questions & answers

What Exactly Is an Installment Loan?

By College Raptor StaffLast updated on March 12, 2025

Most loans fall under two main categories—installment loans and revolving lines of credit. When researching student loans, you will often read that they are considered as installment loans. Here’s what you need to know about them and how they work. How Installment Loans Work With installment loans, the borrower borrows a specific amount of money …

financial advice & planning

It’s Never Too Early To Start Budgeting For These College Expenses

By College Raptor StaffLast updated on December 22, 2022

Creating a budget for your college expenses is crucial. It helps you understand which expenses are unavoidable and where you can cut back on so that you do not have to take out unnecessary loans. Budgeting is crucial, as is factoring in all expenses into said budget. You’ll need to take into consideration tuition fees, …

student loans

When to Get Student Loans: Important Deadlines and Other Important Tips

By Hilary CairnsLast updated on March 24, 2025

Student loans are an option to help finance your education when scholarships, grants, and other forms of financial aid are not enough to cover the full cost of college tuition, books, and living expenses. There are two main types of student loans that you can apply for – federal and private student loans. Both of …

scholarship search & applications

How Athletic Scholarships Work

By College Raptor StaffLast updated on December 22, 2022

Athletic scholarships are some of the most desirable college scholarships. Athletes who play any sport at any level dream of getting an athletic scholarship. However, it is not easy. Just being good enough in a sport is simply not enough to get a scholarship. The competition is incredibly high for a student athlete scholarship from …

scholarships

Cancer Can’t Stop College: Five Scholarships for Those Struggling with Cancer

By Mesothelioma.netLast updated on December 22, 2022

While it is true that all students headed for college face difficulties and struggles along the way, students who are trying to overcome a serious or even life-threatening disease face even more challenges than the ordinary college-age person. Receiving a diagnosis of a terminal illness will often and understandably have a devastating effect on students …

scholarships

Scholarships for Students With Diabetes

By Ellen AndersenLast updated on December 22, 2022

Going to college while maintaining good health is difficult enough for students without life-long diseases. Managing insulin and blood sugar levels on campus, away from family members who know exactly what to do should anything go wrong, can sometimes be a trick and a half. Financial stress can add to the problem, what with rising …

scholarships

10 Scholarships for First Generation College Students

By College Raptor StaffLast updated on October 8, 2024

Being the first in your family to pursue a college education is an impressive achievement and about a third of students are those first generation college students. According to FirstGenForward, 54% of undergrads in 2020 were children of parents who did not have a bachelor’s degree. While these first-gen students do not necessarily came from …

student loans

Why You Should Start Paying Back Student Loans While in School

By Hilary CairnsLast updated on March 6, 2025

Some loans, like direct subsidized or direct unsubsidized loans from the Department of Education, don’t require you to start paying back until after you graduate college or leave school. You will even be granted a six month grace period. However, that doesn’t mean you should wait to start paying the money back. Here are some …

questions & answers

Are Student Loans Taxable?

By Morgan StaubLast updated on March 6, 2025

Like the vast majority of college students, the student loan process is probably your first introduction to the complex world of borrowing, lending, taxation, and repayment. When you first look at the numbers you’ll eventually be responsible for paying back, you might feel a bit overwhelmed. College tuition is expensive, the costs are only rising, …

student loans

People Who Can Cosign Your Student Loans

By College Raptor StaffLast updated on March 5, 2025

Most students need a cosigner to get private student loans because they do not meet the requirements on their own. While parents are common cosigners for student loans, they are not the only ones who are eligible to cosign. Relatives, friends, or any adult can cosign student loans provided that they meet the lender’s cosigner …