FAP772: Free stuff Friday, Lender of Last Resort, SREB Listen now: Student Financial Aid News + At the SREB GoAlliance conference yesterday + Some revelatory facts - every 26 seconds, a kid drops out of high school + In some southern states, kids drop out as early as 4th grade + The causes are many - family influence, money, time, culture + Addressing the issue requires a multitude of approaches + My role was to help train GoAlliance members in direct to consumer marketing + Consequences are grave - statistically a college graduate makes more than $1.2M over a lifetime in earnings more than a high school graduate, $1.6M over someone with no diploma + That’s 3,323 kids a DAY - and that means $3.9 BILLION a day lost + NorthStar and Student Loan Xpress exit the student loan market + Chronicle: Responding to growing concern that student loans may be less available this fall, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, the Massachusetts Democrat who is chairman of the Senate education committee, introduced legislation on Thursday aimed at reducing borrowers’ dependence on private student loans and making it easier for colleges to find lenders for their students. + Mr. Kennedy’s bill, which comes amid a credit crunch that has caused a number of lenders to leave the federally guaranteed student loan programs and private-loan programs, would increase the maximum Pell Grant for the lowest-income students by up to $750. It would also increase federal loan limits by $1,000 a year for undergraduates who are dependents of their parents, and $2,000 a year for independent undergraduates and students whose parents cannot obtain PLUS loans because of their poor credit. The bill also aims to ease the process of applying for a loan under the federal government’s “lender of last resort” program, which would use guarantee agencies to provide loans if they become widely unavailable. Under current law, students seeking a loan would have to petition the Education Department directly and prove that they had been denied a loan by at least two lenders. Under Mr. Kennedy’s bill, the department could designate lenders of last resort on a collegewide, not a student-by-student, basis. + Stafford federal student loans at StaffordLoan.com + Parent PLUS loans at ParentPLUSLoan.com + Private student loans at AlternativeStudentLoan.com Scholarship Update + Songs from the Heart + Rock, rap or riff an original song expressing your support for a cause or candidate you care about! Express yourself with an original song backing an issue close to your heart. The style of music is up to you! Create your original song, let your voice be heard and you could win $500! No purchase necessary. Open to anyone who is a resident of the 50 United States or the District of Columbia, has access to the Internet, and is 13 or older at the time of entry. + $500 + June 11 deadline + Details at our free college scholarship search site Free Stuff Friday + How to Find Lost Objects eBook + Sync up all your calendars with FuseCal + Chel Pixie warns to read the TOS on Photoshop Express + David Allen’s GTD email eBook + TONS of stuff today via BalanceInDiet.com + The Backyardigans printable coloring book + Sample of Maybelline Mineral Powder + Sample of Ultra Xcid Antacid by Zicam + Sample of Vaseline Intensive Rescue + Sample of Dove Go Fresh deodorant + Sample of Post-It flags + Seattle’s Best Coffee Sample + Curel Life Stages Sample + Always Samples + Fiber One Cereal Sample + Jergens Natural Glow Moisturizer Sample + Vaseline Intensive Rescue Sample + FlexForce Trash Bag Sample + Gold Bond Lotion Sample + Purina One Healthful Life Cat Food Sample + Check out list #1 + And List #2 Free Song of the Week + Adrina Thorpe, Midnight Promo + Financial Aid Podcast Live: Surviving the Credit Crunch Did you enjoy today’s show? If so, please consider subscribing for free to get it delivered to you . Subscribing for free means you don’t have to remember to download it every day. + + + Direct MP3 file download: Click here to download the MP3 Reminders + + Financial Aid Podcast Show Notes at FinancialAidPodcast.com. + Free scholarship search secrets eBook at StudentScholarshipSearch.com/ebook + Open an FDIC-insured savings account today! + Private student loans available at any time - visit AlternativeStudentLoan.com + Student credit card information at StudentPlatinum.com + FAFSA form tutorials and free help at FAFSAonline.com + Grad student? Get graduate financial aid information at the GradLoans.com blog! + Stafford federal student loans at StaffordLoan.com + The Financial Aid Podcast is a publication of the Student Loan Network. I want to hear from you! Email me at financialaidpodcast {at} gmail {dot} com, visit http://www.FinancialAidPodcast.com, or call 206-350-1208. Technorati Tags: financial aid financialaidpodcast ShareThis Less