College Radio on the Internet Offers More Advantages For Listeners

The future of radio is at stake. As we quickly move into the 21st Century, our consumers are changing their listening mediums and we must stay abreast of those listening needs and modes.

Traditional college radio broadcasts may be lost in translation if they cannot keep up with technological changes. Some radio broadcast owners are ignoring these trends, which may hurt their ratings if listeners increasingly move away from traditional college radio to college radio on the Internet. Still others perceive college radio on the Internet as a dead medium, however it can be revived if colleges continue to research listener audiences and trends.

Benefits of Having College Radio on the Internet

1. More formats are available than traditional FM college radio stations. Hundreds are available from jazz and blues to Broadway and opera, to Indie rock and adult alternative and many more.

2. Ability to listen while in multiple places such as home, work, college, library or wherever you have available broadband access.

3. With college radio on the Internet, there is no "dead air". Some college and traditional radio stations have their last broadcast ending at midnight, and the next one starts between five and seven in the morning. However, utilizing college radio on the Internet and the growing demand from students and consumers, this has the potential to increase funding and the listening audience base.

4. Set and leave it on one station without having to remember station call letters or numbers. No longer do listeners have to remember where they heard their favorite tunes on the dial. Having a college radio on the Internet can be easily bookmarked in your Favorites' list or even set as your homepage.

5. Colleges are able to increase their fan base among alumni and exchange students because with having college radio on the Internet, it can be accessed worldwide.

6. Many college radio stations on the Internet tout commercial-free listening or at least minimal interruptions. This is an important advantage for listeners who do not like all the interruptions between songs or song sets with station breaks and commercials which can last two minutes or longer.

7. Allows more opportunities for unsigned bands and musical talent to be heard on the radio. With additional opportunities for more format types, bands of all styles will have a medium in which to play their music for a specific audience. As with MySpace, unsigned or lesser known musicians and bands are trying to gain an audience base and frequently release a couple of their songs so members can upload them to their homepages. College radio on the Internet can increase that audience base by featuring the group or musician on its station and have listeners send their comments via email, blog, online poll or phone call.

8. Unlike a traditional radio station, college radio on the Internet enables listeners to skip a song. If the listener does not care for the song, he or she can merely select "skip" and move onto the next song. Only college radio on the Internet and satellite stations have this advantage.

There are many benefits to keeping college radio on the Internet. Although some college stations have abandoned this medium because it did not reap the rewards as quickly as was expected, now it has listeners' ears and they have more invested interest with this medium.

The top online radio networks include Shoutcast, Radio@AOL, and MSN Music as reported by MeasureCast, a company which provides next day audience size and demographic reports for online media networks. Only the top college radio stations online have made the top 10 list, which include a few Ohio college radio station programs too.

The top college radio broadcasts include KALX, Berkeley, CA; WNYU, New York, NY; and KTRU, Houston, TX, which was reported by Radio-Locator.com. Furthermore, a notable Ohio college radio station has a list of eight college radio on the Internet stations that are broadcasted from various locations across the U.S., especially where a broadcasting school is located. Colleges and universities who have the ability and interest to support college radio on the Internet stations are able to employ its own students to undertake all tasks and responsibilities of running the online radio station. Student listeners create an instant audience base because their music interests vary and they are attracted by a variety of formats.

Because Internet based college radio stations can literally reach listeners from all corners of the world, we would think radio station owners would want to continue college radio on the Internet. Futhermore, college radio stations on the Internet, as well as traditional AM/FM formats, can run in tandem with one another without radio tower interference. However, many smaller universities and community colleges are not able to afford to keep such options on the Internet due to failing sponsorship, decreased student population, or fees required to both license music and the radio station.

Check with your local broadcasting school to find out if they continually accept students to become professional radio DJs. If you are interested in learning to become a radio DJ, video or audio producer, or in other radio and TV broadcast careers, then you will want a broadcasting school that is both credible and credentialed. Technology continues to grow and expand, so to keep up with the industry they should have the latest equipment for those wanting to learn how to become a radio DJ on a college radio station on the Internet and other radio broadcast careers.

