www.ed.gov --- The home page for the U.S. Department of Education
o www.fafsa.ed.gov — The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is a requirement to apply for Federal Stafford Loans. Here, find information on the FAFSA, complete it online, and follow up on its status.
o www.pin.ed.gov — You need a Personal Identification Number from the U.S. Department of Education to complete the FAFSA. Get more information, apply for your PIN, and activate it at this site.
o www.studentaid.ed.gov — A general portal for students about federal student financial aid.
Access Group is a nonprofit student loan provider that specializes in graduate and professional student lending. Their Web site features many articles and tools for students and those advising them.
o www.accessgroup.org/wiseborrower — A series of online, interactive educational modules designed to help increase understanding of personal finance and debt management.
o www.accessgroup.org/calculators — Calculators and an online loan ledger to determine how much student loans will cost and to help plan for successful repayment before a student takes out a loan.
o www.accessgroup.org/students — The gateway to resources and articles to help students with every stage of financing their education.
Billing itself as “The SmartStudent Guide to Financial Aid,” this site contains articles and links to other resources on a variety of financial aid topics, including scholarships, federal loans, and private loans.
It is important to be informed about your credit and your credit score. FICO scores are your credit rating. Most lenders base approval for credit, and often the rates at which they will lend, on your FICO score. You have three FICO scores, one for each credit bureau.
Free credit reports are available under a new provision in the FACT Act. If you are ever denied credit, a free report is also available from the credit bureau that was the source of the information on which the credit decision was made. Credit reports and a credit score can be also obtained for a fee from the three major credit bureaus.
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has a lot of information for consumers about identity theft and credit, as well as financial decisions in general
™ From their home page, click on “For Consumers”
™ www.annualcreditreport.com/cra — The FTC’s site with information about how to obtain your free credit report
The three major credit reporting
agencies:
Learn more about credit scoring and purchase your credit score from this site.
Just about all topics related to personal finance are addressed in some manner on this site, including rate comparisons, articles, calculators, and a special tab for College Finance.
The Motley Fool has an irreverent name but solid financial information and advice on personal finance, including credit and debt management, and investing.
The Law School Admission Council’s Web site hosts a myriad of information, from questions to ask when first considering law school, to minority perspectives on attending law school, to information on the LSAT.
The National Association for Law Placement’s members include
almost all the ABA-accredited law schools and legal employers in the
This organization organizes, trains, and supports law students who are interested in a career in public service.
o From their home page, click on Finance a Career, to find information on Loan Repayment Assistance Programs for law school, and on research about law school debt and career choices.
o From
their home page, click on Choose a Law School to find advice and
research information for those who are thinking about a career in public
interest law.
The American Bar Association maintains a content-rich site
with information for students in or considering law school, including a
“Pre-Law Toolkit” and a list of law schools approved by the
There is a “Craig’s List” for most of the major cities in
the
A roommate finder and roommate search service nationwide. You must be a member, but membership is free.
Please note: If you have a helpful Web site to suggest for our list, please send the information to the PLANC Webmaster at the address shown on the PLANC home page at www.planc.org.