1/31: Alan Greenspan, interest rates, politics, UMass, mail bag, anemo, #173

Student Financial Aid News
+ Alan Greenspan retires today
+ Ben Bernanke takes over the Fed
+ Interest rate hike of 0.25% on Fed funds rate/Prime rate
+ 91-day T-Bill rate goes up to 4.485% from 4.397%
+ Things I did not know: Fed Funds and 91-day T-Bill are practically joined at the hip
+ Talk of Fed going to 5%
+ Consolidate those loans! Call us at 877-328-1565
+ Sallie Mae campaign contributions to Missouri politicians
+ President Bush’s budget anticipated to have $1B less education aid for 2007
+ Okay, so what can you do?
+ Don’t elect incumbents during this election cycle or the next one
+ Examine carefully the campaign finances of the politicians you elect
+ Who owns them?

Scholarship Update
+ UMass Boston Chancellor’s Scholarship for Excellence Program
+ Full tuition and fees for undergraduates
+ 3.2 GPA plus essay, application
+ March 1 deadline
+ SAT 1150 or higher
+ Massachusetts resident
+ Detailed page at StudentScholarshipSearch.com

Mail Bag
+ Orland - question on FAFSA and independent
+ Check out FAFSAonline.com
+ Eric - FAFSA eligibility and grants
+ Look at other opportunities like scholarships
+ Alternative student loans are also available regardless of your FAFSA - click here to apply or call 866-229-8900
+ Michael - financing for schools in Guildford, England
+ A few places to look:
+ InternationalScholarships.com
+ StudyAbroadLoans.com
+ If a US student, transfer of financial aid/tuition reciprocity

Podsafe Music
+ anemo, Fallout Renegade
+ Support Indie Artists, Buy the Podsafe Album for only $9.90!
+ Via the Podsafe Music Network
+ Stop by our MySpace page!

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

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1/30: George Carlin, Alan Greenspan, FAFSA, scholarship update, living on campus or off campus, Allison Tartalia, #172

Student Financial Aid News
+ George Carlin’s Life is Worth Losing
+ The Well Trained Mind
+ Expect fed funds rate to reach 4.50% tomorrow
+ Credit card rates will follow
+ Alan Greenspan retires
+ FAFSA filing season heads into the yellow zone
+ FAFSAonline.com is the place to file your FAFSA for free

Scholarship Update
+ Minnesota state grant
+ Awards up to $5,000 per student
+ For low and middle income students
+ $115 million in grants
+ Deadline is February 15, 2006
+ Total database value $489,808,688
+ Detailed information at StudentScholarshipSearch.com

News You Can Use
+ On or off campus living?
+ Depends on the local real estate market, situation
+ Rent + expenses vs. on campus living
+ Monthly rent + 50% to cover utilities, food, etc.
+ Check Craigslist for market averages
+ Craigslist.org
+ Example

Podsafe Music
+ Allison Tartalia, Absolutely Fabulous
+ Support Indie Artists, Buy the Podsafe Album for only $9.90!
+ Via the Podsafe Music Network
+ Stop by our MySpace page!

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

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1/27: Arizona, AAU, Iran, Phone Sex Lines, scholarship update, eye on the economy, private student loans, anemo, #171

Student Financial Aid News
+ Arizona passes new Work Study bill out of committee into legislature
+ $5M in funding
+ 4,000 - 6,000 students
+ Correction - it’s Matt Blunt, not Roy Blunt
+ American competitiveness still in question - committees asking for more higher education funding
+ US ranks 16th in the world for undergrads in science & engineering
+ Iran ranks 8th
+ Association of American Universities
+ Call for 5,000 more fellowships at the graduate level
+ Increase Pell Grant
+ Seton Hall University typo - misprinted phone number to phone sex line

Scholarship Update
+ New keyphrase search
+ Hey, who’s got all the money?
+ That’s where to search!
+ Free scholarship e-book, Scholarship Search Secrets
+ Free scholarship search site, StudentScholarshipSearch.com

Eye on the Economy
+ Why more banks are offering private student loans
+ Why the interest rates and benefits for students aren’t great overall
+ Ties back to securitization
+ Also ties back to money and math knowledge
+ Wikipedia article on credit derivatives
+ Wikipedia article on derivatives
+ Wikipedia article on securitization
+ Wikipedia article on LIBOR
+ Act Education Loans from the Student Loan Network
+ Alternative Student Loans from the Student Loan Network

Podsafe Music
+ Anemo, Made of Fiction
+ Support Indie Artists, Buy the Podsafe Album for only $9.90!
+ Via the Podsafe Music Network
+ Stop by our MySpace page!

