Tag: student loans


New student loan interest rates for 2014-15

Posted on July 1st, 2014

Before borrowing money to pay for college, it’s important to know what your loan’s interest rate will be to figure out how much you’ll pay over the life of the loan.

Unfortunately, students and parents will pay more this year than last to borrow for college. Federal student loans remain, however, one of the most affordable options when borrowing for college.

Read on to find out the new student loan interest rates for the 2014-15 academic year.

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Mo’ debt, mo’ problems

Posted on June 26th, 2014

"The amount of student loans that graduates take out to pay for their undergraduate degree is related to their well-being in every element. The higher the loan amount, the worse the well-being." -- Gallup-Purdue University study

It’s an age-old question that’s been debated by philosophers from Socrates to The Notorious B.I.G.: Does mo’ money equal mo’ problems? It just might, if that money is being taken out to pay for college. Graduates with student debt are less happy Many students and families think that attending a prestigious, well-known college is the […]

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Buffalo named top medium-sized city for college graduates

Posted on May 31st, 2014

We’re proud to be based in Western New York, and we’re always glad to see the area get national recognition.

That’s why we were so excited to hear that Buffalo, the largest city in the region, was recently named the top medium-sized city for new college graduates by CreditDonkey.com.

The city’s low rents, low job competition and great nightlife make it an attractive destination for young college grads hungry for employment and fun while still affording their student loan payments.

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Young adults struggle to accumulate wealth due to student loans

Posted on May 21st, 2014

It’s well-documented that student debt has grown rapidly over the past decade. The class of 2014 graduated with an average $33,000 in student loans per student, and the numbers will likely be event greater for next year’s class.

Given that student loan debt is increasing while salaries are declining, it’s not surprising that many young adults are struggling to accumulate wealth.

According to a new report from the Pew Research Center, it’s become increasingly difficult for young adults with student debt to save up enough money to buy a house, get married or start building their ‘nest egg.’

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Class of 2014 graduates with record student loan debt

Posted on May 19th, 2014

It’s official: the class of 2014 is the most indebted college class ever.

According to an analysis by Mark Kantrowitz published in the Wall Street Journal, the average 2014 college graduate has $33,000 in student loans, the most by any previous class.

Just a year ago, we were talking about how the class of 2013 was the most indebted class ever, but, as has been the case for the past 20 years, the record has been broken by this year’s class.

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Sen. Warren: Student loan interest rates are ‘crushing’ students

Posted on May 14th, 2014

"We’ve got 40 million people across this country who are struggling with student loans, many of them at very high interest rates. They are crushing our former students, they are crushing our families, and it’s starting to create a drag on our economy." -- Sen. Elizabeth Warren

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) says student loan interest rates are ‘crushing’ former students, and something needs to be done. She introduced a plan in March that would let student loan borrowers refinance their loans at lower interest rates. And last week, she filed the bill with the support of 27 co-sponsors. Plan would let borrowers refinance […]

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Popularity of Pay-As-You-Earn Program prompts calls for reform

Posted on May 6th, 2014

President Obama unveiled the “Pay As You Earn” program in 2011 as a way to provide relief for student loan borrowers struggling to repay their loans. For student loan borrowers with low incomes, especially those in the public sector, the income-based repayment plan helps them manage their monthly payments even without a high-paying job.

The plan capped borrowers’ payments at 10% of their discretionary income per year. After 10 years, for the unpaid balances for those working in the public sector or for nonprofits would be forgiven, while private-sector workers’ debts would be wiped after a 20-year payment period.

But the program has had an unintended consequence: the government is taking on enormous debt, while colleges continue to raise tuition, having no incentive to lower costs when the government is footing the bill.

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Student loan debt a huge burden for millennials

Posted on April 23rd, 2014

What’s keeping millennials up at night? It’s not just Netflix–it’s student debt.

NPR’s Morning Edition recently asked young adults, members of the millennial generation, what their biggest concerns were.

The results were telling: almost two-thirds responded that college debt was their biggest worry.

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If law schools can lower tuition, why not colleges?

Posted on April 22nd, 2014

"It’s abundantly clear that the rising costs of the past 20 years have collided with the economic realities. At the risk of indicting an entire industry, I think we’ve been kind of lazy in our thinking. We always just pass on the costs to students and their families." -- Donald Farish, President of Roger Williams University

College applications were down this year at many top colleges, including Harvard and Dartmouth. This has led some in higher education to worry whether we’ll start seeing fewer people completing college degrees. It’s even caused some colleges to be forced to close. Law schools cutting tuition to attract students Many law schools have seen similar declines […]

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Employers will hire more college grads this year

Posted on April 18th, 2014

Good news (finally!) for young college graduates.

According to a survey released on April 16, employers said they plan to increase the number of college graduates they hire this year by nearly 9 percent.

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