May 05, 2006
LawSchoolLoans News Wire
Friday,5th May
Spirit of Forgiveness

By Charisse Dengler
For graduates lugging around thousands of dollars in student debt, the prospect of financial freedom is enough to make them do just about anything, including volunteer their time for the good of others. By participating in volunteer loan forgiveness programs, students can have a portion of their debts forgiven after performing a designated amount of public service.

Among the volunteer organizations offering a debt repayment option are the AmeriCorps, the Peace Corps, the military, and various law schools.

The AmeriCorps, which is the largest program of its kind, has more than 75,000 volunteer positions available. The organization requires a one-year commitment, pays volunteers a salary of $7,400, and awards $4,725 in education money upon completion of the commitment. The funds can be used to pay for tuition or reduce existing student debt and can be received for up to two years. Loans can also be deferred for the length of the volunteer's commitment.

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Habits for Financial Success
By Carleen Trapp

You are well on your way to achieving your professional goals. That perfect job as an attorney at a great firm is within reach. It seems you are very close to having everything you've ever wanted. Or are you? When it comes to reaching your financial goals, your income is only half of the equation. You must also be able to manage your expenses. Developing good financial habits will help propel you down the road to financial success.

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Top Schools Raise Bar on Parental Contributions

By Charisse Dengler

Many top universities across the country are locked in a competition over financial aid programs, and it's the students and their families that are benefiting.

Recently, Stanford University made the announcement that, starting in the 2006-2007 academic year, families earning less than $45,000 a year will be exempt from contributing to their children's tuition. Also, it was announced that families falling into the $45,000 to $60,000 range will see significant reductions in the amount they are required to contribute.

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Consolidating Debt
Become Debt Free in Five Years
The Benefits of Federal Loan Consolidation
Planning for Successful Repayment
LSL—Applications Without Aggravation
Department of Education Issues Help for Aid Administrators

The Department of Education recently released a document meant to help the public better understand the Academic Competitiveness Grant and the National "SMART" Grant Program. The programs, which will go into affect during the 2006-2007 school year, were created when Congress passed the Higher Education Reconciliation Act in 2005. The new document is titled "Student Eligibility Options for New Academic Grants" and will help financial aid administrators and school counselors understand who exactly is eligible for the grants, making it easier to advise students during the financial aid process.

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FAFSA Criticized in Scholars' Paper

In a paper written by two Harvard University Kennedy School of Government scholars, the FAFSA is blamed for keeping students out of college. The paper states that the complexity of the form and the relatively slow process of determining the amount of aid a student is eligible for actually hinder students from applying to college. The two writers proposed doing away with some of the questions and making the form much simpler as a way of ensuring students are not discouraged during the often-intimidating financial aid process.

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