If a Student Is On a Pell Grant At College and Cheats On A Test, It Ought to Be a Felony

In the summer of 2012 it was revealed that a major Ivy League school, one well known to all, caught some 125 kids cheating on a final exam. Well, this ought to highly upset the taxpayers, as many of those kids are on Pell Grants, or had taken out student loans which are partially guaranteed by the citizens. Further the kids going to Harvard, where this occurred in the class titled; "Introduction to Congress" no less, will perhaps grow up to be important leaders of our civilization and society. So, that's a very scary thought.

One thing which bothers me immensely is that more people are not upset with this, why I ask? Well, perhaps because they all cheated in college too, so, it's customary in their minds I suppose. Maybe it is, but if a kid is on a Federal Scholarship and is caught cheating then that in essence is defrauding the taxpayer, stealing money from you and I as we own the government's debt. So, shouldn't that be a felony? And even if it is a low-level felony, at least it will be fully documented that they are cheaters.

Some say it isn't fair to brand people for life, that we are a society of forgiveness. Yes, maybe so, but any student caught cheating while on a Pell Grant should at minimum owe that money back immediately and be thrown out of school, and their place given to a more deserving soul, who might really need some help and deserves the slot. See that point?

If a student is on a guaranteed student loan, it should be required they pay in full immediately after caught cheating. If they cannot pay, they should be thrown out of school and denied any more loans, or government services for life until paid. If their parents co-signed that loan, we should confiscate their property. Harsh yes, but you know what; we need justice. It is not right that kids are cheating and using our money to do it. Some say it's not the parent's fault. Bull, I say, sure it is, they raised the kids to become cheaters, why should we have to pay?

Worse, if these kids going to Ivy League schools making all the right friends in high places, they will be running corporations, and involved in high level government then why should we have to pay twice when they cheat in the future, when we could have stopped things back then? Please consider all this and think on it.

Selecting the Right Student Loan Repayment Programs

Paying back your college loans can be a daunting task, and except you suddenly come into a large sum of money, student loan repayment programs are the way to go. However, not every program is right for you, and you have to carefully consider the following factors in selecting the right student loan repayment programs for you.

· Your income: This is obviously the most important factor to consider because this is where your loan repayment will come from. The size of your income and the number of sources have to be taken into account. If you have a modest income, a long term repayment plan is better for you. However, long-term plans tend to have greater interest rates. You need to choose the right plan which will serve your interest.

· Your expenses: Closely tied to your income are your expenses. If, for example, you have a family to take care of, your living expenses are likely to be more than those of another person without any dependants. Your family size is also a factor to consider. The volume of your expenses determines how much you actually have to pay back your loan. You also have to decide which of your expenses can be put on hold and which ones cannot.

· Interest rate: The interest on your loan is an important factor. While a low-interest program would be the obvious choice, it has its own drawbacks, such as a shorter tenor and may place a greater burden on you. As mentioned above, long-term plans tend to have higher interest rates, barring other circumstances.

· Flexibility: Your income, living expenses and family size are likely not going to remain the same, so you need a plan that will adjust the amount you pay with time. You also need to find out if there are provisions for forbearance or deferment, just in case you need to take these options.

· Duration of repayment plan: No one likes to have a debt hanging on his neck for an interminable period of time, but choosing a short-term plan simply because you want to get it "over and done with" without a careful consideration of all factors involved could land you in trouble.

· Availability of debt forgiveness or cancellation: Some repayment plans have certain conditions under which your student loan debt may be forgiven or cancelled, but you might have to pay taxes on the amount forgiven or cancelled.

How To Avail Of The Student Disability Allowance

The Student Disability Allowance is the financial assistance that is available for individuals who have disabilities and wish to get higher education. Majority of the disabled individuals do not get to finish school because of their special needs. In order for them to attend school, they need special equipment or assistance and these things cost money. If they avail of the Student Disability Allowance then they will be able to pay for the equipment that is necessary for their special needs.

The Student Disability Allowance is available to everyone with any form of disability. Disabilities come in many forms aside from the physical. There are mental as well as learning disabilities which are both qualified to apply for the disability student allowance. There is no limit on the number of individuals who can apply for the student financial assistance so anybody with a disability is welcome to submit their application.

The Disability Student Allowance can be used to pay for all the expenses that your education requires, after your application is approved and the money is released. Aside from the tuition, the money can be used to pay for your other needs as a student with disabilities. If you have a hearing disability then you can use the money from the student assistance to hire someone to take notes for you while you are in class. If you have vision problems then you can use the money from the Student Disability Allowance to pay for special computer programs and reading aids to help you in your studies. These equipments will make it easier for you to cope with the learning environment of any university. Students with disabilities have special needs to help them finish their education and these equipments can be very costly. If you avail of the financial assistance from the Student Disability Allowance then you can afford to buy whatever equipments you need to make it easier for you to finish your education.

