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FAP819: Financial aid and Iowa floods, Rwanda, Twitter

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Student Financial Aid News
+ Inside Higher Ed: Iowa has been hit hard by massive rain and flooding, forcing closures at some some institutions, damage at others, and sighs of relief at still others. At the University of Iowa, classes have been called off this week as some buildings have been flooded — even as volunteers use sandbags to try to minimize damage. Kirkwood Community College has canceled all classes through Wednesday and classes in Iowa City for all of this week. Mount Mercy College, in Cedar Rapids, has seen its campus transformed into an emergency management center, housing National Guard contingents. St. Ambrose University had some minor flooding and temporary loss of power. Cornell College, which has not suffered damage to its campus, has been housing some students and employees who needed to evacuate from Coe College.
+ This will also impact food and fuel prices
+ Scholar Ship cancels enrollment due to high costs and short funding - boat fuel running around $6/gallon or so and boats getting gallons per mile
+ Meanwhile, Lehman Brothers (ticker: LEH) is discussing its financial health - we’ll see what the outcome is. Lehman Brothers underwrites our private student loans for the Student Loan Network, so we’re keeping an eye on the markets, and of course, you’ll be the first to know of any changes
+ I’ve just started work on a new eBook due out July 15 based on a blog post from last year about privacy and the Internet.

Scholarship Update
+ The S.E.VEN Fund has announced its 2008-2009
Student Essay Competition. The competition will award one (1) undergraduate student
prize of US$10,000 and one (1) graduate student prize of US$20,000. The submission
deadline is December 7, 2008 at midnight Eastern Standard Time (EST). Winners will be
announced on February 7, 2009
+ Please review the videos called, “The Entrepreneur President, Paul Kagame of Rwanda,” Parts One and Two (available at www.sevenfund.org/essayresources) For purposes of this essay, assume the role of policy advisor to President Kagame, and consider these videos your personal briefing on his top priorities. In response, write a 2000 word essay with policy recommendations that put President Kagame’s vision into practice. The essay should use the first person, and be persuasive.
+ Any full time student who studies at an accredited educational institution worldwide³ or a student who has been confirmed acceptance and matriculation for the following academic year may submit a 2000 word Essay in English to compete in the SEVEN Fund competition as long as the essay reflects the scope and guidelines stated in the call for essays. The winning students will be required to enter into a contract with SEVEN prior to final award. We welcome applicants from every field of study.
+ Details at our free college scholarship search site

Financial Aid 101
+ I’m a heavy user of Twitter and Summize, which is how I keep on top of my news - it’s like my own personal AP news wire
+ Lately I’ve been watching financial aid related discussions and wanted to offer a few responses to some tweets
+ A collection of tweets on the FAFSA
+ Important FAFSA information for college bound students from Iowa
+ Parent PLUS loans
+ Private student loans

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Reminders
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+ 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
+ Edvisors Jobs
+ 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.

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