Financial Literacy Series: Give me some credit!

Welcome to the last post in this month's financial literacy blog series! We've previously looked at student loans basics and interest rates, and covered budgeting in college. Today, I want to tell you a little bit about credit and break down student credit cards. While credit cards are scary and troublesome for many people out there, they don't have to be. It's all about being responsible!

President Obama slow jams the student loan news

I'm pretty sure the title of this post just about says everything I need to say about the following video. Obama + Student loans + music + Jimmy Fallon = Magic.

Obama urges Congress to lower student loan interest rates

In 2007, congress passed a bill, lowering these interest rates for the next few years. Unfortunately, this bill will expire after June 31, and rates will go from 3.4% to 6.8% once again. Congress is now looking for ways to keep this interest rate hike from happening, though nothing solid has happened as of yet.

Financial Literacy Series: Budgeting in college

When I was in college, the last thing I wanted to do was keep track of my expenses and create a budget. Booooooring. But now that I'm an adult (though it rarely feels that way) I'm finding it more and more important to keep track of money going in and out of my accounts. I wish this was something I paid attention to in college, because for someone with my level of disorganization, these skills could have been immensely beneficial.

Wages Being Garnished, Tax Refund Taken. I Am Going Crazy!!!

My parents paid for my undergrad education, at a state school; but after college, I got married and had children, and did not work outside the home. I decided to go get my Masters in Humanities at a very pricey private school, and took out student loans. Well, the marriage fell apart, so I was left with no work experience, but a BA in English and an MA in Humanities, as a single-mother, with a ton of debt. My ex barely pays any child support and right now I am working as a supervisor at Starbucks, making next to nothing, and getting my wages garnished on top of it!!! I was looking forward to a nice tax return this year that would help me with bills and rent, but guess what?! They garnished that too! I just contacted a debt services agency to help me out of this mess, but I don't know what I should be looking for. Is there a way out of this mess, other than to keep having them take everything??!!! AHHHHHHH! I NEED HELP!!!!! Topic: Share Your Story

Financial Literacy Series: What’s behind your student loan interest rate?

This week I want to break down interest rates even further to help you understand why banks charge what they do and how this is determined.

Bank of America Short Sales…

photo credit Article by Marc R. Tow In the July 11, 2009 Washington Post article “Coming Up Short – Is a Short Sale Right for You?” the article quotes Bank of America’s Dave Sunlin, a senior vice president who manages the foreclosure and real estate division as saying: “We understand this is an opportunity to [...]The Original Post is Located Here: Bank of America Short Sales…

Default Student Loan Assistance

photo credit Nowadays, student loans are absolutely necessary for supporting the burden of financial cost, but failure to make the payments on exact time leads you to a loan default. However, there is no reason to panic when faced with defaulted student loans. It is definitely not the end of the road. A process known [...]The Original Post is Located Here: Default Student Loan Assistance

Benefits of Student Loan Consolidation

Article by shee Student Loan consolidation programs offer former students and recent graduates a convenient and low stress way to manage their education financing. Most people set up their consolidations after they finish school and while their loans are still in the grace period. Consolidation is often the best way for students to reduce the [...]The Original Post is Located Here: Benefits of Student Loan Consolidation

Chilean Students’ Protest for Education Reform

photo credit Violent protests erupted in Chile’s capital when thousands went out the streets to stage a demonstration with the aim of demanding some changes in public education on August 9th.   According to news, tens of thousands of teachers, students, parents and sympathetic labor activists gathered to protest in central Santiago, Chile on Tuesday [...]The Original Post is Located Here: Chilean Students’ Protest for Education Reform

What are Guaranteed Student Loans

Post by flexjohn What are Stafford, Perkins, and Additionally loans? What’s a subsidized or unsubsidized mortgage? These points can be rather puzzling, but a single of the most confusing points to understand are certain pupil loans. What are these loans, anyhow, and how can you gain from them?A certain financial loan is generally a single [...]The Original Post is Located Here: What are Guaranteed Student Loans

Know about the Consequences Regarding the Default of Student Loan

Article by Robert Cruz Taking up a loan for student in your name is not a rare thing to do. There are many people around you who cannot complete their own studies within their financial boundary. In that case, they have to opt for the loans for student for fulfilling their dreams. However, it is [...]The Original Post is Located Here: Know about the Consequences Regarding the Default of Student Loan