This financial assistance is only available for individuals with disabilities who wish to finish their studies. You can either use the money to study full time or just part time. If you wish to pursue higher education then you can use the money from the student allowance to finish your post graduate studies. It is easy to find a school that you can attend because most schools have education programs for individuals with disabilities. It is still best to inquire from several universities to determine which one will be most capable of meeting your needs as a student with disabilities.

How You Can Benefit From The Student Disability Allowance

The Student Disability Allowance is a program that aims to help students with disabilities attain higher education. If you are a student with disabilities, the program can provide you with financial assistance as well as the necessary equipment to complete your education.

This program benefits students with various forms of disabilities. The most common disabilities are the physical ones but there are also other types such as the mental and the learning disabilities. All these types of disabilities make it difficult for a person to learn in a regular school environment. If you have any form of disability then you need special equipment as well as the financial assistance to be able to complete your education. These will be provided for you after you have competed and passed the assessment process.

If you have a learning disability such as dyslexia then you can benefit from the student disability allowance. You will be given financial assistance to provide all of your needs for your education. The funds from the program can help cover for the expenses of hiring a tutor, translator or any form of equipment that you may need for your education. If you qualify for the financial assistance then you may also use it in any way that you think is necessary for you to be able to study in a manner that is comfortable and convenient for you as a disabled person.

With the help of the student allowance, you will have the privilege to attend school just like the other students with no learning or physical disabilities. You have the option to use the funds to study part-time or full-time. You can even use the student allowance to pursue your post graduate studies and further your education. If you have a need to spend on travel expenses then the student allowance can also be used to cover the cost for that. Another way to use the funds is for the purchase of equipments to aid your studies such as computers, software programs for those with disabilities or recorders.

If your disability gives you the need to have someone to interpret sign language or take notes for you then you can use the student allowance from the program to hire someone for these types of services to help you in your studies. The money can also be spent on other student needs such as books, supplementary reading materials, internet connection as well as the school supplies that you need for your studies. In order to have access to these funds, you need to provide proof of your disability.

What It Takes To Be A Financial Advisor

When you gain the interest to become a financial advisor, it is advisable to do a lot of research and readings. Taking that initial step is not a picnic in a park since having a bachelors' degree is not enough to make it in this financial advice industry. If you want to be the best, you need to be dedicated and have to devote a lot of time to studying. Other countries consider it as a big achievement if you have a job in the field of finance. It is even possible to earn as much as 120,000 dollars. If you have plans of being part of one of the most rewarding professions nowadays, take into consideration some of the things you need to learn and follow.

If you have desires of entering the world of financial advising, it will help you to have a bachelors' degree either in finance, economics, accounting, management, and the like. This is the basic requirement if you have plans on pursuing this type of profession. However, if you want to be a seasoned expert, it will be most advantageous to also have a masters' degree. If you decide to specialise in specific areas in the field of finance, you can study a particular licensing program and take the appropriate licensure exam. Should you decide to undertake insurance planning and insurance selling, you can also take additional state licenses.

There are voluntary certification programs such as the Certified Financial Planner designation for those who are interested in acquiring knowledge and training in the field. It will benefit you to look for one since there are companies that provide these licensure training alternatives. It will be to your advantage to end up with such a company since you will be able to obtain a certification or license and immediate training all at once. It is advisable to enter a banking institution as these can also assist you in jumpstarting your career in the field of finance. Other than earning a high salary and obtaining a lot of benefits by working as an advisor or working in a bank institution, you will also be trained on how to deal with clients correctly.

This is important in the field of finance since you will face various personality types. You will also be trained on wealth management. You can either use this to your advantage, or assist your clients in managing their finances. If you really want to pursue a financial career, just have the right mix of devotion, knowledge and skills.

Paying For Medical School With Military Scholarships

The military has a modern tradition of paying for many different types of postsecondary and graduate-level education programs for individuals who are willing to serve in the armed forces after graduation. Medical professionals are needed in the different branches of the service as much as they are needed throughout the country. The Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP) provides military scholarships to individuals who are interested in joining the Army, Navy or Air Force after graduating from school. The program has many benefits and also has many eligibility requirements.

HPSP Program Overview

The HPSP is a program that is offered by the Navy, Army and Air Force. It offers to pay for 100 percent of the cost of tuition for students who are pursuing a professional degree as a doctor, a specialist, a nurse or a variety of other medical occupations including psychiatrist. The program will also cover the cost of books and other related expenses. In addition, each qualified individual is given a monthly stipend that totals just under $2,000 for ten months out of the year to cover other expenses such as food, clothing and housing. The program will cover any number of years of study as long as each year is attended as a full-time student and is focused on medicine.

