10/31: Happy Halloween! No more Perkins $$$, Scholarship Update, Top 10 Questions, Niki Kwik, Paula Toledo, Natalie Brown, #103

Intro music today is sampled from the now-defunct television series Angel, performed by Darling Violetta.

History Lesson: Halloween
+ Wikipedia Article

Student Financial Aid News
+ Senate bill for higher education proposes a series of interim changes while Higher Ed. Act is being reauthorized
+ Restoration of TRIO, Gear, and other programs
+ Continuation of Pell Grant
+ Elimination of Perkins Loan Funds

Scholarship Search Secrets Update
+ One of these days, version 2.0, really. I promise.
+ Today’s search secret: a new venue for using all the secret keywords and phrases you’ve built up!

Mail Bag
+ Message about the MotoFWRD Scholarship
+ Top 10 Financial Aid Questions asked to CUNY Financial Aid Advisors
+ Article
+ Free FAFSA Info
+ Stafford Student Loan Info
+ Act Education Loans

Promo
+ The M Show with John Wall
+ The M Show
+ Insights into why Christmas stuff is on sale so early this year

Podsafe Music
+ Niki Kwik, No Need to Apologize
+ Paula Toledo, Fly Away
+ Natalie Brown, Jingle Bells (yes, Jingle Bells!)
+ All music is via the Podsafe Music Network

Financial Aid Podcast Show Notes at FinancialAidPodcast.com. The Financial Aid Podcast is a publication of the Student Loan Network.

Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Email me at financialaidpodcast {at} gmail {dot} com or visit http://www.FinancialAidPodcast.com

Direct file download: MP3 file

10/28: T-Bills, Taxes on Loans, Tons of Scholarships, Grace Periods, Carrie Pettit, Farewell June, Stingray, #102

Student Financial Aid News
+ T-Bills in October: Insane! 3.518% to start, ending at 3.942%
+ 0.0388% weekly average increase, 26 week moving average
+ 1% charge for the offset as a fee
+ StudentLoanConsolidator.com
+ Angry? Let your representatives know.
+ House.gov
+ Senate.gov

Scholarship Update
+ Tons of scholarships from the General Federation of Women’s Clubs of Massachusetts
+ Art scholarships for up to $800
+ Music scholarships of up to $800
+ A $600 scholarship for teacher training program leading to certification to teach
+ Majoring in voice? There is a $500 scholarship offered.
+ For college undergraduates or graduates majoring in Public Health, there is a $500 scholarship.
+ An $800 scholarship for graduate students studying Communication Disorders / Speech Therapy
+ Several graduate fellowships of $3000 will be awarded to women students who have maintained legal residence in Massachusetts for at least five years studying in the fields of Cancer Research or Nurse Practitioner.
+ Apply at GFWCMA.org

A Reminder About Grace Periods
+ If you do not consolidate your student loans while you are in your grace period, you will - not may, not might, you WILL - pay 13% more than you have to.
+ StudentLoanConsolidator.com

Reminder: iPod Nano Contest!
+ Contest web page

Podsafe Music
+ Carrie Pettit, Dream On
+ Farewell June, Irony
+ Stingray, Last Night
+ All music is via the Podsafe Music Network

Financial Aid Podcast Show Notes at FinancialAidPodcast.com. The Financial Aid Podcast is a publication of the Student Loan Network.

Buy music featured on the Financial Aid Podcast in the iTunes Music Store!

Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Email me at financialaidpodcast {at} gmail {dot} com or visit http://www.FinancialAidPodcast.com

Direct file download: MP3 file

Has anyone noticed what the heck is happening with the 91 day T-bill this month? It’s been out of control. The T-bill started October at 3.518%, and as of this week’s auction, it’s at 3.942%.

