Federal government student loans are one of the many ways to fund your school tuition. The expense of further education sometimes seems out of reach, considering there are additional fees to be taken care of. Besides the tuition, you have lab fees, school books that must be purchased, board and lodging, and other miscellaneous fees i.e. health insurance, transport. This all adds up especially if you are at a school away from home.

There are other options for student funding available besides a government student loan, private student loans or at the same token alternative student loans. The other student aid options available are scholarships and grants. The great things about college or university scholarships are that you are not required to reimburse the expenses that you have incurred during your years at school. The funds are allocated to you as if these are your own funds. This is a valuable form of student funding especially for students who cannot afford to obtain US government student loans or non government student loans and who desire to earn a degree or diploma yet do not have the financial capacity to do so.

Compare this to other forms of financial assistance such as student loans or federal government loans and you are definitely on a good wicket if you can secure a grant or scholarship. Since grants are especially meant for the financially unprivileged, certain grants exist for underrepresented minority students. There are also some cases where the grant money is exchanged for professional services after graduating. This is common to those students taking up health care professions. The major objective for this is to keep trained professionals in medically underprivileged regions.

This is where acquiring a federal student loan differs from grants; you have a choice of building your career wherever you choose to. The difference between grants, scholarships, student loans and federal government student loans is that grants and scholarships are given to the patron without any expectation of repayment. In this case a grant is a monetary gift from a sponsor. Scholarships on the other hand, are awarded according to the academic merit of the student although it is also a monetary gift.

Start your research while you are still in high school, it is better to apply early as this will give you a head start, since this will allow you to plan your future studies and if you are not fortunate enough to gain a scholarship it will still give you enough time to apply for a government student loan or private student loan.

A Procos
http://www.articlesbase.com/loans-articles/plan-your-future-with-a-student-loan-95399.html

If you’re wondering whether or not you have to go to college, the answer is no. College is not mandatory, it’s an individual choice. College is not for everyone, but it should be. While college is an experience that is expensive, lengthy and full of bureaucratic paperwork, it’s also one of the most useful experiences that you can have in life. College isn’t obligatory, but in this day and age, a college education should be viewed as essential.

If you feel like you can’t deal with college, then by all means don’t go. College is an investment that shouldn’t be made lightly, especially if you doubt your desire to succeed. You can find plenty of jobs out there that don’t require you to learn about science, history or philosophy. If you want to take the fast track to becoming a skilled professional, college might not be the quickest path to get there, but it is the most complete.

Employers in the 21st century want well-rounded individuals who bring more than just a single specialty to the table. In today’s working world, you have to be a sharp multi-tasker easily capable of switching gears. You have to have some sort of general understanding about how the world operates. You need computer and communication skills, and you need to prove that you can dedicate yourself to your job.

More and more it seems like an undergraduate degree is now the equivalent of what a high school diploma was fifty years ago. It’s the starting point for professional development. It’s the new prerequisite for entering the job world. If you think you can have a rewarding career without a college degree, you can. It’s becoming increasingly more difficult for that to happen though.

Not all college paths are the same. If you are not ready to hurl yourself into a four-year university, then start smaller. Attend your local community college, and rack up credits at a fraction of the cost. After filling out all the necessary grants and fee waivers, you can pretty much attend community college for free. If you want to test the academic waters before you jump in the college pool, then a community college is perfect for you.

What if you are a working professional who doesn’t have time to attend classes during the day? There are numerous online degree programs, and many colleges are now offering remote education options where you never have to attend a single classroom session. Take classes at night through your internet connection. Work on your homework during the weekend. No matter who you are, or what your time (and financial) restraints are, you can find a degree program that’ll suit your specific educational needs.

If you’re debating whether or not to attend college, you have to make a personal choice based on your own educational and career goals. Nobody is more qualified to make the decision than you are. College is an intensely individual experience, so in order to make the most of it, you need to choose a college and major that’s right for you (regardless of what’s wanted by your friends and family).

Not everyone requires a typical four-year university experience. If you’re unsure whether or not college is right for you, experiment a little bit first before you commit multiple years of your life. Once you’ve made a decision, stick to it and follow through. Getting the most from your college experience is entirely up to you.