Requirements For The Scholarship

Individuals who apply for HPSP military scholarships must meet a number of requirements. The applicant must already have a bachelor degree that can be used towards a graduate-level medical school education. This person must also be enrolled in a graduate program. It is important that the applicant be a full-time student since part-time students are not covered. Both the post-secondary and graduate schools must be nationally accredited. Additionally, the student needs to have the physical and personal qualifications that are necessary in order to join the branch of the military that is sponsoring the scholarship. People who are going to enter the Army must also qualify to be an officer candidate.

During School And After Graduation

Each student must serve one year of active military duty for each year of education that is paid for. The minimum amount is three years even if the graduate program only lasted for two. While attending the college or university the student is bound to serve 45 days of active duty each year. Individuals who complete schooling will enter the armed forces as a commissioned officer. There is no requirement to continue serving in the armed forces once the number of committed years has been completed.

Extended Unemployment Benefits

Unemployment is a headache that has plagued many nations for years. Today the rates have shot up nonetheless. Some countries though, especially the developed nations, have a provision that seeks to provide the unemployed with funds for their daily expenditure. Through the US Federal State Employment Program, the United States government offers the unemployed this reprieve. Individuals who have lost their jobs are given regular unemployment benefits that run for a period of up to twenty-six weeks. If this period elapses without one having secured a new job and depending on the unemployment levels in his/her state, then an extension of these benefits is considered. This is what is called the extended unemployment benefits.

It follows that with extended unemployment benefits one must have lost their job without a responsibility of their own, save for a few instances such as an appalling work environment and cases of sexual molestation. Just a few examples... This is common in all states but other eligibility criteria may differ from one to the next.

When the unemployment rate exceeds six percent, then the unemployment level is said to be high. When one exhausts their unemployment benefits without having secured an employment opportunity within the twenty-six week window, the state normally will have notified you regarding extension of benefits which depends on the unemployment rate in your state. Regardless of this, you should seek clarification from your unemployment office a few weeks before you exhaust your regular benefits just to be sure and plan ahead. Extended unemployment benefits are of two sorts which are Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) and Extended Benefits (EB).

Emergency Unemployment Compensation-is usually offered in states that have an unemployment rate of above six percent. Extended unemployment benefits in states that have unemployment rates of below six percent is limited to twenty weeks. With EUC, however, benefits stretching up to an additional thirty-three weeks are offered since unemployment rate is said to be high. This legislation came about as a result of the economic recession of 2007 that saw many people lose their jobs and was to go until December 2009 but was extended to 2013, January 2.

Extended Benefits-this form of extended unemployment benefits is an extension of EUC. It is normally considered in states that may have unemployment rates of above 6.5 percent and an extra thirteen weeks of benefits are given on top of the EUC. If the unemployment rate exceeds 8 percent, an extra twenty weeks of benefits, on top of the EUC, will be given.

The weekly updates to the unemployment office are still required of you even when receiving extended unemployment benefits, so keep looking for that job relentlessly and getting proof of this to continue receiving the benefits.

College Grants

Paying for college can be a real challenge and it can be even more complicated if you have to take out a large number of student loans that you will need to repay when you are done with college. This is one of the reasons why so many people have a hard time starting their lives and why they are not able to get out of debt. But, it would be really nice for people to have access to funds that will help them with college that they are not going to be required to pay back. That is why you will want to learn more about grants, what they are and how you may be able to get them.

College grants will be a form of free money that students will have access to if they meet a set of certain criteria or guidelines. Free means that they will not have to repay any of this money when they are no longer in college. While this is nice you should know that searching for grants can be very complicated and time consuming. This is because you will find that some grants are going to be available in one state or one area but they will not be available in another state or another area. That means that you are going to need to be responsible and flexible when you are carrying out your search.

You might be wondering about some of the most common ways that you might be able to qualify for these types of grants. Most of the time you will be eligible if you have served in the armed forces in the United States or you are part of a minority group. This could be religious or even ethnic. If you have a special talent related to sports then you may be able to get a grant as well. There are even some individuals that will tell you that they got their grant because they were going into a certain area of study or career choice.

Some grants may be sponsored by a certain industry while others may be sponsored by the state. Those students that are thinking about applying for a state grant will need to complete the federal student aid form. This is also known as the FAFSA and it must be completed in order to determine if you are eligible for any grants at the state level or not. You will be required to have a social security number and you must be a U.S. citizen if these are the types of assistance that you are looking for.

If you have been given a grant from the state then you must be willing to promise that the money will only be used for educational purposes. If you spend the money for anything else then you may end up being required to pay it back. This can cause a lot of problems for you so you will be better off spending it the way that it was intended.

The educational facility that you will be studying at will need to be on an approved list. Many times they will need to be accredited if you are interested in getting any grants or even student loans for that matter. You will also be required to keep your grades at a certain level if you want to be able to keep your grants. This is not going to be free money that you will be able to waste.