10/27: $6 Billion Tax on College Graduates, Grad School, Military Scholarships, Matthew Ebel, Adrina Thorpe, Marlena Randall, #101

Student Financial Aid News
+ New plan to make consolidating even more expensive for borrowers
+ $6 billion dollar tax on college graduates
+ Article Link
+ How much do loan programs cost? Direct vs. FFELP
+ GAO Budget study: direct loan program at $1.70 per $100 of loans disbursed, compared to a cost of $9.20 per $100 of loans disbursed through the guaranteed program.
+ Article Link
+ $7 billion to wiretap college campuses
+ Article Link
+ Consolidate now before all this stuff takes effect!
+ StudentLoanConsolidator.com

Mail Bag
+ Making the transition from undergraduate to graduate student
+ Act Education Loan for Graduate Students
+ ActEducationLoans.com
+ GradLoans.com

Scholarship Update
+ MilitaryScholar.org
+ For children of active duty military personnel
+ $1,500 scholarships
+ Applications accepted beginning in November

Reminder: iPod Nano Contest!
+ Contest web page

Podsafe Music
+ Matthew Ebel, Drive Away
+ Adrina Thorpe, Did You Think
+ Marlena Randall, It Won’t Be Me
+ All music is via the Podsafe Music Network

Financial Aid Podcast Show Notes at FinancialAidPodcast.com. The Financial Aid Podcast is a publication of the Student Loan Network.

Buy music featured on the Financial Aid Podcast in the iTunes Music Store!

Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Email me at financialaidpodcast {at} gmail {dot} com or visit http://www.FinancialAidPodcast.com

Direct file download: MP3 file

10/26: Celebrating 100 podcasts, Nelnet buys Chela, New Financial Aid Numbers, iPod Nano Contest, Mail Bag, Greatest Podsafe Hits, A Look Back, #100

Episode 100 is here! We celebrate 100 episodes of Financial Aid News, the longest running, most frequently published financial aid podcast on the Internet. In celebration, I’m going to republish a couple of extras in today’s feed:
+ Our Podcast 411 Interview
+ Today’s Show
+ Episode 1 in its shameful entirety

Student Financial Aid News
+ Nelnet Acquires Chela
+ New figures on financial aid from the College Board
+ Article

iPod Nano Giveaway
+ The prize will be one of two prizes:
+ The Financial Aid Podcast will make your student loan payment for one month (up to $300) OR
+ A free 4GB iPod nano™ PLUS lanyard headphones ($300 value)
+ The winner will be given a choice of prize, and the winners will be announced on the Financial Aid Podcast on December 1, 2005 (just in time for Christmas)
+ Tell additional friends about this contest to increase your chances of winning! (every referral who enters your email address counts as an additional entry for you!)
+ You will automatically be entered to win if you apply for a Stafford Loan through StaffordLoan.com, a PLUS Loan through ParentPLUSLoan.com, a Student Loan Consolidation through StudentLoanConsolidator.com, or an Act Education Loan from ActEducationLoans.com. To refer additional people to this page, simply provide them with our web site address, FinancialAidPodcast.com.
+ For full details, visit: http://financialaidnews.com/show100contest.php

Mail Bag
+ What is the Direct Loan Program?

A Look Back: Episode #1
+ Originally a weekly podcast
+ April 11, 2005
+ Wow, did it suck! It was literally just reading one web page after another
+ Since then:
+ 100 episodes
+ 275 new podsafe songs
+ 125 scholarships worth over $5 million
+ 1 e-Book
+ Feedburner #65 on top 100 podcasts
+ 16 new artists introduced to podcasting

Podsafe Music: The Greatest Hits
+ Cruisebox, On a Podcast
+ Natalie Brown, I Wonder
+ i:Scintilla, Scin
+ All music is via the Podsafe Music Network

Thanks and Credits
+ Props to Joe Cronin and the entire Student Loan Network team!
+ StudentLoanNetwork.com
+ Also to Adam Curry, C. C. Chapman, Rob Walch, the New England Podcasting Community, and fellow podcasters everywhere!