Tim White is the director of admissions for the Ohio and Illinois Centers for Broadcasting, among top radio broadcasting schools, and a manager of several national bands and artists. He has been FCC licensed since being a college radio DJ.

Are Online Colleges Right For You?

So, you've been thinking about advancing your education so that you can gain that extra earning power that college graduates enjoy. It is well known that college graduates have a lower risk of unemployment, enjoy better job quality, are more likely to be in high-level positions and have much greater promotion prospects because of their advanced level of education. Perhaps you already have your bachelors and want to get your masters so that you are ready for greater opportunities that come your way. No matter what degree level you want to pursue, you can do it all from the comfort of your home through online degree programs offered by online colleges.

If you are considering studying for an online college degree, then you are not alone. Online colleges and universities are becoming very popular as more and more people are realizing the benefits of online learning. Pursuing a college degree online is an advantageous way to study as you can learn at your own pace and on your own time. But even with all the advantages of pursing an online college degree, is an online college right for you?

Pursuing an online college degree is not for everyone. You need to have the right characteristics to study for an online college degree. Some of the characteristics needed when pursuing an online college degree are:

Self-motivation & Self-discipline
Ability to prioritize
Ability to set your own goals
Good reading comprehension

Self-Motivation & Self-Discipline

You need to be highly self-motivated and self-disciplined and thus, be able to work without supervision. Since you don't have a set class times at online colleges, it will be up to you to set your own studying times. It will help if you plan out your day and carve the same specific time each day to study. Self-discipline is required so you resist the urge of other distractions in your home such as doing the laundry, washing the dishes or watching TV. Self-discipline will also help you stick to your deadlines.

Ability to Prioritize

If you are choosing to pursue an online college degree, then it is probably because you have many other commitments to juggle such as work and family. Once you have made the commitment to attend an online college, then you must keep in mind that your education is just as an important of a commitment. With that mentioned, you should possess the ability to prioritize your schedule.

Just because online college degree programs are flexible, this does not mean the courses are easy, nor does it mean you can procrastinate class assignments and projects. With the many other commitments you have, it is important to prioritize your schedule, set deadlines, and as mentioned above, stick to the deadlines you set.

Ability to Set Your Own Goals

As with getting a degree through a traditional campus college, it is easy to fall off track without clear goals. Thus it is important to set both short-term and long-term goals when you pursue an online college degree. Some online colleges allow you to get a degree at your own pace and your pace will determine whether you get your online college degree in two years or ten years. When you pursue an online college degree you should set reasonable short-term goals such as taking 6-8 units (or as much as you can take) per quarter or semester. These short-term goals will help you reach your long-term goal with ease and will show the progress you are making towards achieving your long-term goal.

Good Reading Comprehension

A good level of reading comprehension is needed as online colleges teach primarily through written material written at college level. While you may have interaction with your classmates and/or instructor, the interaction will be done primarily through e-mail, chat rooms, and message boards.

If you find it difficult to attend college courses on campus, attending an online college is a great way to earn your degree. With online colleges and universities, you now have the opportunity to advance your education without having to push aside previous commitments. Just keep these characteristics in mind and you can be successful in advancing your education by earning your college degree online.

Kimberly Diane, now a frequent contributor to EducationAdvancementOnline.com, previously served as a direct consultant to numerous accredited online colleges and universities for several years. Education Advancement Online, which promotes higher education for non-traditional students seeking an online college degree or certification program, is a premier online education directory that is a one-stop shop for available degree programs from institutions all over the United States. For more information on Education Advancement Online or to search for degree programs, please visit EducationAdvancementOnline.com

College Student Success Secrets - Leadership to Develop Greatness, Ensure Success & Live Your Dreams

College student success and leadership has always been a topic that deeply resonates with college activities and career coordinators. After all, what use is college if it cannot propel and further college students' success thereafter?

College and academia should never be the octopus that tries to entangle or engulf students, nor the pushy parent that tries to direct them to take (or require) unrelated career curriculum in which they are not interested in pursuing.

To truly revolutionize a college campus and impact college students some important components are vital whenever you bring in a keynote speaker to impact your students.

