FAP399: Using the power of Blink in job interviews, political news, video scholarship, Lee Coulter

Student Financial Aid News
+ From BankNet 360: The stress brought on by skyrocketing college costs is broadening an avenue of business for financial advisors. More than half of 300 participants in an online survey conducted by Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. said they consulted their financial advisors for information about college savings. Many parents overestimate how much their child will earn in scholarships and receive in financial aid, leading to family miscommunications about who is willing to pay how much.
+ From NASFAA: "Besides making college more affordable, training more scientists and engineers, and expanding federal financing of stem-cell research," reports The Chronicle of Higher Education "here are some other higher-education issues to watch now that the Democrats have gained control of the U.S. House of Representatives: The Higher Education Act, Academic Earmarks, Support for Academic Research, Student Loans, For-Profit Colleges."
+ From the Chronicle: Among those are provisions that would broaden the federal government's definition of "an institution of higher education" to include for-profit colleges and soften provisions in the "90-10 rule," which requires for-profit colleges to receive at least 10 percent of their revenue each year from sources other than federal student aid.
+ From USA Today: A cut in student loan interest rates. House Democrats want to reduce interest rates on federal Stafford loans, which are used by college students, to 3.4% from the current rate of 6.8%. Democrats will also push to reduce the rate for the Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS) to 4.25% from 8.5%. PLUS loans let parents borrow up to the full cost of a child's attendance, minus any financial aid. Democrats want to increase the maximum Pell Grant, the largest form of federal aid for low-income students, to $5,100. The current maximum is $4,050, an amount that hasn't changed since 2003. The Democratic plan calls for scrapping the existing smorgasbord of tuition-related tax breaks with a tuition tax credit worth up to $3,000. A tax credit is more valuable than a deduction because it's a dollar-for-dollar reduction in your tax bill. Democrats estimate that the $3,000 tax credit would be equivalent to a $12,000 tax deduction for most middle-class families.
+ Parent PLUS Loans can be found at ParentPLUSLoan.com

Scholarship Update
+ The âCrazy for Brickfishâ Video Scholarship Contest
+ Submit a video on the following topic: What is your most memorable story about a current or past job? 1st prize: $500 scholarship with no restrictions on use. 2nd Prize: $300. 3rd prize: $200. The number of votes they receive by their peers will select winners. Limit: 1 vote per person, per day. Anyone is eligible to vote. You must submit an online application by November 30, 2006 at 11:59 pm PST.
+ Detailed information in our free scholarship database
+ Tomorrow is our scholarship points drawing!

JobCast
+ The power of Blink (a book by Malcolm Gladwell)
+ Interviews are like auditions
+ Thin slicing data
+ How do you manipulate blink to your advantage?
+ Proper dress
+ Good tonality
+ Good posture
+ Sense of confidence and energy
+ Little details right away

Podsafe Music
+ Lee Coulter, Dance of the Traveling Lovers
+ Music via the Podsafe Music Network
+ Stop by our MySpace page!

Reminders
+ Private student loans available at any time - visit AlternativeStudentLoan.com
+ Federal student loans at StaffordLoan.com
+ Student loan consolidation at StudentLoanConsolidator.com
+ FAFSA form online filing at FAFSAonline.com
+ Financial Aid Podcast Show Notes at FinancialAidPodcast.com.
+ My personal blog
+ The Financial Aid Podcast is a publication of the Student Loan Network.

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