BY CATHY JETT

Debra J. Harber, the University of Mary Washington's director of financial aid, tackled a variety of questions about college loans during Tuesday's Money Talk$ web chat on fredericksburg.com.

Below is an edited version of the questions and her answers. The complete transcript is available at: freder icksburg.com/News/chat3/Archive?chat_id=147.

;">My son has his student loans due. Here is the problem: He is working at a Dollar Store working 14 hours a week; some weeks it's about 10 hours. We pay for two student loans. We can't help with his part. Is there anything he can do until he gets a better job and can pay?

If your son's loans are federal loans, he can contact the loan servicer to request a deferment or forbearance. This allows him to make reduced payments or interest-only payments.

Depending upon when he received his loans and the total borrowed, he may also be eligible for an income contingent payment plan. More information regarding payment options is located at federalstudentaid.ed.gov/. Just search on "Repayment."

;">Our son has a 4.7 GPA and will be attending U.Va. in the fall. He is currently ranked first in his class. We own our own company; we are homebuilders. We have lived in Virginia all our lives. He got $5,400 from the Pell grant and $5,000 in loans. He got nothing from the state or any scholarships. We don't know why he didn't get any state aid. All of our paperwork was in early.

Since I cannot accurately address the awarding practices of another university, I suggest that you speak directly with the Office of Financial Aid at U.Va.

;">I am a 47-year-old female, FAFSA completed with a zero EFC. I want to begin and complete a degree in historic preservation at UMW. Where else can I look for financial aid to do this?

The critical form is the FAFSA, and be sure to submit required documents by the due dates. Additionally, complete and submit the UMW Scholarship Application located at adminfin ance.umw.edu/financialaid/scholarship-information.

;">My son is attending J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College for the summer program starting May 22. This is his first time attending college.