Demand for Student Loans Reaches All-Time High
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VOLUME 103 ISSUE 56 G THE VOICE R O Fort Collins free-for-all . O E RRainbowainbow WahineWahine squaresquare offoff wi t h L A PPurdueurdue iinn regionalregional ssemifiemifi nnalal K . SSportsports | PPageage 1111 W A W W WWW.KALEO.ORG EEOO KServing the students of the UniversityL of Hawai‘i at Mānoa since 1922 HEAVY RAIN Got friends? Antarctic-what? Economic Grinch Happy people make people happy Interview with eco-researchers Hiding Who-cash under the Who-mattress THURSDAY–SUNDAY H:77° L:69° Commentary | Page 4 Mixed Plate | Page 6 Cartoons | Page 9 DEC. 11–14, 2008 Demand for student loans reaches all-time high By Taylor Hall companies still offering student then they’re out of that amount,” student loans follows the hous- students should begin the applica- Ka Leo Editor-in-Chief loans. The loans offered through Feliciano said. ing market, said Feliciano. And tion process early. The deadline for UH Mānoa’s financial aid office Sallie Mae reported $6.8 bil- with the housing market in such FAFSA first priority for the 2009- are financed through Sallie lion in earnings in the third quar- decline, students have every rea- 2010 school year is March 1. 2008 will be remembered as Mae. Outside of the UH system, ter, up 17 percent from last year; son to be worried. a recessive year, with declining American Savings Bank is the however, it still had a loss of $159 “More FAFSAs have come in Why does the FAFSA process take job opportunities and necessary only FDIC bank that offers stu- million. Without federal funding, than ever,” Feliciano said. “Nearly so long? changes to the nation’s spending dent loans in Hawai‘i. Sallie Mae wouldn’t exist. every student at UH Mānoa is using habits. It was also the year that “If the bank makes 3 percent The avail- at least one form of financial aid.” The FAFSA form is available starting student loans became a necessity. off each loan, that means they’ll ability of With increased competi- Jan. 1, but the process can extend into There have been a record make an average of a few hun- tion for early summer. “The time frame is total- number of student-loan requests dred off of you. If you financial ly dependent on the student,” Feliciano this semester, according to don’t pay (it) back, aid, Ku‘ulei Feliciano, interim assis- said. While students can begin working tant director of the University of on the application in January, it cannot Hawai‘i Financial Aid Services be finished until the previous year’s tax office. The office has given out information is received. “Simply apply- 6,000 loans this year, nearly dou- ing is great, but you have to finish,” ble that of 2007. Feliciano said. “More students have had to apply for financial aid,” Feliciano said. “The downside is that there is Bank or Credit Union? less money to give out.” According to Feliciano the Banks have the downside of high large number of requests are fil- interest rates, although they have tered through a small pool of the ability to lend larger amounts. Credit unions offer lower interest rates Steps to getting a student loan because each customer owns a part of the company, so the credit union can 1. Fill out the FAFSA online at fafsa. lend as much money as the custom- ed.gov ers provide. 2. Be sure to include your school’s code in the designated section, so UH can Need credit? receive your award information (UH code: 00161000). The University of Hawai‘i 4. UH sends your award information to Federal Credit Union offers your MyUHPortal account (myuhportal. a start-up plan for students hawaii.edu). with low cash flow who want to build their credit. The “Student 5. View your award offers and accept Savings Plan” has a start-up cost of Students must or decline each. $5 and comes with a debit card and a navigate the pitfalls 6. Sallie Mae sends the school your credit card with a credit limit of $300 of financial aid, espe- loan; you receive a letter in the mail that can be increased. The plan was cially during tough with information about your new loan. introduced this semester and has a economic times. 