Student Loans

A couple of great articles that tackle the issue of student loans and how best to approach financing higher education. Singletary's article gives sound advice for high school seniors and their parents on the limits of Federal student loans. Shin's article deals with private companies who act as lenders for student loans. Check out the comments on Shin's piece--a pretty good discussion from all angles on how student loans affect one's choices and chances in the professional world.

College Costs: A Tough Equation
by Michelle Singletary for the Washington Post
In case you miss the implication of the loan limits, let me spell it out: In all, your child can borrow a total of only $23,000 through the Stafford federal student loan program for his or her undergraduate studies. Considering this cap, many families will end up with a shortfall and will need to borrow someplace else. To read the complete article click here.

Getting Schooled on Student Loans
by Annys Shin for the Washington Post
These days, getting angry seems to be part and parcel of earning a degree. And I'm not talking about student protests. I'm talking about student loans. Higher education has always been expensive and applying for financial aid was never easy. The difference now is that student loan debtors, like other consumers, are more vocal when they think they're being treated unfairly. And student loan companies don't like what they're hearing. To read the rest of the article click here.