Industry experts will participate live to answer student questions

Quincy, MASS - How will you pay for college in 2008, with so much uncertainty in the economy and the student lending industry? A panel of six financial aid experts will answer that question and many more in a live Web Round Table on April 9, 2008 at 12 PM ET, hosted by the Student Loan Network.

"Our goal at Student Loan Network has always been to provide the best resources to help students finance their education. Now more than ever we recognize that there is a need for accurate information, so we are hosting this groundbreaking live Web Round Table," said Joe Cronin, President of Student Loan Network.

Christopher S. Penn, producer of the Financial Aid Podcast, will moderate the discussion. Participating as panel members will be:

• Jill Barnhart, Assistant Director of Financial Aid at Boston College Law School;

• Justin Draeger, Assistant Director of Communications for the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA);

• Maria Koklanaris, reporter for Higher Education Washington, Inc. (HEWI);

• Susan Mead, director of Financial Aid at SUNY Dutchess Community College in New York State and a 26 year veteran of the financial aid industry; and

• Shelly Saunders, VP of Strategic Services at loan guarantor American Student Assistance (ASA).

"We've got a great group of experts from across the spectrum of student financial aid gathered, from colleges and graduate schools to national associations," says Penn. "As a result, I'm confident that as a group we can give the in-depth, comprehensive perspective and answers to questions that I know students, parents, and families are desperately seeking."

In addition to answering students' questions live, the panel will address the questions everyone is asking about the current climate:

-What is the current status of the student lending market? Will loans be available to me?

-I keep hearing that loans might not be available from some lenders - what does that mean for my Stafford loan?

-Where can I find scholarships, grants and other financial assistance?

-What do "tighter credit requirements" mean to me?

For more about the Live Web Round Table "How to Pay for College in Uncertain Times," and to attend on April 9, visit www.StudentLoanNetwork.com/resources.

About Student Loan Network

Student Loan Network is one of the nation's fastest growing providers of student loans and related information. For more than ten years, we have helped students and their families access federal and private student loans, scholarships and consolidation funding for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education. To help make the confusing and stressful financial aid process easier, the Student Loan Network also delivers helpful resources, including the award-winning Financial Aid Podcast, a multitude of financial aid-related blogs, the monthly Financial Aid Newsletter, free eBooks, and valuable content.

Each year, more than 5 million students, parents, and financial aid officers make the most of their education experience through our loan products and free resources.

Posted 04/07/08 to www.NASFAA.org. Posting of press releases is done as a service to Members and does not imply endorsement or support by NASFAA. NASFAA does not review this information for content or accuracy.