CHICAGO, IL -- (Marketwired) -- 09/05/14 -- After years and countless hours of tests, studying, writing papers and sleepless nights, a college student comes to the end of their college years. Graduation is upon them and so are those pesky student loans. No one likes having to pay back money, especially when a student has worked so hard for their newfound career. Initial expectations are blown and their dream of living the "high life" is quickly replaced with a harsh reality.
College graduates will find themselves scrabbling to pay off these loans and not actually getting ahead for years to come. Sometimes these college graduates will have to have two or three jobs or take their career in a whole different direction because things aren't helping and the graduate feels they are drowning in debt. This can be discouraging and can make the new graduate feel overly frustrated.
So what can a college graduate do to get ahead? There is a new program out there to help students catch a break. "Help Your Student Loans" is an application process that allows the college graduate to explain, in 400 words or less, how $15,000 toward their student loans would change their life. Applying comes with a $25 application fee and essays are based on the criteria found on the "Help Your Student Loans" website. Winners are selected every six months. Applicants can apply once every selection period (January 1-June 30, July1-December 31). Anyone who has student loan debt can apply. It doesn't matter if it is from an undergraduate, graduate or vocational education, all students can benefit from this opportunity.
Another contest "Help Your Student Loans" uses while applicants are waiting for the selection period to end is a monthly drawing for a $250 Apple gift card. Applicants can have their name entered as many times as they want. These additional entries are entered with referrals. With each referral that applies to the contest, the referrer will have their name entered into the monthly drawing. These monthly drawings are also done during the six month selection period, and month-to-month; if you aren't chosen your name will stay in until the end of the selection period.
Students applying for the contest will need to visit the "Help Your Student Loans" website to understand the criteria expected of them as applicants. This will help the chances of the college graduate winning.
Knowing that there is an opportunity to help with student loan debt will start to alleviate the stress that student loan payments can have.
