740. DECODING STUDENT LOANS

Paying for college poses serious challenges for most families, but should understanding the rules around borrowing really be one of the hardest parts? Amy and Mike invited financial aid expert Will McGinley to offer guidance into decoding student loans. What are five things you will learn in this episode? 1. Why are student loans such an important topic? 2. How much do students borrow on average for their undergraduate degrees? 3. What is the difference between federal DL, PLUS, and Private education loans? 4. Which student loan option is best for most students? 5. When should someone start applying for their loans? MEET OUR GUEST Will McGinley is an Account Executive for the PHEAA Keystone and PA Forward student loan programs. He brings nearly 20 years of financial aid experience to the role, most recently serving at Baldwin Wallace University, Ashland University, and Liberty University, in roles ranging from loan processing to Director of Financial Aid. His career has provided extensive experience presenting to students, families, and higher education colleagues on a variety of topics, including financial literacy, the financial aid process, and gap financing. He has also served on committees for the NCAA and OASFAA.  Will and his wife of 19 years enjoy spending time with their 2 teenage sons, coaching, hiking, and playing with their French bulldog, Pierre. Will can be reached at [William.Mcginley@pheaa.org](mailto:William.Mcginley@pheaa.org). LINKS EducationPlanner.org MySmartBorrowing.org Keystone Student Loans RELATED EPISODES WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT STUDENT LOANS THE TRUTH ABOUT STUDENT LOAN DEBT THE PRICE YOU REALLY PAY FOR COLLEGE UNDERSTANDING YOUR COLLEGE TUITION BILL ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright, Roots2Words, and College Eagle. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros and LEAP. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, get in touch through our contact page.