Friday, April 20, 2007
Behrend helps with student loans
By Chris Brown
Student loan scandals have been popping up across
the nation, but Penn State Behrend students have lit
tle to worry about. Behrend's financial aid policies
are all determined at University Park, and so far there
is no evidence of any wrongdoing there. On the con
trary, they are setting an example for other schools to
Several states have begun investigations into stu
dent lending practices and already there have been
multi-million dollar settlements between loan compa
nies and students. Some universities are being inves
tigated because some financial aid directors have
been receiving kickbacks from loan companies in
return for advising students to take loans out from
their companies. It has become a big deal when over
90 percent of students take out loans and many of
them follow the suggestions of those directors.
Twenty years ago this would not have been as big
of an issue, or even a source of controversy, because
a lot of the educational costs were fulfilled through
grants and scholarships. Today that is not the case
because costs have risen faster than grants and schol
arships have grown; this leaves students with very
few options for financing their education. Private
lenders have filled this funding gap and created an
industry of student lending that was almost non-exis
tent before.
The prospect of leaving home for the first time and
the new-found freedom of university education can
he daunting for students, and the last thing they want
to worry about is money. Private loans offer many
options for repayment, interest rates and loan
amounts, and with many students being first time
Birth control costs to be raised continued from page 1
who are on Nova Ring are due to several reasons.
The Nova Ring has a very low dose of hormones, so
women who may have had physical problems on the
pill aren't affected. Also. when on the pill, women
have to take it seven days a week, and within an hour
of the same time each day. If someone is on a low
dose pill, it's even more imperative that they take it at
the right time each day, or it loses its effectiveness.
With busy schedules, it can be easy to forget to take
the pill.
Pasky McMahon is urging all women at Behrend
who receive contraceptives to stand up and be heard.
As the costs of birth control perscriptions provided at college campuses will increase, Behrend
Health and Wellness Center encourages students to speak out against the new law.
Police and Safety
3/27/07
Complaintant reported that someone had slashed one of his tires in the South Nick Lot
between 4:30 p.m. and 5:15 p.m.
4/4/07
Compaintant reported tennis ball sized dents to his Mitsubishi Eclipse in F Lot. The inci
dent was reported for insurance purposes.
4/7/07
Apartment residents reported a fight in progress between apartments 300 and 900. The
fight is under investigation.
4/16/07
Janitor reported a broken window at the bottom of the stair tower outside of Dobbins.
"We should be too big to take
offense and too noble to give it."
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copy editor
Janet Neff Sample Center * '
for ALmnert ir Civility N,„
borrowers, deciding on the right set of options is a
daunting task. The financial aid office is where a lot
of these concerns can be addressed, but after these
scandals some parents and students may be skeptical
of going there for help, and that worries Assistant
Director of Admissions and Financial Aid Jane
Brady. "[I am] worried that it has developed a sense
of distrust," said Brady.
Brady emphasized that Penn State does not require
a student to go through a certain lender and that ulti
mately the final decision on what loan to get is up to
the student. Penn State's financial aid website reiter
ated that sentiment and gave information about some
of the common loans students take advantage of,
including the Private Source for Undergraduates
Loan. The loan is only offered to Penn State students
and has some special benefits like low interest rates
and combined billing with federal Stafford loans.
All the other loans mentioned on their website are
there because they can be processed electronically.
That speeds up the process for the students and makes
processing easier for the university. Brady stressed
that whatever option the student chooses for a loan,
they would be happy to process because ultimately it
comes down to them.
A great deal of these private loans can be deferred
for repayment while the student is in school, and once
the student has graduated, there is usually a grace
period before a student needs to begin repaying.
There are a number of repayment options and strate
gies available and choosing how to repay these pri
vate loans can be as confusing as choosing a loan in
the first place. To help clear up some of the issues, a
representative from American Education Services
will give a presentation on repaying student loans on
Tuesday April 24 in Reed 117.
She assures that there won't be a price hike until the
fall semester, but the American College Health
Association has begun petitioning to have universi
ties and colleges put back onto the reduced price list.
"My concern is that a lot of women want their priva
cy for their contraceptives, so that in itself doesn't
make a very strong voice," says Pasky McMahon
The Health and Wellness Center is continu-
ously working to find a way to receive the
contraceptives at lower prices, and they will
keep students well informed about the
changes.
Janet Niedenberger/THE BEHREND BEACON
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Members of the 2007 Senior Class Gift Committee pose in front of the new home of the Behrend Lion,
a senior class gift from the classes of 2003 and 2004.
The enior
Since 2002, the graduating seniors have presented a gift to the college with the intention of leaving
a legacy and improving the college in some way for the students coming after them.
The University's first class gift came from the Class of 1861, who contributed funds to purchase
Civil War Memorial Tablets placed on the campus's east entrance gates. They also purchased a por
trait of Evan Pugh, Penn State's first president, for Old Main.
The Class of 1940 at University Park donated the funds to create the Nittany Lion
The first class gift from a Behrend graduating class to Behrend was from the Class of 2002, the
Flagpole at the softball and baseball fields. It serves as a memorial to two Behrend students who
were victims of 9/11, and the plaque notes their names: Howard Kane 'B3, and Michele Nelson '95.
The Class of 2003 and the Class of 2004 contributed to Behrend's Lion and the creation of the
Lion Plaza near Junker Center.
The Class of 2005 wanted to create a gathering space on Behrend's pedestrian "Main Street," and
the benches they purchased will soon be installed near Senat Hall.
A planting of flowering crabapple trees beautify the entrance to campus and were a gift of The
Class of 2006.
The Class of 2007 is contributing a garden by Smith Chapel to beautify the walkway from Junket'
Center to REDC and will provide a place for students to study, rest, reflect, or visit with each other.
You can contact Aaron Sanner at acs242@ psu.edu or Rebecca Grimaldi at 898-6367 for more
information and to make a pledge. Thank you!
ss Gift: Lon
The Behrend Beacon I 3
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