Wednesday, October 28, 1998
The University Daily Kansan
Section A·Page 3
KU loan default rates below average
Students can get advice on keeping up with payments
By Steph Brower
Kansas staff writer
The University of Kansas is beating the national average in student loan default rates.
The United States Department of Education reported Monday that default rates for the 1996 fiscal year had dropped to 9.6 percent, the first time rates were in the single digits. The percentage of students at four-year colleges and universities who defaulted on loan payments was 7 percent. The University's default rate for 1996 was 5.4 percent.
Default occurs when a borrower is 180 days late in making loan payments. Loan repayment must begin after graduation.
Brenda Maigaard, associate director of financial aid, credited students for the University's low rates.
"I think that students are responsi
ble about repayment." she said.
Maigaard said 11,800 KU students had loans during the 1996-97 academic year. This number includes subsidized, unsubsidized and Perkins loans.
She said the Financial Aid Office tried to instruct students in the details of having and repaying student loans. Instructional brochures are available at the office and appointments can be made to talk with assistant directors.
"The key to keeping the default rate low is educating students as far as their responsibilities." Maigaard said.
Once students leave school, the Financial Aid Office is no longer involved with their loan, Maigaard said. Students also become responsible for keeping track of their payment responsibilities.
"Once repayment begins, the burden of proof falls on the borrower," she said.
The Direct Loan Servicing Center works with the University on student loan matters. The center deals with the payment aspect of a student loan.
Jessica Tinker, borrower services representative at the center's upstate New York office, said that the center
LOAN DEFAULTING
You will not be eligible for further student financial aid
You will lose your deferment options.
federal student financial aid.
Your account will be reported as
Your account will be repaired, delinquent to credit bureau, which
can damage your credit rating.
Your account may be turned over to a collection agency.
Your account may be turned over to a collection agency.
At the option of the Department of Education, the entire unpaid balance and acquired interest could
only handles late payment problems to a point.
be immediately due and payable.
The federal government can take your federal tax refunds
This is the point where things get uply for delinquent borrowers.
The Department of Education Web site said, some consequences students could face were having the government withhold tax refunds and wages.
Your employer, at the request of the federal government, can withhold part of your wages and give them to the federal government.
"With our company, when a borrower hits 150 days that is the default rate," Tinker said. "At 270 days, when the loan is sent to federal debt collection services, we send it to Greenville, Texas."
Alan Potter, Iola sophomore, said he
The federal government can take action against you.
Source: U.S. Department of Education Web site
wasn't worried about defaulting on his loan. Potter has a Ford loan, which is a subsidized loan.
"I ideally, I'd like to make enough money so that I can pay it off in one lump sum, but I'll make payments if I have to." he said.
Potter said that he would probably ask his parents if he had problems with his loan but that the staff at the Financial Aid Office was great when he was applying for his loan.
"The Financial Aid Office is really helpful," he said. "If you need a loan, don't hesitate to go to them."
City Commission makes noise about loud music
By Chris Fickott
Kansan staff writer
University of Kansas students and Lawrence residents cruising in town playing loud music in their vehicles may have to crank the volume down to avoid a fine.
The Lawrence City Commission received a draft of an ordinance restricting loud sound amplification systems for vehicles last night.
nances already exist in Olathe, Topeka and Independence, Mo.
The proposed ordinance would prohibit the operation of any car radio, compact disc, tape player, speaker or amplifier that produces audible sound more than 50 feet from the vehicle. Violators of the ordinance would be subject to a maximum fine of $500 or imprisonment of up to six months.
The commission will decide whether to adopt the ordinance after city, police and municipal court officials decide how the ordinance will be prosecuted.
Dave Corliss, city director of legal services, said that no cases in Kansas involving an interpretation of a municipal noise ordinance existed and that the First Amendment allowed for reasonable restrictions on the time, place and manner of public expression.
