The Attorney General's Office issued a Consumer Alert today regarding student loans. After your college is chosen, you must decide what financial aid program will work best for your family. AG Nixon provided some tips for this big decision process.

First, you may be given a list of lenders by the school's Financial Aid department. This is just a list of perfered lenders, and by no means complete. You may choose any lender you perfer.

Second, there are several scam web sites that resemble the name and the URL address of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Beware of these phony sites! Also, watch for companies that advertise filing your FAFSA for a fee. The FAFSA application is free.

Third, to learn more about the many factors that go into your borrowing decision, check out this helpful student loan calculator the AGO provides.