Undoubtedly, orientation and welcome week are high-energy kickoffs in which you need an outstanding speaker who is able to immediately connect with and communicate to your students.

An exceptional speaker innately and intuitively knows how to do this by nature, as such will flow naturally for any skillful orator with a powerful presence. Upon connecting with and captivating the audience, the keynote speaker should deliver compelling and transformative content. Hype alone will not suffice, nor sustain the interest of college students. Remember college students are clever and can see through phony people who are not congruent, nor one with their message.

Never in a million years did I anticipate being a worldwide professional speaker, but by reason of my travels to over 50 countries and 6 continents, I frequently was invited to speak at various academic institutions, colleges, and universities. Initially, I was overseas serving in a humanitarian capacity, primarily working in war-torn and third world nations.

Because people liked me, I often got asked to speak at organization and governmental meetings, along with some churches and religious gatherings. Humorously, I was even asked a few times to speak to groups at a birthday parties in Indonesia. This was a bit awkward at first, until I realized how earnest and desirous everybody was to hear me.

Most of all, I would say I enjoy speaking to college students because they are in a place in their life where they truly desire personal growth. Their hearts and minds are open to valuable input, powerful impartation, and personal transformation.

Particularly, college student orientations and welcome week kickoffs serendipitously proved to be the ideal fit for me. Because I was a former high school teacher, I experientially know the challenges students face entering and transitioning into college.

I taught English and ESOL (English to students of other languages) to 11th and 12th grade high school students. Therefore I understand the challenges high school students face entering college and the magnitude of the transition involved.

My own years attending community college, awakened me academically as I went from being a B student in high-school to becoming an A student in college. My intellectual curiosity moved me to pursue new bodies of knowledge with a ferocious zeal and passion. I particularly found economics, marketing, communications, and law to be most fascinating.

I attended Valencia Community College (VCC), where I achieved great success as a student, making the dean's list and graduating with a 3.8 GPA. I distinguished myself as a student at VCC, after which I entered UCF and continued making high marks earning Cum Laude at graduation.

In retrospect when I look back on those days spent studying at college, I see specific and tangible action steps I took to propel my personal success. One thing I have yet to mention is I completed my college education in 3 years. Because I had such an intense passion to travel the world, I wanted to graduate as quickly as possible. I therefore took a full load of 15 courses two summers back to back, while during the fall and winter semester taking 18 and 24 hours respectively (which I only could do with a dean's override and approval). This resulted in me graduating with a Bachelors degree, Cum Laude, at the age of 20.

Thereafter I embarked upon my world travels and real education, which books could never have taught me. Nevertheless academic success is something I personally mastered and excelled at. Yet the academic experience was not something I deliberately pursued, but rather by reason of survival discovered.

When I moved from Orlando to a nearby suburb called Clermont, when I began living with my father and step-mom, I was doubly uncomfortable as I entered middle school. While living with my grandparents in elementary school, I completed all homework within a matter of minutes before going out to play during the afternoon following school.

This quick approach to homework didn't cut it in middle school, which I soon found out when I brought home a D on my progress report in my science class. My father immediately with belt in hand applied some stern pressure to my backside to increase understanding up above that I was to do better in school.

Yet never did my father, step-mother, or grandparents sit down with me and teach me how to properly study to excel academically. Ironically, I hear the same story from many high-school and college students throughout the world.

Why is it parents, schools, and colleges punish for poor academic performance but never teach students proper study habits, techniques, and strategies to excel academically?

Well, that million dollar question has been the platform for my speaking career to college students throughout the world.

Empowering students to ace the academic experience is my passion and personal pleasure. I take great joy in taking students who were shunned in high-school and making champions out of them. It is wonderful and a great honor to transform students others wrote off and looked down upon, after which they return to their home town and display their successes before the eyes of the naysayers who didn't believe in them.

Believing in college students and helping them become that which they most desire to be is my greatest pleasure and passion. I guess you could call me a dream-maker of sorts.

Know assuredly A+ success is obtainable. You never again need to be intimidated by books, college classes, or college professors who ask intellectually probing questions.