Lt. Ray Urbanek of the Lawrence Police Department said the ordinance probably would be enforced in municipal court much like a traffic infraction.
Brian Carpenter, Overland Park junior, is annoyed by the loud music coming from the car of Angie Simpson, Lawrence junior. Loud music is a problem that the City Commission wishes to resolve. Photo illustration by Joseph Griffin/KANSAN
Corrliss said cities have the authority to approve ordinances that protect public health, safety and welfare.
Loud sound amplification ordi
Mike Wildgen, city manager, said the loud car stereo ordinance would be hard to enforce because vehicles were moving targets.
Commissioner Bonnie Augustine said the ordinance should be used as a tool to limit loud car stereos and that the ordinance was not a panacea.
Corliss said police would enforce the ordinance where possible and that the ordinance was not intended to empower citizens to report loud car stereos.
“It’s going to be very tempting for a resident to say, ‘I heard somebody driving by, and I think it was the Doobie Brothers.’” he said.
Corliss said citizens did not have
training that would allow them to judge whether sound was coming from a specific vehicle or if that vehicle was more than 50 feet away.
He said if citizens called in reports of loud car stereos, the offender might not be prosecuted because of a lack of evidence.
SUA to screen date rape movie at Lied Center
By Pallavi Agarwal
Kansan staff writer
The 1995 film, A Reason to Believe, will be screened at 7 p.m. at the Lied Center. A panel of four experts on date rape will answer questions after the film.
A film that explores painful facets of friendship, trust and college politics through the framework of date rape will be shown at the University of Kansas tonight after having traveled to several college campuses across the country.
"Sometimes characters of a film help to penetrate the message better than somebody who lectures about it," said Leah Humphrey, Kearney, Mo., senior and Student Union Activities program coordinator for feature films.
The screening is organized by SUA and co-sponsored by the Emily Taylor Women's Resource Center, Delta Gamma sorority and the Rape Victim Survivor Service.
Participating in the panel are Teresa Schwab, sexual assault prevention and education program coordinator with the Emily Taylor Women's Resource Center; Sarah Jane Russell, director of Rape Victim Survivor Service; Philip Hart, a volunteer advocate with the Rape Victim Survivor Service; and Barb Norris, chaplain with the Lawrence Memorial Hospital.
The one hour and 49 minute film was shot in 30 days for $175,000 and was the directorial debut of Douglas Tirola, said Rolling Stone magazine.
It stars Allison Smith, star of CBS sitcom Kate & Allie, whose visit to a toga party at her boyfriend's fraternity turns into a nightmare when she is raped by her boyfriend's fraternity brother, played by Jay Underwood.
Smith, who later turns to an on-campus feminist group for help, finds past friendships dissolving and some people getting involved only to further their agendas.
The film features music from R.E.M., Blind Melon, Material Overkill and other bands.
The film was shot in more than 50 locations and at the University of Cincinnati after having been turned down by nine other universities in Ohio because of the content of the film, said the Trimark Pictures' Web site.
Kathy Rose-Mockry, program director of Emily Taylor Women's Resource Center and associate director of the Student Development Center, has seen portions of the film and hopes it will be a good catalyst for discussion.
She said rane cases were underreported.
"While there is information, rape cases still occur," she said. "This is not an indication that education is not working but that the continuation of education is important."
The tickets cost $3 and will be available at the SUA box office or the Lied CENTER. SUA paid $50 for the film.
NO,I DON'T WANT TO.
I SAID STOP!!
A Reason To Believe
CO-SPONSORED BY:
Rape Victim Survival Service
Emily Taylor Women's Center
Delta Gamma
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 28 • 7 PM • LIED CENTER • TICKETS:$3
A FILM THAT DEALS WITH DATE RAPE ON A COLLEGE CAMPUS, PANEL DISCUSSION WILL FOLLOW THE FILM.
SPONSORED BY SUA:
http://www.ukans.edu/~sua
785.864.3477