Implementing Student Loan Management Tips For An Easy Life

February 12, 2009 by  
Filed under For College

Finally, you can breathe out. You have that all important piece of paper – your diploma, to allow you to follow your dream. Just one problem, how are you going to pay off your student loan debts? Where can you find student management loan tips?

It’s something that is put to the back of our minds during studies until the moment of truth. The average student debt for a 4 year degree is around $15000-$20000. Pretty scary stuff.

The good news is that student loan management tips are at hand and you don’t have to start paying the loan back till you get a reasonably well-paid job, however you want that to be soon as possible.

Find out exactly how much you have to pay per month and try to find a job that will account for this additional cost.

When paying back your student loans, it is necessary to become pretty stringent on your out-goings, depending on how well-paid your job is. Lets say for your first job out of college is not the highest paid, how do you get round this feat?

Plan, plan, plan, I know it is boring but unfortunately essential to save money and before you know it you will be planning without meaning to. Make a list of your out-goings and income and how much you can realistically allow for personal expenses. Just spending money here and there is a sure-fire way to go straight into overdraft and possibly incurring additional fees.

Don’t be enticed by more credit, this is a double edged sword. Yes, you will appear to have more money at your disposal initially but you will regret it in the long run, when your debt is doubled. Unless you are extremely disciplined credit cards, at this point are a no-no.

Think about what your biggest expenses are, probably accommodation. Can you make this cheaper. Do you have a room-mate and a rent controlled apartment? If a ridiculous amount of your income is going towards accommodation it is maybe time to look for a new apartment to be able to start saving money.

Do you eat out much, coffees here, snacks there? It is amazing how much food and snacks eaten out can rack up bills. Try to buy ingredients for meals that can last a few days such as, a curry and rice dish or pasta that you can refrigerate. Limiting your food budget is possible without sacrificing on a well-balanced diet. Go to large supermarkets and try to look for “get one free” offers, your bill will dramatically reduce.

Try to pay all bills on time. If you keep your credit rating immaculate, you will be setting up good foundations for the future for buying a house, car etc.

If you are still finding it hard to repay, you can discuss this with the student loan finance department and arrange to have the payments reduced over a longer period of time. This will take the heat off and eliminate the risk of a late payment.

Every little cut-back to for implementing student loan management tips to save your money for a rainy day is worthwhile and in this case the rainy day is the student loan debt. Once you start getting used to a more frugal existence you won’t miss little treats and the knowledge that you will soon be debt-free will keep you going.

Find Out How To Save Money For College Tuition

February 11, 2009 by  
Filed under For College

College days are some of the best years of your life. Everything is new and you are learning and growing faster than ever before. It is a shame, however that the financial aspect have to blight this fantastic time in your life.

The secret to having money-struggle free college years is to start saving money well before you start, it really is that simple. Once you get to college you can augment your savings with student loans and grants (if you qualify) making your pocket a that bit heavier.

Once you start the saving money process, it will be that much easier to cope when you are actually at college. The frugal living does not stop, but that doesn’t mean you will not enjoy the process. The fact that you are all in it together makes it easier and there are always discounts for student activities.

Saving money for the tuition fees can never be started too early. The sooner you begin saving, the more will accumulate and more interest on the savings.

For parents, if you can aim to invest around $100-$120 dollars per month into a separate bank account that gives premium interest, you will be well on your way to reaching the allocated average tuition fees. Having the money saved will save the heartache of having to put your life on hold to fund your child through the college years as you go.

A great idea to increase your savings is through investment. You must look out for a risk-free investment, you don’t want to lose any of that hard-earned cash. Try to find a trustworthy financial advisor who could be able to talk you through the process. A risk-free investment may not have the highest returns but the money will be safe.

Make sure your college saving are easily accessed. There may come a time where you absolutely require to dip into your ssavings, some banks will charge for you to use your own savings, so look out for these terms.

Raise money for the college fun by organizing a fete., You could sell home baked cookies and other fare and throw the wet sponge at dad competition. Make it a cheerful day out and watch the cash flow in. Everyone know the hardship of saving for college fees and will be happy to be part of a fun day out.

A relatively new and fantastic way to earn and save money is through selling unwanted items on ebay. Have a look in you garage or basement, you will be surprised how much people are willing to pay for you junk.

One of the most important incentives for saving money is giving yourself a goal that you have to reach. Know what your target is and do what you can to reach it. Once you start getting creative, you will realise there are many fun ways to make money.

Yes, You Can Free Money for College

February 10, 2009 by  
Filed under For College

College is going to be a burden on the purse strings. There is no doubt that money will be tight, however there are excellent money saving tips in the form of financial assistance that you should take advantage of.

Research has shown that around 50% of college student receive some form of financial assistance, it is purely a matter of finding out what is available to you. In most cases the aid comes in the form of students loans, scholarships, grants, and hardship funds.

Some of these funding systems require to be paid back and some do not. The latter includes scholarships and grants so if you can obtain either (or both) your struggle will be considerably reduced. However, you will have fierce competition in both these areas. Your competition will be studious and hard working and are not going to let anything get in their way, but you can do the same if you are tenacious enough.

If you want to get on, fight for that scholarship, not only will your finances be increased you will receive a higher qualification making your job prospects a lot brighter.

If you take a student loan, the average student immerses from college with around a debt of around $6000, you won’t have to start paying that back until you are in well-paid employment and the interest rates are very minimal. But be aware of the small print, with a student loan you are entering into a contract and you must pay this money back.

There are other, credit based funds that you can apply for that will reward you for hard work at college called Merit Based Financial Aid. This financial aid body, merit’s the student for being an asset to the college and making full use of the learning process. Working hard really does pay off, if possible you can save your money for a rainy day and really take the heat off.

