Posts tagged School

Back To School Debt

By on March 8, 2012

The staggering unemployment figures have driven the US working class into a dizzying spin. According to data from the US Bureau of Labor, overall, US unemployment now stands at 9.1%. Rather than sit around, many unemployed Americans have headed back to school.

Of course, returning to school after a sabbatical from work does make a lot of sense. Learning a new skill may open up new income opportunities. Getting out of the house, meeting and networking with others also beats becoming lazy, crazy, or bored. In addition to the many other benefits of returning to school, getting access to educational federally backed loans that have no bearing on a now depressed FICO score or bankruptcy history, is a ‘hush hush’ benefit that cannot be denied.

It certainly seems more honorable to go back to school than to sit on the sofa and create a permanent imprint of your ever-expanding rear. However, no matter how honorable, justifiable, and entertaining – going back to school also adds to the heaviest burden of unemployment – new DEBT!

When you consider that the average college tuition cost has increased by 900% since 1978 in the USA, and that the average student racks up about $25K in debt by graduation, plus the fact that within 3 years, 14% default on their student loan; student debt is on the horizon to becoming the next national financial headache.

With a bit of research and time, adult students may find there are scholarships or grants they qualify for. However, many anxious to get their hands on credit history ignored loans, may not do due diligence in this area. Ignorance of the process, overwhelmed and under staffed financial aid help, and a lack of creative thinking may limit scholarship and grant access. Who knew being taller than 6′ 2″ qualified a person for a scholarship? Would you even think to check? How about applying for a $3000 scholarship because you created a prom dress out of duct tape? Well, there is an app (scholarship application) for that too.

State colleges will always be more affordable than out-of-state options, and technical schools are usually shorter in duration and more affordable than local 4-year universities.

On campus employment, work from home opportunities as a flex-time side income, taking the maximum study load during a semester to complete the program faster, and bagging lunch are some of the other ways to reduce the cost of the back to school experience.

Using educational loan funds for anything other than education; for example: to pay for cable, weekend entertainment, and to enjoy other quality of life experiences – is debt adding behavior. Generally, debt free wealth will never be achieved if the debt adding process continues. Educational debt, no matter how arguably justified, is still a debt. Avoiding the debt through accessing educational plans, scholarships and grants, or at least minimizing the expenses it is the best way to return to school while still working to have debt free wealth.

Debt Free Wealth Building, Corp. is a non-profit money education organization on a CRUSADE to educate, empower, and encourage those who desire it, to achieve debt free wealth. Students can find guidance here to avoid or minimize the pitfalls of taking on debt to facilitate new education.

Trudy Beerman is a Crusader for Debt Free Wealth. She has many credentials in the financial services industry – but as a Paralegal, bankruptcies and estate planning surfaced to the front of financial relevance in terms of knowledge to protect family legacies.

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5 Tips for Minimizing School Loan Debt

By on March 7, 2012

Attending a college or university is often an expensive venture due to the high cost of tuition, books, dorms, food and other added fees. The problem with the high expense is that many students end up taking out large student loans to pay for all of the costs. After getting out of college, the debt lingers and is often challenging to pay off completely. Fortunately, it is possible to minimize your school loan debts.

Scholarships and Grants:

Scholarships and grants should always be one of the first steps to paying for your college expenses. Since scholarships and grants are free money that you can use for your degree, you will never need to pay it back. Scholarships and grants are available through the school, from private companies and from private organizations. They have specific requirements, such as a specific field of study or a specific GPA, but if you receive the money it will save on the amount of debt you take out.

Savings:

Open a college savings account early and put aside some money specifically for college. Starting as early as possible is ideal, but even if you start in high school you can have enough money put aside to pay for part of you college expense without touching debts. A 529 savings account is a perfect opportunity to lower your taxes and save up extra money while also investing that money. By adding an element of investing to the savings, you’ll end up with more money for college available. If you decide to use a 529 college savings account, you will need to declare it on your FAFSA application.

Work During College:

Working part-time while you attend college can help you manage expenses while you are going to school. While it might not provide enough money to pay for everything, it will help you pay for some of the expenses like books and part of tuition.

Limit Student Loans:

Take out only the amount you need after exhausting all other sources of money to pay for the college. This will minimize the amount of money you take out in loans by preventing you from taking out extra money. Keep the amount of student loans you take out to the lowest possible amount rather than the maximum.

Make Loan Payments:

While you attend college, you are allowed to make loan payments on whatever student loans you’ve taken out. By paying as much as you can before getting out of college, by the time your degree is complete you will have paid back enough of the loan to have a much smaller debt.

