NEW YORK ? Private student lender Sallie Mae is changing how it handles a fee it charges struggling borrowers who seek to temporarily suspend payments.
Sallie Mae isn't cancelling the $50 fee, but said it will now apply the money toward the borrower's loan balance if on-time payments are resumed for six months in a row.
The change came after an online petition asking the company to drop the fee collected more than 77,000 signatures on Change.org. The site also hosted petitions last year that targeted Bank of America and Verizon; both companies ended up scrapping plans to charge new fees citing widespread public feedback.
The fee from Sallie Mae isn't new, but has taken on added significance at a time when unemployment remains elevated at 8.5 percent.
Borrowers who are unemployed or suffering economic hardship can apply to temporarily suspend payments on both private and federal student loans. The idea is to keep their credit history in good standing, although the loans still accrue interest.
Federal student loans do not charge to defer payments.
Sallie Mae, formally known as SLM Corp. approves forbearance requests in three-month periods. Students can seek forbearance on up to three loans at a time for a cost of $150. If the borrower still isn't on solid financial footing when the period ends, they can request another three months of relief.
Previously, Sallie Mae did not apply the fees against loan balances. The company says the new policy will be retroactive to forbearances granted started Jan. 1.
"We've been looking at this for some time, and the petition confirmed there was an appetite for this modification," said Patricia Christel, a spokeswoman for Sallie Mae.
The company said that the fee was meant to acknowledge "the importance of and commitment to resuming payments."
Stef Gray, a recent graduate who started the petition on Change.org, said she's not satisfied with the new policy and wants the Sallie Mae to drop the fee altogether.
"It's still a fee that I can't afford to pay right now," said Gray, who is unemployed and said she's barely getting by with the help of family and friends.
Gray says she's already paid $300 to the company since May in forbearance fees. She says her loans are now in delinquency after she missed a deadline to pay another $150 to extend her forbearance by three more months.
She also noted that her loans of $40,000 have already ballooned to $65,000 over about two years because of interest costs.
Sallie Mae says that only 4 percent of its loans are in forbearance and that the vast majority of those borrowers eventually begin repaying their loans. The company also notes that it encourages borrowers to first consider a modified payment plan, which can be requested without incurring a fee.
Modified payment plans lower monthly payments, but drive up the total loan amount because interest continues to accrue.
Workers compensation insurance coverage, typically known ?? workers ?r workmens comp, ?? a form ?f insurance coverage designed t? offer compensation t? workers wh? h??? b??n injured even though ?n th? job.
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Given th?? broad range ?f covered areas basically combining th? crucial attributes ?f disability insurance, health insurance coverage, ?nd life insurance coverage, amongst others workers comp ?? d?f?n?t?l? a single ?f th? more essential forms ?f insurance ?n individual ??n ??q??r?. B? knowing ?ll ??? ??n ?b??t workers comp ??? ??n ensure th?t ?f ?n accident happens ?n th? job ??? ?r? covered. If ??? ?r? n?t ??? ???ld find ???r self ?nd ???r family members ?n difficulty down th? road. W? ?ll require funds t? spend th? rent ?nd ??q??r? food ?nd getting compensation f?r ?n injury ?t work ??n support ??? t? pay f?r th??? necessities.
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[unable to retrieve full-text content]There are probably a million references on the internet that tell people how to direct themselves towards self improvement and motivation. There are hundreds of books on the same topic as well. Well, this article might not be ...
Of all the new Nikons announced today, the P310 is likely to be one of the most popular. Its 4.2x (24-100mm) focal length may not deliver the big bad zoom of the P510, and it can't do RAW like the P7100, but it compensates with some serious optical features instead. Among them is improved image stabilization, which Nikon says will let you take blur-free handheld shots at four stops below what would otherwise be possible. There's also a "market leading" f/1.8 maximum aperture, which further aid low-light shooting as well shallow depth-of-field shots. Finally, the form factor is really important. This camera is a lot smaller than either the P510 or the P7100 and it feels great in the hand: not quite pocketable, perhaps, but certainly portable, discreet and sturdy. We only had access to a very early pre-production sample, so we couldn't check out the menu system or take shots, but we gave the camera a good looking over in the hands-on video after the break, where you'll find some more initial impressions too.