While you might think that loans are the sure bet to get you through college you will not feel that way when you are done with college and you are ready to make a life for yourself. When you see just how much money you will need to pay back with interest it can really make you sick. Yes, grants are going to be a little more time consuming and it can often be more difficult to find them but it can be worth it when you are finished with your college education. You are going to be able to make a good living at a great job and use that money for a home, car or to start a family.

Eligibility for College Grants

When you decide that you would like to apply for a college grant you might be wondering what you need to be able to qualify. Much of the time you must be eligible for federal financial aid. This will be determined by filling out your FAFSA and you are not going to be able to get into a college unless you complete this form in the first place. There are some other eligibility factors that might make it easy for you to get a grant as well.

First off, if you have a parent that was killed in Afghanistan or Iraq then you might be able to get one of these grants. If you are a non-US citizen then you should be excited to know that you may still be able to get one of these grants. That can be done by ensuring that you have a green card because you will be able to apply as an eligible non-citizen so you might still be able to get a grant that you need.

There are some individuals that are going to try to get a grant for college and they are concerned that they will not be able to do this because they have been convicted of a crime. While this may not make it impossible for them to get a grant it can limit the grants that they will have access to or even the amount of money they may be able to get through these grants. Those students that may be struggling with intellectual disabilities might find themselves eligible for different college grants as well.

No matter why you were given a grant you should know that you will be required to do a few things that can help you keep them. For starters you must make sure that you are staying on track towards your graduation. You cannot take time off and refuse to take the classes that you need. In fact, there may be times when you are going to lose your grant all together if you do not have a certain number of hours each semester. You will be notified about all of this when you agree to take the grant so you should make sure that you are clear on all of this and you know what you are getting into.

You also need to make sure that you are completing an updated FAFSA form each year. This is not going to be negotiable and you must make sure that you are doing this for any loans that you want to keep in the first place. You have to have this on record with the college that you are attending.

There are a few things that you can do that might cause you to lose your college grants that will go beyond not completing your FAFSA each year. In fact, you will see that if you do not keep your grades up you will lose your funding and they will take your grants away. If you are in school and you are convicted of a felony charge while you are there then you will have your grants taken from you as well. Finally, if you have student loan payments that must be made and you have not been able to do that they you will lose your grants.

It is very easy to see that there are a lot of different things that you should know and that you must follow if you want to keep your grant. This can be a great way to get through college without the need to pay for loans that you must repay with really high interest. When you stop and think about how much money you might be able to save on your college education you will be more willing to apply for grants and to follow the rules and guidelines that you need to in order to keep the money coming in. You should know by now that you have rules and guidelines everywhere and you have to follow them if you want to gain anything and that will include college grants. If you are not able to follow them then you will have to find another form of financial support.

Tips for College Students to Win Farming Scholarships

For students who have grown up on a farm or whose families are embedded in agricultural industries, the idea of winning college scholarships for an education is an exciting idea. There are many schools and organizations throughout the country that offer farming scholarships to worthwhile applicants. In some parts of the country, such as the heartland, this is a critical step on the route to a college education. Many students plan for years around going away to school and coming home to run the family farm. There are many different factors that come into play for students hoping to earn farming scholarships. These are just a few of the considerations that will affect whether or not they have a reasonable chance at earning one.

Studying Agriculture

One of the most important aspects of consideration for farming scholarships is whether the university of choice has this major as an option. Equally important is whether the student has a chance to succeed in the field if given one of these career specific scholarships. For example, a student who has grown up on a farm and wishes to go to college and major in business or agriculture has a much better chance of earning a grant or scholarship than one who applies for it, but plans to be a professional football player or a doctor. Committees that make these determinations typically choose the students who have the most promise in advancing the field or have the greatest need. The student's potential may be seen in the form of good grades, experience, future goals, strong work ethic and drive.

Experience

Students who have spent years in the local 4-H club or who have joined the Future Farmers of America are likely to have experience in agricultural and farming projects. These should be outlined on a student's applications for college scholarships. For example, winning a blue ribbon at the county or state fair is an accomplishment that tells a scholarship committee the applicant has a knack for agriculture and hard work. Day-to-day living experiences are also an important part of a college scholarship essay. The daily routine of waking up and milking cows, watering crops or running a hay baler can be turned into a testimony of work ethic, drive and creativity.

Intangibles

Students who have an eye on career-specific scholarships are often competing against many worthy opponents. The idea is to find as many sources of college money as possible and apply for all of them. Sometimes it only takes one to cover financial obligations for school. Many committees believe that success in school often correlates to success in life. As a result, good grades, a fair number of extracurricular activities and a genuine interest in the subject are all important groundwork for earning college scholarships. Any testimony toward the student's good character is a bonus.