Conclusion:

Limiting your student loan debt is simple. You just need to avoid taking out more than you absolutely need to pay for college and use other options at the same time.

Joann Carlisle is a writer who looks forward to sharing her knowledge and advice with readers. For more on school loan debt, Reduce Debt Faster offers readers advice for how to consolidate student loan debt.

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Choosing an English Degree School

By on March 3, 2012

Attending the right English degree school helps you secure a better career prospect and supplies you with the necessary skills to do well in the field. Thus, It’s important to find a school that you will do well in. Here is a guide to choosing the right school to attend. The first thing you can do is to decide on which degree level you want – bachelor, master, or PhD. If you are hoping to attain the highest level of English degree education eventually, you could eye for schools that provide all the degree levels from bachelor to PhD. It’s easier to complete your degrees in one school than needing to transfer from one to another. In addition, It’s simpler to draw your course route as the requirements within the same school are usually fulfilled in the previous level’s program. Next, you can determine which area of the degree you want to focus on. For example, you could focus on British or American literature, or one of the genres. Determining which area of interest you have will allow you to pinpoint schools with acclaimed professors of that field, which would help you much if you attain their guidance and supervision. Other than that, you will need to consider issues that will affect your studies with the school. Examples of such issues would be the location of the school, and the cost to study. Some schools may be located far from home and may require an accommodation, which would incur additional costs like food, travel and accommodation fee. The cost of study should be within budget, but you may apply for scholarship or student loan if you are not able to cover the tuition fee. Last but not least, choose an English degree school that is accredited for quality education. You could also check out their university rankings and graduate employment rates if you are worried about your career later on. Find a school that keeps you reassured so you can keep yourself focused on the right things.

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Want to Go Back to School, Mom? Scholarships Make it Happen!

By on March 2, 2012

Good for you, you have made the decision to go back to school! You should be applauded! It’s tough being a mom, trying to raise your family and pay the bills. But you know that an education is the only way to ensure a successful future for you and your children! Way to go! You probably already know that getting scholarships will take care of the financial worries of paying for school. Perhaps you have already applied for one or two scholarships. Did you know that there are many scholarships specifically designed to help moms? You should really be seeking those out, as they are geared for your specific needs. So, what will you study? Have you decided on that yet? Here are some tips to help you figure that out!1. Think in terms of the future. I am sure there are a lot of courses that look interesting! The key is to think ahead and choose courses that will do you the most good in the future. What pays the best? What is the most interesting to you? 2. Pre-Requisites. Make sure you research your chosen program. Some do require previous skills or educations levels in order to qualify for entry. There are plenty of courses with no pre-requisites, but do your research, so you know before you actually apply!3. Interest vs. Money. Make sure when making your decisions on what to study that you consider not only how much you would like to work in that field, but also will it pay what you need or want. Scholarships make going back to school possible for so many moms! You don’t have to worry about paying those tuition costs, and you will start your new career without the huge debt left by student loans. Remember scholarships never have to be re-paid!Keep applying! There are so many scholarships out there, apply for every single one you can find! The more you apply the better your chances of having your education paid in full! If you haven’t already checked this one out, you really should! $10,000 Scholarship. This scholarship does have an expiration date, so you need to register today! It’s free and could very well be your first step to the future you desire!Moms, single moms, stay at home moms, teenage moms, working moms even expecting moms can have their education paid for! Did you know even dads can apply? If you want to go back to school, no matter what your circumstance, there are scholarships out there for you too! Start here and Change your life forever!

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$10K Military Scholarships – The Best Scholarship To Go Back To School, Even If Not Enlisted!

By on March 1, 2012

If you are considering the easiest way of getting educational funding to be able to head over to school, then let me tell you the fact that before you make a decision on finding a bunch of student loans that are going to bring you in debt, you need to think about making an application for any of the several different military scholarships readily available. After all, a scholarship or grant is actually totally free money that you will not have to repay. Pretty cool, huh? Look, in the event you or any immediate family members is in the army, the navy, the marines or the air force, then you definitely have to know that there are lots of different programs available to be able to head over to school. It does not matter whether you are currently enlisted or for anyone who is retired. A few of these programs make it possible for even civilians to apply and generally speaking, they’ll provide you with anywhere between $4,500 and up to $10,000. A number of programs are scholarships for military dependents, many others are scholarships for military spouses yet others are simply just $10,000 100 % free military scholarships to improve education and learning. To be able to enroll you have to complete a quick web based form. This is quite simple plus it takes less than 5 minutes. As soon as this step is finished you can also investigate different web based courses as well as college diplomas that you can take. A lot of people are having fantastic success enrolling in web based college diplomas and more and more universites and colleges are offering to you web based courses that have come to be very popular among those who are currently employed or with family members, because this allows them to study on their own times. Would you like to find out more?

