With new funding options some hope is returned to students

by Rachel Lane/Times-Georgian

In an attempt to help students make up the shortfall, the state has funded a 1 percent student loan program and a matching loan program, The Student Access Loan.

Approved in 2008, neither program was funded until this year. The state has now provided $10 million for each program. The 1 percent program has few requirements, but the Student Access Loan is a last resort. Students can get up to $10,000 a year, up to $40,000, and be charged a 1 percent interest rate and have to pay back the loans within 10 years of graduation.

“The program is designed to be funding of last resort for college students who have a gap in their college financing,” said Rob Douthit, director of media relations University of West Georgia

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UWG to Offer Help With Financial Aid Forms

The University of West Georgia’s financial aid department is hosting College Goal Sunday on Feb. 20 to help students complete federal financial aid applications.

Financial aid administrators will be on hand to answer questions and help students fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. Anyone seeking financial aid, such as grants or loans, is required to complete the form.

The experts will offer in-depth, line-by-line explanations of the FAFSA.

The workshop will be from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at UWG’s Technology-Enhanced Learning Center.