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

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Direct file download: MP3 file

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1/26: MOHELA, FAFSA, Hawaiian Scholarships, Matthew Ebel Economic Index, Newsletter, #170

Student Financial Aid News
+ Missouri mulling the sale of MOHELA for $400M
+ After expressing concerns, MOHELA director canned
+ Funds to be used for capital improvement
+ 5 more days on the FAFSA clock
+ Apply for your FAFSA online - hey, it’s free
+ Subscribe to the newsletter - we’re going all out on scholarships this month!
+ 6.6% tuition hike at Santa Clara University approved by trustees

Scholarship Update
+ Directory of Hawaiian Scholarship Programs
+ Hawaiian Community Foundation
+ $3M in scholarships
+ All applications due by March 1, 2006
+ Detailed page at StudentScholarshipSearch.com

Eye on the Economy
+ The Matthew Ebel Economic Index
+ Prices of Beer and Coffee
+ Lessons: beer is largely a domestic product and therefore reflects standard inflation
+ Coffee is an international product and reflects changes in international finance
+ Beer a good measure of inflation
+ Coffee a lagging indicator of LIBOR
+ Beer explains why you need to consolidate your student loans
+ Coffee tells you about private student loan interest rates

Podsafe Music
+ Matthew Ebel, All I Want Is You
+ Support Indie Artists, Buy the Podsafe Album for only $9.90!
+ Via the Podsafe Music Network
+ Stop by our MySpace page!

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

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1/25: Graduate student loans, SUNY, pot in court, stored value cards, iTunes U, Valley Lodge, FT, #169

Student Financial Aid News
+ Striking graduate students at NYU taking out loans to cover loss of stipends
+ Seems like a bad idea - the strike will last a little while longer; loans will last a lot longer
+ If you’re going to do it, Gradloans.com is the place to do it
+ SUNY minority scholarships to include low income white students
+ Pot in court: jurisdiction of court determines financial aid
+ Question 31 on the FAFSA
+ Ordinance in Lawrence City, KS for first time pot conviction in muni court
+ Premiere of iTunes U for schools
+ Hot water for podcasting

Scholarship Update
+ SUNY Graduate Tuition Scholarship Program for EOP, HEOP, and SEEK Students
+ $6.2 million in funds
+ Must be a graduate student
+ Must be an EOP/HEOP/SEEK student
+ Part of application to SUNY graduate school
+ Detailed info at our scholarship site, StudentScholarshipSearch.com

News You Can Use
+ What gives you the convenience of a credit card with sound money management?
+ A stored value card!
+ Pretty straightforward: load them up from checking and go
+ Logo cards are accepted anywhere in the logo network
+ Why they’re better than credit cards: no debt line to build up
+ Why they’re better than debit cards: you can’t immediately empty your checking account
+ Beware of fees!
+ Remember - inverted yield curve means banks aren’t making money on loans, so they’ll make it up in fees

Podsafe Music
+ Valley Lodge, All My Loving
+ Support Indie Artists, Buy the Podsafe Album for only $9.90!
+ Via the Podsafe Music Network
+ Stop by our MySpace page!

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

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Direct file download: MP3 file

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Just some tidbits - Elizabeth Biddlecombe from the Financial Times interviewed me today about our joke Earthlink ad on the Daily Source Code. Seems that little ad spot is picking up some steam and press. We’ll see if it makes the presses at the FT, but if it does, I’ll be quite excited. According to my colleague Ross Mason, the FT is one of the largest papers in the UK.

Here’s the ad, in case you were interested. Beware! It is a hard PG-13 for the use of the word s**t.

The Infamous Earthlink Promo

On another note, a couple of people have responded about my feedback about Podtrac. Here’s the thing about why it made me so angry. I am an unabashed Type A personality. I like to be in control of things - heck, if I weren’t, I probably wouldn’t have a podcast. I like to be in charge, and if there’s a screwup, I want it to be my fault and have the ability and authority to fix it. Should I have cut Podtrac some slack for downtime? Maybe. All I can say is that in the time I’ve been podcasting and using Feedburner, I’ve never once had them be down for any amount of time greater than 3 minutes that I can remember.

