A few weeks ago I asked newsletter subscribers to email me with the things that concerned them. Many readers told me that the cost of higher education, specifically the college and university level, and their student loans were some of the things on their mind.

A few years ago, I wrote about how my sister took advantage of a student loan forgiveness program for teachers. It’s a great program if you can participate because it helps the (former) student and it helps society as a whole by putting incentives and compensation more in line with the work performed. Today, I wanted to discuss the Income-based Repayment plan created by the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007. It only became available/effective on July 1 of 2009.

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The world has known about free online courses like MIT OpenCourseWare and Open University (for a longer list, check the end of my foundation post about online education). Until today, I wasn’t aware of any university that has offered personal finance courses and certainly not one that has put it all on the web for anyone to use!

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If you go back a ten or fifteen years, there were two things you could do online that would get you laughed at: finding a date and getting a post-secondary degree.

With dating sites flourishing and online education popping up everywhere, the stigma associated with the “online” versions of both have all but been washed away. Meeting someone online no longer means you’re meeting someone capable only with interacting with a computer and getting a degree online no longer means you took some cupcake classes and paid for a diploma.

However, just as how you still want to be careful with who you choose to meet in person from an online dating site, you’ll also have to be careful which online university you choose to attend. Like dates, not all universities are created equal.

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This is a guest post from MLR @ MyLifeROI. This is a 3 post series and each post is going live this morning on three different blogs: Bargaineering, Green Panda Treehouse, & Poorer Than You. I will be posting a wrap-up post to tie it all together and summarize each article.

You are 22 years old. You have just spent the past four years paying tuition, room and board, books, food, utilities, transportation, etc. The worst part is that it is all getting more and more expensive beyond peoples’ expectations. Where does that leave you? In a mountain of debt upon graduation. For some of us that means letting our debt dictate a less than optimal career.

However, what are some ways that we could better prepare for our college education? And if it is too late for you, how can we better plan for our children’s education?

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Applying for financial aid can be an overwhelming and stressful task. There are many steps involved and some of the steps can be rather complex. It is important to remember, however, that the financial aid system has been set up to help you. With a little patience, the system can really pay off in the end. This article will give you an overview of the steps in the financial aid process and will give you a little bit of advice along the way.

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Upromise is a college savings program that costs absolutely nothing to join and gives you rewards when you make purchases anywhere. That’s right, anywhere. You don’t have to buy anything through them to earn rewards. Open an account, register your credit cards and loyalty cards, such as a buyer’s card at a grocery store, and you can earn money towards college or student loans when you go about your business.

What’s the catch?

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I was amazed to learn that 25% of families don’t submit a FAFSA, which is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, because they’re leaving free money on the table for no good reason. For those that do fill it out, be careful to submit it before your state’s deadline for state grants! The FAFSA deadline is June 30th but many states have earlier deadlines for state specific grants.

Best part about grants? It’s money you don’t have to repay!

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I had lunch today with a few friends and the topic of private versus public college came up, a topic they recommended I put on my blog (so to appease them, I did!). As the graduates of private colleges, we were all curious what the difference in salary between graduating from a private college, paying $30,000+ a year for tuition/room/board/etc, and graduating from a public college, paying $10,000 a year for room, board, etc. The impetus of the conversation was that one friend knew someone who was graduating as a radiation oncologist and did a similar analysis between doctors and typical engineers (his analysis said it took twenty years for the doctor, a radiation oncologist, to “catch up” to an engineer, after accounting for typical raises, college loan debt, and other factors). So what’s the break-even point between private and public college graduates?

The answer …?

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CNNMoney has broken down the details of the latest stimulus package and has the following to say about the American Opportunity Tax Credit, which was a refundable credit pushed heavily by Pennsylvania Representative Chaka Fattah (D):

New temporary college credit: The bill introduces the American Opportunity Tax Credit, which would be in effect for 2009 and 2010. It expands the existing Hope Scholarship tax credit and would be worth as much as $2,500 for higher education expenses, up from $1,800 currently.

The full credit would be available to those making less than $80,000 ($160,000 for joint filers). Those making between those amounts and $90,000 ($180,000 for joint filers) would get a partial credit. And the break would also be partially refundable, meaning lower income families with little or no tax liability could now claim some of the credit. Estimated cost: $13.9 billion.

The stimulus package also has another education related tax break, the Pell Grant has been increased to $5,350 for 2009 and $5,550 for 2010; an increase of $500 in both cases.

The last few weeks have been hectic in the BFP household as we had a combination of the holiday festivities and my wife’s applications for graduate school. She’s applying to Ph.D. programs, so she’s been researching graduate programs, writing applications, preparing for the GRE, and taking the GRE these last few weeks. Fortunately, one problem she hasn’t had to tackle was how to pay for the Ph.D. because they often get tuition covered by the school, plus a stipend.

I graduated undergrad with about $25,000 in student loans, a paltry sum when compared to some of my friends who had upwards of $50,000 and $80,000 in student loans. Also, the majority of my loans were low-interest deferred Stafford loans. I was only able to get those loans, and other grants, because I filled out a FAFSA form… something 25% of families fail to do.

I was amazed when I read a press release from Sallie Mae that stated 25% of families didn’t even complete the FAFSA application! Sallie Mae is another one of those former government sponsored entities that privatized a few years ago (like Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae) and they deal strictly with student loans and college savings plans. The FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

How do I apply?
You can either fill out a paper form or you can apply online. Applications can be submitted starting January 1st (so you can do it now) and the deadline is June 30th.

Why is the FAFSA so important?
It’s used to determine everything in federal aid. Need- and non-need-based grants, scholarships, work-study and low-cost student loans – they all use the FAFSA to determine who gets what. Last year, $163 billion dollars in student aid was awarded and 40% of them were grants that do not have to be repaid. That is free money. If you don’t complete a FAFSA, you are not eligible for any federal financial aid. No Stafford loans, no Perkins loans, no PLUS loans, and not even unsubsidized Federal loans. Zero. Zip.

I heard student loans are really hard to get this year.
That may be true, but if you don’t spend the hour or two to fill out the FAFSA, they will be nearly impossible for you to get because you won’t be eligible for any of the federal loans.

What are the interest rates on subsidized loans?
The Stafford loan is probably the most popular subsidized loan as it has the most favorable interest rates, it’s a need-based loan and the rates are schedule to be (all loan rates are listed on Sallie Mae):

• July 1, 2008–June 30, 2009 the interest rate is 6%.
• July 1, 2009–June 30, 2010 the interest rate is 5.6%.
• July 1, 2010–June 30, 2011 the interest rate is 4.5%.
• July 1, 2011–June 30, 2012 the interest rate is 3.4%.
• Beginning July 1, 2012 the rate is 6.8%.

Those rates may not look incredibly favorable now but remember that interest is tax deductible if you earn under a certain amount and the interest is deferred until after graduation.

I recognize that some part of that 25% of families may not be eligible for federal financial aid on a need basis, but there are plenty of non-need related federal financial aid options that everyone should try to apply for.

I am extremely thankful that I was able to get federal financial aid (and some grants directly from Carnegie Mellon) and it all starts with filling out and submitting a FAFSA.

(Photo: btreenews)