Student Loan Advice – 3 Reasons Student Loans Are Good Debt

photo credit We’re conditioned to think all debt is bad, and for the most part it is. Any money you owe someone else is less you have for building your own long-term wealth. However, there are cases where some debt isn’t a bad thing, and some debt is definitely better than others. In this article [...]The Original Post is Located Here: Student Loan Advice – 3 Reasons Student Loans Are Good Debt

University Student Loans Deferment – Different Types of Forbearance Presented with Fast Approval

Article by cherylll Koniecznies If you ever are like a lot of people, the financial crash has impacted you like lots of some others. Just attempting to pay your ordinary bill, a whole lot less college student loans, may be particularly taxing on your revenue. So, should you have fallen behind in your payments, you [...]The Original Post is Located Here: University Student Loans Deferment – Different Types of Forbearance Presented with Fast Approval

How To Get Student Loans Fast Without Having Your credit Checked By Lenders

photo credit Article by Velma Merrick When youngsters prepare for college and they need to get a loan to pay for their education, they often face the issue of credit history. If you do not have bills issued on your name or credit cards, then, it’s likely that you don’t have a credit report to [...]The Original Post is Located Here: How To Get Student Loans Fast Without Having Your credit Checked By Lenders

Culinary School Debt vs. Pay

Forums: Share Your StoryI graduated from The Culinary Institute of America eight months ago. I really wanted to move out to San Fran to work, but quickly realized that wasn't an option. For four years at school, paying for a mandatory eighteen week internship, and a mandatory food and wine trip that lasted a month, I am now $90,000 in debt between federal and private loans. I didn't want for this to happen, but when you get kicked out of classes due to non full payment, you do what you have to in order to stay in school. So, here I am with over $1,100 in loan payments a month and I cook for a living. Mind you, I have a much better job than a lot of the people I graduated with. The difference, is that most people who I went to school with were rich or got help from family, but still. I work 60-75 hours a week. It is the life I chose and I am okay with the hours, but I get paid by the day, as many people working in kitchens do, and receive no overtime. I am compen sated for my time with about $2,300 a month. So, about 50% of my income goes to student loans. Add rent, gas, insurance, food, car repairs, household bills and I am negative money. So, I cannot pay my federal loans. I only pay the private ones since my Grandmother co-signed them. I am either going to be stuck only taking jobs that pay "well" in kitchens and not being able to buy a house, save, or any other normal life activities till I am near fifty, or I have to give up my dreams. I have wanted to go to the school that I did since I was eight. I have wanted to work under great chefs and one day be one. Now, I am either destined to suffer through life for my education and doing what my degree meant for me to do, or I do something else and give up on all I ever wanted to be due to loans.

Financial Literacy Series: Know your student loans

April is financial literacy month and this blog kicks off our financial literacy blog series! In keeping with this spirit, I wanted to break down some common student loan terms so that students and parents can be better informed about the student loan choices they make.

How to Find The Best Stocks To Buy Now

Every time I look at micro-cap stocks, I realize that good things often come in small packages but you have to look at many  small packages in order to find one good one. With more than 9,000 securities being traded knowing how to find the best penny stocks to buy now is difficult especially since [...]

Penny Stocks: Learning How to Invest

Penny stocks are those stocks that trade below $5 per share. Although these are the cheapest stocks in the market, and they are also the easiest to own because of their cheap price, most financial advisers and long-term investors opt not to buy penny stocks as much as they could, because these stocks are extremely [...]

Why Buy an Energy ETF?

As an individual investor, you will have more access to energy-sector commodities because of the growth of ETFs in recent history. In 2006, the United States Oil Fund (USO) ETF was the first to be introduced in the United States. This investment fund is the most popular in terms of trading volume and asset size. [...]

How To Take A Mortgage Loan In Poland

A lot of people are always wondering how to find the best mortgage loan. Whatever country you are living in it is very likely that the general rules are pretty much the same. That is why it is very important to be familiar with the whole process of taking out a mortgage loan. Furthermore, it [...]

Several Tips for Successful Stock Market Investing

The stock market is not doing as well as it could be due to the recent recession. If you still want to become a successful investor in the stock market, here are a few pieces of advice that will help. Keep a calm and level head, keep looking for opportunities to buy cheap stocks, have [...]

