College Scholarships, Grants & Loans

Sunday, March 06, 2011

College Grants Under Fire

As state and Federal budgets continue to show huge deficits, no programs are off limits. At the Federal level, the proposed House budget would slash Pell Grants by almost 15%, with the maximum award being reduced from $5,550 to $4,705. President Obama is looking to reduce the Pell by eliminating the summer Pell and also by stopping the subsidy on graduate school students loan interest. Stay tuned for the latest updates.

A little lower on the radar is the Academic Competitiveness Grant and the SMART Grant programs are set to expire at the end of June.

Checking in with the states, proposed funding for the Connecticut Independent College Student Grants would be reduced by 25% in FY 2012 and 50% in FY 2013. Funding for the Kirkland M Kerr Grant would be eliminated. This program provides a stipend for students of veterinary medicine who need to attend an out of state program, since there is nothing similiar offered in Connecticut.

On the other side of the country, California is considering reducing Cal Grant expenditures by not allowing for profit colleges that have high rates of drop outs and loan defaults to take part. Additionally, all students would be re-evaluated each year to make sure they still qualify. While some students may disagree, this one seems like a no-brainer. If a student's family financial status changes, so should their eligibilty for various programs.

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Sunday, February 03, 2008

Cornell University and Northwestern University to Eliminate Student Loans for Needy Students.

This past week found both Cornell and Northwestern announcing plans to eliminate student loans from some financial aid packages starting next year.

Cornell will be eliminating student loans this year to students with a family income below $60,000 and next year will extend it to those incomes below $75,000. Students with family incomes up to $120,000 will find their student loans capped at $3,000 per year.

Northwestern will be eliminating student loans to the neediest students. This program will not be tied to a specific family income. Even ungrads who still need to take out subsidized Stafford Loans or Perkins Loans will find those loans capped at $20,000 over four years.

Holy Cross to Offer Free Tuition to Worcester Residents
Qualified Worcester, Mass, residents wil receive free tuition to the College of the Holy Cross. Beginning in the 2008-09 school year, Worcester students with a family income under $50,000 who are accepted as students at Holy Cross, will qualify for the free tuition program.

Cal Grants Available

California students should be applying now for the Cal Grants. March 2nd is the deadline for the FAFSA and the Cal Grant GPA Verification Form. This is free money and it belongs to you, so don't wait until the last minute. More info at CalGrants.org


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