It’s too bad that Uncle Sam ever got into the college-financing business. The feds have no constitutional authority to lend money to students (or anyone else) and millions of students have gotten themselves deeply in debt for education of dubious value. Easy federal loans were essential in fueling the “college for everyone” movement that has raised the cost and degraded the educational value of earning a degree.
With the average student loan balance hitting $29,800 for the Class of 2018, you’re probably looking for any help you can get paying off your debt. And if you meet certain requirements, it’s possible to have a portion of your balance forgiven.
Not everyone qualifies for forgiveness: If you have private loans, for example, you’re on the hook to repay the full amount, and every forgiveness program has strict requirements. You shouldn’t count on forgiveness to get your debt under control, and you should never pay anyone who promises to get your debt forgiven—it’s likely a scam.
The Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program began in 2007 with the intent of providing a financial cushion for those who chose to work in public service. You make 120 months of income-based payments while working for a qualified organization (such as the government or a 501(c)(3) entity). Upon completion, the remaining balance of your federal loans are forgiven without having to pay income tax on the debt cancellation.
The experience of being crushed by student debt is no longer limited to the young. New federal data shows millions of Americans who are retired or nearing retirement face this burden, as well as the possibility of having their Social Security benefits garnished to make payments.
When it comes to determining a good SAT score for college applications, the answer depends on a student's ambitions.
The SAT, an admissions exam many colleges and universities require of applicants, is administered by the College Board and scores students on a scale of 200 to 800 for various sections. The new SAT was released in March 2016 and tests students on evidence-based reading and writing and math, with both sections worth a maximum score of 800 each. The essay portion is optional.
Q. To assist our son in fulling his dream of becoming an Air Force pilot, we took out a Parent Plus loan to cover his tuition. We borrowed $90,000 over four years. Is there any write-off we can take? It's tough paying $1,200 per month and almost $1,100 goes to interest. It's killing my retirement.
-- Retirement-poor
A. You son is very lucky that you took out loans on his behalf.
Hopefully the day will come when he can help you with the payments.
Americans older than 60 are saddled by student loan debt worth a whopping $86 billion — a figure that rose 161% between 2010 and 2017, the largest increase out of any age group, the WSJ reports.
CLEP (the College-Level Examination Program®) offers 33 exams that cover intro-level college course material. With a passing score on one CLEP exam, you could earn three or more college credits at more than 2,900 U.S. colleges and universities.
HUG is NOT refinancing, consolidation, settlement or bankruptcy. It will not damage or freeze your credit. Our typical client will be debt-free in half the time or less, including mortgage, credit cards, student loans and other types of debt obligations, compared to their current schedule. Most clients will pay less than 3% interest over all.
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“What I would like to do... once I take care of all my kids' student loans, is buy a red 1965 Mustang and fully restore it.”
– Mike Quigley
"Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood."
– Marie Curie
“This would be a much better world if more married couples were as deeply in love as they are in debt.”
– Earl Wilson
The road to success is always under construction
– Lily Tomlin
"Bankruptcy laws allow companies to smoothly reorganize, but not college graduates burdened by student loans."
– Robert Reich
"If we don't change direction soon, we'll end up where we're going."
– Irwin "Professor" Corey
"There is scarcely anything that drags a person down like debt."