Why Are More US Retirees Heading To Central America?

In the aftermath of the global financial crisis, a growing number of US baby boomers are broadening their perspectives beyond US borders. In the face of spiraling health insurance costs, scrambled nest eggs and a rising cost of living, many are finding that their best option for a comfortable retirement is to head to a [...]

Tips For Successful Trading

Most people expect a stock tip to clearly tell them which way a stock will move so they can get rich off the information. However, relying on the opinion or insight of others is not a reliable way to play, as you will end up not playing it the same as them, or worse, taking [...]

Use Good Debt to Buy Assets

Would you like to become rich? Did you know you can achieve that by using debt to your advantage? If you can use that debt to buy something that will pay you back in the future, then it’s known as good debt. An example is when you use debt to pay for an education, which [...]

European leaders discuss another rescue plan

Top heads from European countries are set once again to discuss another rescue plan giving the rising fears of the region slip into another recession. European leaders are hoping to came out with agreement on handling the Greek economic situation, Italy and Spain troubling data and French deficit problems. What’s wrong with European economy? It [...]

What You Can Do To Cut Cost On Your Life Insurance Right Now

Are you planning on buying life insurance in the near future?  If your someone who in in their early 20′s to to 40′s you shouldn’t have much of a problem getting a policy or pay high fees for that fact.  However if you’re someone who is older than 50 and have a medical condition to boot getting [...]

Student Loan Debt Highest Among Middle-income Students

photo credit According to a new report issued by the College Board, students from families whose median annual income falls between $ 60,000 and $ 90,000 leave school owing about $ 35,000 in student loans, compared to students from lower-income families, who graduate with about $ 25,000 in student loan debt. Students whose yearly family [...]The Original Post is Located Here: Student Loan Debt Highest Among Middle-income Students

Regional Integration

photo credit The principal targets of Regional integration can range from financial to political, even however it has typically turn out to be a political financial system prepare in which marketable use are the means to attain broader socio-political and safety objectives. Largely it is organized by an intergovernmental choice-generating institutional order or supranational, or [...]The Original Post is Located Here: Regional Integration

Mobile Banking Revolution

photo credit Report by Balamurugan Ramanjulu IntroductionIn some methods we are enduring a paradigm shift of Banking from the Web Banking to a up coming era. This paradigm shift explores and opens a new dimension for the buyers with a much practical and better support in which buyers can enjoy a new set of private [...]The Original Post is Located Here: Mobile Banking Revolution

Tips for Paying Off Medical Student Loans

photo credit Post by Jeremy Smith Preserving dollars for faculty does not often go over the expenditures, so it can become essential to consider out a lot more than a single college student mortgage to finance an training. It is approximated that the typical personal debt held by medical grads is nearly $ 157,000. Normally, [...]The Original Post is Located Here: Tips for Paying Off Medical Student Loans

Important Student Loan Consolidation Tips and Resources

photo credit   Education loan consolidation can provide financial relief in order to graduates carrying multiple college loans. Graduates can consolidate both federal and private education loans to lessen interest rates and monthly payment quantities.   Most people use student loan consolidation to get rid of multiple payments. This can be particularly ideal for medical [...]The Original Post is Located Here: Important Student Loan Consolidation Tips and Resources

Immigration – Feds Tweak Student Visa Program

photo credit The J-1 visa is one of the visas of USA that people usually try to acquire. Several times it is applied along with F-1 visa for students. Many foreigners, who are looking to work in USA on full time goes for this visa and even try to live there permanently on J1 visa. [...]The Original Post is Located Here: Immigration – Feds Tweak Student Visa Program

SEE YOU IN COURT BANK OF AMERICA!

photo credit Article by Selma Kelly February four, 2011, is a day that Angie and Mark Garcia will never ever neglect. That’s the day Financial institution of America sold their triplex on the steps of the county courthouse.Angie and her husband Mark labored hard because they obtained married back again in 1996, saved up some [...]The Original Post is Located Here: SEE YOU IN COURT BANK OF AMERICA!