Chris Stout
http://www.articlesbase.com/college-and-university-articles/do-you-have-to-attend-college-84698.html

do u have 2 pay the money back 4 a college grant when u are done with college? if so what do u call those other grants that give u the money for free? how do u appley 4 a collge grant? and are my chances of getting a grant higher because i live with my single mother 2 sisters in a low income apartment and i am foreigner in the u.s but i have my citizenship?

A federal grant simply means gift aid from the government that you do not have to pay back. If you are looking to apply for a federal grant…you need to start at www.fafsa.ed.gov. You will complete a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and that will determine what you may qualify for in loans and grants. In order to apply you must be one of the following : US Citizen or a eligible noncitizen with an Alien registration Number. (not here on a work visa)

If you are either a citizen nor an eligible noncitizen, you are not eligible for federal student aid. However, you may be eligible for state or college aid. You would have to speak with the college you plan to attend for that information.

On the radio this morning, in St. Louis, I heard that you can get federal or state grants (NOT a loan – they clarified) for home repairs by looking at economic grants. The woman said that the government has these grants because they provide work to people and improve communities. She said you don’t have to have a low-income and that the only requirement is that you live in the house for at least two years (or move out within two years, something like that). I cannot find this information anywhere. Can anyone help direct me to the right website?

Does this sounds to good to be true?

I would like to start a business. I found on the internet that men and women can obtain free federal grant money for education, start up businesses and rehabilitate or purchase real estate. I also saw that Ross Peroue, George Bush and Paul Newman received federal grants from the government to start their businesses and non-profit organizations. To qualify you must submit a detailed proposal. I was wondering if this program is legitimate and if so, where can I go to get a business proposal written up.

There’s a lot of myths and lies about grants – mostly perpetuated by scammers so you will pay them to ge a slice of these "free government grants"

It is hard to find grants to start a business. Unlike the myths that some perpetuate, federal government and even private foundations hardly give grant money for starting a for-profit business.

One possible exception is for companies developing or exporting agricultural goods, including food and forest product. Another exception could be the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) or Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs http://www.sba.gov/aboutsba/sbaprograms/sbir/index.html , which fund the research and development of technological innovation that meets specific government needs.

Your best bet actually will be from the states if they offer grant programs for women (or any other special interest groups — minorities, women, disabled, veterans, etc). Or check with non profit organizations, particularly women organizations if they offer grants. Examples include

Iowa Women’s Foundation http://www.iawf.org/
New Mexico Women’s Foundation http://www.nmwf.org/guidelines.html

Even SBA does NOT give out grants. From the SBA website http://www.sba.gov/mostrequesteditems/CON_FAQ2.html

"The U.S. Small Business Administration does not offer grants to start or expand small businesses, although it does offer a wide variety of loan programs. (See http://www.sba.gov/financing for more information) While SBA does offer some grant programs, these are generally designed to expand and enhance organizations that provide small business management, technical, or financial assistance. These grants generally support non-profit organizations, intermediary lending institutions, and state and local governments."

Nonetheless, you can go to the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) http://www.cfda.gov and Grants.gov http://www.grants.gov – these are two sites created by the federal government to provide transparency and information on grants. Browse through the listings and see if you can find any grant that would support a for-profit venture.

Here is a listing of federal grants for small businesses. See if there is any available for individuals for starting a business — THERE’S NONE.
http://12.46.245.173/pls/portal30/CATALOG.BROWSE_BENEF_RPT.show

Most of the federal grants are given to specific target groups with specific requirements (e.g. minority business owners involved in transportation related contracts emanating from DOT – Grant#20.905 Disadvantaged Business Enterprises Short Term Lending Program

Grants are also often given to non profit groups or organizations involved in training or other similar activities (grant 59.043 Women’s Business Ownership Assistance that are given to those who will create women’s business center that will train women entrepreneurs

For private grants, you may want to check the Foundation Center’s Foundation Grants for Individuals Online http://gtionline.fdncenter.org . It’s a subscription based website ($9.95 per month) but their opening blurb only says that the database is ideal for "students, artists, academic researchers, libraries and financial aid offices." Entrepreneurs are apparently not one of them, so I take it they also don’t have listings of private foundations who give grants to would-be entrepreneurs.

