PODCAST · education
GradCentric
by Jason Anderson
GradCentric is a podcast hosted by Gradmetrics to help families plan and prepare for college and manage student loan debt. Every week we share tips on college topics including student loans, financial aid, FAFSA, CSS Profile, merit aid, scholarships, exploring majors, finding a career, and school selection.
Episodes
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The SAVE Plan
The Biden administration's new IDR plan, called SAVE, is going to be a sweetheart deal for many borrowers. If you are a borrower of federal student loans, especially undergraduate ones, this episode is worth a listen.
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Resurrecting the GradCentric Podcast (Season 2, Episode 1)
Since our last episode, quite a few things have occurred in the college and student loan planning space. In this episode, I mention a few of those changes, including the IDR payment adjustment and Biden's SAVE plan. More episodes - with more detail - are coming!
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Biden’s Debt Relief Part 3
This is the third of a three-part series explaining Biden’s student loan debt relief announcement.
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Biden’s Debt Relief Part 2
This is the second of a three-part segment explaining Biden’s student loan debt relief announcement.
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Biden’s Debt Relief Part 1
This is the first of a three-part segment explaining Biden’s student loan debt relief announcement.
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Urgent PSA! Clergy and PSLF
Clergy now qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF), so they might need to take action under the new PSLF waiver program. Forward this episode long to any clergy you know when your life, and let them know that they can reach out to me at [email protected] if they have any questions.
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Just Announced: Federal Student Loan Forgiveness from the Biden-Harrison Administration
Yesterday, the Biden-Harris administration announced sweeping loan forgiveness for federal student loan borrowers. This unprecedented program will allow up to $20,000 of loan forgiveness based on income levels and financial need. Specifically, households with an individual income of less than...
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Teacher Loan vs. Public Servant Loan Forgiveness
Teacher Loan Forgiveness is a program designed for teachers with federal student loans. Public Service Loan Forgiveness (commonly shortened to PSLF) is the more commonly recognized of the two programs. According to the Department of Education, borrowers cannot pursue both of these programs...
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Blanket Loan Forgiveness Update
Will the Biden administration offer blanket loan forgiveness? Hear my thoughts in this most recent episode of the Gradcentric podcast.
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Managing Student Loans: Nursing Loan Forgiveness
If you are going to take out student loan debt, it is best to do so for a field with good earning potential and high demand. Nursing is one of those fields. The Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook reports nurses had a median pay of $75,330/year and the field was growing at 9%...
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Managing Student Loans: Doctors
As you might imagine, doctors exit their education with a lot of student loan debt. This debt load is exacerbated with the elongated timeframe between graduation and becoming a practicing physician. These intervening years are extremely important for managing debt over the long haul. Doctors will...
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Q&A: Establishing Residency for In-State Tuition
A common question I get from families is: can my student can gain residency and qualify for in-state tuition? The answer is, unfortunately, it depends. The rules vary state-to-state and college-to-college. Some states make this an easier process whereas some make it near impossible. Also, keep in...
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Managing Student Loans: Parent PLUS Loans
Lately, I’ve had an increasing amount of student loan consultations with Parent PLUS loan borrowers. More parents are looking toward retirement with a significant amount of debt from financing their children’s educations. This dynamic can be stressful for parents hoping for a peaceful retirement...
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Managing Student Loans: Dentists
Dentists have to make huge sacrifices to practice their trade. One of those sacrifices is the duration of education: surviving a bachelor's degree + dental school + specialized training and residencies takes a long time. Another sacrifice is the amount of student loan debt. According to a recent...
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Managing Student Loans: Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Changes
If you haven’t been tracking recent changes in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program, I’m glad you’re reading this post. The Department of Education recently released a bombshell update that could be a great help to many borrowers. For some, this could mean hundreds of thousands in...
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Managing Student Loans: Adjusted Gross Income
Adjusted Gross Income, or AGI, is the all-important line item on your tax return. According to the IRS, AGI represents your total income minus certain adjustments given by Uncle Sam. But we don't have to get too technical at this point; basically what you need to know is you can find your AGI on...
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Success in College: Plagiarism and Cheating
Let’s be honest; in today’s technologically driven society, it’s easier than ever to cheat on assignments, tests, and projects. Online learning has made cheating commonplace. Even so, plagiarism is no joke. It has real and severe consequences. Summary: do not cheat. Your future career could…
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Success in College: Using a Textbook and Taking Notes
Textbooks are ubiquitous in college. They are also extremely expensive, especially in certain disciplines like business, engineering, and nursing. Considering how much money you spent to get it in your hands, shouldn’t you know how to best use this resource? What’s the best way to learn from a...
