Conn. would waive student loans in 'green' jobs (AP)

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) -- Paul Goulet hopes Connecticut will help him get from under nearly $8,000 he's borrowed for college after losing his job in a paper manufacturing plant....

U.S. News & World Report - Until recently, banks and other private lenders have made it hard for anyone to shop for college loans, in some cases because they didn't want to compete by cutting profit margins. But several web entrepreneurs and state agencies have developed new tools to help students and parents find private loans that, in June of 2010, charged as little as 1.78 percent in interest.

AP - New York officials say the national association that writes and administers the SAT has resolved a two-state investigation into deceptive marketing of student loans.

Green manufacturing, sustainable agriculture and the smart grid are among hot green job industries to watch in 2009.

Donald Marron submits:Health care understandably dominated the headlines leading up to — and beyond — yesterday’s historic House vote. It’s important to remember, however, that the reconciliation legislation also includes major reforms in the way that the government supports student loans.

BusinessWeek Online - Cash-strapped families taking out large student loans to pay tuition. College students graduating with thousands of dollars in debts. Stressed-out seniors working double-shifts to pay off loans. These aren't new stories, but they're becoming increasingly common at universities as the financial crisis drags on. With experts blaming students' financial woes on risky loans and a lack of understanding of key money concepts, financial illiteracy in America is getting serious attention from universities around the country.

BusinessWeek - Students taking out federal student loans will be confronted with a bevy of changes when they visit their school's financial aid office this fall. This spring, the U.S. Senate passed a student loan bill -- the Student Aid & Fiscal Responsibility Act -- that led to a major revamping of the federal student loan program, shifting everything from how students obtain their loans to the amount of aid doled out through such programs as the Pell Grant.

Austin, Texas, like many other communities, is taken with the idea of creating green jobs. And money is rolling in to do that. But first, the city has to figure out what, exactly, green jobs are, and how to train a workforce for them.