student loans

FAQS About Private Student Loans

By College Raptor StaffLast updated on March 24, 2025

There are a lot of questions that come with student loans, and we aim to answer quite a few of them! What are private student loans? Private student loans are loans offered by banks and other private lending institutions to college students to help cover all or part of their college education costs. How are …

student loans

Pros and Cons of Graduated Repayment Plans

By Hilary CairnsLast updated on February 25, 2025

After graduation, you have quite a few options when it comes time to repay your student loans. One of those options is a graduated repayment plan. This plan works by starting your payments lower and raising them slowly over time. Here’s a rundown of what that means for you as well as the pros and …

scholarships

Scholarships for Dog Lovers

By College Raptor StaffLast updated on August 14, 2025

Key Takeaways There are scholarships available specifically for dog lovers. Several scholarships require a short, personal essay to apply. Some awards are tailored to students pursuing a veterinary degree. Many scholarships reward passion and real-life experiences with dogs. Students who have volunteered in shelters, trained pets, or are planning careers in animal care may be …

questions & answers

A Graduate Student’s Guide to Financial Aid

By Hilary CairnsLast updated on October 6, 2025

Key Takeaways: Pursuing a master’s degree costs $73,520 on average, and a doctorate could set you back $198,000 or more. Graduate students should complete the FAFSA for federal student loans and to be considered for grants and institutional aid. Students can also apply for scholarships or request tuition assistance from an employer. Going to college …

scholarship search & applications

Why You Should Apply to Scholarships Regularly

By Allison WignallLast updated on March 24, 2025

Scholarships are, without a doubt, the ideal way to pay for college. Even with all the hype they get, however, there’s still a few misconceptions that surround scholarships. Some think that scholarships are only for graduating high school seniors (they’re not), some think you only apply for scholarships the summer before school (nope), and other …

student loans

Things to Know About Grad PLUS Loans

By College Raptor StaffLast updated on March 12, 2025

You got into graduate school! That’s amazing, but that also means you have to pay for grad school. How do you do that? Grad PLUS Loans are federal student loans that students can take to cover the costs of grad school. Only students attending programs in a graduate or professional school are eligible to take …

questions & answers

What is a Fellowship?

By Hilary CairnsLast updated on December 22, 2022

You’ve might have heard the word “fellowship” thrown around a bit here and there, but have you ever wondered what it meant? A fellowship is not quite a scholarship and it’s not quite an internship, but it can be similar to both. Here’s a rundown on what you need to know and how you can …

student loans

9 Important Facts About Federal Consolidation Loans

By College Raptor StaffLast updated on February 25, 2025

Federal Direct Consolidation Loans are a type of loan that merges multiple federal student loans into a single loan. The single biggest advantage of federal consolidation loans is that you only have to make a single monthly payment as opposed to making multiple payments on different days of the month. It’s definitely more convenient and …

scholarship search & applications

How To Network For Scholarship Opportunities: 3 Easy Ideas

By College Raptor StaffLast updated on March 6, 2025

While the internet is a great resource for researching scholarship opportunities, it is certainly not the only one. There are several scholarships that are not listed online for several reasons. It could be that they are open only to an organization’s employees and their dependents or to members of a local community. The only way …

student loans

What Are Direct Consolidation Loans?

By College Raptor StaffLast updated on December 22, 2022

Direct Consolidation Loans are one single loan that you end up with if you choose to combine multiple federal student loans. Advantages of Direct Consolidation Loans The main reason why students combine their federal student loans into a single Direct Consolidation Loan is convenience. Borrowers who refinance and consolidate their loans only have to keep track …