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Success in College: Public Speaking
Public speaking is hard. In fact, research shows 75% of the population struggles with a fear of public speaking. However, there is no easy way around the fact that public speaking is an important life skill, both in college (you will likely have a required class on the topic) and life in general...
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Success in College: The Research Paper
The research paper is truly an art form. Hopefully, your high school training up until this point has prepared you for the college research paper. It is a conduit to express your insights, defend your believes, and extend the light of logical reasoning into the expanse of the unknown. In most…
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Success in College: Time Management
Time management is something we all struggle with, and something that is a lifelong process. New students should understand that college requires you gain significant advancements in this area, or you will struggle to keep up.
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Success in College: Living on Campus
I highly recommend you stay on or near campus. However, your decision should be made looking through two lenses. The first is to look at it through the lens of cost. The second lens is student success. Learn more in this podcast episode.
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Success in College: Working with Your Advisor and the University Catalog
The university catalog is an indispensable resource for you as a student. It includes university polices and procedures, as well as full details on degree plans and what you need to do to graduate. Your advisor is a staff member assigned to you for the purpose of encouraging your timely progress...
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Navigating High School: Senior Year
The main college planning focuses of a high school senior are gaining admission to a student’s school(s) of choice, applying for financial aid and scholarships, tackling the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (a.k.a the FAFSA) and potentially the CSS Profile, and preparing to pay for…
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Navigating High School: Junior Year
Juniors in high school need to focus on three tasks to keep on track with college planning. In other words, things get busy! The main college planning focus of a high school junior is building a solid school list. Once the school list is set, juniors create a deadlines calendar across all...
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Navigating High School: Sophomore Year
Sophomores in high school need to focus on learning about their personality and defining a career pathway. The first step in this process is to take a personality assessment. There are quite a few out there. I generally ask families to take a free personality assessment. After short-listing a...
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Navigating High School: Freshman Year (free checklist)
One of the most common requests I get from families is to give them a clear and definitive college roadmap to the middle school and high school years. After all, many families feel overwhelmed by the college admissions and financial aid landscape and worry they will be left behind or lose out on...
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Your Student’s Memory and College Planning
Academic success is still largely contingent on the ability to memorize. This is quite clear both during and after high school. A little research will make clear that the study of memory is the real deal. There are ways to improve your memory that have the potential to drastically change…
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Three personality assessments to uncover your perfect job
Personality plays a pivotal role in job satisfaction and overall well-being, particularly since many experts believe personality is set from birth and does not change over time. Personality is central to how you view, approach, and experience life. Fighting against this core part of you is a…
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Do Nontraditional Approaches to College Pay Off?
I must admit, I’m a nontraditionalist when it comes to higher education. The four-year, bachelor’s degree route simply isn’t a good fit for everyone, particularly considering the high cost. I love the idea of a quicker path to get a similar outcome, because less time spent in the academy almost...
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Lower Your Student Loan Payment the Smart Way
If your federal student loan payment is derived from a percentage of your discretionary income, you have an opportunity to save for future AND lower your student loan payments. In other words, you have a rare financial planning opportunity to achieve a double benefit to your personal bottom line.
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Is it too late for financial aid?
With all the important college dates, applications, and notices whizzing by, it's easy to feel behind. If you're really late to the game, it can feel down right hopeless. But is this feeling warranted? It is ever too late for financial aid?
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How to Read a Financial Aid Letter
Around this time of year, families receive a financial aid letter (also known as a financial aid package or financial aid offer) from their chosen schools. This can be a rather frustrating experience as there is no set format and terminology across schools. Not only that, the stakes are high as...
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What happens after the FAFSA?
I recently received a question from a family asking what happens after the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, otherwise known as the FAFSA. This is not surprising, as many families wonder this after finishing up their financial aid checklists and admissions paperwork. After all the…
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The Financial Viability of Your School List
Historically speaking, higher education is a great place to work. In general, a role in academia provides intellectual stimulation, freedom of ideas, an emphasis on diversity and equality, work-life balance, and unparalleled job stability. Unfortunately, higher education is quickly losing this...