Let your confidence arise and as you do, your competence will follow and catch up. Never be intimidated by what you don't know or don't understand. Harness your mental capacities and strength to transcend intimidation and embrace motivation.

Let your emotional juices move you to turn intimidation to unquenchable motivation as you cultivate the winner within to arise and conquer what in the past academically has done you in! Now, it is time for you to arise and conquer every class and curriculum that can pave a pathway of success for you to your most desirable future.

Invite worldwide speaker and life-changing author Paul F. Davis to speak to your college students about success secrets and breakthrough leadership!
info@PaulFDavis.com
http://www.PaulFDavis.com
407-967-7553

Paul is an exceptional and frequently requested speaker for college student success, leadership, orientations, and to kickoff college events.

Paul's 17 life-changing books have landed him celebrity guest appearances on Fox News Radio, Investor's Business Daily, and 3 times on Oprah & Friends.

After a 45 minute interview on Playboy Radio, Afternoon Advice host Tiffany Granath calls Paul an awesome relational coach and recommends his books on love, dating, and sexuality.

Paul's academic success & leadership secrets for college students are unparalleled and greatly empowering. Paul builds bridges cross-culturally, cultivating diversity awareness, while empowering college students to discover their destiny and live their dreams.

A master in NLP & life coaching; Paul's humorous, fun, playful and transformative messages graciously challenge college students to ask themselves hard questions & be their personal best.

As a former high-school senior class English teacher, Paul understands the challenges facing incoming college students. Paul personally knows what transfer students go through as he himself attended a community college where he graduated with a 3.8 GPA before entering UCF, where he graduated Cum Laude. As a worldwide professional speaker who has touched more than 55 countries & 6 continents, Paul greatly appeals to international students throughout the world.

Paul worked at Ground Zero in NYC during 9/11; helped rebuild a home at the tsunami epicenter; comforted victims of genocide in Rwanda; spoke to leaders in East Timor during the war; inspired students & monks in Myanmar; promoted peace & reconciliation in Pakistan; and has been deep into Africa where villagers had never before seen a white man.

Paul empowers people to love passionately, work together globally & live their dreams fearlessly.

http://www.PaulFDavis.com

WTF? College: How to Survive 101 of Campus's Worst F*#!-ing Situations

Your roommate keeps piling crap on your side of the room. It?s the day before Christmas break and your ride home ditches you. Your knee gives out and you lose your baseball scholarship. Halfway through your final semester, you realize you?re a credit short of graduating. And all you can think is . . . WTF?

Like Rodney Dangerfield in Back to School, we?re heading to campus to lend a helping hand to all those college kids who can?t quite make the grade. Inside they?ll find hilarious solutions to all the obstacles that lie between them and that elusive diploma. From indecisions about major selection to problems picking up that hot classmate to cramming for finals, this book covers all the awful, awkward, and annoying instances that would have college students IMing, posting, or texting: ?WTF?? Be it in the dorm room or classroom, during finals week or spring break, campus?s most f*#!-ed-up situations are handled in this entertaining step-by-step guide.