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Scholarships For Mothers – How to Go Back to School For Free

By on February 27, 2012

If you do enough research, you will be able to find a lot of grants and scholarships for mothers who want to return to school and get a better education. Here are some tips on how to find these opportunities:Go to local schools and ask them what type of assistance they have available that you may qualify to receive. Check out local businesses or churches in your area to see if they have any programs to aid you in your return to school. Look for “government sponsored” scholarships or grants such as the TEACH or SMART grants. Find private organizations such as women’s groups. Do research on the Internet. These are just a few of the places you can look to find all the money you need to pay for your college education, but they are a good start. You may be surprised how much money you can find just in those five places. If you are worried about what you are going to pick for your major, relax. Just because you pick something to major in, you are not stuck to that for life. The most important thing is that you find something that you really like and/or are passionate about that can in turn get paid to do. Don’t just pick you major because someone else wants or thinks you would be good at that type of work. You must go with your own gut on the things you enjoy. As we all know, if we try to make ourselves do something we do not like, it becomes an unpleasant task, which is what you are trying to get away from by going back to school. You want to graduate from you schooling and know that everyday you are not going to dread going to work. Just be sure that you leave no stone unturned in your hunt for financial support for school. You do not want to have a stack of student loans to pay back once you graduate, if you don’t have to.

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Hair Stylist School – A Successful Stylist is More Than Skin Deep

By on February 26, 2012

Before you decide (which of course starts with choosing the right beauty school or academy), learn more about the perks and pitfalls of this exciting industry and whether you have what it takes to be a ‘cut-above’ cosmetologist, hair stylist, esthetician, nail technician, or barber. True or False. I’m ready to put in the time. Beauty school programs range from several weeks to a year or more depending on the options you choose. Research and identify an accredited beauty school that visibly demonstrates a cutting-edge approach to today’s styling and cosmetology applications. Ask about scholarships, student loans, grants; and even apprenticeships and job placement. I consider myself an entrepreneur. Business skills and a competitive spirit are key to earning your full potential in the beauty industry. Almost 50 percent of U. S. stylists, nail technicians, cosmetologists, and estheticians are self-employed. Grow your business by effectively managing your time, maintaining a budget, satisfying clients and earning new business. Stay ahead of the latest fashions and beauty techniques, enroll in continuing education courses, and participate in trade shows. In all, be prepared to market yourself and your business. I have good people skills and place high value on the concept of good customer service. A successful stylist greets every client with a smile, demonstrates a personal interest in the client’s appearance, listens well, and then translates those desires into something tangible. I’m in good health. Stamina-the ability to maintain physical or mental energy and strength for a long time-is critical, especially for entry-level stylists. Be prepared to spend long hours on your feet and in constant motion. I don’t mind working nights and weekends. Most full-time stylists work when others don’t. Expect bookings after 5 p. m. , and on most Saturdays and Sundays, until you’ve established a strong clientele base and can start to dictate your schedule a bit more. Good job. If you answered, “yes” to just a few of these questions, you may have what it takes to change the world, one beautiful person at a time.

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Free School Grants For Single Mothers

By on February 26, 2012

Are you looking for free school grants for single mothers? There is actually a lot of taxpayer money earmarked to help minorities and other disadvantaged groups of people. With the increasing breakdown of the institution of marriage in modern society, more and more dollars are being targeted at helping single mothers. One of the ideas that have gained favor is to get single mothers back to school. This is a surprisingly logical move. Past research has shown that many crimes are carried out by people (especially teenagers) from broken homes below the poverty line. One common point with many of these troubled youngsters is that they live with only their mothers, and their mothers are poorly educated and have low-paying jobs. The theory is that if the government can get these mothers back to school, then they can get higher-paid jobs and provide better care for their children. This would go a long way towards breaking the vicious cycle of low education, poverty and crime. Whether or not this theory is correct remains to be seen in the long-term. However, it does mean that there is money for free school grants for single mothers provided by the government and paid for by the taxpayer. Some of this money is meant to help these disadvantaged women complete their high school diplomas, some of It’s meant to help them get trained in some technical skill that will allow them to get a reasonably paid job, and some will go towards higher education like college degrees. Besides the government, there are also private foundations like the Jeannette Rankin Women’s Scholarship Fund which provides scholarship money to women over 35 years old who want to go to college. There is also the Philanthropic Educational Organization which has a number of financial aid programs to help women go back to school. Some of these are grants, some are scholarships and some are student loans. These are just two of many private charitable organizations who provide grants to women and mothers who want to go to school and then get better jobs. How do you find all these free school grants for single mothers? For the financial aid programs run by the federal government, you can look at the FAFSA website and grants. gov. For educational financial assistance operated by state governments, you will need to search your state government website. For programs sponsored by NGOs, you will need to search the internet using Google, Bing and Yahoo. Just remember that genuine programs run by charities do not ask for money from the people they are trying to help. There is never any need to pay any kind of fee, whatever it may be named.