Hardship funds or Need Based aid is available in most universities and colleges. You can fill in the form if you think you should be entitled, there is no harm in trying, and if you think you are, then you probably are.

During your summer break, it may be a good idea to get a job so you can save money for the up-coming year. There are many programs available for students to get away and do something totally different, such as working in summer camps. You can obtain some excellent skills that can be included in your C.V, which is invaluable.

It is always the same, the ones who do not give up, get it all (well, in most cases). You will hear of students getting every fund under the sun, that is because they did their homework. If you research enough you can find out what you are entitled to, even if the link is somewhat tenuous. Yes, free money for college is there for the taking.

Highly Effective Tips To Help You Cut College Costs

February 9, 2009 by  
Filed under For College

Your college days are going to be a financial struggle, that isn’t to say that you won’t enjoy every last minute but it won’t be the most wealthy years of you life. It is a good idea to think about ways to save money before your begin and continue while you are at college.

There are effective, ways to cut college costs before and during your stay. Before you even begin try to put your money away for a rainy day (your college) and just a little each week soon adds up. If you have a part-time job, every dollar counts. You will thank yourself when you are at college and you can afford to have that night out.

There are ways and means for you to be able to omit some courses out of your overall studies, reducing the fees. Taking part in Advance placement courses and the exams involved in your high school can give you some college credit and save money. If you do exceptionally well you can begin college in 2nd year. That’s a big incentive, so take advantage.

If you look out for any educational programs that concentrate on your chosen career, you can qualify to leave out similar parts of your course because you have that qualification. These career focus programs can help you reduce costs and save your precious time.

Another great opportunity to look out for are Domestic Service Programs or Organizations which present opportunities to people of college student age to work in community programs in various locations in the country. You will receive a small wage for living expenses but more importantly, you get a monetary award to reduce you college fees. You will be learning a new skill which can be a valuable addition to you C.V or Portfolio.

When you begin your studies, think about how you are going to allocate your allowance and what you need and don’t need. Create a spreadsheet of where your money is going, this will really help you realise the value of money and how to be frugal.

Look out for ways to save money on campus. If you are quick when receiving you college book list, get straight to that library before the books on your subject are gone. If you can obtain the book list prior to studying all the better. If there are some books you can’t get at the library, there are many students in the year above who will be selling their old books. Look on the campus message boards, you can really save money doing this.

Save money on food and buy cheap and healthy ingredients for meals that you can eat over a few days. This will give you the extra money for that concert at the weekend without going into overdraft. Eating balanced meals will give you more energy to do well in your studies also.

University Campus’s often have free give-aways in the form of food and drinks, look out for them and always be aware of any free offers. Remember you are a student, this is expected of you.

Eat well, get plenty of exercise and rest, and you should be in good shape. Medical bills are something you don’t want to face. Try to walk wherever possible, the power of walking instead of getting the bus or driving on health is under-estimated

You can always get a small part-time job, but don’t burn yourself out, this will just be detrimental to your studies and be defeating the purpose. You will be told to work hard and play hard, just remember to save hard too.

Effective Money Saving Tips For Giving Your Child A Good Start In College.

February 8, 2009 by  
Filed under For College

Gone are the days when you could leave school with little qualifications and enter a job, work your way up the ladder and end up in a successful, well-paid job. It just doesn’t happen anymore (well, very rarely).

These days it is pretty much a given that a child will proceed to further education in the form of a degree. It is the pre-requisite for a comfortable lifestyle and with the competition from other fellow classmates, each child must do reasonably well.

Research has shown that an individual with further education qualifications (a degree) will earn roughly 70% more than an individual with a standard education. Even a lesser degree will still ignificantly increase life chances.

If that pressure wasn’t enough there is the problem of how your child will be funded, cared for while studying. The fact is, it is far from cheap. To give your child the best chance for a good career requires several years at college/university and the best time to start saving money is before the little one is born. Following are some money saving tips for sending your child to college.

How much will I need? Well, There are varying expenses for different universities and locations. It is less expensive to go to a university/college in the area where you live, if you go elsewhere you will pay more. Private schools and universities have the same rate no matter where you live.

The expenses for further education for your child will be comprised of the college fees and tuition, college facilities such as rooms and meals and the books and stationery they will require as well as trips home at holidays. If they are not on campus, they may require transport on a daily basis and of course general personal expenses.

The average amount for sending your child to a public institution has been calculated at around $18,000, with accommodation and food accounting for a large proportion of the total cost . This figure is expected to rise to around $22,000 by 2010. These figures could be comfortably doubled for a private school.

Because the bulk of the expenses lies in the general living expenses, if the student could live at home, even with transport expenses, the cost would still be considerably reduced.

Books can be purchased second hand in many campus bookstores and some student offer their previous books at a reduced price. For a 4 or 5 year degree, using these facilities can greatly reduce costs,

The student lifestyle will impact greatly on the total expenses. Try to educate your child before they begin their studies on the basics of how to cook cheaply but healthily, this will save money on food. Your child will need money for socializing with friends, this is a given, however, try to encourage them to social only at weekends. Give some advice on how to manage their money, it may be difficult to get the point across but a few money saving tips and titbits of advice will not go amiss.

Many colleges and universities supply a large amount of necessary facilities such as computers and laptops that can be hired from the library. You could have a trip along to the chosen institution with your child and help them find their feet with the available facilities and where to go.

Perform a bit of research before you choose a college. There may be some that are more expensive but provide better facilities that will save money in the long run.

It is difficult to place an exact figure on the cost of sending your child to university, but the above ballpark figures should see you in the right direction and give you an idea of when to start saving money.

No one wants their child to have a bad start in life and if you can save your money for a rainy day, it will pay big dividends on the future of your child.