Announcements

Bookstore Purchases

With the exception of agency funded students, bookstore charges cannot be posted to student accounts against pending financial aid.

What's the status of your financial aid?

You can review your financial aid status, your student billing account, transcripts, registration and more on UAOnline.

Nursing Education Loan Repayment Program

This program offers registered nurses substantial assistance to repay educational loans in exchange for service in eligible facilities with a shortage of nurses. Authorized by Section 846 of the Public Health Service Act, the purpose of the program is to assist in the recruitment and retention of professional nurses dedicated to providing health care to underserved populations. See this article for more information.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is Free

It has been brought to our attention that some commercial sites (with .com domains) are advertising help with submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid FOR A CHARGE.

THE FAFSA IS FREE, IF YOU USE THE DEPT. OF EDUCATION'S OFFICIAL SITE TO SUBMIT YOUR FAFSA, WWW.FAFSA.ED.GOV

If you have any questions about the FAFSA at all, consult either the Dept. of Education's FAQ page for FAFSA on the Web, or contact us. We won't charge you for answers to your questions, and the Dept. of Education won't charge you to submit your application!

2007-2008 Interest Rates on Education Loans

The U.S. Department of Education has released the variable interest rates on Federal Stafford and PLUS loans for the period of July 1, 2005 - June 30, 2006:

Stafford loans (in school, deferment and grace status)	6.8%
Stafford loans (repayment and forbearance status)	6.8%
Parent PLUS loans	8.5%

PLUS credit checks affected by fraud alert service

A number of PLUS (Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students) borrowers have had loan applications denied even though they had good credit. According to NELA, many of the denials were a result of a fraud alert these borrowers had authorized to be placed on their credit report. Major credit reporting agencies can place a fraud alert on a credit report at the borrower's request. Once the borrower is signed up for this service, the credit report is flagged to prevent someone other than the person to whom the credit report belongs from opening accounts or using the true owner's credit report. The lender has to take additional steps to approve the loan. This may include contacting the borrower by phone to ensure the validity of the request for a new account or loan. If the lender can't verify the borrower's identity, the lender may deny the request for a new account or loan. If you are experiencing delays or denials for PLUS processing, we suggest you determine if you are signed up for this service.

About to graduate?

Congratulations! Drop us a line sometime and tell us how you're doing. Check out this article from the editors of CNN and Money magazine for useful tips on how to manage your student loan debt. Remember to take the required exit loan counseling.