Even if you saved all of the babysitting money you earned from the time you were 12, all of the tips you accrued delivering pizzas in high school, and every single check from every birthday card you have ever received, chances are, you’d still come up short when trying to pay your college tuition. Unfortunately, college is expensive even though it’s a critical step in advancing personally and professionally. Fortunately, there are ways for students to mitigate expenses related to higher education through college financial aid. The FAFSA, or Free Application For Student Financial Aid is the universal starting point in the Unites States when it comes to determining federal student aid eligibility. You can complete the application online by creating a PIN for electronic signing and document retrieval. The following information and documents are needed to fill out a FASFA:

1. Social Security Number
2. Driver’s license
3. Previous year’s records of money earned
4. Income Tax Returns from the previous year
5. Parents’ federal income tax return (For dependent students)
6. Untaxed income records (Ex.) Social Security, welfare, veterans benefit records)
7. Current bank statements
8. Investment records
9. Your alien registration or permanent resident card (if not born in the U.S.)

Once you file your FAFSA form, you will have a better understanding of what types of financial aid you qualify for at the federal level. There are various forms of financial aid available, aside from money you qualify for by completing your FAFSA form. The most popular being scholarships, grants, student loans and work-study programs.

Scholarships

Scholarships are a form of financial aid awarded to help ease the financial burden of college, though it often takes good old-fashioned hard work to land a substantial amount of money. Scholarships often require time and attention to detail in order to research the ones you qualify for, carefully fill out applications or write required essays and keep track of deadlines. The most common are merit-based, need-based or athletic, but you can also earn them by being affiliated with certain groups or if you have a special talent or skill-set. Many types of organizations provide financial aid to qualifying students, so you should acquaint yourself with the ones available through your high school, college, company, parent’s or relative’s work, and your local community to see what you might qualify for. You can also find these and more through college scholarship Web sites such as Fastweb.com. Additional information is also available at the U.S. Department of Education.

Grants

Grants are sometimes referred to as gift aid because unlike other forms of college financial aid, they don’t have to be repaid. Traditionally for undergraduate students, the gift amount is based on need as determined by information provided on the FAFSA, as well as the cost of attendance at the university the student is enrolled at. There are currently four federal gift aids available that undergraduate students can apply for:

1. Federal Pell: Pells are awarded by the Department of Education to low-income students and do not have to be repaid. These awards are typically given to first-year undergraduate students.
2. FSEOG- Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity: The FSEOG Program provides need-based aide to low-income undergraduate students to promote access to post-secondary education. There are approximately 4,000 participating postsecondary institutions who award this type federal financial aid.
3. TEACH- Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education: Through the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007, Congress created the (TEACH) Grant Program that provides aide of up to $4,000 per year to students who intend to teach in a public or private elementary or secondary school that serves students from low-income families.
4. Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant: A student whose parent or guardian was a member of the U.S. Armed Forces and died as a result of service performed in Iraq or Afghanistan after September 11, 2001 may be eligible to receive the Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant.

Loans

Loans are borrowed money and repayment with interest is required. Students apply for them in order to finance their education that they cannot cover upfront with money they’ve saved or through other non-repayable forms of financial aid. Students and parents are eligible to take out a loan to finance a student’s higher education. There are two broad types: 1) Federal as offered through the government and 2) Private are offered through the bank. There are 5 federal student aid types currently available, but the most common ones are:

1. Federal Perkins Loan: Students with exceptional financial need are awarded the Perkins. A school’s Financial Aid office determines the amount awarded to the qualified student. Then the school acts as the lender and distributes the government funds. The annual maximum allowed for an undergraduate and graduate student is $4,000 and $6,000, respectively. An undergraduate student is allowed to borrow up to $20,000 under the Perkins. If the student continues on to graduate school than the limit raises to the $40,000 maximum.
2. Federal Stafford Loan: Staffords can be subsidized or unsubsidized. The subsidized type means the government pays the interest while the student is enrolled in school. If it is unsubsidized than the student can pay interest while in school or may elect to defer the payment until after graduation. Regardless of need, all students are eligible for the unsubsidized Stafford Loan.