I was told that if you have money left over from pell grants after tuition and fees, that you have to pay it back or it becomes a loan. I’ve been trying to find it online and I can’t Does anybody know for sure?

only if you drop out of your classes before a certain time

Like you see on TV and on the internet about getting grant to pay off bills, or go to college, and such like;

1,521 Federal Grant Programs
29,878 Private Foundations
24,459 Scholarship Programs
Over 17,000 State Government Programs

as quoted to some website as saying, so what exactly are these grants if theirs that many?
I wont pay anything to know it, that I am going to make certain.

Yes, I’m sure this is probably correct, however most of the government grant programs have very specific qualifications for to apply. For example, there are a ton of grants specifically to go to historically Hispanic serving colleges, historically serving black colleges, state homeless shelters, only for Junior colleges, non profits serving battered women, tribal colleges, the thing is…. individuals can’t apply for all these 1,521 grants. I’m sure the same is true with the others as well.

Many college graduates and professionals going back to school to earn an advanced degree struggle with how to go about choosing a graduate school. Since there are thousands of colleges and universities to choose from many students get dizzy just looking at the graduate school list of choices. Choosing a graduate school to earn an advanced degree is just like making any other major decision. You have to take a look at the cold hard facts for each school that you are considering and then narrow down your options based on which school is the best option for you.

Request the college brochure from each school that you are thinking about applying. If you do not find your answers there, look at their web site, call the admissions office, and speak with former students of the institution. Here is a list of questions that you should ask in order to make an informed decision about your graduate school choice.

Overall Quality of the School & Your Program of Study

First, you need to research and review the overall quality of the school and the program of study that you are interested in pursuing. The school is not an entity of itself. It is made up of the students that attend it, the teachers, faculty and administrators, the surrounding community, etc. In pursuing an overall rating of the quality of the school you should dive deeper into each of these areas.

Student Body

What types of students are currently enrolled in the program of study that you are interested in pursuing? What is the average GPA for the program? After graduation from the program, where have some of the students gone on to work and what have they been able to achieve? Answers to these questions will help you to paint a picture of what the student body is like and whether or not the quality is at the level that you wish to associate yourself with.

Faculty

When it comes to graduate schools a lot of what shapes the program’s reputation is the faculty. Depending on what your course of study is, it becomes more important to your development to be able to learn from some of the highest achieved and well-known professionals than it is to attend a famous university. The college can provide you with a list of their faculty. Read articles that they have published. This will give you an overall sense of the caliber of the faculty in your program.

Financial Resources

Find out how much funding the school has to provide students with esteemed faculty and the technology and equipment that are needed in your program of study. Are their adequate library resources, meaning does the program have the money that is required to keep the library equipped with the most current information and resources?

Curriculum

Make sure that the overall purpose of the program is in line with what you expect to get out of studying there. Find out what the faculty to student ratio is and make sure that you are comfortable with it. In a graduate program, the curriculum is more than just the actual classes that you will attend. The curriculum in a graduate course of study also has to do with internships and job placement services that will allow you to experience hands-on training while you are studying. The ultimate goal for most graduate students is to further their career and the types of services that your program offers to you with career placement is an important service.

Accreditation

It is important to attend an accredited school no matter what type of degree you are trying to obtain. Accreditation means that a school meets the guidelines to turn out educated graduates whose degrees are recognized worldwide, in most cases. Accreditation plays an especially important role in graduate school because, depending on your course of study, if your career choice requires licensure for you to work, a requirement is typically that you have earned your degree from an accredited institution.

University & Community

You will have to live, work and study on the school campus and within the community that surrounds the school. The size of the school, the location of the school and the surrounding community are also contributing factors to choosing a graduate school. The climate, extracurricular activities and employment opportunities are also things that should be taken into consideration.

Financial Considerations

There are financial resources available for attending graduate school just like there are for undergraduate school. Tally up the total cost for your graduate education for each school you are considering. Cost is a factor when making a major purchase of any kind, and an education is no exception to this rule. Just don’t let the cost alone determine your decision. Try to consider all of the facts before making a decision on which school to attend.

Graduate students can apply for financial assistance that isn’t available to other types of degrees.

