Brent Reader - College Planner

The Coming Student Loan Crisis

noreply@blogger.com (Brent Reader) — Mon, 05 May 2008 17:53:00 +0000

In previous posts I talked about the potential student loan crisis ahead. Well, it's no longer a potentiality. The problem is upon us. Permit me to get a bit "eggheaded" here for a minute to recap...

Update on what we're doing right now

noreply@blogger.com (Brent Reader) — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 17:36:00 +0000

Hey guys. Brent here. First, a joyous announcement: we are officially done with FAFSAs. No more forms for another 9 months. Woohoo!!! We had a few of you freaking out about getting your forms...

An Important Key to Success

noreply@blogger.com (Brent Reader) — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 20:57:00 +0000

"Do not wait, the time will never be 'just right.' Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along." I came across...

Private College Loans May Spell Trouble For Students

noreply@blogger.com (Brent Reader) — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 19:09:00 +0000

Well, it's just as I was saying in last month's post about private student loans. Here is an article from Minnesota Public Radio that ran 2 days ago. (Statements in bold red are my modifications...

There Is Now $130 Billion Available In Financial Aid, But...

noreply@blogger.com (Brent Reader) — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 20:41:00 +0000

Here's an article that appeared recently in the high school paper of Palo Alto. It details that, although there is a huuuuuuuge amount of financial aid out there ($130 Billion), receiving it is more...

Seasonal Outbreak Of Disease Among Students

noreply@blogger.com (Brent Reader) — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 18:37:00 +0000

Relax, I'm not talking about Ebola! I'll get to the subject of the post in a minute. First, I want to give you parents a quick update on what we've been doing here in the office lately. I can even...

GOOD NEWS! (For A Change)

noreply@blogger.com (Brent Reader) — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 18:15:00 +0000

Here's a story by Insider Higher Ed about the House bill on Financial Aid. It's a good bill that calls for some important changes to the financial aid...

The Dirty Little Secrets of Student Loans

noreply@blogger.com (Brent Reader) — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 17:30:00 +0000

If you pay attention to this kind of thing, the airways are flooded with student loan solicitations this time of year from student lenders such as Citibank and Mohela: “$40,000 in Two...

New Program to Beef Up Arkansas's 529 College Savings Plans

noreply@blogger.com (Brent Reader) — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 20:01:00 +0000

Yesterday, Governor Mike Beebe announced a new college savings’ program, the Aspiring Scholars Matching Grant. This new program makes matching funds available for low to middle-income families who...

Which Type Of Person Are You?

noreply@blogger.com (Brent Reader) — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 15:41:00 +0000

Usually, I try to keep my posts polite and very informative, but today I am going to gripe a bit. You'll have to excuse me, but I think I'm right in doing so. On second thought, don't excuse me. I...

What The Nation's 6 Largest Student Loan Providers Do Not Want You to Know

noreply@blogger.com (Brent Reader) — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 14:38:00 +0000

I've talked about this before, but it bears repeating on this blog: The Unholy Alliance Between Lenders And Universities Last year a banking scandal erupted that rocked the University of Texas and...

Warning: Students, What You Post On Facebook Could Haunt You!

noreply@blogger.com (Brent Reader) — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 22:51:00 +0000

It happened again. In January of 2008, almost 100 students (!!!!) from one high school in Minnesota were suspended or kicked off of sports teams for photos that were posted on online websites like...

How "Free" is the FAFSA?

noreply@blogger.com (Brent Reader) — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 00:13:00 +0000

The first word on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, the form all students must use to apply for federal financial aid programs is “Free”. However, the FAFSA costs many families a lot of...

Financial Aid Forms: Don't Make This Mistake

noreply@blogger.com (Brent Reader) — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 01:08:00 +0000

Each month when we conduct our free workshops, I hear this question in some form or another: "We were told we make too much money to qualify for financial aid, so should we even bother...

Is a College Degree from Harvard Cheaper than Tuition from an Arkansas Public University?

noreply@blogger.com (Brent Reader) — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 20:31:00 +0000

I have been saying this to disbelieving parents of college-bound teens for a looooong time: your out-of-pocket costs at an elite, private university can actually be cheaper than tuition, room and...

Show Me the Money! (Part II)

noreply@blogger.com (Brent Reader) — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 16:45:00 +0000

In my last post, I ran through six tips on finding college money. Now, let’s look at the rest of the tips: 7. Make sure you get your application in on time. Missing a deadline just means you wasted...

Show Me the Money! (College Scholarships and Grants)

noreply@blogger.com (Brent Reader) — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 15:36:00 +0000

Welcome to the blog for College Planning Specialists in Bentonville, Arkansas. Today's post reveals the exact steps you should take if you are looking for money (private scholarships and grants) for...