Monday, January 12, 2009

Slowing Economy Shuts Out Many Needing Student Loans

By Ronaldo Q Cacheezey

The slowing US economy and decreasing money available for borrowing are affecting another area for students. Student loans for US students wanting to attend college have traditionally been accessible, but it seems as though this reliable source of student aid may be getting shut down. Financial institutions, which used to lend funds for college under the Federal government backed student loans, are finding this is no longer profitable in the current state of the economy.

Word of a state agency pulling out of providing money for college, has surfaced. This will affect 100 colleges and universities alone, and the fear exists that many more will become similarly affected. The reason behind this drastic move is cited as being the credit squeeze.

Most money for college has traditionally been supported and provided by some of the largest banks like Citibank, JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs. They have ceased supporting the low-risk security that funds for college have always been behind. On top of this, financial experts are predicting that money for college will start to become more expensive, putting extra strain in this area.

One of the main sources of credit to students has always been the federal government backed student loans, which provides funds to means-tested students. Many students find that this loan only covers tuition and they then need to take out a further private loan to cover other expenses. These are the very loans that are tipped to disappear, although it seems as though lenders are standing by their obligations under the federal backed program.

The main effect of this problem will be felt by low income families and those with a poor credit rating. There are parents who have been negatively affected by the mortgage crisis who have college aged children. These young people could find themselves disallowed by loan providers because of the parents' low credit score.

An estimated 100,000 college students will no longer qualify for federal government or private company loans this year because of the problem of poor credit ratings. This situation adds to the reduction in the number of companies providing student loans to make a grim future for some aspiring college students.

For those who are caught between a rock and hard place with this credit crisis, a trip to your schools financial aid department is in order. They will be able to steer you in the right direction to find student aid assistance.

Don't forget, never give up. If you can't get a hundred percent of your college needs financed, you may have to cut back on classes and get a full or part time job and work your way through college. Yeah, that's nearly unheard of in this day and age, it's still one of the best ways to come out of College with not student loan debt. - 15224

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