Keep in mind though, you or your parents can also apply for the PLUS for Parents, PLUS for Graduate and Professional Degree Students or the Consolidation Option, depending on your circumstance.

Private loans are offered by banks and credit unions across the US. When looking for this type of financial aid, it’s important to truly understand the terms of the loan, such as when your repayment period begins and what the interest rate will be. Especially in today’s economy, you need to pay special attention to how long the deferment period is in the event you don’t find a job right after college or if you lose your job suddenly.

Work Study

Many schools offer work-study programs as well, where you can earn money while attending school to help pay for your education expenses. You can find information about your school’s work study program usually on the College Financial Aid page of your school’s website, or you can visit the Financial Aid Office. Currently, there are about 3,400 institutions that participated in federal work-study programs.

Fortunately, those freshmen who’s parents didn’t leave them trust funds can still achieve their dream of higher education through various forms of financial aid for college students. It’s important to find the option or options that best suits your financial needs, and by exploring the options listed above, you’re off to a good start in financing your education expenses. If you have any tips for other students to secure the maximum amount of college financial aid, please leave a comment!

Thursday, October 21st has been coined as the Affordable Textbooks Day Of Action. Students from over 40 campuses will speak out against expensive textbooks by hosting presentations, sending emails and talking with professors directly. This is part of the Student PIRGs, Make Textbooks Affordable campaign. The campaign has been in effect since 2003, and focuses on the following areas:

Passing Laws: As of July 1st, 2010 schools need to provide a list to students of the books required for their courses before classes begin. This allows students to have more time to explore other channels such as buying or renting textbooks online. Additionally, publishers will need to offer bundled items separately, allowing students to have more control over which items they choose to purchase for class.

Promoting Open Textbooks: Increasing the popularity of open textbooks is another primary initiative of the campaign. Instead of costing $150-$200 per textbook, open source textbooks allow students to download and read content for free.

Exposing the Problem: Getting the media to address the cost of expensive textbooks to raise awareness among the general American public is also critical. In fact, the campaign was mentioned in today’s New York Times article.

Promoting Used Books: Encouraging students to shop online for used textbooks, or by swapping with friends and classmates is great way for students to save money and to combat publishers who undermine the used book industry by releasing similar, but new editions of textbooks every couple years.

Establishing Rental Programs: Encouraging cost-saving textbook rental programs to become more prevalent on college campuses and online. On average, students who rent textbooks spend between $130-$240 per year opposed to $900 spent by students who buy; a  savings of about $700.

The importance of getting a good, solid college education is more important now than ever. In a shifting and unstable work environment, the importance of education, achievement, earning capability, experience and knowledge gleaned from higher education offers students new abilities. The capabilities to make more money, obtain better jobs, find an established position in an irresolute marketplace and discover the satisfaction that accompanies the security a college degree can offer are all components of the benefits of education. So, just how important is education?

As the economy continues to struggle, many students wonder if an official degree from a higher education institution is really all it is cut up to be. Worries about rising tuition costs, the debt that could accompany student loans, and time availability are all chief concerns among prospective college students. Yet, there is a resonating yes that accompanies any question to the benefits and value of college education. A college education can carry students further into the professional world, offering limitless possibilities in augmented earnings and the pick of successful, empowering occupations. Currently, 60% of high school students are joining the ranks of those who are college bound. The biggest incentive: the expectation of future financial and occupational accomplishment. More individuals seek to further their careers and improve their overall quality of life through extending their current levels of education.

Obviously, one of the biggest triggers that demonstrate the true importance of education is within the prospective earning ability. Just how much more money does college graduates bring in than high school graduates only? The amount is significant. The average earnings for high school graduates lie around $25,000 per year. The average earnings for college graduates are around $47,000 and the standard earnings of a professional degree, including a Masters and/or Doctorate is between $85,000 – 120,000 per year. The value of education can unquestionably be seen as a means of improving financial stability.