Price: $9.95

Click here to buy from Amazon

College Cooking: Feed Yourself and Your Friends

You have a midterm tomorrow and a fierce growl in your stomach. Your roommate just nabbed your last cup o' ramen. Do you: (A) Ignore your stomach and brew another pot of coffee? (B) Break out the PB&J? (C) Order pizza—again? (D) Make a quick trip to the grocery store? The answer's D, and College Cooking is the only study guide you'll need.Sisters Megan and Jill Carle know all about leaving a well-stocked kitchen to face an empty apartment fridge with little time to cook and very little money. They practically grew up in their parents' kitchen, but even that didn't prepare them for braving the supermarket aisles on their own. That's why they wrote COLLEGE COOKING—to share the tips and tricks they've learned while feeding themselves between late-night studying, papers, parties, and other distractions.Starting with kitchen basics, Megan and Jill first cover ingredients, equipment, and other prereqs for cooking a decent meal. They then provide more than ninety simple yet tasteworthy recipes—hearty home-style dishes, study-break snacks, healthy salads, sweet treats, and more (along with low-cal and veggie options). You'll find easy and cheap-to-make dishes, like: Tortilla Soup • Chili with Green Chile Cornbread • Chicken Salad Pita Sandwiches • Baked Penne Pasta with Italian Sausage • What's-in-the-Fridge Frittata • Peanut Butter Cup Bars • Brownie Bites You'll also find recipes for feeding a household of roommates, maximizing leftovers, cooking for a dinner date, and hosting parties with minimal prep and cost. Just consider COLLEGE COOKING your crash course in kitchen survival—and required reading for off-campus living.Reviews“College Cooking is a must-pack, along with the fry pan and the blender, for those going back to college or starting this year.”—Arizona Republic“The recipes are quick, easy, and simple.”—Kansas City Star“This is reasonable food reasonably fast. I was going too give the cookbook to someone in college, but no way. This is going straight into my collection.”—Oakland Tribune

Price: $19.99

Click here to buy from Amazon

College Financial Aid FAQ

Financially Challenged? There's lots of free college information available online, and here are some of the most popular questions when it comes to student Financial Aid. Learn about the difference between grants, student loans and college scholarships and bank on your future!

What is Financial Aid?
Financial aid is monetary aid to help you pay for your college education. Aid is made available from grants, college scholarships, student loans, and part-time employment from federal, state, institutional, and private sources. The types and amounts of aid awarded are determined by financial need, available funds, student classification, academic performance, and sometimes the timeliness of application.







What is the FAFSA?
FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The FAFSA is the Federal Department of education's primary application for financial aid and is the gateway form to just about any other federal, state or private grants, college scholarships, student loans or college work study programs. The FAFSA form must be filled out each year between January 1 and March 10th (although some colleges have their own earlier deadlines) and can be completed online or by mail. Four to six weeks after you file the FAFSA (two to four weeks if you filed electronically), you will receive your Student Aid Report (SAR) which will contain a summary of the information you submitted on your FAFSA and presents your Expected Family contributions (EFC) which tells you the amount your family is expected to contribute towards your education. The amount of financial aid is then determined approximately by the tuition of your college subtracted by your EFC. If you do not receive the SAR within a reasonable amount of time, you can call the Federal Processor at 1-319-337-5665. Review the SAR carefully for errors. If necessary, make any corrections on Part 2 of the SAR and return it promptly to the address listed on the form. You will then be sent a new SAR with the changes made.







What is the College Scholarship Services Profile (CSS Profile)?
Some colleges also require you to fill out a College Scholarship Services Profile form in addition to the FAFSA. It is a secondary financial aid form that supplies further information about your family income. Be sure to check whether this form is necessary and about specific deadlines with your college directly.







What is the difference between a Grant, a Student Loan and a College Scholarship?
A grant is free money from government or non-profit organizations that does not need to be repaid. Grants are usually determined by financial need but can also be influenced by academic merit. Unlike grants, student loans are money loaned from an academic institution, financial institution, or federal government that must be repaid. Like a grant, a student scholarship is free money, but is generally offered through colleges, businesses, private individuals and outside sponsors. Those awarded by the college itself are often called MERIT AID. While grants tend to be issued according to financial need, college scholarships are awarded on a broad-base of criteria, the most common being academic merit. Furthermore, to receive any grants or loans you must complete a FAFSA, however, many scholarships may not require you to complete a FAFSA to be eligible. Instead, you may need to obtain application material directly from the donor of the scholarship.







What are the different kinds of grants?
There are federal as well as campus-based (institutional) grants. Federal Grants are free gift money from the Federal Department of Education while campus-based grants are government funds issued directly from your college. The campus-based grants provide a certain amount of funds for each participating school to administer each year. When the money for a program is gone, no more awards can be made from that program for that year, so make sure you find out about the types of grants awarded by each college you are considering as well as their specific deadline. Below are some of the most common grants.







