Applying for Economic Scholarships based on need

Applying for economic scholarships based on need is quite common. These types of funds are only offered to those that can show some type of economic hardship. The overall dollar amount that they make or that they have access to isn’t so much the concern. It generally comes down to whether or not they will reasonably be able to attend the college they have been accepted to without the funds.

The process for deciding who will get such college scholarships is harder to determine than those that are merit based only. In order to make that process easier there will be some other requirements as well. For example a person may need a certain GPA or have a desire to pursue a degree in a certain field.

Those requirements will be weighed in along with the economic need. Most of the time letters of recommendation need to also indicate why the need for financial assistance is so great for that individual. A personal narrative about why that scholarship is so very important is usually required as well. That way the committee that decides who gets the funds will be able to get a more personal view of those that have applied for it.

A person shouldn’t be ashamed or embarrassed to apply for economic scholarships. They are in place to help ensure a person is able to go to college if they would like to. It should be viewed as an opportunity to do something good with your life instead of having to ask for money. When you view it in a positive light it can encourage you to really benefit from what is before you.

The rules that apply to need based college scholarships can vary. You should go online and explore how they fit into the laws for where you live. In many areas you must apply for free grants and other financial aid first. Then you can apply for grants that are economic based after that. The process can become quite complicated though once you have been approved.

You may be requires to provide certain types of financial information along with economic scholarships. This way they can have the proof they need that you do fit that criteria. Sometimes you will have to provide that information when you apply. Other times they will only require it of the top remaining contenders. You do want to be sure you are applying for legitimate need based scholarships though.

Many scams out there will be under the pretense of really offering funding for college. They will then request financial information that can expose personal information which is what they are after. Make sure you find out the reputation of such entities before you agree to send them any types of financial records. Chances are what you send them will affect your parents as well so make sure you get their permission.

For example you may find that the more economic scholarships for college that you earn the more that the financial aid office will remove from your grant package. This can become frustrating, especially if you still run short to get the funding you need to pay for the schooling. Make sure you discuss these issues with the financial aid office so you will know exactly what to expect.

Balancing play and study time setting boundaries

One of the joys of being a child is having time to play. Playing is important in child development for a couple of reasons. It gives time for the body to decompress from the stress of an active schedule. It also reminds a child that all of life isn't about work that there is fun to be had also and gives them something to look forward to for when their work is done. However, it's important to find a balance between the work that needs to be done and the play that we want to do. As parents we can help our children learn how to balance the two and make sure that they are getting enough of both to have a healthy development.

The first thing we can do is sit them down and talk to them about priorities. Play is fun and important but getting our work done has to come first. The decisions that we make as children have consequences that can affect us for the rest of our lives and most of the time children don't understand that unless we take the time to explain it to them. They don't understand that a good education is the foundation to making a start in life and that they will need that education later on to do things in life.

We can also make studying more fun for them. Set up a reward system for grades where studying and doing good on their grades can help them achieve rewards. There are a couple of ways to do this the first is to set up a sticker board where each hour of study time and every good grade gets them a sticker and after so many stickers they can have a reward. Another way to set this up is to use a points system. In a points system studying and tests are both worth a certain amount of points those points can be used towards special privileges or rewards. Really there's no limit to the number of things that can be set up with these systems. It's all a matter of imagination and what the parent is trying to achieve.

Another method is the punishment and reward method. In this method if the child does not complete their work or get bad grades then things are taken away from them. The things taken away can be either physical things or loss of privileges. The reward is that they are allowed to do their normal play activities. This encourages the child to get their work done on time so that they can move on to more enjoyable activities. This effective for some children but not for others.

These are just a few of the many methods used for balancing play and study time. What works for one child may not work with another child and care should be taken to make sure that the plan used is tailored to the individual so that it actually works. Sometimes it's even necessary to use different methods within the same family of children. As parents we should look at all the options before we decide what we want to use. If something doesn't work then it's time to look at another method because it's a waste of time to continue using a method that is not effective.

Common Types of Financial Aid

If you are planning to attend college or the parent of a child you hope will attend college, I'm sure you are concerned over how you are going to be able to afford the process. A college education in many cases is a significant investment. The good news is that there are many options for the average family when it comes to paying the high costs involved in higher education.

Types of Financial Assistance for Educational Expenses

Scholarships. You will find that scholarships come in many different shapes and sizes and have all kinds of strange requirements in order to qualify to receive them. Some are based on need while others are based on merit. You will also find that there are many community and faith based organizations that offer scholarships in addition to certain corporations that offer scholarships in a gesture of good will to employees and the children of their employees. These are an excellent source of educational funding, as they do not need to be repaid.