Financial Aid Podcast Show Notes at FinancialAidPodcast.com. The Financial Aid Podcast is a publication of the Student Loan Network.

Buy music featured on the Financial Aid Podcast in the iTunes Music Store!

Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Email me at financialaidpodcast {at} gmail {dot} com or visit http://www.FinancialAidPodcast.com

Direct file download: MP3 file

10/25: Back in the office, iPod Nano giveaway, $3B for TV?, Scholarship Update, Mail Bag, Melissa Cox, Alabaster Queen, Masceo, #99

iPod Nano Giveaway
+ I’m about to hit a milestone in podcasting that I’m quite proud of: the 100th episode of the Financial Aid Podcast. To celebrate, I’m having a little contest. Here’s how it works:
+ The prize will be one of two prizes:
+ The Financial Aid Podcast will make your student loan payment for one month (up to $300) OR
+ A free 4GB iPod nano™ PLUS lanyard headphones ($300 value)
+ The winner will be given a choice of prize, and the winners will be announced on the Financial Aid Podcast on December 1, 2005 (just in time for Christmas)
+ Tell additional friends about this contest to increase your chances of winning! (every referral who enters your email address counts as an additional entry for you!)
+ You will automatically be entered to win if you apply for a Stafford Loan through StaffordLoan.com, a PLUS Loan through ParentPLUSLoan.com, a Student Loan Consolidation through StudentLoanConsolidator.com, or an Act Education Loan from ActEducationLoans.com. To refer additional people to this page, simply provide them with our web site address, FinancialAidPodcast.com.
+ For full details, visit: http://financialaidnews.com/show100contest.php

Student Financial Aid News
+ $3 billion for cable TV, but no money for higher education?
+ Earthtime article
+ No more education tax breaks? It could happen!
+ Wallet Watch article

Scholarship Update
+ New scholarship search secret update
+ Today’s secret keyphrase will deliver entire pages of scholarships!

Mail bag
+ The difference between a scholarship and a grant
+ Scholarships tend to be more merit and criteria focused first
+ Grants tend to be more need-aware and need-focused first
+ These are not hard and fast rules - they are usually interchangeable terms!

Podsafe Music
+ Melissa Cox, Goddess
+ Alabaster Queen, Retail
+ Masceo, Cannonball
+ All music is via the Podsafe Music Network

Financial Aid Podcast Show Notes at FinancialAidPodcast.com. The Financial Aid Podcast is a publication of the Student Loan Network.

Buy music featured on the Financial Aid Podcast in the iTunes Music Store!

Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Email me at financialaidpodcast {at} gmail {dot} com

Direct file download: MP3 file

Play it now! (Press the [>] button )

10/24: Out sick, ergo New Music Monday on the Financial Aid Podcast, #98

Hi folks. Sorry about the audio quality of my spoken word portion of today’s podcast. I snagged a nasty, nasty cold that started in on me last week, got stronger over the weekend, and now is making me feel like the south end of a northbound cow, or the floor of a taxi after duty. Either way, it’s bad. As such, today is a New Music Monday on the Financial Aid Podcast, and it’s a Jazz & Blues Monday at that. All of the songs today are from P. W. Fenton and the Second Ward.

Podsafe Music by P. W. Fenton and the Second Ward
+ The Road
+ Silent Treatment
+ Like Tears in Rain
+ Invisible Man
+ 99 Pounds
+ All music is via the Podsafe Music Network

Financial Aid Podcast Show Notes at FinancialAidPodcast.com. The Financial Aid Podcast is a publication of the Student Loan Network.

Buy music featured on the Financial Aid Podcast in the iTunes Music Store!

Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Email me at financialaidpodcast {at} gmail {dot} com

Direct file download: MP3 file

10/21: Stanford on iTunes, return to aid, charity, international student loans, scholarship update, P.W. Fenton, Amplifico, #97

Student Financial Aid News
+ I’m going to Stanford University, and so can you - on iTunes
+ Stanford on iTunes
+ Additional financial aid cuts to the tune of $2,800
+ Fees outpacing aid at UC by design
+ Return to aid concept

Corrections
+ Charity is not AGI adjustment
+ 2005 tax return

Mail bag
+ Where to get international student loans
+ StudyAbroadLoans.com
+ Gerri Corrado and 20 year old student loans
+ StudentLoanConsolidator.com
+ Where to get international scholarships
+ InternationalScholarships.com

Scholarship Update
+ Wellesley Scholarship Foundation
+ $1,500 annually for 4 years
+ WellesleyScholarshipFoundation.org

Podsafe Music
+ P.W. Fenton and the Second Ward, Silent Treatment
+ Amplifico, Combing my Soul for More
+ Amplifico, Flutter
+ All music is via the Podsafe Music Network

Financial Aid Podcast Show Notes at FinancialAidPodcast.com. The Financial Aid Podcast is a publication of the Student Loan Network.

Buy music featured on the Financial Aid Podcast in the iTunes Music Store!

Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Email me at financialaidpodcast {at} gmail {dot} com

Direct file download: MP3 file

10/20: Hurricane Wilma, Athletic spending, student loan scams, hurricane help, scholarship update, P. W. Fenton, Mogul, Diane Ward, #96

Student Financial Aid News
+ Hurricane Wilma
+ Southern Florida universities closing up shop
+ If you’re in the affected area - LEAVE!
+ USA Today reports that college spending on expenses reached $3.6 billion last year
+ Athletics spending growing three times faster than all other spending
+ Student loan scams, shifting students into higher interest rates
+ Need a private loan with up front disclosures? Act Education Loans.
+ ActEducationLoans.com or 866-229-8900

Mail Bag
+ Hurricane affected students
+ How to get things squared away
+ The Department of Education is your best resource
+ 1-800-4-FED-AID

Scholarship Update
+ University of Kansas preview days
+ Includes assistance with admissions and scholarship applications
+ Waived or deferred fees
+ KU Admissions
+ 785-864-3911

Podsafe Music
+ P. W. Fenton and the Second Ward, Above the Clouds
+ Mogul, Overwhelmed
+ Diane Ward, He Waits
+ All music is via the Podsafe Music Network

Financial Aid Podcast Show Notes at FinancialAidPodcast.com. The Financial Aid Podcast is a publication of the Student Loan Network.

Buy music featured on the Financial Aid Podcast in the iTunes Music Store!

Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Email me at financialaidpodcast {at} gmail {dot} com

Direct file download: MP3 file

10/20: Hurricane Wilma, Athletic spending, student loan scams, hurricane help, scholarship update, P. W. Fenton, Mogul, Diane Ward, #96

Student Financial Aid News
+ Hurricane Wilma
+ Southern Florida universities closing up shop
+ If you’re in the affected area - LEAVE!
+ USA Today reports that college spending on expenses reached $3.6 billion last year
+ Athletics spending growing three times faster than all other spending
+ Student loan scams, shifting students into higher interest rates
+ Need a private loan with up front disclosures? Act Education Loans.
+ ActEducationLoans.com or 866-229-8900

Mail Bag
+ Hurricane affected students
+ How to get things squared away
+ The Department of Education is your best resource
+ 1-800-4-FED-AID

Scholarship Update
+ University of Kansas preview days
+ Includes assistance with admissions and scholarship applications
+ Waived or deferred fees
+ KU Admissions
+ 785-864-3911

Podsafe Music
+ P. W. Fenton and the Second Ward, Above the Clouds
+ Mogul, Overwhelmed
+ Diane Ward, He Waits
+ All music is via the Podsafe Music Network

Financial Aid Podcast Show Notes at FinancialAidPodcast.com. The Financial Aid Podcast is a publication of the Student Loan Network.

Buy music featured on the Financial Aid Podcast in the iTunes Music Store!

Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Email me at financialaidpodcast {at} gmail {dot} com

Direct file download: MP3 file