February 20, 2006
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We still have The Breeze SUDOKU James Madison University's Student Newspaper Vol. S.I, Issue 39 Wmiiliui, I cbiiKini 20, 2t)0b Bush cuts billions Recent act greatly reduces student loan programs ■v COKEY GOCCIN The bill created two new manda- Protection Act that provides loan CONTRIBUTING WRITER tory grant programs: the Academic forgiveness for qualifying teachers Competitiveness Grant Pmgram was made permanent. On Feb. 8, President Bush signed and the National SMARI Giant — There were several changes the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (S It is possible that MOM students at made to the tables in the Expected 1932) into law. cutting $12 billion JMU could benefit from these pro- Family Contribution (EFC) formu- from student loan programs and grams, Barnett said. las that help aid offices determine making the legislation the largest Other pnigram changes include: a student's financial need status budget cut in history of student —The base Federal Stafford Loan which should lead to many stu- loan programs. annual limit for freshmen increased dents appearing "needy," poten- Luke Swarthout, Public from $2,625 to $3,500 and fJODI tially leading to increased grant Interest Research Croup Higher $3.5<UtoW.500for sophomores. The awards in some cases. Education Associate, called the Additional Unsubsidized Stafford — The definition of a veteran for bill "the largest raid on student Loan annual limit for graduate stu- the purposes of financial aid was aid in history." dents also increased from $10,000 to changed to include those on "active In Virginia, the bill affects more $1Z000. These new limits are effec- duty military" status. than 143,000 student borrowers, tive as of July 1,2007. — Several changes also have according to StudentAidAction.com, — Graduate students will now been made to the Consolidation a Web site run by the State Public haVt access to borrow from the Loan Program. Interest Research Groups' Higher PLUS program, which has tradi- There were several techni- Education Project. tionally been limited to parents of cal changes that directly affected Brad Harriett, senior associate undergraduate dependent students. Stafford Loan processing with the director in the Office of Financial I his is effective July 1, 2006, but lenders and guarantors who pro- Aid and Scholarships at )ML. said will onlv impact I small population vide these loans. I hese changes can about half of I Ml students receive it JMU. be summed up into two main cat- some form of financial aid, with — Beginning July 1, 2006, inter- egories: the first being reducing the over $60 million in aid being dis- est rates for Federal Stafford Loans fees charged to student borrowers, bursed each year by the JMU Office will be fixed at 6.8 percent and at 8.5 and the second focuses on reducing of Financial Aid and Scholarships. percent for PLUS loans. These rates the profits many lenders receive 'The passing of the Deficit nave been variable in the past fmm these loans. Reduction Act of 2005 will have — The origination and guaran- There is a concern with how the an effect on several issues directlv tee fees that are typically charged reduction of profits amid potentially related to financial aid," Barnett on Federal Stafford Loans will begin affect the borrower, Barnett said. said. "The Department of Education to be phased out starting on July 1, Many lenders have attractive is hard at work developing guidance 2006. Many of the lenders and guar- Borrower Benefit packages that are for how manv of these changes will antors )ML partners with for pro- offered to holders of their loans It be implemented, so we still have viding Stafford Loans have already is not uncommon for significant many more questions regarding raduotd their fee to 0 percent. interest rate reductions and/or these changes." — Loan guarantors will be rebates in repayment to be given to "One industry expert said it best required to have a I percent Federal a borrower meeting certain criteria. tin-, past week: 'the devil is in the Default Fee assessed on each These reductions and rebates details,"'Barnett said. "Even though station! Loan. Barnett is unsure if have the potential tit save some this bill has been signed into law, that tee will be directlv parjacd OD to borrowers thousands of dollars there is still much we do not know. the bOffOWtt when repaying their loans. In large The Department of Education ROW —The rules governing disburse- part, lenders have been able to offer has the arduous task ol trying to ment of single semester loans has these btntfitl by giving back some hgurv out how to implement these changed, allowing )MU and other ot their profits tO students in the ptnrt.