Federal Grants





Pell Grants are considered a foundation of federal financial aid, to which aid from other federal and non-federal sources might be added. Pell Grants are usually only awarded to undergraduate students who have not earned a bachelor's or a professional degree. The amount you get depends on your financial need, your college's tuition, your status as a full-time or part-time student and your plans to attend school for a full academic year or less. The Academic Competitiveness Grant is a new grant available to first year college students who graduated from high school after January 1, 2006 or for second year college students who graduated from high school after January 1, 2005. Only students who are eligible for a Federal Pell Grant and who has successfully completed a rigorous high school program as determined by the state or local education agency and recognized by the Secretary of Education. An Academic Competitiveness Grant will provide up to $750 for the first year of undergraduate study and up to $1,300 for the second year of undergraduate study for full-time students who are eligible for a Federal Pell Grant. The National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Grant (AKA the National Smart Grant) is available during the third and fourth years of undergraduate study to full-time students who are eligible for the Federal Pell Grant and who are majoring in physical life, or computer sciences, mathematics, technology, or engineering or in a foreign language determined critical to national security. The student must have also maintained a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 3. 0 in coursework required for the major. The National SMART Grant award is in addition to the student's Pell Grant award.


Campus-based Grants




The Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)


The FSEOG is a campus-based grant aimed at assisting students with exceptional financial need. Pell Grant recipients with the lowest expected family contributions (EFCs) will be considered first for a FSEOG. You can receive between $100 and $4,000 a year depending on when you apply, your financial need, the funding at the school you are attending, and the policies of the financial aid office at your school.







What are the different kinds of student loans?
A student loan is money that needs to be repaid after you have completed your studies. Generally, interest rates are low- so that you do not rack up as much debt as you would with a credit card or bank loan. There are campus-based loans, which you repay directly to your college, as well as federal loans which you repay either directly to the U.S. government or to your financial institution.







Campus-based LoansFederal Perkins Loan


The Federal Perkins loan is a campus- based loan because it is administered directly by the financial aid office at each participating school. In other words, your school is the lender although the loan is made with government funds. Your school will either pay you directly or apply your loan to your school charges. You'll receive the loan in at least two payments during the academic year. You can borrow up to $4,000 for each year of undergraduate study with a maximum of $20,000 for your entire undergraduate degree. The amount you receive depends on when you apply, your financial need and the funding level at your school. The Federal Perkins Loan is a low-interest , 5 % loan for students with exceptional financial need. You must repay this loan directly to your school and you have nine months to begin your repayment plan after you graduate. Generally you will make monthly payments to the school that loaned you the money over a 10 year period. Federal LoansThe U.S. Department of Education administers the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program and the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program. Both the FFEL and Direct Loan programs consist of what are generally known as 1. Stafford Loans (for students) and 2. PLUS loans (for Parents). Schools generally participate in either the FFEL or Direct Loan program, but sometimes schools participate in both. For either type of loan, you must fill out FAFSA, after which your school will review the results and will review the results and will inform you about your loan eligibility. You also will have to sign a promissory note, a binding legal document that lists the conditions under which you're borrowing, and the terms under which you agree to repay the loan.



Stafford Loans
Stafford loans are federal loans for students. Eligibility rules and loan amounts are identical under both the FFEL and Direct loan programs, but providers and repayment plans differ. For all Stafford loans first disbursed on or after July 1, 2006, the interest rate is fixed at 6. 8 percent. However, you can be considered for a subsidized loan, depending on your financial need, in which the government will pay (subsidize) the interest on your loan while you're in school, for the first six months after you leave school and if you qualify to have your payments deferred. You might be able to borrow loan funds beyond your subsidized loan amount even if you don't have demonstrated financial need. In that case, you'll receive an unsubsidized loan. Your school will subtract the total of your other financial aid from your cost of attendance to determine whether you are eligible for an unsubsidized loan. Unlike a subsidized loan, you are responsible for you're the interest from the time the loan is disbursed until the time it is repaid in full. After you graduate, you will have a six month 'grace-period' before you must begin repayment. During this period of time, you'll receive repayment information, and you'll be notified of your first payment due date. You are responsible for beginning repayment on time, even if you don't receive this information. You will receive more detailed information on your repayment options during entrance and exit counselling sessions provided by your school.



Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL)Funds from your FFEL will come from a bank, credit union or other lender that participates in the program. Schools that participate in the FFEL program, will usually have a list of preferred lenders. Student loan borrowers may choose a lender from that list, or choose a different lender they prefer. Your loan money must first be applied to pay for tuition and fees, room and board and other school charges. If money remains, you'll receive the funds by cheque or in cash. Besides interests, you will pay a fee of up to 4 % of the loan, deducted proportionately from each loan disbursement. For a FFEL Stafford Loan, a portion of this fee goes to the federal government, and a portion goes to the guaranty agency (the organization that administers the FFEL Program in your state) to help reduce the cost of your loans.
Direct LoanUnder the direct loan program, the funds for your loan come directly from the federal government and you will need to repay your Direct Loan to the U.S. Department of Education's Direct Loan Servicing Center. Like the FFEL loan, you will pay a fee of up to 4 % of the loan. For a direct Stafford Loan, the entire fee goes to the government to help reduce the cost of the loans.








PLUS Loans (Parent Loans)Parents can borrow a PLUS Loan to help pay your education expenses if you are a dependent undergraduate student enrolled at least half time in an eligible program at an eligible school. PLUS Loans are available through the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program and the Direct Loan Program. Your parents can get either loan, but not both, for you during the same enrolment period. They must also have an acceptable credit history. For a Direct PLUS Loan, your parents must complete a Direct PLUS Loan application and promissory note, contained in a single form that you get from your school's financial aid office. For a FFEL PLUS Loan, your parents must complete and submit a PLUS Loan application available from your school, lender, or your state guaranty agency. After the school completes its portion of the application, it must be sent to a lender for evaluation.

What are the different kinds of scholarships? Scholarships are awarded on a broad-base of criteria, the most common being academic merit. Many scholarships carry conditions besides academic merit, such as financial need, affiliation with a group-, leadership, athletic talent, artistic or musical ability etc. Some scholarships are awarded by the college itself, often called MERIT AID. Other scholarships are awarded by outside sponsors. For some scholarships, you need to be nominated. For most of them, you apply directly to a sponsor. Because there are so many different types of scholarships, you should check directly with your financial aid office at your college.
Can I apply for a grant, a loan and a scholarship at the same time? Yes. You can team up different types of financial aid or simply have one kind. Nevertheless, some types of financial aid are contingent on others. For example, you can only receive an Academic Competitive Grant or a Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant if you have received a Pell Grant. While you cannot team up a FFEL loan with a direct loan, you may be eligible to receive a subsidized loan (in which the interest is paid by the government) and an unsubsidized loan (in which you are responsible for the interest) at the same time. You can also combine grants with loans and scholarships, so it never hurts to try to get as many different varieties of aid as possible!
What is the Federal Work Study Program? The Federal Work-Study Program (FWS) is a campus-based program that provides part-time jobs for undergraduate and graduate students with financial need, that allows them to earn money to help pay education expenses. The program encourages community service work and work related to the recipient's course of study.
How often should I apply for financial aid? You will need to apply for financial aid each year. Even if you did not qualify this year, you should reapply next year since financial circumstances can change. The number of family members in college, for example can have a big impact on your eligibility for financial aid. If you submitted a FAFSA during the previous year, you may be able to complete the shorter Renewal FAFSA form instead. The renewal FAFSA will be mailed to your home. The renewal FAFSA preprints most of your answers from the previous year's FAFSA. Verify that the old responses are still accurate and provide corrections or new answers where appropriate. If you don't receive a renewal FAFSA by February 15, fill out a new FAFSA form.
How do I know whether I am eligible for financial aid? Don't assume that you will not qualify for financial aid. Nearly all U.S. citizens or eligible non-citizens enrolled at least half the time are now eligible for some form of financial aid. Even if you don't qualify for a grant, free college info is still available, and you may still be eligible for other forms of financial assistance. Many families don't apply for financial aid, because they believe that they earn too much money. However, you don't need to be from a low-income family to receive financial aid. Some loans and scholarships are available regardless of need. Many factors are used to determine your eligibility for financial aid and there is no simple cut-off base on income. You can't get aid unless you apply!!