Which Student Loan Lenders Are Best

photo credit you’ll probably just be assigned to a lender. The terms will be the same no matter what lender you work with, so you should be pretty comfortable with this process. Chances are likely, too, that your contract will be sold to another company before long, simply because this is how many lenders tend [...]The Original Post is Located Here: Which Student Loan Lenders Are Best

5 Facts How To Consolidate Student Loans To Get Lower Payments

photo credit Post by Juhani Tontti How to consolidate pupil loans so that the end consequence is favourable to you? How to count the pros and cons and to make a decision, which functions for a extended time? Think, that to consolidate pupil loans is not constantly a excellent thing!But how to consolidate college student [...]The Original Post is Located Here: 5 Facts How To Consolidate Student Loans To Get Lower Payments

Bank Of America Locations – How To Find The Location Nearest You

photo credit Write-up by William Perry Obtaining bank of The united states spots near you genuinely just isn’t challenging today. Whether or not you want to find it for mailing functions, or just to generate down to it, all you have to do is go on the internet and you will be capable to uncover [...]The Original Post is Located Here: Bank Of America Locations – How To Find The Location Nearest You

student loan killer

I went back to school at 55 to get an advance degree and I got a MFA so I could teach and get retirement. After nine years and two months I was relaesed just eight months from being vested for retirement Now I have been out of work almost a year living on 1000 a month social securty and they want me to pay 500 a month on the student loan what am I saposed to live on? I need some kind of out. I am 70 and can not get a position now I have tried. The student loan at this point will never be paid any way and I need a way out. Topic: Share Your Story

Student loans preventing me from getting a home

I graduated college with an Assocites degree in Medical Assisting. I decided to stay on for my Bachelors degree in Health Service Administration thinking I could advance in my career or get a really good job. Unfortunately I live in an area that is a high poverty level. We need a home of our own. We are able to afford a mortars for a home. I consolidated my student loans. I am on the income based payment plan. Because my loans are just over $68,000 the mortgage company will not give us a chance. We are staying with my in laws in a small cramped mobile home. Everything we own is stored in their pole barn. We have a 6 year old son who wants his own home and own bedroom. I have been able to find a better job. We feel stuck and do not know what we can do next. I worked so hard this past year with my credit to get a higher score. It seems like the harder you try to better yourself in life the harder things get. I now regret ever getting my Bachelor's degree. By the way, my name is Dawn. Topic: Share Your Story

Heavy Student Loan Debt

My name is Justin Roscoe and I graduated from the University of San Diego (USD) back in 2008. I graduated with a degree in business administration with an emphasis in marketing. The reason I went to college, my dream job is to be the head of the marketing department for a large corporation, hopefully creating and approving television advertisements for large companies. However, my current status is nowhere near that dream coming true. The reason that it's nowhere near completion, is largely in part due to the economy. My story is not one of extravagance or of too much interest, but I'll tell you what... it's a common one. I was not fortunate enough for my parents to send me to school without taking out major amounts of loans to support me, but USD was always the school I wanted to go to. In that respect, I was in the minority of my school because unlike me, my classmates had parents that were able to afford such a prestigious price tag on a 4 year education. So while I attended school, I had to work part time and go to school full time. I had to support myself in paying for my bills such as my car, insurance, cell phone, and any extra expenses in school such as books or other fees. So I was working 30 hours/week and going to school full time, which took an incredible toll on my social life. But I didn't let that stop me. I pursued year in and year out for four years at this rate and I finally obtained my degree. However, when I graduated college, the economy was in the biggest landslide it s seen in this generation, if not ever. And since I had to work so much while I was attending school in order to pay for my bills, I was not able to do any internships in my field of interest. And so when I graduated jobs in the marketing field were scarce to begin with because companies were holding back marketing budgets and other luxuries to be able to stay afloat. And with that premonition, I was not able to find an entry level marketing position at a decent firm. And so when the market finally started piecing itself back together and marketing field jobs started appearing again, it's almost as if no one will hire me without any prior marketing experience. So I appear to be stuck in the banking industry until I can find someone willing to take a chance on me. But I can't start at the bottom of the totem pole in the industry because I have all of the bills and payments that I previously had, on top of a new enormous student loan debt to pay back. So I am kind of stuck unt il I find a solution, and that's where I currenlty am in the business world. And although my story is not as fascinating as traveling the world until the job market in the U.S. picks up or having the ability to start my own business, I feel that it might be a similar story to many recent college grads in the USA. Topic: Share Your Story

