Washington | July 1, 2010 - As I am sure most of you are aware, especially those of you who have applied to receive federal student financial aid, the U.S. Department of Education provides billions of dollars each year to millions of students and families seeking a postsecondary education.

Beginning today, July 1, all postsecondary institutions offering federal student loans are required to provide and begin originating direct loans, in which the Education Department provides loans to students through their colleges.  While a small percentage of schools are in the process of transitioning into the Direct Loan program, many of you may wonder what this means for you or your family if you are considering attending a postsecondary institution.

As someone who believes in the value of education and job training programs, I wanted to take this opportunity to share a number of links that may answer some of your questions as well as provide some resources which may be helpful as you begin considering your options for financing a postsecondary education.

Please don't hesitate to contact me with any additional questions or to share your thoughts on this issue. To learn more about my work on college access and affordability, please visit the education page of my website.

Federal Student Aid and Direct Loan Resources

FAFSA: www.fafsa.ed.gov

FAFSA Forecaster: www.fafsa4caster.ed.gov

Information about College: www.fafsa4caster.ed.gov

Information about Job Training: www.careervoyages.gov

Direct Loan Information: http://www2.ed.gov/offices/OSFAP/DirectLoan/index.html

Direct Loan Announcements: http://www.ifap.ed.gov/ifap/processing/directLoans.jsp