For many student borrowers, when repayments kick in six months after graduation the looming debt can feel as though it’s following them around like a dark cloud. Face the Red, a short film from the directors of Martha Marcy May Marlene, cinematizes that feeling by having a menacing red cloud follow around the film’s star.
Educational Financing
How Much Will It Matter If Student-Loan Interest Rates Double?
The bell has been rung in the next round of the fight over student-loan interest rates, and borrowers could take it on the chin this time. On July 1, if Congress does nothing, the interest rate on federally subsidized Stafford …
Financial Independence? Today’s Young People Don’t Expect It Anytime Soon
In a mere two years, the proportion of teenagers who expect to be financially dependent on their parents until their mid-20s has doubled. That gives us all another reason to feel sympathy for parents who have teenagers right now.
Dunk City & Dollars: Florida Gulf Coast Bandwagon Means Big Bucks
A nation of fans is currently fascinated with an entire team—Florida Gulf Coast, the first No. 15 seed to ever make it to the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament. And the impact goes well beyond soaring team apparel sales.
Viewpoint: Stop Calling Student Loans a “Bubble”!
Ever since the financial crisis, Americans have begun to see bubbles everywhere they turn. The damage wrought by the real estate bubble has been so extensive that the nation is rightfully terrified that another asset bubble is …
List Price = Joke Price: 4 Examples of How Original Prices Are Meaningless
When almost no one pays full price, what does “full price” even mean? From cars to college to health care, consumers today are surrounded by huge markdowns—which, when you think about it, wouldn’t exist if goods and services weren’t marked up so high in the first place.
Why Can’t People with Student Loans Refinance at Better Rates?
Thirty-seven million people with $1 trillion in student debt have been unable to take advantage of historically low interest rates. Is it time to invite them to the refi party?
Three Strategies for Saving Money on College That May Not Work as Promised
Yes, you can save money and avoid student loan debt by employing some of the classic strategies suggested by personal finance gurus. But you may not save as much as you think—and you could even wind up spending more.
Schools Suing Graduates for Defaulting on Loans
With more graduates defaulting on educational loans, schools like Yale and the University of Pennsylvania are taking drastic measures to ensure repayment
How a $54K-Per-Year School Is Deemed a ‘Best Value College’
The private universities listed in a new “Best Value Colleges” roundup run $54,200 annually for tuition, fees, books, and room and board. That sounds pretty expensive, and it is. Could it also represent a good value? What if students actually paid less than half the list price?
Student Loan Debt Crisis: How’d We Get Here and What Happens Next?
The amount of student loan debt and the rate of delinquency have been climbing for years now. If it seems like every new statistic is worse than the last, that’s because it is. Credit bureau TransUnion says more than half of student loan accounts are in deferral status, and FICO Labs found that a rising number of those debtors aren’t …
10 Tips for Getting the Most Out of College Financial Aid
Financing a college education is something that parents of both toddlers and high school seniors have to be concerned about. We talked to several financial aid experts about the best ways to get the most out of the FAFSA.