> illuNluluMi by AV» l'AI LRSON.'phtrto ettilt* changes. Colleges and universities schools to disburse these loans fast- form of these benefits. Also, most Earlier thla month UMaW Buah algnad Into law and act which will cut 512 Mlllon .ill across the countn arc anxioosK er to students. from ttudent loam. Thla cut Is the largest In the program'! history. awaiting guidance." — The Taxpayer leather sefUMN,pagf4 Business Event to honor Main Street mash-up frat works to save JMU leadership •Y KATIE KELLOGG and the director of university unions StXtOR WRITIK said any member of the JMU com- child's life munity is eligible for the award. "Part Omicron Delta Kappa is cur- of what makes this award so special rently accepting nominations for is that anyone who is a member of ■Y TOM BEITLER outstanding members of the JMU the JMU community can win it, from IBUTI.SC WHITER community to honor at their annu- the president to faculty memlvrs. al "All Together One" event in the students to housekeepers." LJ's chapter of the national spring. Once the recipients of the fraternity Pi Sigma The All Together One event award have been selected, the will continue to collect recognizes members of the JMU winners are then "tapped" by ns and sell bracelets, as community for their positive con- members of ODK, which means : of an ongoing fundraiser to tnbubons to JMU and the world that the winner will be informed elp "Frankiepants," a 2-year- around them. ODK, a national lead- ol iheir award in person, wherever who was diagnosed last ership honor society for juniors and they may be on campus, including with the genetic disorder seniors, has hosted the event since during classes or meetings _ olysacchande III Type A 2000, to honor five individuals each At the All Together One cer- 111), also called Sanfilippo year based on their positive impact emony, which will take place drome on the people of JMU. on Apnl 11, the honorees will Frankiepants, the nickname Senior Britt Timmerman, the All be given a stone engraved with given to baby Frank bv his parents, together One committee chairper- their name to be placed in the ■ Cynthia and Frank DeMatteis Sr., son, said, 'These awards recognize All Together One circle on the ' underwent a stem cell transplant people who put their heart and soul commons along with specially last summer at the Duke Pediatnc into JMU or the community and engraved pins. Bone Marrow and Stem Cell have done a lot to help others." There are a lot of people in the ansplant Unit. Honorees are selected bv mem- JMU community who do a tot for i Those who suffer from bereofODKbasedontheAII together trther people but don't get recog- filippo Syndrome are missing One criteria of building community, nized" Timmerman said. "This event i en/vme essential in cutting up inspinng others and working toward is structured so we are honoring and e used mucopolysacchandes the common good. acknowk'dging the five recipients 'called heparan sulfate. This sugar Senior Kaitlin Porter, ODK's I hose interested in nominating alowly builds in the brain and stops president, said, "We are looking someone should wnte a few para- normal development resulting in for people who have gone out of Sraphs detailing how the nominee peractivitv, sleep disorders, lost their way to unify this campus as made a positive different!' at Jl'AN 111 \l Kl MiliJ,:<nt„iph,< ""ech and dementia. Children and have achieved the goal of All JMU and e-mail it odk^'jmu.edu. W cureless disease sometimes Together One, which is to be your- Nominations can also be dropped According to police reports, a moped traveling west on Water Street, was struck * they reach adulthood. self and |be a part of| something off In lavlor room 2D5B. All nomi- by a taxi after It failed to stop for a flashing red light. Sunday morning. The driver frankie's stem cell transplant bigger as well." nations must be submitted by 5 of the moped was transported to Rocklngham Memorial Hospital. The extent of },cost the DeMatteis familv an Dave Barnes, adviser to ODK p.m. on March 3. the Injuries are unknown. Hated $600,000; a fundraising Of $85,000 has been established the national organization Uldren's Organ Transplant oaation to help assist the Speaker highlights graphic design industry addition, senior Rachel Frankie's cousin and a BY S 11 i-ii \ s ii SMI/HIM. and hister is the author of "Maximum StniOf graphu design m.i|or Inn Hers was definitely the loosest animal r of Pi Sigma Epsilon, will ttAtt IVR/TfR Design" and "New Masters of Poster McHudy got "falcon" and young" illustration because it was just the pat- ute the IratiTiun s earnings I >esie,u.' which is scheduled for release and began barnstorming about ivayi tern and not the actual animal, which is bracelets, used cell phones I Ins is the point when you guys in April.