About "The Student LoanDown"Welcome to The Student LoanDown, Wells Fargo's blog about financing your college education. Wells Fargo has been helping students pay for education for nearly four decades, but our education roots actually run much deeper. In fact, we've been helping with education since the 19th century when, as an express company, we delivered books, supplies, and equipment to schools across the American frontier. Now, we're exploring a new frontier: the blogosphere. In this blog, our team will give you the lowdown on all things student loan: applying for them, selecting them, repaying them. We'll guide you through the financial aid process and share our own experiences—both as former students and as Wells Fargo team members. We'll talk about the resources you need to prepare and pay for school. We'll also cover budgeting and debt management strategies because, let's face it, college keeps getting more expensive. So maybe you're thinking about college, already in college, or done with college. Maybe you're a parent of a college student. Maybe you just have an interest in education financing, like we do. Hey, as long as you want to learn more about student loans, share information, and start conversations, you're in the right place. One more thing As a bank, regulations prevent us from obtaining your personal information—hence the restrictions in our blog comments that prevent you from submitting your full name. Also, we can't capture your blog's URL in our comments due to concerns about phishing. We know these regulations are there for good reason: to protect consumers from fraud and to protect your privacy. So please, bear with us. If you'd like follow-up from us, please |
Our Bloggers |
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David CooneyDave Cooney is a market research manager for Wells Fargo Card Services. However, what he really wanted to be when he was growing up was an astronaut . Bad eyesight and a strong fear of heights put an end to that dream. He once tried to conquer his fear of heights by skydiving-which didn't actually help. Dave is an alumnus of the University of Wisconsin, Madison (go, Badgers!) for both undergrad and his MBA. He has lived and worked in both China and Japan and speaks a little of both languages. When he's not at work, Dave can usually be found on the sidelines of a soccer field or the side of a pool rooting for his kids' teams.
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Rachel CurranRachel is a consultant with Wells Fargo Regional Marketing. A graduate of the University of Nevada, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism with an emphasis in Advertising . She's currently paying off her Wells Fargo student loan and is slowly getting used to grocery clerks calling her "Ma'am." Mexican food is the only thing Rachel can honestly cook well (stemming from her years working at a burrito shop in high school), and TiVo® is her favorite piece of modern technology (which she admittedly uses to watch/record her favorite commercials ). On a good day, you can catch Rachel dancing in her cubicle when no one else is watching.
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Kathy DideumKathy began her tenure as a summer intern at Wells Fargo, and she has returned full-time after completing her MBA at the UC-Berkeley Haas School of Business. As the daughter of a U.S. Air Force officer, she's not originally from anywhere but usually calls San Antonio home. Kathy's a total sports nut, with favorite teams including her hometown San Antonio Spurs and undergrad Texas A&M Aggies ! When she's not watching sports, she's probably enjoying the latest installments of Project Runway or her summer obsession, So You Think You Can Dance !
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Pam ErwinPam is with the Wells Fargo Foundation and manages the company's Hands on Banking® financial literacy program. She spent 20 years as a public school teacher and high school principal and has lived to tell about it! Every spare moment is spent either running (love those 10k races) or on the golf course. In her next life she wants to be Annika Sorenstam. She holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in education and organizational development. She lives in Southern California just steps away from a great running trail and golf course.
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Caroline HansonCaroline is a communications consultant for Wells Fargo Education Financial Services. Although she has been known to forget her own ZIP code, she has memorized the lyrics to every bad 1970s pop song ever written. Unfortunately, she also loves karaoke. Caroline spends her spare time at Target®. She also likes biking slowly and has participated in RAGBRAI several times. Caroline is a graduate of Iowa State University and has worked in journalism and public relations for the past 14 years. She lives in Iowa with her husband and has a 19-year-old stepdaughter and 2-year-old son.
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Dinna MartinezDinna is a Product Manager for Wells Fargo's College Credit Card. She is a UC Berkeley alum and worked while getting her Marketing MBA at Cal State Hayward . While most of her experience has been in the financial services industry, she's also worked in the internet marketing space and was the 23rd employee at a notable internet startup . Lately, Dinna has found a new passion: extending credit education to college-age customers. When she's not working, Dinna is planning her next big trip . Last year, she traveled halfway around the world to Cyprus with stops in London and Frankfurt-all with her two toddlers in tow! Who knows where she'll be headed next?
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Barbara RausBarbara is a news junkie who always is listening to NPR. She graduated from the University of South Dakota in May 2006 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism. Much of her spare time is spent transitioning into adulthood. She also enjoys traveling as much as her budget allows, reading anything from cereal boxes to classic literature and living vicariously through George, Izzie, and Meredith on Grey's Anatomy . Before she dies, Barbara wants to spend as much time as it takes to see every Broadway show in New York City.
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Staci SchillerStaci is a marketing program manager for Wells Fargo Education Financial Services. Although she still hasn't decided what she wants to be when she grows up, her childhood ambition was to be Laura Ingalls Wilder. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Government and has spent the past decade working in public service, public relations, and marketing. Staci is addicted to Tide to Go® pens, coffee (hence the need for Tide pens), and paper products. Her faithful companion in life is her stubborn and vocal Pembroke Welsh Corgi, Pie Elizabeth . A native South Dakotan, she has lived on both coasts and likes the middle.
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Karen SelbyKaren is a marketing consultant with Wells Fargo's Online Customer Marketing group. She's been in the financial services industry for most of her working life with a brief stint in retail hardware while attending college . When she's not busy changing diapers or making sure her son has lunch money, she likes taking bike rides in the warm California sun, working on her dancing skills in hopes that "Solid Gold" will make a TV revival and planning her next dream vacation with her husband.
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