Glossary cross referencing completed

The glossary page is now strewn with links and anchors.

Essentially, any confusing terms are linked to their own entry where they are succinctly defined.

In a rare case, there’s an external link on the HHS poverty entry with additional information from the federal government.

Whew…

Dan

New Video

Here’s a short video created through the project highlighting an individual case of student debt.

flickr photos

So far on our flickr account, I have put cliche kids studying and cliche campus shots. I hope these can be valuable for illustrating our website.

Thanks

Terri

Glossary - a work in progress

Well,

I’ve created a new page for the project’s glossary and my incomplete portion for loan repayment. It’s on the navigation bar near the top of the blog.

Looks intimidating, doesn’t it?

Don’t worry. The definitions/explanations will be clear, concise, and cross-referenced throughout the blog and the eventual website.

Remember, we’re here to straighten the tangles of student finances.

Dan

Hey guys!

I updated the resource page with hot links. I know we still need to dress it up with a few “cliche’” shots and what not. Sorry I am not in class today. I still have not been able to meet with Dr. Maysami. I have an interview with him this upcoming week and will have my article finished in time for the deadline. Next week, I will also take a few photos to spice up our website.

4-4-08 - I received a reply from Bruce Blackmon after asking him if he knew a student in a financial crisis. Here is reply. We have a potential interviewee:

Terri,

I can’t really recommend anyone to you…it violates FERPA regulations, nor
can I tell you how to locate a student. However, I can give your name to a
student that I know that is in crisis and they can contact you if they are
interested. I will pass your information along to them.

Bruce Blackmon

Take care!

Terri

Financial Aid Podcasts

Here is a link of podcasts for college education planning: http://www.suntrusteducation.com/toolbox/podcasts.asp

websites

http://www.finance.yahoo.com/print/expert/article/generationdebt/50325

http://www.studentdebtalert.org/alert.asp?id2=35333

Survey Rough Draft

1. What is your age? (exact answer)

2. What gender are you? (exact answer)

3. Are you enrolled in college? (yes/no: If no, thanks for participating)

4. What class level are you? (multiple choice)

5. Have you used loans to pay for college? (yes/no)

6. If so, whose name were/are they in? (multiple choice)

7. If you answered yes to question #4, how much would you estimate that your college loan debt will total when you graduate? ($______)

8. What have you used your school loan refunds for in the past? (multiple choice)

repaying loans, housing, food, clothes, shopping, saving, dont’ receive refunds, electronics, computer, other

9. What lines of credit do you currently have open? (include credit cards, store accounts, car loans, Don Vito)(multiple choice, select all that apply)

10. How old were you when you opened your first line of credit? (exact)

11. How are/were you approached by creditors? (multiple choice)

email, telephone, mail, in store, you approached creditor

12. Not including college loans, how much would you estimate your debt totals ? ($_____)

13. What have you used your lines of credit for in the past? (multiple choice)

car, electronics, clothes, necessities, emergencies, food, furniture, other: ________________________

14. Are you currently employed? (yes/no: if no, skip to #16)

15. If yes, how many hours, on average, do you work each week?

Is your work seasonal or year round?

16. How much do you make yearly?(needs to be reconsidered)

5,000-10,000 10,000-15,000 15,000-20,000 20,000-25,000 25,000-30,000 30,000-35,000 more

17. Do you regret any decisions you have made regarding credit cards or loans?

18.What were those decisions?

19. Were you prepared to take on your own finances when you turned 18? (yes/no)

20. How knowledgeable do you feel now when it comes to understanding your credit?

21. Do you know what your credit score is?

22. When do you last check?

23. Do you know the current interest rates on any open accounts? (yes/no)

24. Do you save?(yes/no)

25. If so, do you save regularly or sporadically?

26. What do you think is the average monthly repayment for $35,000 in deferred school loans?

Slugs

1) The cards and loans issues (lead/introduction to the problems) — Tashieka

2) How this happened to them — Natalie

3) Horror stories from real lives — Jessica

4) The normal path out of the mess, income based repayment (IBR) — Dan

5) A cool solution to the problem, public service loan forgiveness — Robert

6) How to avoid this stuff in your life — Terri

7) What we’ve been telling you and hope you have learned (summary conclusions) — Michael

Calendar

3/26 Blog done

3/28 Work continues

3/31 Discussion of survey methodology

4/2 Work continues

4/4 Deploy survey instrument

4/7 Work continues

4/9 Survey finished & website greeking completed

4/11 All seven stories due

4/14 Survey data analysis completed & all illos (videos & stills) due

4/16 Resources list completed & wiki completed

4/18 Work continues

4/21 Work continues

4/23 Work continues

4/25 Last class & entire website & support sites project complete

5/2 Drop dead date & final exam day