Visitor: wuddduuupp
Financial Aid Podcast: hello.
Visitor: lol - um you handle financial aid right
Visitor: or
Visitor: not handle per se but know whats up
Financial Aid Podcast: yes, I do. I produce the Financial Aid Podcast, the internet radio show.
Visitor: idk what that is
Visitor: but
Visitor: i go to ccri [community college in rhode island] anndd i got a pellgrant for 950
Financial Aid Podcast: ok.
Visitor: could i apply for like… more grants or something
Visitor: or do i only get one
Visitor: i know im pretty stupid huh
Visitor: youre excited youre talking to me i bet
Financial Aid Podcast: not at all. the financial aid process isn’t exactly easy to navigate.
Financial Aid Podcast: not stupid in the slightest.
Visitor: dude i know right
Visitor: i filled out FAFSA and it took me like an hour
Financial Aid Podcast: the Pell Grant is part of your FAFSA results. you submitted the FAFSA and got the grant in your student aid report.
Visitor: right
Financial Aid Podcast: if you’re studying in a critical need field - like certain languages, sciences, etc. then you may also be eligible for the SMART grant as well.
Financial Aid Podcast: your school’s financial aid office should be able to tell you if you’re eligible for that.
Financial Aid Podcast: additionally, you probably got a notice about eligibility for the federal Stafford Loan as well.
Visitor: ya i dont make very much money — 150 a week roughly
Visitor: yaa! i did
Financial Aid Podcast: you can take out that loan at http://www.StaffordLoan.com
Visitor: i didnt apply though i dont wana take out any loans
Financial Aid Podcast: it comes in two pieces.
Visitor: i just put everything on my credit card lol
Financial Aid Podcast: unsubsidized and subsidized.
Financial Aid Podcast: well, here’s the thing.
Financial Aid Podcast: the Stafford Loan has an interest rate of 6.8% fixed.
Financial Aid Podcast: chances are your credit card has an interest rate a LOT higher than that.
Visitor: ya true
Financial Aid Podcast: so it’s to your advantage to not use a credit card to pay academic expenses, when there’s a lower rate loan available.
Visitor: ya but i have 2 loans out already on a car…
Visitor: will thet affect it at all
Visitor: that*]
Financial Aid Podcast: nope. the Stafford Loan is not a credit-based loan.
Financial Aid Podcast: has nothing to do with any other kind of loan.
Financial Aid Podcast: it comes in two parts.
Financial Aid Podcast: Subsidized is a Stafford Loan where the government pays the interest for you as long as you’re in school half time or more.
Visitor: nice
Financial Aid Podcast: Unsubsidized is where you pay the interest or let it accumulate while you’re in school and be added to the balance when you graduate.
Visitor: everyone prays for subsidized lol
Financial Aid Podcast: Either way, at 6.8%, it’s better in general than credit cards.
Visitor: ya i never even looked at it that way
Visitor: i just looked at it as loans are a pain in the ass
Financial Aid Podcast: True, but there are limits on how much you can get each year in Subsidized Stafford Loans. your Student Aid Report (FAFSA results) will tell you how much you can get of either type.
Financial Aid Podcast: Also, you can check our scholarships directory for stuff relating to your degree. It’s free.
Financial Aid Podcast: http://www.StudentScholarshipSearch.com
Visitor: ya dude scholarships would be awesome
Visitor: my grades are like
Visitor: wicked mint right now
Financial Aid Podcast: I assume by that you mean good, and not minty in the sense of fresh breath.
Visitor: ya gota love slang huh
Financial Aid Podcast: Scholarships aren’t just for good grades, either.
Financial Aid Podcast: We have a free book on how to find scholarships that you might find helpful. Well, more of a brochure.
Financial Aid Podcast: http://www.FinancialAidPodcast.com/Scholarships.pdf
Visitor: im really good in writing… thats my strong point
Visitor: so if i could write something to get a scholarship
Visitor: im totaly confident
Visitor: but grade wise — im confident now but in the long run its all iffy
Financial Aid Podcast: oh, you’ll be doing plenty of writing. A fair number of scholarships require essays.
Visitor: nice
Financial Aid Podcast: take a look at the e-Book and give it a spin as well.
Financial Aid Podcast: finally, if scholarships and Stafford Loans don’t cover the bill, there are two other options.
Financial Aid Podcast: First, there are private student loans, which you can learn more about at http://www.AlternativeStudentLoan.com
Financial Aid Podcast: and second, there are loans your parents can take out, which you can learn more about at http://www.ParentPLUSLoan.com
Visitor: ya its only like a grand to go there which isnt much
Visitor: but
Visitor: alright hear me out
Visitor: lol
Visitor: i dont feel like im selling myself short, but i do at the same time
Visitor: the only reason i went to community college was because it was mad cheap
Visitor: and i know im getting the same education
Visitor: but id rather be at university
Financial Aid Podcast: well, not to slag on four year colleges, but… you’re right. community colleges are just as valid an education.
Visitor: so im thinking about transferring next semester to a university — my mcas scores were good so id def get into one no problem
Visitor: ya definitely
Visitor: my history professor taught at harvard… i mean its gota be just as much of an education there as it is here
Financial Aid Podcast: these days, with the way things like the Internet create opportunities, it’s less about where you go to school and more about what you can DO that matters.
Financial Aid Podcast: do you have an iPod, or have the free iTunes software on your computer?
Visitor: ya both
Financial Aid Podcast: cool. I have a daily show that covers a lot of this stuff.
Financial Aid Podcast: go to http://www.FinancialAidPodcast.com and click Add to iTunes, in the upper left hand corner.
Financial Aid Podcast: and give a listen to the show.
Visitor: alright definitely — its not gona slow down my laptop right ? if it does ill add it on my desktop
Visitor: this is mainly for school thats all
Financial Aid Podcast: it shouldn’t, no. it’s just MP3 files.
Visitor: ooo thats fine then
Financial Aid Podcast: enjoy!
Visitor: i shall lol
Visitor: thanks dude
Visitor: or dudette?
Financial Aid Podcast: no problem. have a great weekend.
Financial Aid Podcast: (dude)
Visitor: ya i figured
Visitor: idk why
Financial Aid Podcast: bye!
Visitor: peace