sallie mae private loans and extrinsic fraud

In 2002 My son wanted to attend Chubb Institute ( a for profit school now called anthem) in New York. When applying for financial aid we were told that before he could be considered for any other aid I had to apply for a parents loan. Given that I was only making 250 a week and had just had an auto repossessed I told the financial aid office I was certain I would be denied. I filled out the application and was never told I had been granted a loan for over 13,000 so we thought that with his own federal loan they had found grants for him. In February 2004 a lawsuit was filed against me in NY By Sallie Mae. They claim to have given service to someone they state was a "co-tenant" named Jorge Torres. At no time have I ever lived with anyone by that name. The owner of the house I lived in is Juanita And Julio Torres who are my aunt and uncle. Sallie Mae has since filed in Florida to recognize this judgment and have stated they sent me a copy at 21609 Sally St SE Palm Bay Fl. My address at that time was 1069. They then sent a summons for a deposition to 31069 Sally st. The process server located me due to her ability to figure out that there is no address as stated on her paperwork. During the deposition their attorney asked me if my address was 21069 Sally St and I said no. He then asked me what it was and I provided him with the correct address In December of 2010 they filed for a garnishment with no notice to me whatsoever. I asked their attorney for a copy of the promissory note they claim I signed, it took him in excess of 30 days to get it to me and only after I notified him that he failed to do so did he email some document to me and while the signature is close it does not appear to be mine. The copy of his letter prefacing the copy of a promissory note shows he used the address he knew to be invalid. This leads me to believe he deliberately did so use a fake address in order to prevent me from any self defense Additionally I had asked 2 other collection agencies for this beginning in 2008 and their current attorney has chosen to NOT send me a copy of all pertinent court documents filed here in Florida including the garnishment at to my correct address and in all likelihood has told the court he has while using an address he knows is false in order to once again deprive me of my rights. Their have forced me to move in with my son since the garnishment amount is nearly equal to what my rent was, put me in the position of not being able to pay other bills for a six month period while I tried to get answers from them caused extreme emotional distress and I still do not have any of those answers or a total amount of the alledged debt ( to date they have taken just over 10K The fact that they have engaged in fraud in two states leads me to believe that this is a common practice for Sallie Mae. Topic: Share Your Story

No one has my problem....

I'm writing this because I dont know anyone, even MD's, with my particular problem. I owe close to 300,000.00 in both federal and private student debt. It would have been over 300K if I were not a physical therapist, and caught a break with one of my loan accounts for some forgiveness. So you guys might be asking yourselves "why is he complaining? He has a great job that pays well." You would be right. I do. I get paid well and have no complaints about that. That said, I'm not a MD. I have doctor debt without even being close to the doctor income. All through school I only ever heard from lenders "go ahead and take out this loan. You'll have a good job and will be able to afford it." It was like no one was looking at how much debt I was racking up and tried to stop me. Of course, I also realize 90% of the blame there goes to me for not tracking how much debt I was going into. Then again, how many 19 year-old college freshman are really paying attention to that? A ll you hear your whole life is how you are supposed to go to college and get a good job. The rest is just details. I know I wasnt told much about the pitfalls of student debt when I started. Banks know that and prey on it. I represent a group of student loan borrowers that you dont hear too much about. I'm one of those people who "got the job" out of college, but continues to be overburdened with student debt. Just paying the MINIMUMS on this massive debt goes over half my monthly income. Last month I paid out somewhere on the order of 2500.00 to student debt. It's like having an amazing house that I can never live in. To be honest, it feels more like a prison sentence for all the dumb financial choices I made in school. I know what you all are thinking. "Sign up for IBR with your federals". I have. It's the goddamned private debt that's bending me over every month. Because of my occupation and employed status I dont really qualify for much help. When I talk with other people about it, I can always sense how perturbed they get because they think it shouldnt be a big deal, given my earning potential. The truth is that you dont really earn enough as a PT to support that kind of debt load. Then again, I guess no one could really know how it feels unless they were saddled with that kind of debt load. I'm pretty much forced to work in a setting of physical therapy that I absolutely hate because it pays the best. Then I work a second job in the same setting on an as-needed basis, just to make sure I have a little room to breath every month. All my aspirations for my career have been put on hold because of this debt, and, at this rate, could never be resumed until I am AT LEAST 55 years old. This debt also prevents me from owning a home. I wouldnt have enough to pay a mortgage. I get up every morning doing something I hate, and constantly reminded of how I will always have to live in a 1 bedroom apt for practically the rest of my life unless I marry someone with a good career and no debt. Just looking at a map for the rest of my life, it seems like I will spend the next 25 to 30 years doing something I ABSOLUTELY despise while living in a single bedroom apt. Let's see here, all of that stress and bitterness will eventually manifest as increased cholesterol and hypertension. Well, there starts the health problems. Then I get the pleasure of entering the medical system as a patient, instead of a clinician. Now I can spend even more of my money on medications I will have to be on for the rest of my life! All the while, I will struggle month-to-month to pay off student debt from decades ago, while dealing with insurance co-pays, car payments, etc. Yep, that's the American way, isnt it? Looks like I will be fully indoctrinated. This wasnt what I wanted... I wish I could get on TV or something and tell my story, so I could warn future borrowers not to make the same mistakes I did. I didnt really need to take out that much money to go to school. I was just young and naive; with apathetic parents, as well. I dont even want to go into all of the ways in which I squandered that money. Funny, though, how a person could make the exact same mistakes with a credit card and there's a way out. Not for me, or those like me. Anyway, that's it for my rant. If anyone wants to chime in with a different point of view or perhaps lead me to possible sources to get help, I would greatly appreciate it. Topic: Share Your Story