7. UH disburses any funds above the low minimum, which is usually around cost of tuition to you in the second $300 at banks. For more information, week of school. MCT CAMPUS visit uhfcu.com News 2 THURSDAY SURF OUTLOOK Y SSpecialpecial AdvanceAdvance ScreeningScreening A Mixed Plate 3 D 6 HONOLULU TIDES NORTH 3–5+ Another northwest swell will sseeee pagepage 1111 O Wave heights T Commentary 4 HI 3:11 a.m. | 2:39 p.m. build rapidly tonight, peak SOUTH 1–3 reported PLEASE E Cartoons 9 LO 10:32 a.m. | 8:16 p.m. tomorrow, then gradually D Hawaiian style, I WEST 2–4 subside through the begin- RECYCLE S Puzzles & Classifi eds 10 6 HALEʻIWA TIDES about half face N HI 2:09 a.m. | 1:37 p.m. EAST 1–2 ning of next week. I INSIDE TODAY heights. Sports 11 LO 8:27 a.m. | 6:11 p.m. WINDS 15–25+ mph, S-SW MAHALO SOURCE: NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA PICTURES RELATIVITY MEDIA OVERBROOK ENTERTAINMENT ESCAPE ARTISTS 2 Thursday, Dec. 11, 2008 [email protected] Bike sharing comes to Mānoa By Mary Renee Reuter Le believes the B-cycle Ka Leo Contributing Reporter station could greatly benefit UH students by offering them A new bike-sharing pro- employment as well as afford- gram coming to the University able transportation. of Hawai‘i campus may change While nothing is definite, the way we think about sustain- Le expects that a B-cycle sta- able transportation. tion will be up and running at Nguyen Le, a spokesperson the university by June 2009. for Momentum MultiSport, said Bike sharing has been that Momentum has formed tried before, but with lackluster a partnership with B-cycle to results. Le is confident that this provide the perfect commuting time will be different. solution to students, residents The bikes will be equipped and tourists alike. with a self-locking mechanism, The plan is to develop a and because the user must swipe bike-sharing system in O‘ahu, their card before accessing the starting with the UH campus. bike, Le said that theft will be Students can rent a bicycle less likely. If a bike is missing by swiping a debit or credit for more than two days, the user card at the wireless integrated will be charged the $900 cost of B-cycle stations, with the first the bicycle. full hour costing $2 and the Although B-cycle was first half-hour free. A UH stu- approved by the city to be dent could feasibly ride one deployed on private property, of the bicycles from campus the project is being privately PHOTO COURTESY B-CYCLE to Waikīkī free of charge, pro- funded and the city had no Momentum MultiSport will be partnering with B-cycle to develop a bike-sharing system at UH. Students will be able to rent a bike by vided there is another B-cycle plans to get directly involved. swiping their debit or credit card. station there. “The city is not pursuing “The gist of the system is that type of bike-sharing pro- said Chris Sayers, the bicycle Advisory Committee on bicy- 500 to 700 calories they can burn to get as many stations out there gram right now, so Nguyen’s coordinator for the Department cling on the second Tuesday in one hour of bicycling. as possible, so that when people pilot project, which will be of Transportation. of every month at the Fasi Momentum and B-cycle need to commute, they can lock entirely on private property, However, Sayers does Municipal Building on South hope that the achievements of it up,” Le said. doesn’t really involve the city,” believe more bikeways are King Street. bike-sharing programs in cit- needed in order for the program In addition to being an ies such as Paris and Montreal to be successful. affordable, sustainable and con- will be shared by Honolulu as InternationalBeat “If there are more people on venient way to travel, bicycling well. If successful, bike sharing bikes, it would create pressure for has several health benefits. The could be the individualized pub- more bikeways,” Sayers said. B-cycle will come equipped lic transportation of the future, Those interested can attend with calorie counters, which will greatly reducing our traffic, car- By Kelli Miura panda’s pen. The park staffer is Sayers’ monthly Mayor’s enable riders to keep track of the bon output and waistlines. Ka Leo Associate News Editor reported to be recovering well in a hospital. Pandas’ looks can be From Hong Kong to Chile, rather deceiving, as they appear animals are making headlines in cute and friendly, but they can THE VOICE EDITORIAL also become violent if provoked A world news. K LEEOO Editor in Chief Taylor Hall Commentary Editor Bali Fergusson or disturbed. Managing Editor Kris DeRego Sports Editor Ashley Nonaka Bird flu outbreak in Hong Ka Leo O Hawai‘i Chief Copy Editor Kyle Mahoney Associate Sports Editor Russell Tolentino Kong Chilean officials losing hope of University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Associate Copy Editor Nichole Catlett Comics Editor Will Caron Hong Kong will suspend poul- finding dog hero 1755 Pope Road, 31-D News Editor Abigail Trenhaile Design Editor Nicole Gilmore try imports for three weeks and Police and highway work- Honolulu, HI 96822 begin killing 80,000 birds after three ers made several unsuccess- Associate News Editor Kelli Miura Photo Editor Kent Nishimura dead chickens tested positive for ful attempts to find a homeless Features Editor Vanessa Sim Web Editor Alexis E.