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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY
KANSAN
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
WWW.KANSAN.COM
THURSDAY
AUGUST 30,2001
ISSUE 7 VOLUME 112
Melissa Carr/KANSAN
Interest rates cut on student loans
Student borrowers can consolidate loans and reap benefits of lower interest rates
By Matt Norton Kansan staff writer
The Office of Student Financial Aid is advising students to consolidate any loans they have now that the government has lowered interest rates on all federal student loans to 5.99 percent, down from 7.69 last year.
This is the lowest rate in more than three decades, and it covers subsidized, unsubsidized and parent PLUS loans. The government adjusts the rate every July.
Brenda Maigaard, interim director of the Office of Student Financial Aid, said students could save money when it came time to repay the loans.
Loans consolidated at the new rate remained locked for the life of the loan. Furthermore, student borrowers who file their consolidation applications by Sept. 30 will receive an additional 0.8 percent rate cut.
Maigaard said that a KU student with $15,000 in loans who planned to pay them off within the normal 10-year period would save roughly $3,000 by consolidating the loans now.
In addition to saving money, Maigaard said consolidating loans would eliminate logistical problems involved with managing multiple student loans. Students coming from
other schools can have one source for loan repayment, and when changing addresses, only one company would have to be notified.
"That is probably the biggest advantage to consolidation both for the student and for the institution," she said.
Maigard said students who might have trouble understanding the implications of paying off their loans, or what the new interest rate meant to them should begin looking into and trying to understand the situation.
"We want to get the word out that students should start thinking about this," she said, "but also to get the resources out there for them."
Matt Lippincott, Sterling sophomore, is a new borrower and didn't know about the decrease in interest rates. He said he hadn't thought much about repaying the loans but was resigned to paying them back for decades.
What the new lower rates meant for him was simple, he said.
"Now I'm going to pay until I'm 30, not 40." he said.
Students wanting more information about loan consolidation can contact the consolidation department of the U.S. Department of Education at 1-800-557-7392 or visit its Web site at www.roanconsolidation.ed.gov
Contact Norton at 864-4810
KU student drowns in pool
Police think man's death at apartment complex was an accident
By Laurie Harrison Kansan staff writer
The body of a man found in a south Lawrence pool late Tuesday was identified as a University of Kansas graduate student, Lawrence police said.
Lawrence police are investigating the death of 23-year-old Georgie Athial as an accidental drowning, said Sgt. Mike Patrick of the Lawrence police.
Athial was a master's student in electrical engineering this semester, said Jill
Hummels, director of public relations for the School of Engineering.
He graduated from the University in May with a bachelor's in electrical engineering. Hummels said.
Police were called at 10:53 p.m. Tuesday to Cedarwood Apartments, 2411 Cedarwood Ave., after an employee of the apartment discovered a body at the bottom of the complex pool, Patrick said.
The pool was unlocked from 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
An autopsy was performed yesterday, but it could take weeks before results of toxicology tests are in, Patrick said.
Patrick said police had no reason to suspect foul play in the case.
"Nothing so far has been suspicious," he said.
Athial was found in his swimming trunks, said a Cedarwood resident who asked not to be identified. The resident also said Athial had moved into the apartments about two weeks ago.
The resident described Athial as a friendly person who kept to himself. She said he lived alone, and other residents had seen him swimming in the pool before to Tuesday.
Contact Harrison at 864-4810.
STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN
Dan Coke (left), Moore Haven, Fla., junior and Jesse Brinson, Houston junior, hold a ladder for Erik Fish. Lawrence resident and University of Kansas graduate, as he preaches to passers-by from atop a ladder on Wescoe Beach. Fish, who works for Victory Camp Ministries, wanted to deliver his message about God to University students. The KU Public Safety Office arrived yesterday afternoon after the skit to ask Fish not to get up on the ladder again for fear for Fish's safety. "It was kind of scary on top," Fish said. Fish plans to return to Wescoe Beach every Wednesday to talk to students during their class breaks.
ANTHONY REYES/KANSAN
Ethernet price increase upsets students living on campus
More Internet users prompted fee hike official says
By Jeremy Clarkson Kansan staff writer
Students living on campus found they had to pay a little more for the ethernet this year.
Networking and Telecommunication Services increased activation fees for network ethernet connections to $14 - up from $10 last year. The increase raise the annual fee from $90 to $126 this year.
Amy Lindstrom, Wichita sophomore uses the ethernet connection in her room. Lindstrom said she not pleased with the increase in the price.
John Louis, director for networking and telecommunication services, said the increase was necessary because the amount of people using the Internet had increased. Louis said it costs more than $100,000 to supply the Internet to the University.
"As the users go up, so does the cost
"I don't understand why they do it." Lindstrom said, "I think it's too high."
Lindstrom said she frequently used the Internet. She said last year's rates were more reasonable.
"It's a little high, but when you think of the price you'd pay in a house, it's pretty cheap."
Noah Ball Anthony sophomore
and the fees that we have to charge for the services." Louis said.
Louis said the with the amount of people using the Internet, the increase was
Campus housing ethernet prices
$126 this year
$90 last year
necessary. However, he said the increase of $4 per month was not too excessive.
"It's a super deal." Louis said. "There is no other deal known to man where students can get access to the Internet at these rates."
Ethernet connections are 20 to 50 times faster than a cable modem connection and less than half the price, Louis said.
Noan Ball, Anthony sophomore, said he wasn't surprised by the increase. Ball said although he understood why the price went up, he was not happy with it.
"It's a little high, but when you think of the price you'd pay in a house, it's pretty cheap." Ball said.
"Time will tell if we can implement that technology." Louis said.
It is unknown if the cost will increase again next year. Louis said they were looking into different technology to keep up with the increase of Internet use.
INSIDETODAY
Contact Clarkson at 864-4810
WORLD NEWS ...2A
HOROSCOPES ...2B
WEATHER ...4B
CROSSWORD ...4B
COMING IN TOMORROW'S KANSAN
AD CAMPAIGN: State takes fight against drunken driving into bathrooms
FOOTBALL: A look ahead to Saturday's home opener against Southwest Missouri State
The University Daily Kansan is the student newspaper of the University of Kansas. The first copy is paid through the student activity fee. Additional copies of the Kansan are 25 cents. Subscriptions can be purchased at 119 Stauffer-Flint Hall.
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