Free Credit Reports
For some people, hearing the words "credit report" can send a chill down their spine. What’s on the report? Is it accurate? Will the information contained in the report keep me from obtaining credit in the future?

If you’ve asked yourself these questions, it’s time to stop wondering and take action. Did you know there is a central source to request a free credit file disclosure, commonly called a credit report? The Annual Credit Report Request Service, which is sponsored by the three nationwide consumer credit reporting companies – Equifax, Experian and TransUnion – makes it safe and easy to check your credit report.

You can request a report at www.annualcreditreport.com or by calling 1-877-322-8228. You will have to provide personal information, which will allow the credit companies to identify you. You cannot request a free credit report from an individual creditor. All requests must go through the Annual Credit Report Request Service.

Congress Increases Loan Forgiveness for Qualified Teachers
Congress recently increased the amount of federal loan forgiveness for "highly qualified" teachers from $5,000 to $17,500. To qualify for loan forgiveness under this plan, a teacher must be employed full-time for five consecutive years as a highly qualified secondary school teacher of science or math, or a highly qualified elementary or secondary school special education teacher. There are specific requirements teachers must meet to obtain highly qualified status.

If you’re interested in this program, visit IDAPP.com and click on the "Forms" button or simply click here.

If you have any questions and would like to speak with someone, please contact our customer service department at 1-800-366-5755 or e-mail customerservice@isac.org.

Federal Loan Consolidation Update
Over the past few years, the interest rate on the Federal Stafford and Federal PLUS loans have been at an all time low. Not only have the rates been attractive, but borrowers can consolidate their loans and fix their low interest rate over the lifetime of the loan.

On July, 1, 2005, the interest rates on Federal Stafford and Federal PLUS loans will be reset. If you’re graduating or expecting to be in repayment this year, now’s the time to take action. As you probably know, interest rates are on the rise, so it’s worth your time to consider loan consolidation to lock in a low interest rate.

Federal Loan Consolidation allows you to consolidate all of your outstanding federal loans into one payment. The repayment term on your loan can also be extended in many cases, offering a fixed interest rate and a lower monthly payment. The Federal Loan Consolidation interest rate is based on the weighted average of all of your federal loans rounded up to the nearest one-eighth of one percent. IDAPP has repayment calculators, which can help you estimate your payments under the existing program.
Click here for the calculators.

IDAPP makes it easy for you to consolidate your federal loans. Under our UnILoan Federal Loan Consolidation Program, IDAPP provides a one percent interest rate discount for 36 consecutive on-time monthly payments. IDAPP sweetens the deal with a .25 percent (one-quarter of one percent) discount if you have your payments deducted from your checking account. For more information about Federal Loan Consolidation through IDAPP, click here.

College Zone Network
If you’re looking for the most comprehensive, unbiased source for information about college planning, you’ve come to the right place. College Zone – which is powered by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission – is a partnership between IDAPP, College Illinois! and Learning Legacy, a 529 gift-giving program.

Here is the latest news from the College Zone network:

College Illinois! – The state’s 529 prepaid tuition program successfully completed its seventh annual enrollment period on March 31. College Illinois! allows participants to lock-in the cost of tuition and fees today for tomorrow’s education. Parents and grandparents of newborns can still take advantage of this year’s enrollment prices by submitting their applications by the August 1 deadline. Click here to enroll today.

College Illinois!’ eighth annual general enrollment period will open in late October 2005 and will run through the end of March 2006. If you’re interested in receiving future announcements about the program, join our e-mail list at collegeillinois.com and go to “E-Mail Sign Up.”

IllinoisMentor – Coming in December 2005, the Illinois Student Assistance Commission will introduce an exciting new enhancement to the College Zone Web site. IllinoisMentor is a comprehensive, free service designed to help Illinois students through the college selection and application process. Planned features include: career and college selection, assistance with admission applications, college financing and electronic transcript exchange. If you are researching colleges in Illinois and want to find out specific details about programs, tuition and locations, check out IllinoisMentor in December.

CollegeZone, your trusted source for college information.

Stressed Out?
Helpful Tips for Reducing Stress
Whether you’re a college student, recent graduate or seasoned professional, there is one thing everyone shares in common – stress. Stress is caused by a variety of factors and varies by individual. For some, stress can be the result of a challenging work environment or a move to a new city. For others, it could result from a bad relationship, rush-hour traffic or worrying about one’s kids.

For many, stress is an everyday reality of life and is totally manageable. For others, stress can be debilitating and lead to serious health issues. The key to managing stress is to understand what it is, how it impacts you and what can be done to minimize its negative effect.

So what does stress feel like? According to the American Heart Association, symptoms of stress can include:

• Anger, fear, excitement or helplessness
• Fatigue or sleeplessness
• Head, neck, jaw or back aches
• Bad habits like smoking, drinking, overeating and drug abuse

If you feel the weight of stress impacting your life in a negative way, the American Heart Association offers some helpful tips.

Information used in this article was taken from the American Heart Association Web site as well as an informational handout entitled, "How Can I Manage Stress?"

Job Demand Strong for Class of 2005
After several years of a sputtering economy, corporate layoffs and growing unemployment, job prospects are looking up for 2005 college graduates. According to a report posted on JobWeb.com, employers are looking to hire more new graduates then last year. Even more promising is the fact that employers will offer higher starting salaries.

To read more about the current job market for recent grads, click here.

Protect Your Identity Identity theft and identity fraud are a big problem for American consumers. A recent General Accounting Office report estimates that as many as 750,000 Americans are victims of identity theft every year. If you’re looking for ways to protect your identity, or reclaim your identity if it has been stolen, here are some useful resources:

MSN Money
10 Ways to Stop Identity Theft Cold

Federal Trade Commission
ID Theft; What’s It All About? (PDF)

High-Tech Gadgets
for New Grads
Today, it’s all about MP3 Players, multi-functional cell phones (i.e. BlackBerry®) and razor-thin laptops offering wireless Internet access and supersonic speed. High-tech gadgets are all the rage, particularly among college students. If you’re a “soon-to-be” college graduate looking to burn through some graduation money, or a parent that’s looking for the perfect graduation gift – here are some resources for finding the most popular high-tech gadgets:

Gizmodo
www.gizmodo.com

Engadget
www.engadget.com