Valentine?s Day is just around the corner. For music fans, that means being serenaded by power ballads, slow jams and schmaltzy love-song dedications every time you turn on the radio. But what if Cupid?s arrow whizzed straight past you this year and hit someone else? Nobody wants to hear ?The Power Of Love? while heating up a TV dinner for one. Happily, we?re here to provide you with a selection of vastly less-depressing alternatives. No matter if you?re single by choice, brokenhearted, bitter or just resigned to living alone with 10 cats, there?s a song to get you through February 14. Jump below to find solace in these 11 top tunes for singles on Valentine?s Day.
11. ?Stronger (What Doesn?t Kill You)? ? Kelly Clarkson (Video) Nobody does bitter quite like Kelly Clarkson. Her seminal 2004 hit ?Since U Been Gone? set the bar for break-up anthems, and she?s churned them out with alarming regularity ever since. What makes the inaugural American Idol?s latest single the perfect soundtrack for pissed-off singles this Valentine?s Day is the positive spin it puts on finding yourself man- or woman-less. ?You know the bed feels warmer sleeping here alone,? purrs Kelly before declaring ?doesn?t mean I?m lonely when I?m alone? later in the song.
10. ?Ridin? Solo? ? Jason Derulo (Video) While Kelly wears her single status like a badge of honor, Jason Derulo couldn?t really care less on ?Ridin? Solo?. He?s too busy reveling in his bachelorhood ? partying with friends and hooking up with pretty ladies ? to even remember his ex. ?Now I?m feeling how I should, never knew single could feel this good,? sings the 22-year-old on this memorable 2010 Top 10 hit. Play ?Ridin? Solo? on your way to the club this February 14.
9. ?Me, Myself And I? ? Beyonc? Blue Ivy?s mama is the Queen of female empowerment anthems. From DC?s ?Independent Women? to her own 2011 hit ?Run The World (Girls)?, Beyonc? has been issuing directives to ladies (both in and out of relationships) for the past 15 years. And while ?Single Ladies? is her most famous musical mission statement, ?Me, Myself And I? is arguably the better Valentine?s Day choice ? at least for jaded daters who can?t be bothered putting gloss on their lips or having a man on their hips. As Queen B preaches: ?I took a vow from now on / I?m gonna be my own best friend?.
8. ?Dancing On My Own? ? Robyn (Video) If you?re looking for music to cheer you up this February 14, then it?s probably best to skip Robyn?s depressing synth ballad about watching an ex hook up at the club while you dance alone in the corner. However, if you?re a glutton for punishment and feel like wallowing in your own misery, this is the V Day jam for you!
7. ?Ain?t Thinkin? Bout You? ? Bow Wow Feat. Chris Brown (Video) Here?s one for the boys. Bow Wow and Chris Brown join forces to plot a game plan for the emotionally fragile single gentleman. ?Tonight I?m gon? get tipsy, over 21 all the girls have fun and watch the ladies jump on me,? croons Breezy before concluding, ?I ain?t thinkin? ?bout you tonight?. The message is clear. Move on and hook up with someone new after popping bottles at the club. It clearly worked for these two in-demand Romeos.
6. ?I Don?t Need A Man? ? The Pussycat Dolls The title says it all. Ms Scherzinger and her back-up dancers are not particularly well remembered for their lasting contribution to feminism, but the gang struck a blow for independent women everywhere on ?I Don?t Need A Man?. Nicole sings a shopping list of self-worth mantras, including ?I don?t need a ring around my finger to make me feel complete? before going there: ?I can get off when you ain?t around?. Men, you have been put on notice.