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College Essay Tips with Writing Help KC
In this episode we discuss tackling college essays and the admissions process with Val Cervarich of Writing Help KC. Admissions essays are crucial part of the college planning process, especially to gain more scholarships and admissions to the best colleges. Listen to discover best practices for...
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Why is College so Expensive?
It’s a reasonable question. College costs have increased 1,120% in the last 30 years. Taken from another perspective, college costs inflate twice as fast as the economy overall! This is ludicrous.
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Don’t paying sticker price for college (especially a private school)
Spoiler alert: college cost is not transparent. In fact, I like to talk about college cost as akin to a used car lot. If you are on a college website at this very moment – looking at the sticker price – chances are good you will not pay this amount. Shocking, but true. This simple fact causes a…
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A College Degree - for FREE
It might sound crazy in today's high-priced environment, but there are free or low cost ways to earn a college degree. However, these pathways are non-traditional (i.e. not living on campus for four years of college) and not a good fit for every family. But for those taking the…
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Work Colleges
Work Colleges like College of the Ozarks continue to be an option for a free (or extremely affordable) education, giving them powerful influence in the higher education sector as student loan debt continues to rise.What makes Work Colleges different from their peers? As you might infer from the...
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Playing Sports in College
Many high school students desire to play sports in college. Playing sports in college is a great way to continue a passion for athleticism, it's also a way to win funding to make college more affordable. At the end of your college experience, it can also be a way to show leadership acumen to an...
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Federal Student Loan Repayment Plans
If you're paying off federal student loans, it's crucial you know the various repayment plans. Being in the wrong repayment plan can cost you thousands of dollars. Although payment plans have changed over time, the current options represent a great opportunity for borrowers to save money or…
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The Importance of Campus Tours
You download a free campus tour checklist and list of questions to ask colleges on the Gradmetrics website. All you have to do is check out our recent post on campus tours: https://gradmetrics.com/admissions/campus-tours/ Campus tours have practical utility for students looking to choose one...
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The First Step in Saving for College
Saving for college is top of mind for most families focused on improving their child’s future prospects. At the same time families are convinced sending their child to college is in his or her best interest, college costs have risen 1,120% in the last 30 years. Realizing this reality, most…
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Looking Toward Summer - Selective College Admissions
Summer activities and camps can be powerful tools in the selective admissions game. Why? Because colleges look at a student’s talents and abilities when filling for spots for the coming freshman class. Attending the right summer camp or activity can make a huge difference in distinguishing your...
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Federal Student Loan Types
Months after submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), families sit down to review financial aid letters. Shortly thereafter, the stress begins to build as families start to think about federal student loans. The names listed on the financial aid letter are frustratingly...
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Federal Student Loans: A Moment of Opportunity
The government response to COVID-19 presents a major opportunity for holders of federal student loan debt. Several government actions, including the recent CARES Act, have produced the positive outcomes of suspension of loan payments, stopped collections on defaulted loans, and instituting a 0%...
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How the Average American Family Pays for College
A common question for families revolves around how the average American family actually pays for college. Does the average family pay out-of-pocket, pile up debt, or pull from retirement? Luckily, we don’t have to guess the answer to this question. Sallie Mae, a leading student loan provider in…
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Upcoming Changes to the FAFSA
You might have heard big changes are coming to the FAFSA with the Consolidated Appropriations Act. If you have a student going to college starting with the 2023-24 school year (i.e. filling out the FAFSA starting October 2022), this is very important information to understand.
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The FAFSA 101
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid - otherwise known as the FAFSA - can be daunting for families. This episode breaks down the major sections of the FAFSA, and hints at big changes to come.
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
GradCentric is a podcast hosted by Gradmetrics to help families plan and prepare for college and manage student loan debt. Every week we share tips on college topics including student loans, financial aid, FAFSA, CSS Profile, merit aid, scholarships, exploring majors, finding a career, and school selection.
HOSTED BY
Jason Anderson
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does GradCentric have?
GradCentric currently has 50 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is GradCentric about?
GradCentric is a podcast hosted by Gradmetrics to help families plan and prepare for college and manage student loan debt. Every week we share tips on college topics including student loans, financial aid, FAFSA, CSS Profile, merit aid, scholarships, exploring majors, finding a career, and school...
How often does GradCentric release new episodes?
GradCentric has 50 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to GradCentric?
You can listen to GradCentric on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts GradCentric?
GradCentric is created and hosted by Jason Anderson.
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