Topic: Stafford

Big squeeze for grads: Student loans rise, job opportunities dim

College grads have to pay back ever bigger student loans. But job opportunities are slim. Is US competitiveness at stake?

Financial aid: One of six tools to graduate debt-free

Financial aid dwindling. Rising tuition. College debt over $20,000. Financing a college education can be as hard as paying off a McMansion on an adjustable-rate mortgage. So why is Zac Bissonnette smiling? The senior art-history major at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, is set to graduate debt-free. "The great thing about graduating debt-free is that you have tremendous flexibility in terms of your postgraduation plans," says Mr. Bissonnette, author of "Debt-Free U: How I Paid for an Outstanding College Education Without Loans, Scholarships or Mooching Off My Parents." "You don't have to rush out and take the highest-paying job to make your sacrifices to the almighty church of Sallie Mae." Here are six ways you, too, can trim or eliminate college debt:

Credit repair: What's the smart plan for clearing out debts?

Credit repair (Question #1) and recovering from bankruptcy (Question #10) let you erase old debt and improve your credit score – in the long run. But be careful about short-term implications.

Financial aid for college: tips for the new FAFSA form

For students in need of financial aid, the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) becomes available online Saturday.

College financial aid: More grant money available – and easier to find

College financial aid is easier to find through the government this year. Grants and loans are consolidated in one place, streamlining families' search for college financial aid.

Amazon River, from start to finish, walked by former British Army officer

Amazon River runs from Peru to Brazil's Atlantic coast. Ed Stafford walked its entire length in two and a half years.

Student loans offer a rare break this fall: lower interest rates

Student loans: Critics warned a government 'takeover' this spring would snarl up the federal student loan program. Instead, student loans are streamlined and interest rates have dropped.

More family income! Now what? Save, remodel, or splurge?

Reader mailbag: With the prospect of more family income, decide what's most important to both of you.

Starting in July, new ways to cut your student debt

Crying 5-year-olds booted from White House (Biden not involved)

Financial Q&A: How financial-aid picture changes by waiting to go to college

Submit your questions to Steve Dinnen at money@csmonitor.com

How investors can earn by helping others learn

For-profit education companies present stock opportunities. But some question whether they truly benefit society.