Few decisions rival the importance of choosing a college. For each school you consider, it seems there are a thousand questions: Does it excel in my course of study? How will I afford tuition?

Fortunately we offers federal student loans and other loan programs that you and your parents can use to foot the college bill.

Compare our loan offerings to see which ones best suit your needs:

* Stafford Loan--The Stafford Loan program makes low-interest loans available to help you pay education costs. For students who qualify for subsidized Stafford loans, the rate gradually decreases each July to 3.4% in 2011. All unsubsidized Stafford Loans disbursed on or after July 1, 2006 have a fixed interest rate of 6.8%.

* PLUS Loan--Stafford Loans don't always cover all college expenses, so some parents take out a PLUS Loan to cover the rest. Both PLUS and Stafford loans disbursed on or after July 1, 2006 carry fixed interest rates and charge a fee of up to 4% of the loan. But, PLUS Loans don't have an aggregate limit; parents can borrow the full amount of their children's college expenses, minus any financial aid received. With recent changes, parents can defer payments until their child's graduation, although interest will accrue during deferral.

* Home equity loans--Home equity loans offer parents interest rates comparable to the PLUS Loan but with tax advantages. Home equity loans usually are 100% tax-deductible (confirm with your tax adviser).

We are committed to filling the needs of all our student members. Our loan officers are available to answer your student loan questions. Student loans are a good investment for the credit union--and a good investment in the future of our members.

Copyright 2008 Credit Union National Association, Inc. Information subject to change without notice. For use with members of a single credit union. All other rights reserved.

Getting a college degree is a worthwhile goal. College graduates make an average of one million dollars more than those without college degrees (www.studentloanfacts.org). But the cost of a college education can be overwhelming for both students and parents. That’s why we offer Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) loans. If you or another family member plans to attend a university, technical college, or any specialized training program, Boulevard Federal Credit Union can help you with the funding you need to pursue your dreams.

Creditworthy parents of dependent undergraduate students and graduate/professional students can apply for this loan, which is not based on need.

Before you begin applying for a Stafford and/or PLUS Loan, you must first complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). It must be completed for each academic year that you request federal aid. FAFSAs for the upcoming academic year are available online http://www.fafsa.ed.gov on or after January 2. Contact your school for their application deadline.

Once your FAFSA is processed, a Student Aid Report (SAR) is created. If you completed your FAFSA online, allow 1-2 weeks for you and your school to receive the SAR electronically. Paper FAFSAs take 6-8 weeks to process.

Your school(s) use data from your SAR to determine your financial aid award for the current academic year and send you an award letter by e-mail or US Mail. (If your letter mentions the William D. Ford Direct Lending Program, contact your school for the appropriate promissory note.)

4. Complete a Stafford Master Promissory Note - (scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on "click me" to apply online. Please be sure to read the Addendum Link for the desired MPN)

Complete and print the Stafford Master Promissory Note (MPN) and Addendum to Stafford MPN to get your loan at Boulevard Federal Credit Union. While you must complete the FASFA process to apply for aid each academic year, this Master Promissory Note will be used by the credit union to process all of your loans over multiple academic years at the same school.

Parents or graduate/professional students can complete and print the PLUS Loan Master Promissory Note (MPN) and Addendum to PLUS MPN The PLUS Loan Master Promissory Note will be used for all of your loans over multiple academic years at the same school.

6. Your School will Receive the Funds
Stafford, Parent PLUS and Grad/PLUS Loans are guaranteed and serviced by Great Lakes. When Great Lakes receives the Master Promissory Note from the credit union and School Certification Form from the school indicating the loan amount and disbursement dates, funds will be sent to the school.

You can check the status of your loan, view your account information and make payments from your bank account 24/7 at www.mygreatlakes.org,. Choose ”Borrowers” and then log in to access Internet Borrower Inquiry Service. This site offers a variety of tools for calculating the cost of your loan. It’s your resource to forms, a glossary of financial aid terms, contact information, and lots of other information to help you manage your loans.

Boulevard Federal Credit Union and Great Lakes are committed to helping students learn to manage their finances. The regularly updated Personal Financial Management Resources provides information on anticipating college costs and staying in control of your finances while in school.

www.mapping-your-future.org - Detailed information about career planning, selecting a school, and paying for college.

www.studentaid.ed.gov - Detailed student aid and student loan info from the U.S. Dept of Ed.
www.fastweb.com - Scholarship information.
www.fafsa.ed.gov - Online application for financial aid (FAFSA).
www.pin.ed.gov - Apply for a PIN number to complete online FAFSA.
www.mygreatlakes.org - Great Lakes is the guaranty agency for your student loans. You can check the status of your student loans here.
www.nslds.ed.gov - View the history of the federal student financial aid you have received.

www.finaid.org - Guide to student financial aid and scholarship search services.

www.collegeplan.org - Information on college selection, admissions, financial aid and scholarships.

www.princetonreview.com/home.asp - Offers powerful college search tools, useful links, expert advice and guidance from an experienced college panel.

For help with the student loan process, call the credit union at 716-691-6727 or e-mail blvdfcu@aol.com.

Linking to a web site does not constitute an endorsement by Boulevard FCU, or any of its employees, of the sponsors of the site or the products presented on the site. Non-Blvd FCU links are provided as a service to members & are not owned or controlled by Boulevard FCU. Linked sites privacy policies may be different than Blvd FCU & may be less secure than the Blvd FCU website. Please note by clicking one of the following links you are leaving the credit union website.

We Can Help You Pay for College