All Paying for college Articles

There are some myths surrounding student loan consolidation
student loans

3 Common Myths Surrounding Student Loan Consolidation

By College Raptor StaffLast updated on December 22, 2022
Student loan consolidation allows you to combine multiple federal student loans into one loan so that you make only one payment every month instead of multiple payments. This option offers several benefits to borrowers. Unfortunately, the myths surrounding student loan consolidation cause a lot of confusion resulting in many students making the wrong decision, which …
student loans

What NOT To Do With Your Student Loan Money

By College Raptor StaffLast updated on March 28, 2023
Is it illegal to spend student loan money? Even if it isn’t illegal, should you spend your student loan money on unrelated purchases? The big question is, are you allowed to do that? When you apply for a federal student loan, the funds are disbursed directly to your school. The school’s financial office deducts what it …
student loans

Student Loan Borrower Benefits: What are They?

By Liz SkogerboeLast updated on December 22, 2022
Have you looked into applying for loans to help you pay for college? Student Loan Options Loans can be a good option for many students—after they exhaust all scholarship, grant, and work study options, of course. In your research, you might have come across something called borrower benefits. Put simply, these could be considered small …
A purple background with a dark green circle, with the number 529 in the center.
financial advice & planning

Pros and Cons of a 529 Savings Plan

By College Raptor StaffLast updated on December 22, 2022
529 plans are a type of tax-advantaged, custodial savings plan designed to help families nationwide cover education-related costs. They are also known as qualified tuition programs or Section 529 plans. Millions of families across America enroll in this plan for the many benefits it offers. However, as with any type of financial plan, it has …
Put the pieces of the puzzle together by knowing what consolidate your student loan means
student loans

What Does it Mean to Consolidate Your Student Loan?

By Allison WignallLast updated on December 22, 2022
There’s no doubt about the amount of financial terminology and legalese that surrounds student loans. (Luckily we have a few posts that break down terminology and student loan acronyms you’re likely to come across). For now, let’s focus on just one of those terms: “Consolidate.” What is Student Loan Consolidation? No doubt you’ve heard the …
Two students holding video game controllers.
scholarships

5 Scholarships for Gamers

By Ellen AndersenLast updated on August 30, 2023
In between school and other responsibilities, do you spend a lot of your time gaming? Or perhaps you’re pursuing a career in game development, art, design, programming, or something related? There are actually several scholarships available to students who consider themselves “gamers!” Keep reading to find out about four right off the bat, plus get …
Create a scholarship application calendar to keep yourself organized
scholarship search & applications

Why You Should Create a Scholarship Application Calendar

By Allison WignallLast updated on December 22, 2022
Assuming your getting close to college, we’re also assuming you’re applying for scholarships. A lot of scholarships. That can get pretty overwhelming, which is why you should make a scholarship application calendar. Now, we’re not talking about marking the days that a scholarship is due, we’re talking about a weekly or monthly scholarship application calendar …
A dark blue background with white text overlayed that says "student loans 101."
student loans

A Beginner’s Guide to Student Loans

By Morgan StaubLast updated on December 22, 2022
You’re headed to college. You’ve decided that in order to help pay your steep tuition rates, student loans are the way to go. There’s only one problem: you don’t how to acquire a student loan. That may seem like a massive roadblock. But, after a quick run-through of some basic terminology and concepts involved in …

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