According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the population of non-traditional students on college campuses was 40.9% totally 6.2 million students. A non-traditional student is one who is at least 24 years of age; normally between the ages of 24 and 69. They are married and single and many of them are parents! Some have been to college before, left and are now returning after a number of years; others went straight into the workforce. A new group of non-traditional students are popping up on college campuses all over the country. Those are the students are attending class alongisde their children!

I am one of those in the new classification. I am a junior, my youngest daughter is a freshman. I am pursuing a degree in Advertising/Public Relations,as she majors in Early Childhood Education. I want to go on and get my Master's while she wants to teach Kindergarten after graduation. I have a Pell Grant and she doesn't.

What?

Lauren lives on campus, her dad and I support her, and pay for the portion of school that her scholarships don't. Yet, I receive Pell money and she doesn't. It makes no sense to me, but this is the way that the system was set up.

The first thing you must do is fill out FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) which is required for all students seeking any kind of financial assistance for higher education. One of the steps to this process is to figure your Expected Family Contribution. It asks for your student status: Are you full or part time? Are you dependent or independent student? Then it asks for your family size and wants to know how many are in college.

At this point, it says "Parents are not included in the college figure but instead must contact the school for a professional judgement review." Seems simple enough, yet, I've not spoken to anyone who has ever come out on the positive end of a professional judgement review. We certainly didn't. Continue reading ...

Article by, Paula Carpenter and courtesy of Associated Content, Inc.

Posted by Candice Arnold on July 14, 2009 at 1:33 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

The forms, applications, and documents that are required by financial aid offices can seem endless, and the process at times impossible. And unfortunately, it is something you get to deal with every year during school. When your frustration level rises, though, try to remember that the point of it all is to provide you with an opportunity that you could not otherwise afford.

To start you off, here are some tips to make applying for and dealing with financial aid as painless as possible:

What Can I Do Early?

File taxes early! The sooner you get them done, the sooner you can complete your applications for the year.

File your applications early! Although in most cases it does not hurt to submit your applications nearer to the deadline, many schools have penalties (which can add up to hundreds of dollars) for late or incomplete applications. It's pretty common to have documents disappear or to discover a missing signature on a form, and sometimes it can take the school or processing company a while to catch these things. If you get everything in early, you will still have time to correct any mistakes they find or to re-supply information that may have gotten lost in the shuffle.

Hang on to any and all important financial documents throughout the year and put them in one safe place. This will save you countless hours of searching through piles and drawers when the time comes to file the FAFSA. W-2s and your most recent pay stubs are a must, as are any papers linked to filing taxes. If you itemize your deductions, any receipts or tax write-offs will come in handy, and so will medical bills and financial records. You will probably be required to submit copies of many of these documents as well, so keep them easily accessible in a pre-determined place such as a file cabinet for when the time comes. Continue reading ...

Article by, Unigo and courtesy of Associated Content, Inc.

Posted by Candice Arnold on July 14, 2009 at 1:27 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

One thing about a bad economy it makes a lot of people rethink their situations. A lot of people will sit down and reassess their goals and objectives. One of the options people have is returning to college. We are seeing college enrollments up at just about all colleges. If there are no jobs then people want to go back to school and get a degree so that when the economy picks up and employers start hiring again they will be in a position to get a better paying job.

If someone doesn't have a sufficient amount of income to pay for college on their own they will have to look at securing financial aid. To determine if you qualify for financial aid you will probably have to submit a lot of information about your finances and sometimes your family's finances as well. In order to submit your information you will have to fill out an application which is for Federal Student Aid form, (www.fafsa.ed.gov). It can be a lengthy process. Sometimes it can take 45 minutes to an hour. Once you have submitted all of the information the system will let you know if you qualify for federally funded aid. Another thing that will be determined at this stage is the amount of money that you will need to contribute. Continue reading ...

Article by, Melvin Richardson and courtesy of Associated Content, Inc.

Posted by Candice Arnold on July 13, 2009 at 1:22 PM | Leave a Comment (0)

A number of talented international students want to pursue graduate studies with financial aid in an American university. The graduate schools in the U.S. can offer financial assistance to only a few students because of limited funds. Educational standards are high in the United States, but education in this country is not cheap. If you are unable to get financial aid - not a loan - from private or governmental agencies in your own country for graduate studies in this country, you have to use your own funds or borrow. The cost of the loan from a bank or other sources is usually very high. So, how do you fulfill your dreams to study in the United States with financial aid? Here are some tips:

1. Scholarships

A few scholarships are available exclusively for international students to fund their graduate studies. Check with the Graduate School of your university for which you wish to apply for more info. Contact The Office of International Student and Scholar Services also in the university for scholarship details.

The amount you will receive varies from scholarship to scholarship. It could range from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars. Some scholarships may cover the entire cost of your graduate education. Scholarships are competitive. You may get a scholarship on the basis of, among others, your undergraduate performance. Find out the requirements and deadlines, and apply early. You may want to check out internationalscholarhip.com for a list of scholarship opportunities.

2. GRE Scores and Financial Aid

If you want to attend a graduate school - with financial aid - in the U.S., score as high as possible on the GRE. You have to prepare for the test at least three months before you take the examination. A higher score on the GRE means you have excellent potential to get a financial assistance. These are usually in the form of research assistance (RA) / teaching assistance (TA). With a RA/TA, you get out-of-state tuition waiver too. Keep in mind that both the Graduate School and your Department consider your academic performance also to grant financial aid. Continue reading ...

Article by, neemtree1 and courtesy of Associated Content, Inc.

Posted by Candice Arnold on July 13, 2009 at 1:15 PM | Leave a Comment (0)