Site Tour Main Page Paying for College Money Management Student Loan Repayment Paying For College Money Management Student Loan Repayment

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1 Site Tour Main Page GradReady is organized by three core topics: Paying for College, Money Management, and Student Loan Repayment. This concept enables the student to access financial literacy topics that are pertinent to stages of their enrollment. Paying For College provides education and resources on the basics of financial aid to help the student make sound college funding decisions before and during enrollment. Money Management furthers financial literacy awareness about topics relevant to students throughout enrollment by using a 3-step process to Learn, Budget and Gauge. Student Loan Repayment delivers education on topics relevant to life after college in addition to personalized repayment counseling to help the student successfully manage loan repayment. 1

2 My Account The My Account section is a dashboard the student uses to: Review or change profile settings View results of their pre-course questionnaire and complete the final exam Track progress as key activities are completed Access money skills topics and review or retake quizzes Using the dashboard, a student can easily evaluate their knowledge base to determine in which areas of GradReady to focus. 2

3 Money Skills Each section of GradReady contains Money Skills, a robust learning center complete with video tutorials, printable reference materials, and Frequently Asked Questions. The tutorials include 48 videos to support 16 financial topics applicable to a college student s life (see the following page for detailed descriptions). To enhance the learning experience, each video topic includes a quiz so students can assess their understanding to drive progression through the site. 3

4 Money Skills Paying for College Topic Video Tutorials Helpful Resources How to Fund your Education* Complete your FAFSA Review your award letter and other resources Understand Your Loan Options Intro to Federal Loans* Intro to Federal Loans Rights and Responsibilities Repayment Intro to Private Loans Introduction to the Private Loan All About Interest Rates, Fees, Terms and Conditions Private Loan Repayment Education Funding Plan PLUS vs. Private Loans Education Financing Timeline The Ladder of Smart Borrowing Five Steps to a Direct Loan Ladder of Smart Borrowing Education Funding Plan Get to Know Your Private Loans Sample Disclosure Statements Budgeting Creating a Budget Maintaining a Budget Savings Strategies Off Campus Living On vs. Off Campus Finding the Right Apartment Making Ends Meet Financial Fitness Budget Busters Evaluating Rentals On vs. Off Campus Checklist Money Management Topic Video Tutorials Helpful Resources Banking Basics Banking Services How to Balance Your Account Choosing a Bank Credit Basics Credit Reports and Scores Build and Maintain Good Credit Finding the Right Card Gauge Your Debt* Estimate Your Student Loan Payments Look Ahead to Your Repayment Ability Spend Less, Borrow Less, Pay Back Less Identity Theft Identity Theft Overview Identity Theft Prevention What to Do if the Identity Thief Strikes *Student loan resources specific for graduate student are available. Understanding Your Bank Statement Choosing a Bank and Bank Account Understanding Your Credit Report Interpret Your Credit Score Setting Salary Expectations Borrow Within Your Means Financial Fitness Fixed Identity Theft Identity Theft Prevention 4

5 Money Skills Credit Review Credit Fundamentals Credit Tune Up Healthy Credit Card Use Stay the Course Revisit Your Budget Be Green and Save Money Avoid Credit Hazards Understanding Your Credit Report Interpret Your Credit Score Monthly In-School Budget Green Savings Evaluating Credit Card Habits Student Loan Repayment Topic Video Tutorials Helpful Resources Big Decisions Grad School or Real World Job Search Car Buying Mortgages and More Home Buying Basics Mortgage Types Simplified Qualifying for a Mortgage Future Finances Paychecks, Taxes, and Benefits Intro to Investments 401(k) and Retirement Planning Grad School or Not Interview Assessment Your Next Vehicle Mortgage Pre-Approval Tip Sheet Mortgage Affordability Worksheet Understanding Your Pay Stub Rule of 72 Determine Your Investing Style Manage Your Repayment* Organize Your Student Loans Understand Repayment Options Create Your Repayment Strategy Lost in Repayment* Getting Lost Asking for Directions Avoiding Another Wrong Turn *Student loan resources specific for graduate student are available. Studnet Loan Worksheet Repayment Plan Examples Repayment Strategy Request Out of School Budget Income Based Repayment Public Service Loan Forgiveness Pay As You Earn Consolidation Fact Sheet Repayment Plan Examples Repayment Strategy Request Income Based Repayment Pay As You Earn Public Service Loan Forgiveness 5

6 Financing Plan The Financing Plan is located in the Paying for College section. It is an interactive worksheet students and families use to track cost of attendance and any known funding sources to determine if a funding gap exists. Students can create several financing plans to compare schools, academic years, or various funding scenarios. In addition, the borrower has access to printable reference materials and Frequently Asked Questions. 6

7 Debt-O-Meter Located in the Paying for College and Money Management sections, the Debt-O-Meter is a unique, interactive tool that provides insight into how manageable future student loan payments might be for a borrower. By considering such factors as projected graduation date, current and future loans, and potential salary for a chosen career path, borrowers will receive a debt-to-income ratio, or the percentage of their income they can expect to go towards paying student loans using a standard repayment plan. The percentage is reflected in a meter that indicates if the payment will be manageable, challenging, or complex based on the information provided by the borrower. Supporting resources include: Examples of various repayment plans and accompanying monthly payments so the borrower can examine how payments are affected with non-standard plans. Salary Finders a selection of links to other websites that a borrower can use to research positions and salaries in their field of study. 7

8 Budget Each section of GradReady contains the Budget, an interactive spreadsheet that allows students to create a monthly record of projected and actual income and expenses. This financial monitoring tool helps keep the student on track to meet their financing plan goals. Students also have access to printable reference materials and Frequently Asked Questions. 8

9 Electronic Loan Counselor (ELC) In the Student Loan Repayment section of GradReady, students receive personalized repayment counseling through use of the Electronic Loan Counselor. Students start by adding their student loans to the site, either by manual input or easily imported via NSLDS. Students then assess their repayment ability by answering a series of questions that determine eligibility for specific federal repayment plans. From here, students receive detailed repayment options and estimated costs for each loan. Students can select plans to see if the total payment for all loans combined is affordable. The Electronic Loan Counselor then guides the student in implementing their desired plan by providing a pre-filled, personalized Repayment Strategy Request form, and when applicable, the Department of Education s plan request form. 9 NSEDS.com sales@nseds.com NorthStar Education Services GR083B