5. ?June 28th (I?m Single)? ? Ruben Studdard (Video) It?s been a couple of years since we?ve heard new music from Ruben, but the victor of American Idol season 2 is back in 2012 with an album about his recent divorce and this soulful jam about his new single status. This makes it perfect Valentine?s Day fodder for people that unexpectedly find themselves back on the market. The 33 year old?s approach to finding a new lady is advertising. He sings: ?When you see me on the street don?t be scared to speak, I?m single?. Time to start letting random strangers know you?re available!
4. ?(This Is) A Song For The Lonely? ? Cher Cher has your back. The patron saint of heartbroken clubbers (note: ?Believe? and ?Strong Enough? are equally appropriate choices for down-on-their-luck singles) delivered a message of hope for the desperate and dateless with this single off her most recent album. Lady Gaga?s future duet partner urges fans not to give up by declaring, ?Wherever you may go I?m right beside you, you don?t have to look no more?. Who needs a relationship when you?ve got a 65-year-old pop legend by your side?
3. ?Single? ? Natasha Bendingfield Natasha Bedingfield raises a number of salient points on her 2004 UK debut. First, being single is a valid lifestyle choice (?I?m single right now, that?s how I wanna be?). Second, playing the field is a lot of fun (?I know I?ll settle down one day, but till then I like it that way?). And last but not least, it?s not cute to settle (?I?m not gonna get hooked up because you say I should?). E-mail the Brit?s feisty anthem to unhappily partnered friends this February 14.
2. ?Young, Wild & Free? ? Snoop Dogg & Wiz Khalifa Feat. Bruno Mars (Video) Who cares if you?re single on a holiday invented to sell cards and flowers? Take the advice of three wise men that know better and enjoy being young and irresponsible ? ?So what what we go out? That?s how it?s supposed to be, living young and wild and free?. Seriously, forget about your Facebook status. Which admittedly is a lot easier if you?re as baked as these guys.
1. ?Lullaby For Myself? ? Barbra Streisand If you?re not wild, free or even particularly young, don?t worry. Spinsters have their own feel-good anthem this Valentine?s Day courtesy of Barbra Streisand! Recorded way back in 1977 for the diva?s Superman album, ?Lullaby For Myself? sets out the benefits of single life in the most pragmatic (and hysterical) way possible. For starters, you can eat what you want (?not to share a pair of pork chops when you crave champagne and cheese?) and have free reign in the bathroom (?take an hour in the shower, use the water while it?s hot?). Brace yourself for Babs? words of wisdom below.
Did we include your favorite singles? anthem on our list? What did we miss? Let us know in the comments section below, or by hitting us up on Twitter and Facebook.
In a landmark decision in post-apartheid South Africa, four men were given 18 years in jail on Wednesday for stoning and stabbing to death 19-year-old Zoliswa Nkonyana for living openly as a lesbian.
A crowd outside the court in Cape Town township cheered and danced after the sentencing was announced, the BBC News reported.
Mbulelo Dama, Lubabalo Ntlabathi, Sicelo Mase and Luyanda Londzi -- juveniles when the crimes were committed - were convicted of Nkonyana's murder last year, the South African Broadcasting Corporation reported.? Five others were acquited.
While rights groups complained throughout the trial that proceedings were taking too long -- they took almost six years -- and involved more than 40 postponements, the verdict was a watershed, an official at a South African NGO that fights discrimination against gay, lesbian bisexual and trans-gender people told msnbc.com.
"It is the first case in South Africa where sexual orientation and identity was named and recognized as an aggravating factor in a murder trial," said Marlow Newman-Valentine, Deputy Director of Triangle Project.
The magistrate in the case said hatred and homophobia were clearly the motive for the killing, and Wednesday's sentence was meant to send out a signal that violence based on sexual orientation will not be tolerated, the BBC reported.
South Africa's constitution prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual preference but homophobia is rife in the country. In addition, the country's female homicide rate six times the world average, according to a June-2011 study in The British Journal of Criminology.
Activists were "still hugely concerned" with the South African police's effectiveness when it came to dealing with these sorts of crimes, and their unwillingness or inability to follow proper procedures in many cases, he said.
"As the Triangle Project we are extremely happy about the outcome of this particular trial but we have a long way to," Newman-Valentine said.
