ATTN: US COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY SPAGS

[Suu]

DO NOT FUCKING GO TO A COLLEGE PLANNING CENTER.

THESE PEOPLE ARE FOR-PROFIT AND WILL MAKE YOU PAY TO FILE SHIT YOU CAN DO FOR FREE (You know, like a FREE Application for Federal Student Aid?!?!?!) AND ARE ONLY OUT FOR THEMSELVES, NOT FOR YOUR BEST INTEREST.

I just had to unfuxxor this girl's life because of what the local college planning center did with her FAFSA. Telling her that she could get more money by filing dependent and making her parent's responsible when she was over 23 years old...BAH!! BULLSHIT.

Independent students are eligible for a WEALTH more financial aid than dependents for obvious non-parental tit sucking reasons.

Christ. Seriously, if you want to go to college or are having problems with dealing with financial aid, talk to me. Talk to Richter. We know this industry. Don't let a commission-based halfwit "college planner" screw up.

[Kai]

Amen to this.

Likewise, not a bad idea to take Suu and Richter up on things related to school finances in general, if making a big decision, not just federal aid based loans. I'll be paying for my mistakes.

[Suu]

Please try to avoid private loans as much as possible. The federal program is there for a reason and is a bit nicer on the wallet in the long run. I'm paying dearly for a couple of small private loans I took out in 2001.

Oh, and thanks to new laws, your federal loans HAVE to be directly serviced by the government, they can't go to a servicer like Sallie Mae. If they DO, then that means they were private, disbursed BEFORE the law went into effect, or someone lied to you. Get your loans out of their hands as fast as possible and consolidate with Direct Loans.

[Phox]

Amen to this.

[Eater of Clowns]

Please try to avoid private loans as much as possible. The federal program is there for a reason and is a bit nicer on the wallet in the long run. I'm paying dearly for a couple of small private loans I took out in 2001.

Oh, and thanks to new laws, your federal loans HAVE to be directly serviced by the government, they can't go to a servicer like Sallie Mae. If they DO, then that means they were private, disbursed BEFORE the law went into effect, or someone lied to you. Get your loans out of their hands as fast as possible and consolidate with Direct Loans.

Advice I would have killed to have oh, six years ago.  Now, though, I'm fucked.   

[Suu]

You're not the only one. When the economy started to tank, SLMA bought up as much as their greedy little hands could from each lender and servicer out there, then jacked up the rates.

...Then they got in trouble.

The government threatened to liquidate them between CITI and BofA, but it didn't happen...mostly because SLMA paid off half of the then Republican-controlled Congress. Dubyah was in office, so it's not like it had much hope ANYWAY. Then CITI croaked, and I wished that my loan would have been taken by them.

The education reform bill that went through last year was huge. I guess Obama finally got to see what went on and went, "WTF" and was able to slip that in before the recent return of the conservatards. This is why banks aren't giving private student loans much anymore. Unfortunately Sallie Mae is not a bank, and still has waaaaaaay too much fucking money. The million here and there fines they're getting from the government aren't enough to make them stop.

If you need a loan, get the one you're guaranteed to get from Uncle Sam FIRST, and then talk to your advisor about what private aid to supplement with. If they mention Sallie Mae, ask for an alternative.

[Suu]

I filed my FAFSA on the 12th. I amended it on the 18th. Within 2 days of my original submission my school posted on eCampus that they needed my 1040 and Independent Student Verification form. I faxed that Monday.

As of today, my To-Do's have been removed, and I'm awaiting completion of my aid package.








Really people, this isn't fucking rocket science, but apparently, if you don't even know what a 1040 is, you shouldn't be allowed to walk by yourself in public ANYWAY!