For students looking for a way to finance their college education, now may be the time to consider borrowing money from the federal government.
On July 1, the interest rate on federally-funded student loans will drop from 8.19 percent to just 5.99 percent — making it the lowest interest rate to be offered since the student loan program began in the 1960s.
Students who are still in school will receive a slightly lower rate of 5.39 percent interest.
The new loan rates apply to all loans first disbursed on or after July 1, 1998. But students who have loans taken out before then may also be able to benefits from the new rate through a process of consolidation, which locks in the interest rate of all loans at one rate.

Live music shows to hit Eugene
Two independent solo artists come to Eugene for performances this weekend. Ex-Soul Coughing leader Mike Doughty will appear at Taylor’s Bar and Grille on Saturday and singer/songwriter Ani DiFranco will come to the Cuthbert Amphitheater on Sunday.
DiFranco has been performing as a solo artist for more than 10 years. In that time, she has built a rabid fan base through extensive touring.
Mike Doughty is still new relatively new to the title of solo artist. Doughty began performing solo acoustic material after his popular band Soul Coughing broke up in March 2000 because of creative differences.

Allergy sufferers find no comfort in Eugene
Eugene is the worst city in America for allergy suffers to live this week, according to Surveillance Data, Inc., a research company that tracks airborne pollen concentrations across the nation.
Salem and Portland respectively placed second and third the survey, which ranks cities based on the percentage of people likely to be affected by airborne pollen.