Student Loans Available Through TRC

Texas Rural Communities, Inc. (TRC) announces the availability of Federal Stafford Student Loans for rural residents through TRC. To apply for student loans all students must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. FAFSAs are available at high school and college Financial Aid Offices or may be filled out online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Students should check with the college they will attend to confirm the deadline. Once the FAFSA is processed the College Financial Aid Office will send a letter to the student indicating the type of aid the student is eligible to receive.

The Federal Stafford Loan is available to help students pay their costs of higher education. Unsubsidized loans are available for students regardless of financial need and they are responsible for interest accrued while in school. Subsidized loans are available based on financial need and the federal government will pay the interest on the loan while in school.

Parent Loans (PLUS) are also available and the loan limit is the dependents student's cost of education less any estimated financial aid received. The repayment period is 10 years and begins within 60 days of full disbursement. The college Financial Aid Office will be able to provide information to parents regarding the eligible amount once the student's FAFSA has been processed.

If you select Texas Rural Communities, Inc. as your lender, you will be eligible to receive significant repayment benefits on your student loan. For example, a 2% interest rate reduction with 36 scheduled on-time payments and .25% interest rate reduction with automatic direct debit payments are offered to borrowers.

To choose Texas Rural Communities, Inc. as your lender, simply include the Lender Code: 823388 on your Student loan or Parent Loan application.

For more information on the availability of student loans through TRC, please call Sandra Tenorio, Executive Director, at 1-800-787-2589.

Here is everything a Texan needs to know about preparing for, applying for, and paying for college or technical school. And it's all in one up-to-date, easy-to-navigate, megasite almost as big as the state itself. And remember: $2 billion is available every year to help Texas attend college. Education. Go get it.WWW.CollegeForTexans.com

Check Accreditation of Schools That Interest You

While the United States government does *not* monitor the quality of US colleges or universities--that job is left to regional accreditation agencies and a mess of single mission, specialized, and professional accreditation agencies--the government does offer a free, online database of approximately 6,900 postsecondary educational institutions and programs, "each of which is accredited by an accrediting agency or state approval agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education as a "reliable authority as to the quality of postsecondary education" within the meaning of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended..."

You can find the database HERE:

Scholarships and Scholarship Information

Texas Rural Communities has identified current scholarships and scholarship resources available to Texas students. Some links go to websites with information on multiple scholarships. These sites offer special interest scholarships, scholarships for minorities and many more. Scholarships and Scholarship Information.

Scholarship Search Website

One of the most complete websites for seaching for scholarship information is www.fastweb.com. At this site you can input your criteria and search for scholarships that may be appropriate for you. They will also email you updates on your search.

State of Texas Educational Resources

The State of Texas website has a link page that provides links to locate a school district near you, apply to a college, obtain information on financial assistance, and more...these links include:

Apply to a College (1 link)

Colleges and Universities (8 links)

Community and Junior Colleges (3 links)

Financial Assistance (4 links)

General Information (11 links)

K-12 (5 links)

Libraries (3 links)

Military (2 links)

Technical and Trade Schools (3 links)