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Go to a Trade School to Become a LPN

By on February 25, 2012

Have you ever considered a rewarding career in the medical field? If so, perhaps you should go to a certified trade school and study hard to get your LPN. What is an LPN, well that acronym is used for all sorts of stuff, but in this case, we are not talking about joining the Latino Professional’s Network, we are talking about becoming a certified Licensed Practical Nurse. Did you know the shortage of nurses is growing each day? And did you know why the need for nurses is outpacing the availability? Well, It’s all about simple demographics, in fact you may wish to buy the book; “Futurecast” by Robert Shapiro, where he discusses the crisis that is coming due to some 70 million baby boomers all retiring at the same time. Who is going to service all their health care needs? Worse, we are starting out with a huge deficit of nurses in our nation and the real crisis has not even really hit us yet, but believe you me, It’s coming and it’s coming fast! In most states the nursing shortage is nearing critical and most all hospitals have signing bonuses for registered and certified nurses, as well they should. Even in cities like Albuquerque the signing bonus in the hospitals there averages about $10 to $15,000 or more. In cities like California, Florida and New York its even higher and if you decide to work for a government agency or healthcare system, they will most likely pay off all your student loans to boot. Maybe it’s time you looked into becoming a medical professional, because you will be gainfully employed the rest of your career. Think on this.

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How To Easily Decide On The Right Fashion Designer School For You And Your Talents

By on February 25, 2012

Whether you are going into fashion design, merchandising or fashion marketing, you are going to want to go into fashion designer school. There are schools all over the United States and Europe from which to choose. Choosing the right fashion designer school is no different than choosing the right college. You want to look at the curriculum, the alumni, the price and what they can offer to teach you. Once you have chosen a few fashion designer schools that appeal to you, you can begin the application process. Again, this is just like choosing a college. It’s highly competitive and not everyone gets in. If you are particularly talented or wealthy, you may have your choice of schools to which you can attend. If you are like 99 percent of the rest of the population, however, you will probably go where you can get accepted and to a school which you can afford. It does not matter. While you want to aspire to get into the best school, the most important thing is that when you do get to fashion designer school, you learn as much as you can about your craft. Fashion design is a very competitive business with many different avenues. You can study to be a designer, a merchandiser, a marketer or even a model at these schools. If you have aspirations of becoming a famous designer, do your best to learn everything you can no matter which school you attend. You may even do better at a smaller school that can give you more individualized attention. If you have exceptional talent and have won any Junior designer awards, you may be eligible for a scholarship to certain designer schools. You should look into this before you begin your application process. If you admire a certain designer and they are an alumni from a certain school, you can write to them and ask them how they felt about the school and tell them you are thinking of applying at this school. Ask them other schools they recommend. You can actually do this with several designers. You will probably not hear from those that are big names, but those who are up and coming may be more than willing to help you out. Visit each of the schools, if possible, and observe the campus. Will you be able to work there? Fashion design demands creativity. Creativity demands a certain environment. You want to make sure that the environment will enhance your creative spirit and not stifle it. Most of all, you want to make sure that you can afford the tuition to designer school. There are many ways to do this. If someone really wants to attend school, there is nothing stopping them, not even money. Student loans are available, as are grants. Look into every avenue you can. Speak to your mentors about different financial avenues you can take. If at all possible, try to get a job in a fashion house, even if It’s just as a cleaner. Here you can learn a bit about the trade and also get to know those higher in the field. They may be willing to not only steer you to the right school, but mentor you as well. Best of all, you will probably have a job when you come out. If you aspire for a career in fashion design, do not let anything stop you. Apply to as many schools as you can and take the offer that you can get. Continue to create, continue to write to those who you admire and learn to network. School is only one stepping stone to a successful career. It may open a few doors on a resume. But the talent is what gets you through the doors and into the front offices. If you have the talent, do not let anything stand in your way.

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