Earthlink is a trademark of Earthlink Internet Services.

1/24: IRS Free File, CNN, NASA, T-Bill, Ayn Rand Essay Scholarship, News You Can Use, Angelique, #168

Student Financial Aid News
+ IRS free file through various services
+ Academic competitiveness grant
+ Requires GPA assessment versus need-based assessment
+ Available to full time students only
+ Limited to students from high schools offering rigorous curriculum
+ NASA scholarship postponed
+ CNN article on financial aid
+ IPEDS database of school data
+ Yet another flawed article…
+ Visit the Student Loan Network for more info
+ 91 day T-Bill up to 4.397%
+ The economy remains in an inverted yield curve

Scholarship Update
+ Ayn Rand Institute Atlas Shrugged Essay Scholarship
+ First prize: $5,000
+ 3 second prizes: $1,000
+ 5 third prizes: $400
+ 20 finalists: $100
+ 20 semifinalists: $50
+ Deadline September 15, 2006
+ Detailed page at StudentScholarshipSearch.com

News You Can Use
+ Difference between real and nominal - understanding economics news
+ Understanding how inflation eats away at the bottom line
+ Understanding why student loan consolidation helps you
+ Consolidate your student loans at StudentLoanConsolidator.com or call 877-328-1565

Podsafe Music
+ Angelique, Anything
+ Support Indie Artists, Buy the Podsafe Album for only $9.90!
+ Via the Podsafe Music Network
+ Stop by our MySpace page!

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

Listen now with Pupu Player!

Direct file download: MP3 file

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1/23: Endowments, For Profits, Consolidation, Full Tuition Scholarships, Communism, Jim Eddy Interivew, Megan Pettengill, #167

Student Financial Aid News
+ Endowments up 9.3%
+ Basic economics: schools with more money made more money
+ New York State puts moratorium on for profit schools
+ Examining scandals and abuses
+ Still more voices joining the consolidation cause - the Motley Fool
+ StudentLoanConsolidator.com or call 877-328-1565

Scholarship Update
+ Mandel Center for Nonprofit Organizations Full Tuition Scholarship
+ Valued at $26,700
+ For graduate work in the non-profit sector
+ Detailed page at StudentScholarshipSearch.com

Mailbag
+ Christian Pecaut advocates financial aid via communism
+ Reasons why transitioning to communism won’t work
+ Track record of communism in the 20th century

Interview with Jim Eddy of Scholarships America
+ Thanks for being on the show, Jim!

Podsafe Music
+ Megan Pettengill, I Will Follow You
+ Support Indie Artists, Buy the Podsafe Album for only $9.90!
+ Via the Podsafe Music Network
+ Stop by our MySpace page!

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

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Direct file download: MP3 file

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1/22: New Music Weekend on the Financial Aid Podcast, #166

Hey, fair warning as with all the music shows - this one gets tagged as explicit and earns its PG-13. Keep the headphones on around the young’uns.

Podsafe Music
+ Bob Gentry, Still in Love
+ Valley Lodge, Naked City
+ Valley Lodge, Hanging On
+ Hungry Lucy, In The Circle
+ Rayna, Complete
+ Bloodwire, Overdue
+ Ethereal, White Owl
+ Adrienne Pierce, Arizona
+ Madsumo, There’s So Many Ways I Can Kill You
+ Support Indie Artists, Buy the Podsafe Album for only $9.90!
+ Via the Podsafe Music Network
+ Stop by our MySpace page!

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

Listen now with Pupu Player!

Direct file download: MP3 file

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1/20: Bad math skills, student loan consolidation, interview with Janet Fike of WV Northern Community College, Valley Lodge, #165

Student Financial Aid News
+ Bad math skills compounding higher education woes
+ Issued by the American Institutes of Research
+ William Mackie Jr., CEO of SC Student Loan Corp. joins the consolidation bandwagon
+ StudentLoanConsolidator.com or call 877-328-1565

Interview Series
+ Janet Fike, Dean of Enrollments at WV Northern Community College
+ Interesting point: scholarships that can turn into loans!
+ Thanks for being on the show, Janet!

Podsafe Music
+ Valley Lodge, Hanging On
+ Support Indie Artists, Buy the Podsafe Album for only $9.90!
+ Via the Podsafe Music Network
+ Stop by our MySpace page!

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

Listen now with Pupu Player!

Direct file download: MP3 file

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