Students attended the first in a series of Adulting 101 presentations in the Ezra Lehman Memorial Library on Sept. 6 to learn more about financial aid and how to apply for loans.
Graduate Assistant Joshua Broshkevitch, who is working for the financial aid office, spent the majority of the presentation going over all the ways that students can pay for college, ranging from loans to grants to scholarships.
“There is a plethora of information on campus about financial aid,” Broshkevitch said. He discussed in detail federal loans, private loans, parent plus loans, grants and many others that can also be found on SU’s financial aid site.
Broshkevitch explained that subsidized loans do not gain interest, while unsubsidized gain interest overtime. Along with the loans, students can receive “free money” by fulfilling certain criteria.
Having asked the audience its knowledge of financial aid, it was discovered that almost none of the attending students knew the process of applying for loans. Broshkevitch, as well as librarians Josefine Smith and Marguerite Albro, taught students how they could look for information on how to pay for college.
Broshkevitch said the Pennsylvania State Employees Credit Union (PSECU), located in the Ceddia Union Building, is one of the best places to find out more information on different types of loans. Also mentioned were Discover, Sallie Mae and PNC, among others.
Students can go to ScholarshipOwl to search for hundreds of scholarships. The website will ask for an application and then the company will apply the students for compatible scholarships.
The topic of financial aid led into a discussion on credit that students will accumulate over their lifetimes.
“You’re here as a student but you’re also becoming an adult,” Smith said. “Adulting is hard.”
The financial aid presentation is the first in a series that will be held in the library throughout the year discussing different adulting aspects that are beneficial for students to know. These presentations will cover financial aid, civic literacy, preventative health, sexual health and stress management.
The informative presentation allowed students to learn about financial aid that will be beneficial moving forward in their college years.
“We want students to know where to go to look for financial aid information,” Albro said.
The Slate welcomes thoughtful discussion on all of our stories, but please keep comments civil and on-topic. Read our full guidelines here.