Furthering my Education in Chiropractic care Leads to Large Amount of Unexpected Debt

I wanted to reach out and share my story about the federal student loan situation I'm currently dealing with, in hopes of obtaining advice, relief, motivation, connection, and so on. Prior to taking on any form of debt, student loan or otherwise, I had been a part of the holistic health community. I began training in massage therapy back in 1999, learning multiple forms of bodywork over the years. I felt I had finally found my calling: helping others through the power of touch. I have been blessed with a gift for healing and became quite successful/busy over the years utilizing twelve different varieties of massage therapy from different parts of the world. My interest was/is primary in Eastern forms of massage as they are the oldest and most refined, though I do have training in several Western forms as well. However, since massage and bodywork is not taken very seriously in this country, I felt I needed some additional form of training, as I wanted to become a primary healthcare provider, while remaining natural and holistic. It wasn't until a trip to China (for additional massage training) in 2008 that I realized chiropractic was the closest method of obtaining this new goal. For those of you who do not know, China is home to one of the oldest recorded forms of medicine. Practitioners of Tuina (Chinese massage) are doctors and are highly regarded; seen as equivalent to acupuncturists and Western medical doctors. These Tuina doctors not only provide medical massage therapy, but are also trained in bone manipulations. Unfortunately, there is no way to become a doctor of massage in the United States, so chiropractic seemed like my best option. My chiropractic journey began in 2008, not long after returning from China. I started by taking a handful of additional pre-requisites required to enter chiropractic school. I set aside my massage therapy work and teaching (I had taught massage at two different schools from 2005-2008). After completing the pre-requisites, I moved up to Hayward, CA in August of 2009. I left behind my Mom, Grandparents, friends, numerous massage clients and just about everything else. Without going into every little detail, I will say it was quite a challenge to step back knowing I'd be taking on a lot of debt, but I felt the rewards outweighed the risks. Unfortunately, I became very ill within the first few weeks of chiropractic school at Life Chiropractic College West. I was forced to withdraw by week 6 and was bed-ridden for two weeks, without the comfort of friends and family. Due to the illness, trouble with my Grandmother's health at home, as well as an uncomfortable living situation in Hayward, I decided it was best to return home. I returned home to San Diego to recover, while making plans to return to chiropractic school, this time closer to home - at Cleveland Chiropractic College Los Angeles. I was refunded part of my tuition from Life West and paid off $5,000, thinking it was wise to reduce my starting debt. In the Summer of 2010, I re-started and finally completed my first term of chiropractic school. Despite the challenges of living in a strange place on my own and still reeling from what had happened at Life West, I felt proud to earn a 4.0 gpa in that first term. The apartment complex I lived in while staying in LA was literally insane, with all kinds of noises from the various tenants waking me nearly every night. Numerous calls to security proved futile and by the time I began my second term at Cleveland, I was exhausted from not being able to obtain proper sleep. I came to the devastating realization that I could not continue under those conditions, so I withdrew at around week 5 of my second term, hoping to move elsewhere in Los Angeles and resume classes at the same school by the start of 2011. Since a close friend from home as well as a couple of friends I met at Cleveland were at a different chiropractic college in Whittier, CA, I actually decided to leave the area and move closer to the school there - the Southern California University of Health Sciences (SCUHS). I moved into a nice house, renting from a man who was looking for roommates. The house was very close to this new school, not to mention La Habra/Whittier is much nicer than the downtown area of Los Angeles. I began my second term (first at SCUHS) at the start of 2011. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be at that house, as I quickly learned that the man renting my room was an alcoholic. I felt unsafe to live there with my two cats, but had no time to search for a new place to live because school was underway. Despite the awkward living situation, I was proud to maintain a 4.0 gpa. Once the term ended, I moved to another home. This occurred right before my third term was to begin in May 2011. I literally started school the day after moving in, boxes piled up all around me. I struggled to get situated while beginning my third term, but I was able to once again maintain my 4.0 gpa once it was finished. Despite all these external events that had occurred over the previous two years, I always held onto the fact that I was doing really well in school. In August 2011, my grandmother had to be put into a rest home, primarily due to dementia and mobility problems. It bothered me that I was not able to be home to help my family during a transitional time. My 95 year old Grandpa was on his own for the first time and, while my Mom lived next door, it was becoming too hard for her to help on her own. My fourth term (third at SCUHS) began in September 2011, but my mind was elsewhere. I still pushed on with classes, but my spark was not there. I could not focus on classes knowing so many changes were occurring at home. Even though I had started getting involved in teaching massage/soft tissue at SCUHS and felt happy at the school, my presence at home was needed. By around week 8 of this fourth term, I realized I could not focus on my classes and that I had to be home to do whatever I could for my family. I withdrew from SCUHS (my third withdrawal overall) and moved back home near the end of October. I had completed a half-term course and continued taking one other course that was offered once a week, driving up to Whittier from San Diego each week just so I could finish at least one full term class. I was also selected to teach anatomy to high school students in the cadaver lab that term, so despite withdrawing, I fulfilled my obligation by driving up on most Fridays as well. I managed to finish that class in December 2011, still maintaining my 4.0 gpa. Since I've been back home, I've been wondering what to do. I hope to finish chiropractic school at some point, but with how much my presence back home has helped my Grandpa and Mom, I am not sure when the time will be right. I recently learned that I already owe about $74,000 in student loans, with only 3 terms (of 10) actually completed. I did not think the amount would be so high, so I was taken off guard. When you are busy with school and had as many moves/changes over such a short time, you tend to lose track. I am extremely discouraged because not only can I not work as much doing massage right now, but I don't even know how to approach paying off an amount so great, especially when considering it will grow much more when/if I return to school. I am currently feeling like my decision to add additional training through chiropractic was a huge mistake, one that could ruin my finances for quite some time. I wake up during the middle of the night in cold sweats with abdominal pain from worrying. I try so hard to have faith that everything will work out. I feel like my intentions have always been good and pure, yet I also feel like I am being punished from the day I first started school in 2009 until now. I am just so worried at this time, not only for me but for my Grandpa. It costs about $3,000 per month to maintain my grandma's care, so my Grandpa feels like all his life savings are going away. The government will not help until he has $3,000 left in his bank account. He has always wanted to leave his children and grandchildren with some kind of inheritance, but now he's afraid that not only will that not happen, but that he will have to sell our home (which his father built in the 1920s). I have emailed Great Lakes to find out what to do about this loan, as I am supposed to start repaying in April. Even though school is not finished, my 'grace period' is ending. I am just so overwhelmed right now that I don't know what to do. Any advice would be tremendously appreciated. I am in the process of writing a letter to President Obama as well as state officials because it seems crazy to me that people are put at such a disadvantage for trying to educate themselves, especially in situations like the one I have described, where the educational process has been put on hold indefinitely. Regards, Matt Topic: Share Your Story