Federal Pell Grants. This is another financial aid source that doesn't require repayment. However, you must qualify based on need in order to receive this particular type of college assistance. You can only obtain a Pell grant if you are an undergraduate college student who has not yet earned a college degree. There is a formula that is used to determine the amount of award for which you are eligible. This depends greatly on your means as a family and how much you can realistically expect to contribute towards the cost of your education.

Loans. This should be used as a last resort when it comes to paying your college expenses, as this is money that must be repaid with interest. There are several types of loans that are available and you should consider carefully and weigh your options before taking out a loan. However, if this is the only method you have for covering the cost of your tuition it will be money well spent once you've managed to repay the debt.
1) Student loans. There are three different types of student loans: subsidized, unsubsidized, and Perkins loans.  You must qualify in order to receive an unsubsidized loan, which will put off your interest accumulation until after graduation or you cease to be enrolled the minimum number of hours. You do not however, need to qualify in order to receive an unsubsidized student loan, which will begin accruing interest immediately. If you happen to be in exceptional financial need you can apply through your university for a Perkins loans. These are low interest loans that must be repaid to the university.
2) Parent Loans. These are commonly referred to as PLUS loans (parent loan for undergraduate students). These loans allow parents to borrow the money required to cover the costs of education that are not covered by other means of financial assistance. Repayment on these loans begins 60 days after the funds are transferred and can take up to 10 years.
3) Private loans. These loans are not guaranteed and are solely credit-based loans. They do not however, have the same limited scope that government loans have and in many cases can help bridge the gaps in actual educational expenses and the amount of money that you are allowed to borrow through traditional financial aid opportunities.

Before signing up for any particular sort of financial aid it is a good idea to see a financial aid counselor at the university you are planning to attend. They will have the best information about what steps you need to take in order to apply for financial aid at that specific universities and unique scholarship or grant opportunities that might be available to you through your state or the college. Higher education is a dream that is definitely worth having. Do not allow financial limitations to keep you from your goal if possible but enter into all financial arrangements with great caution and thought.

Common Attendance Methods for Returning Students

Are you one of many Americans that dreams of returning to college but fears that option ended for your many years ago? If this is you, then you are in luck. There is no time like the present to go back and pursue your educational dreams. In fact, there has been no better time throughout history than today for those who wish to return to school but cannot give up their careers in order to do so.

Educational opportunities abound today in America and only show evidence of increasing and improving with time and technological advances. There are many options available for the returning students of today that would have been summarily designed to those hoping to further their educational goals in the past. If you are hoping to go back to school consider the options below very carefully before deciding which will be best for you.

The All or Nothing Approach

This endeavor is a giant leap of faith. It involves quitting your job, packing up your life and going back to college with every hope for a better future hinging on your performance. This is a high-risk endeavor for many professionals who have families and careers to consider. However, the rewards will be much quicker with this approach than most of the other available options. You should consider carefully whether this is an appropriate plan of action for your specific needs or if the risk would be too high for your family to endure.

Night School

Most community colleges and universities offer a wide assortment of night classes to those students who have daytime careers but are hoping to further their educations. You will find that despite common preconceived notions there is a wide mixture of students in night classes. There are first time college students who simply prefer night classes to early morning classes, retirees hoping to learn something new, and professionals hoping to grab a few more credit hours towards their degree. You never know whom you will find in your night classes but chances are you will find that there is a special sense of community among night school students that you won't find in traditional day classes.

Techno Wizards for Internet Courses

Believe it or not you do not need to have spectacular technical skills in order to take the average online or Internet course. The truth of the matter is that the most technical skill most of these classes require is the ability to visit websites, open email, and download an occasional file. Internet classes offer extreme flexibility for those with busy family and work schedules. This is the option of choice for many returning schools. The good news is that more and more universities and community colleges are offering these sorts of classes in many different fields and majors. The more demand grows for these classes the more classes will be offered.

The fact is that as consumers we have the right to ask for what we want or need. College students are consumers who are paying a hefty price for the product they hope to receive-a solid educational experience. Do not be afraid to request that the university you are attending offer more options for working students if you find that you are in need of a class that isn't offered in a flexible manner. Chances are if you need the course, there are others like you who will as well. If there is enough demand, most universities will oblige the demands of their students.