Grants and Fellowship Awards

Grants and fellowships award money to graduate students. These are not loans that have to be paid back. Grants are usually given based on a financial need, while fellowships are usually earned as an achievement award.

Teaching & Research Assistantships

Graduate teaching assistants and research assistants can also work in their field of study at the university in exchange for money that can be applied to their education. These are appointed positions by the university that are usually based on academic achievement.

So when you are trying to decide which graduate school to choose, don’t let the list of options make you dizzy. Obtain and take a good hard look at the facts, so that you will make an “educated” decision that will benefit you and your career in the long run.

Kristie Lorette
http://www.articlesbase.com/college-and-university-articles/choosing-a-graduate-school-tips-tricks-87933.html

Summary Notes:

College Financial Aid Pre-High School Activities: Saving – The 12 Things You Need to Know

1. Putting aside money for college is a good idea, the earlier the better.

2. Saving beats borrowing hands down.

About 60% of all aid is in the form of loans, and increasing.

Saving: For example, if you start saving when your child is 5 years old, you will have 13 years to save before your child enrolls in college. If you can put aside $167 per month – that’s $2,000 per year – you will have saved $26,000 by the time your child begins college.

With a 6% return over the thirteen-year period, your $26,000 will have grown into $40,000. That $40,000 will be available to help you pay for your child’s college expenses like tuition and room and board.

Borrowing:If you choose not to save when your child is young, it is likely that your child will have to borrow to help pay for college. For comparative purposes, let’s assume you borrow $40,000 in increments of $10,000 per year for 4 years. Assuming a 6.8% interest rate and a 10 year repayment period, borrowing $40,000 will ultimately cost your child $55,200.

Difference: The difference between borrowing and saving is nearly $30,000 ($55,200 ─ $26,000 = $29,200). Thus, saving beats borrowing hands down.

3. The tax system gives incentives to college savers.

Both state and federal laws allow families to earn tax-free interest on college savings. The following example illustrates the advantage of earning interest tax free:

Assume when your child is born you invest a one-time, lump sum of $18,000 in a state 529 plan (see Points 4 – 6 below to learn more about 529 plans). By the time your child is ready to enroll in college at the age of 18, you will have access to $63,000 in order to help pay for your child’s college expenses.

If the same $18,000 were invested in a taxable vehicle with the same rate of return as the 529 plan, after subtracting the federal and state taxes that would be due each year, you would have access to only $43,000 to help pay for college.

The difference, which is essentially a government subsidy to promote college savings, is $20,000, all else being equal. Furthermore, some states actually allow deductions for contributions, making the 529 plan even more attractive to college savers.

4. 529 plans are the most popular and convenient way to save.

There is approximately $100 billion currently invested in state 529 plans.

5. Not all 529 plans are alike.

Each state has its own 529 plan. Investment options and fees may vary from state to state, so it pays to shop around. A couple of useful sites for comparing the different state plans are savingforcollege.com and Morningstar.com.

Most state plans have websites that include free electronic college saving calculators to help you decide how much to save in order to meet your saving goals.

6. The money saved in a 529 plan is not forfeited if the beneficiary does not go to college or gets a full scholarship.

Money saved in a 529 plan may be used to pay the college expenses of other family members, including siblings, parents, cousins and stepchildren. The money can even skip a generation and be used for a grandchild in the unlikely event that became necessary.

7. There is no right amount to save. It depends on your financial situation.

8. Do not save for college at the expense of maintaining your normal lifestyle or your retirement.

You don’t want to short change the amount you set aside for retirement. If you run out of money, there is no such thing as a retirement loan. On the other hand, it is relatively easy to get a college loan.

9. Two ways to save are:

• Save what you can afford after taking care of family expenses.

As was stated in Point 5 above, most state 529 plan websites have free electronic college saving calculators. Other websites, like finaid.org, have them as well. By using these calculators you can periodically check to see how well your savings are keeping pace with college costs.

• Set a target figure. A number to shoot for is the tuition fee at the major public university in your state. For a more ambitious goal, you might use the out-of-state tuition charge. This higher figure would also allow you to accumulate enough savings to pay for a good part of the tuition cost at a private college.

