Help me figure out my options for a small (~$4000) student loan. [more inside]
posted by rossination on Sep 30, 2009 - 7 answers

I'm trying to go back to school. I have bad credit, some unpaid debt, and cannot afford any classes without help... Help! [more inside]
posted by itsacover on Jul 10, 2009 - 9 answers

Friend is from S. Africa. Friend's family is going to have to move back there in August. Friend wants to continue going to college here but says he can't get student loans. Hive-mind to the rescue? [more inside]
posted by PaulingL on Apr 23, 2009 - 5 answers

How can I consolidate my PRIVATE student loans, to make my financial life a little easier? [more inside]
posted by SansPoint on Jan 29, 2009 - 5 answers

I am a frugal person entering his senior year in college [age 21]. I have been following advice like the stuff in thread 84915and thread 99852 and living below my means. I sought advice in Financial books for college kids my age [for example, generation debt], but left feeling wanting more because they focus primarily on how to cut expenses [skipping the latte, etc]. So, I have some student loans already, but will need more for my senior year. I also have some money set aside, but I should I use this money to lower the loan amount that I'll take out or use this money for an investment (Roth IRA, index fund), and take out more for my student loans ? [more inside]
posted by fizzix on Aug 26, 2008 - 11 answers

Please tell me, using layman's terms whenever possibly, everything you know about student loans. (backstory inside) [more inside]
posted by Quidam on Aug 12, 2007 - 13 answers

StudentLoanHellFilter: No more sub or unsub fed loans. No help from FAFSA. Are we doomed to pay back student loans for the rest of our lives? [more inside]
posted by CwgrlUp on May 9, 2007 - 38 answers

CreditFilter: Does co-signing for my student loans affect my parents' credit? [more inside]
posted by charmston on Jul 1, 2006 - 9 answers

I'm a poor, nineteen year old college student in Washington, DC. Given my predilection for travel and my extreme aversion to actual (i.e. boring) work, I figure it's about time to start saving money and finding ways to make a little on the side. [more inside]
posted by borkingchikapa on Nov 30, 2005 - 20 answers

I'm a full-time college sophomore. I'm working full time, 35 hours a week, to try and make ends meet but I'm having a hard time. I know there was another thread on loans earlier, but my situation is different.

The disbursement I get from the federal student loan programs is not enough to cover my tuition itself, and the extra cost of room, board, books and other necessities is eating in and I'm beginning to run up serious credit card debt. My parents make enough money to keep me from getting grants or financial need scholarships, but they will not help me with school, nor will they co-sign a 3rd party loan. I live in a very cheap apartment and take the bus to school, and I've cut food and entertainment expenses to the minimums. I talked to the financial aid office and they said that there was nothing they could do except offer me a position on campus (for less hours and the same money as my current job) or give me a list of 3rd party loan providers. I called the providers, but they all rejected me because I'm too young (21), single and don't have a cosigner.

What do I do? I feel like I'm being punished for trying to go to school.
posted by anonymous on Jan 27, 2005 - 59 answers

FinanceFilter: I recently experienced the wonderful epiphany of 'college student = poor' as I finished paying bills and checking my bank accounts today. It seems that I've spent almost all of my summer job savings, and by February 1st I will have the grand total of approximately $12 to my name.

My basic question is: what should I know before taking out student loans? I'm looking for personal experiences, warnings, recommendations, etc. I want to make sure I do this right so a few years from now I won't be posting an AskMe question about trying to get out of my many-times-deferred loans. I'm not hardcore set on taking out student loans, but it's an option that seems favorable at first glance and has been recommended and pursued by many of my friends. [MI] [more inside]
posted by ElfWord on Jan 26, 2005 - 16 answers