scholarships

Scholarships for International Studies Majors

By Hilary CairnsLast updated on February 27, 2025

Starting your scholarship search as soon as possible is always a major bonus to your efforts. If you’re planning on majoring in international studies or something similar, these three scholarships are a great place to start. The Truman Scholarship Amount: $30,000 Deadline: 11:59 pm in your time zone, on the first Tuesday in February. The …

student loans

Pros and Cons of Hybrid Rate Loans

By Morgan StaubLast updated on March 24, 2025

There’s a lot of loan jargon that students have to be familiar with before they feel comfortable making decisions that impact their financial future. Terms like “annual percentage rate,” “cancellation time-frame,” and “discretionary income” seem imposing at first, but once you break them down, everything becomes more simple. This rule holds fast for hybrid rate …

questions & answers

What Is Economic Hardship Deferment?

By Ellen AndersenLast updated on March 24, 2025

Economic Hardship Deferment is a student loan borrower protection. It allows borrowers to temporarily defer payments toward their loans. If the borrower has a subsidized loan, it will not accrue interest throughout the deferment period. Deferment periods are taken in one-year increments, up to three years total. This deferment plan is only eligible to people …

scholarships

Scholarships For Students Interested In Photography

By Rocco BasileLast updated on December 22, 2022

Photography is popular among graduating high school students, and also college students. There are many scholarships available to talented individuals studying photography or photojournalism in college. Photography scholarships like these can reduce the stress of paying for future education and can also advance a student’s presence in the arts community. The James Alan Cox Foundation …

student loans

A Breakdown of Student Loan Borrower Protections

By Ellen AndersenLast updated on March 25, 2025

Taking out student loans is a huge commitment that can potentially greatly impact your life after college. When taking out student loans, borrowers need to be aware of the loan borrower protections they have. It’s very important to do plenty of research into student loan borrower protections before signing the dotted line. Read the fine …

student loans

Important Details You Should Know Before You Take Out A Student Loan

By College Raptor StaffLast updated on March 24, 2025

If you take out a student loan, the first thing you should know is that you’ll pay it back. This is not a scholarship or grant, which is gift aid or “free money”. A student loan is just like any other loan—you have to pay it back to the lender with interest. When you take …

questions & answers

Which Is Better: Fixed Rate Or Variable Rate Loans?

By College Raptor StaffLast updated on February 25, 2025

As you’re applying for college, you’ll most likely end up looking at student loans. Student loans are complicated enough, but what about the accompanying interest rates? Fixed rate and variable rate loans are another factor to look into before deciding on a student loan. The basic concept behind a fixed rate and a variable rate is …

student loans

Understand The Risks Of Being A Student Loan Cosigner Before Signing

By College Raptor StaffLast updated on March 12, 2025

Most students applying for student loans are not likely to have any credit history. While this does not affect their ability to apply for and get federal student loans, it can pose a problem when applying for private student loans. Private lenders are understandably more apprehensive about lending money to unknown entities. Without any credit …

student loans

Tips For Getting The Lowest Student Loan Rates

By College Raptor StaffLast updated on February 25, 2025

Did you know that private student loans have varying rates of interest? This means you can shop around for loans and find some pretty good deals. You cannot do this with federal student loans. Those rates are set for the year and are fixed for that particular year. They are also the lowest rates you …

questions & answers

Should I take a student loan for all four years at once or one year at a time?

By College Raptor StaffLast updated on February 4, 2026

Key takeaways: In most cases, you can only take out student loans once a semester or annually. Borrowing student loans for all four years at once can lead to higher accrued interest and debt the student doesn’t need. Multi-year student loans could speed up the approval process each semester, but only disburse funds as needed. …