[Part 2] Sallie Mae is the largest student loan company. We look at a 60 Minutes report on Sallie Mae and how Sallie Mae, with the help of government, makes a lot of money off of student borrowers.

Low-interest student loans are dependent upon a good credit score, the state of the economy and interest rate levels, whether it is a variable or fixed loan and where the loan is coming from. Find lower-interest loans, raising credit scores and having a cosigner to help, with financial advice from a guidance counselor in this free video on student loans. Expert: Cheri Ashwood Contact: www.wearehdtv.com Bio: Cheri Ashwood has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and education, and has been a guidance counselor for nearly a decade. Filmmaker: Christopher Rokosz

The Graduate program I am applying to is a small school and I was recently told that they do not offer Assistantships or Fellowships for my program which is Master of Science Counseling Psychology. Is this something that happens often? How else besides through loans do I finance my Graduate study? I already have quite a few loans I am currently paying on for Undergrad. However, this is the school I would like to attend and am waiting for their accept or reject response. Thanks for your helpful responses.

Today more students are taking on larger amounts of federally-backed loans to pay for a higher education than ever before. That’s why it’s imperative that policymakers and other stakeholders know how these rising debt levels affect students after they leave school. On March 17, 2011, the Institute of Higher Education Policy released a policy paper, Delinquency: The Untold Story of Student Loan Borrowing, that examines student loan debt using data from five of the nation’s largest federal student loan guaranty agencies. These new data provide detailed information on how 1.8 million student borrowers manage their federally-backed student loans. To mark the release of this paper, Jason Delisle, Director of the New America Foundation’s Federal Education Budget Project, moderated a panel of experts including Alisa Cunningham Director of Research & Evaluation at the Institute for Higher Education Policy, Justin Draeger, President and CEO at the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, Deanne Loonin, Attorney at the National Consumer Law Center, and Dr. Laura Perna, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education, who discussed the findings in the report and the greater issue of increasing levels of student loan debt.

Get prepared for the MSU game show Real LIFE TV. Real LIFE TV asks financial related questions to MSU students for the chance to win up a 0 gift card to the Missouri State Bookstore. How the game works: Each student is asked a series of 3 questions. Answering even one question right receives a prize. 1 question correct = or gift card. 2 questions correct = , , , or gift card 3 questions correct = , , , or 0 gift card So, brush up on your financial knowledge for your chance to win!