Education has truly changed over the last decade. Individuals and families who may have struggled finding time and money for a college education are finding unique and innovative ways to attend class. As the advancement of technology has exploded onto the scene, colleges and universities are taking their show online, offering individuals in rural areas, single parent families, full-time working parents and time strapped prospective students the opportunity to reach their educational goals in a whole new atmosphere without time constraints and traditional classroom settings. While online courses are not ideal for everyone, the traditional classroom and college setting still offers competitive opportunities, in addition to the more conventional collegiate experience.

Money is no longer a major issue for forthcoming students. The Federal Government has implemented all kinds of innovative and helpful tools for students to pay for school. The Federal Pell Grant, state and privately funded scholarships, and student loans are all available to students who need additional aid when attempting to fund their educational dreams. The World Wide Web offers a multitude of information for future students; from online used books, to finding roommates, to special scholarships available to specific individuals who qualify. Many people underestimate the importance of education. Aside from the ability to make more money and get better jobs, the sense of accomplishment that can accompany schooling further promotes the true value of education.

Unlike many other investments, a college education will never ever depreciate in value. The time, effort and consideration put into an education will only add worth and significance. Even with the downward spiral of the American economy and the beating the job industry seems to be taking; those individuals who have college degrees still have jobs. During the recent economic dilemma, the unemployment rate for those who only had a high school diploma jumped from 5.7% to 10%. The unemployment rate for people holding a bachelors degree only moved from 2.6% to 4%. These statistics clearly show a connection between a college degree and retaining employment, even in instances of economic hardship and an unproductive market. Additionally, the importance of a college degree is seen through the overall earnings of college graduates when applied to the ability to live comfortably off of savings during tough economic trials. The long term benefits of education far outweigh any short term sacrifices.

How important is education? This can further be answered by looking at the overall economic improvements that can be made by further introducing new and innovative minds into the work force. These new minds can help control costs, manufacture new job positions, open new businesses, and aid in developing additional American professions. The importance of education can be seen in almost every facet of American development and success. Prospective students must learn to see higher education as a true investment in their future and in their impending family’s future. The sky is truly the limit with a good college education; the opportunities are there, they need only be embraced.

The last time I remember formally celebrating Flag Day was in 1997 with my fifth grade class. Since then, it has been a day that has snuck by year after year; barely standing out from just an average Monday. This year, since I sit in front of a computer for 9 hours a day anyways, I decided to look into what Flag Day is all about, aside from a flag ceremony or red, white and blue cupcakes.  Since I am assuming most of you have had a  similar experience with Flag Day throughout your post elementary school days, I figured I would share some of my new found facts with you.

• Flag Day commemorates the adaptation of the Flag by the United States in 1777 by the Second Continental Congress (but you already knew that, right?)
• In 1916, Woodrow Wilson issued June 14th as Flag Day
• In 1949, National Flag Day was established as an Act of Congress
• Flag Day is not an official federal holiday, but on June 14th, 1937 Pennsylvania became the first and only state to declare the day a state holiday

Are your colleges and universities doing anything to commemorate Flag Day today?

On April 20th, an offshore drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico exploded killing eleven people and began to threaten marine life and many southern states due to the massive oil spill. Ever since, the story has dominated the headlines; most recently, the handling of the crisis by BP executives and the US government. Despite the administrative handling of the crisis, the issue at hand is the ecological disaster affecting areas surrounding the oil spill.

One group of students at Tulane University have created an oil spill crisis map using open source software.  The students partnered with the Louisiana Bucket Brigade (LABB) and Radical Designs to create the map, which uses information from texts, tweets, e-mails and online submissions that people send in to the website in order to plot the effects of the oil spill. The eyewitness reports include a description and location information, such as address, city and state and zip-codes. Photos and video also can be uploaded.

Real time testimony directly from the public is one way to see just how many areas are being affected by the oil spill. We think it’s pretty neat to be able to use new media such as Twitter to track something so important as a region’s livelihood.   What are your thoughts on the Oil Spill Crisis Map?