The Pros and Cons of Home Schooling

Nowadays, home schooling has become quite popular in the United States. With more and more families now trying to home school their children rather than send them to public schools, you will definitely think about home schooling your children too. However, you need to consider the fact that although home schooling has its advantages, there are also some several drawbacks that you need to remember.

Home schooling is basically not for everyone.

Although home schooling is legal in the country, you have to consider that it is still being debated whether home schooling can be beneficial for children. There are still a lot of controversies that opposes home schooling. So, here are some advantages and disadvantages of home schooling in order for you to decide whether it is for the best for your kids or if enrolling them to public schools will work a lot better.

The first benefit is that you, as a parent, will be able to keep your eyes on your child at all times. When you get them to public schools, you won’t really know what’s happening to your child there. You will often worry if they are really learning, if they are being bullied by other kids, or if they are behaving themselves.

Home schooling can also work for the benefit of children who are mentally or physically challenged. If you have a child who is mentally or physically challenged, which makes it impossible for them to attend normal public schools and that you don’t want
to enroll them to specially designed schools then you will see that home schooling will benefit both the parents and the children.

Another great benefit is that because you know how your child learns, you will be able to set the pace for learning that will be favorable for your children. This means that there will be little pressure on how fast they should learn.

Because you will be the one to teach your child, you will be able to spend more time with them and make the bond between you and your child much stronger. This is another advantage of home schooling. Although home schooling has these advantages, you have to consider the fact that there are also disadvantages to home schooling. Here are some of the disadvantages on home schooling that can help you decide whether home schooling is right for your child or not.

First of all, because the parents themselves will be the one to take over the teacher’s role, they may become too strict or too lenient on their kids.

Another disadvantage is that the child will be unable to socialize with other kids. Today, this is a very serious issue as children will grow up being shy with other people. Socialization is important. Unless you can let your kids play with other kids their age, home schooling can work for them.

Lastly, the academic knowledge of parents can also come in to question as well as their teaching skills.  As you can see, it is no wonder why home schooling is still being widely debated if it should be accepted or not.

All in all, you have to remember that before you decide to home school your children, always determine if you can compensate for the disadvantages of home schooling. If you can’t, then you may want to give up on the idea. However, home schooling is still a great way for children to learn.

The Costs of Home Schooling

Parents have various reasons for choosing home schooling over traditional school teaching and one very evident reason is cost. But is it necessarily true that home schooling does not involve a lot of cost?

Well, if you think that you can cut down the education expenses of your kids, you’re very wrong. Home schooling is a tough decision for parents because the costs are much higher especially if they choose modern programs. These modern programs offered through home schooling can compete with regular schools and so the costs are almost the same.

Firstly, you will need a computer and a high-speed internet connection. Aside from that, once you’ve chosen the particular education program, you still have to purchase course materials like textbooks. Extra costs also surface as the child grow older because the subjects are more advanced and difficult. Some parents can no longer handle the lessons all by themselves and so they hire private tutors. The tutors are additional expenses on your part if you really want your child to learn from the best.

So how can you minimize the costs? Costs can only be minimized if you have several kids who are into home schooling. Some of the resource materials used by the older ones can be used by the younger kids.

There are still other things to consider when choosing home schooling. In today’s times, most parents are working because money is hard to find. If your kids are all in home schooling programs, one of the parents should be present at home to supervise the kids. This would mean that one of them should stop working. The advantage is that they can monitor and guide their children’s education but there is also a disadvantage – the income of the family will decrease.

If you want to cut down your education expenses, you can take advantage of public libraries, activity classes in the community and even cultural events. If you want, you can also barter services or expertise. For instance, you can teach your neighbor’s kids dancing lessons while the parent teaches your child drawing lessons.

All in all, home schooling is definitely expensive as compared to traditional schools. However, most parents who go for home schooling claim that the advantages outweigh drawbacks and so they don’t hesitate to spend no matter what amount. Home schooling is a mutually enriching activity. As parents, you can control the subjects learned by your kids at the pace they can easily cope with. Your child will have freedom in doing what they want without sacrificing education.  You can start conducting a search now about the available home schooling programs on the internet. By doing so, you can at least determine some of the possible expenses that might come up. You can even participate in home schooling forums so that other parents can give you some advice on cost-effective measures that you can undertake. If one of the parents is always at home, home schooling is a good choice because there would be someone to supervise the kids but if both are working, the parents should decide who will resign from work. If in case resignation is the only option for the other parent, they can also take advantage of work-from-home opportunities so that they can still earn while supervising the children’s education. You just have to know your options and make the most from it.