There’s money available - but you need to apply to be eligible.

This blog will tell you what you need to know about federal student
assistance programs - grants, loans, work-study, student debt consolidation,
credit and credit cards and much more.

There may be a good deal more money available than you think.

Last year alone nearly $78 Billion was provided in the form of grants,
work-study and low-interest loans.

About 10 Million students benefited from this aid.
Many of them could not have managed without this help.

You’ll find lots of useful information available and it is updated
on a near daily basis. Check back here often and tell your friends about it.

Whether you decide to attend a four-year college or university,
community college or technical school, the knowledge you will gain
will be of value to you for the rest of your life.

Those who receive education credentials beyond a high school diploma
have more jobs to choose from and earn much more than those who do not
pursue an education beyond high school.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, a person with a bachelor’s degree
earns almost double what someone with only a high school diploma earns.

Take advantage of the resources provided here as you go forward
into new successes. Go for it.

Use the information you find here and Make It Happen!
 

Cut your monthly student loan payment by up to 60%