Student Loan Question

Yup, it's on my list now. Might as well try and give myself the biggest nest egg possible.

You guys are thinking of doing this during school? or before school starts?

It's really difficult for some of us to finance our education. However, you guys worked so hard in the past few months to study for GMAT, prepare app packages and now you guys are headed to some of the best MBA programs in the world....

FT MBA Programs probably require us to invest significant amount of time and effort - including studies, networking, interviewing etc... (I personally don't plan to work in any capacity in the next 2 years)

Your grades might suffer if you decide to get a job while enrolled in a FT program.

Are there any PT jobs that's ideal for FT bschool students like us? Please share if you guys have some kinda idea

I mean between now and June. I could probably be a waiter 2 or 3 nights a week and pick up an extra $3,000 between now and then. It would certainly help that is for sure.

Just curious,why don't u put that effort on making money in the stock market?

Looks like I will be continuing my internet business. I really wanted to stop it when I hit school but it's only an hour a day so wtf I'll keep it going.

Yeah, sorry, I should have specified and said a second job between now and leaving for school, to pay down debt/get a cushion to survive at least until the internship. I don't know about anyone else but my current job doesn't pay much at all. Good experience, good leadership and teamwork, not much money. I don't exactly have $50k or so to help cover things while at school

good stuff jb, thanks for the detail.

You are ALMOST correct in that all private student loans only allow up to the published cost of attendance (less financial aid). Maybe this has change (haven't checked since summer), but the CitiAssist Graduate Loan allows you to borrow up to $150,000 total, without regard to cost of attendance. The rest follow what you posted.

Of course, if this changed, I apologize for misleading you guys...

It has changed, Congress passed the Higher Education Opportunity Act on July 31st. It limits all financial aid to be capped at the total cost of attendance. While the CitiAssist loan may be a $150,000 cap, it is also capped at the total cost of attendance or whichever is less.

Ahh ok. Why would Congress pass something that stupid and call it "opportunity". Sigh.

I wonder why CitiAssist still kept it at $150K on a sheet they passed out in September 2008. Weird.

To limit the debt of a recent graduate.

Has anyone started looking at private loans yet? HBS is saying they will have more info on June 1st, however I'd like to begin looking on my own now. I may use Graduate PLUS for my additional expenses above the Stafford, however I want to see what I can get as far as Private Loans. Any links or advice would be great!

Thanks!

Hey guys,

I have a few more questions. These may be school-specific, but I thought I'd just throw them out there in case anyone has any experience.

1) I've received a preliminary financial aid package from my top choice school. If I take out the full $20,500 amount allowed to me for the Stafford loans (subsidized and unsubsidized) and take out private loans from friends (non-family and non-relative) to supplement the rest of my Cost of Attendance instead of the Grad Plus or private loans, will this affect any scholarships or grants I have received?

2) In addition, will taking out private loans from friends negatively affect my eligibility for Stafford loans in any way for either year?

Thanks!

why would anyone besides you need to know that you borrowed money from a friend or family? i think you should just keep that to yourself.

I think that private loans would be viewed similarly as any other portion of the cost you pay thru savings (I'm assuming your friends will be disbursing the loan to you and not directly to the school) So it shouldn't affect scholarships or grants, or eligibility for gov't sponsored loans. One factor to consider though is that you'll need to file a new FAFSA and possibly your school's fin. aid application next spring, so any money you've received from your friends that's sitting in your bank accounts at that point would have to be reported on those as part of your assets, and that could affect need-based aid you're offered for next year, although it would not affect Stafford loan eligibility.

Just to add to the confusion here, my understanding is that anyone (regardless of income) can get up to $20,500 per year in Stafford loans. Income comes into play to determine whether the loan is subsidized (ie. interest doesn't accrue while you're in school). I want to say the interest rate is around 6.5% on those. Grad-PLUS, which can be taken out on top of Stafford and up to the school's determined budget, is 8.5% or something horrible like that.

You can find more info here -
https://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/ ... tloans.jsp

Pretty much everyone can qualify for as much as you want. If you research the options for different banks, some offer rate reductions of upto 0.75% (I believe citi does that) if you do direct payments from an account at their bank.

If you have family who is going to pay for it, dont tell the school that until you get your aid package. If they ask what your parents will be paying say 0. Cross the bridge about what happens if you get a personal loan after you figure out whether you might be getting free money. In my opinion maxing out loans while in school to get free money and then immediately paying it off with that with whatever family will give you would be the best way to go if thats what it comes down to.