Most college saving calculators found on state websites automatically include information on the current and projected (in-state and out-of-state) tuition rates for the state’s main universities.

10. If you save in a 529 plan and later apply for aid, you may be subject to a very light “penalty” in terms of how much the amount you have saved will increase your expected family contribution.

If the child’s parents are the owners of the 529 plan, they may be asked to contribute some of that money under the rules of the need formula. (There is no such “penalty” if the plan is owned by the child’s grandparents. See Point 12 below for more on grandparents.) Let’s look at the example in order to better understand.

If you, the parent, manage to have $100,000 saved in a 529 plan by the time your child is ready to start college, the first $50,000 will not be considered at all when calculating your child’s aid award. (This is one of the ways the system rewards you for saving.) Only 5% of the second $50,000, or $2,500, will be assumed to be available to pay for college. In other words, the amount of your need will decrease by that amount.

Thus, one could argue that by diligently saving $100,000, you are ultimately worse off by $2,500. However, if you consider that you are very likely to have earned around $35,000 in tax-free interest over the saving period, you will realize that by saving you are actually about $32,500 better off.

11. There are other ways to save besides 529 plans. To look into other options, it is best to consult with a financial advisor.

Remember to choose an advisor who in very familiar with all applicable aid rules. The need formula treats savings differently depending on whether the parent or the child is the owner.

12. Grandparents too can help through 529 plans.

Based on a recent poll, two-thirds of grandparents say they are interested in helping to pay for their grandchildren’s college education. It is worthwhile to know, that money saved in grandparent-owned 529 plans is not considered when calculating the grandchild’s aid award. Furthermore, grandparent-owned 529 plan savings are not counted as part of the grandparent’s estate for estate tax purposes.

Don Betterton
http://www.articlesbase.com/education-articles/college-financial-aid-prehigh-school-activities-saving-the-12-things-you-need-to-know-81357.html

Distance learning is becoming a popular pathway to higher education for those who want to upgrade themselves. More people nowadays are choosing distance learning to further their education. However, although many people managed to enroll in the course they want, some of them failed to succeed in their study. Among this group, there are some who failed the course, while others opted out of the course without completing it.

This shows that distance learning courses are not easy. In fact, these courses may be more demanding than the on-campus courses. Hence, before you decide to embark on one of the distance learning courses, it is best that you familiarize yourself with the factors required for successful study of such a course. Here are some essential tips for you to consider.

a. You need to have a strong desire to do the course. This desire should be backed by a strong reason to do the course. It would help you to persevere in the face of difficulties which may arise in the midst of the course.

b. As much of the study is done on your own, you need to be self-disciplined and committed to do your best to complete the course.

c. You should be comfortable with independence and will not miss the company of other students in a classroom.

d. Distance learning course providers make the learning process more student-centered. Hence, the effectiveness of the program depends a lot on the effort of the students themselves. As such, you must be actively involved in the learning process. You must be willing to respond and participate in the course activities. You also need to interact with the course instructor as well as other students. This will enable you to learn from them through exchange of ideas.

e. You need to be well-organized and able to manage yourself. Although distance learning gives you more freedom, you still need to make time for learning. How much you learn depends a lot on your own effort. Good time management and prioritization is important.

f. You need to ask for assistance whenever you need it. You should not find it difficult to approach your course instructor or course coordinator for help.

g. You must have a satisfactory standard in writing skills. All distance learning programs definitely have written components. It is also important that you are able to read competently as well, as all instructions are written.

h. You need to possess adequate computer and technical skills to be able to assess your course and liaise with your instructor and other students online.

i. You should not expect the course to be easier than an on-campus course. Distance learning courses can be more demanding than on-campus courses.

Some people have the thought that distance learning is faster, cheaper and easier than the traditional classroom courses. These are not totally true. Hence, it is better to find out more about distance learning courses and your suitability for such courses before you embark on any one of them.

If you want to find out whether you are suitable to take up a distance learning online course, you can try the self profile tests which some online schools provide for this purpose. Distance learning can give you a positive and rewarding experience. You just need to be prepared for the challenges ahead.

anonymous
http://www.articlesbase.com/self-help-articles/distance-learning-essential-tips-on-how-to-succeed-in-distance-learning-53997.html