CampusCompare facilitates the college search and selection process by providing free information, student college reviews, and interactive media, connecting students to over 3000 colleges. Its helpful tools include the What Are My Chances tool [http://www.campuscompare.com/chances] and the Financial Aid Calculator [http://www.campuscompare.com/tools/?name=financial] to help students in the "match me with a college" process.

College Planning - Where Do We Start?

Welcome to the panic room. It's more of a state of mind than an actual room and it usually infects parents of college bound students as their children enter their junior or senior year of high school; the looming cloud of college selection and the daunting task of how on earth to manage the college expense without destroying retirement.

Interestingly, there is a very logical approach to this overwhelmingly expensive and complex task, which can take much of the pain and anxiety out of the picture. A first things first system works for most any endeavor and college selection and planning is no different. It is the Heart, Head, and Hands approach to college.

Think in terms of building a home. The first thing you might do is to begin imagining the qualities that you would desire. The number of bedrooms and bathrooms, the size and style of the kitchen and living room, two-stories or ranch and the ideal location. This is the dream. This is the HEART.

The next step might be to begin separating the needs from the wants in order to identify the minimum standards by which our home must be built. If we have a particularly large family, we may need a certain number of bedrooms and perhaps a large garage for storage of things other than cars. We may also expect to run a small business from the home in which case we must account for a home office. This is the practical element. This is the HEAD.

Finally, accepting that the bank account is not an unending supply of resources, we must begin to assign value to our wants and needs in order to recognize, prioritize and finalize the blueprints. While we may want granite countertops, the budget may only account for textured and dyed concrete; an acceptable alternative. This process is the financial evaluation where we define the budget. This is the HAND.

Now think in terms of building a college plan. The Dream: What school, regardless of cost, practicality, or any required measure of reason, would our student wish to attend? What about the 2nd most desired school? A third and fourth choice is welcomed. This step is simply about prioritizing the school choice based on criteria that may or may not be rooted in any standard of your reality or perceived financial limitations. This is the HEART.

With that list developed, we now take a much different tack. We apply reason to our selection. The most efficient way of selecting a school, is to first understand the desired outcome of attaining a degree. With few exceptions, that desired outcome is a career in an area of particular passion for the student. Pursuit of a career in an area where the student demonstrates or expresses no particular passion will be one that serves to frustrate, irritate and in the end, will force the student to change. The change will be either to their career or their sense of happiness, neither of which are particularly comfortable undertakings. If that change is recognized while in college, the degree focus may change and that invariably adds time and cost to the process.

Once the career is understood as the target, the major or majors that might best lead to that career are identified. The schools offering that major are a natural extension which allows us to form a list of qualifying schools. From that list, the application of all other criteria may be applied. These criteria may include any number of characteristics including school size, location, student to faculty ratio, even the quality of on campus food. The short list of possible college choices is born. This is the logical approach to college selection. This is the HEAD.

Finally, and likely the most intimidating element of developing a college plan is the financial aspect of higher education. Unfortunately for most parents, financial advice or truths pertaining to college may be largely myth-guided.

In general, there is a great misunderstanding of financial aid eligibility. All too often the assumption is made that qualification for financial aid is reserved for the neediest of families. In fact, financial aid in some form is available for nearly every family regardless of wealth or income. Therefore, the first financial step a family should make is to fully understand their eligibility. A visit to FAFSA is an excellent first step.

Another common mistake is the assumption that a state school is a lesser expensive alternative to a private school. While there is great truth that the sticker price of college may adhere to that rule, the actual out-of-pocket expense may produce a significantly different picture. When aid eligibility is taken into consideration, the out-of-pocket expense for a private school costing $10k-$20k per year more than their state sponsored competitors, may in fact be less expensive. Without understanding aid eligibility, an unfortunate majority of parents and students will never recognize this opportunity.

Another factor to consider is the probability of graduation within a 4 year time span. Statistically, there are a number of studies which suggest that private schools graduate their students within 4 years at a significantly higher rate than many state schools. Yet most families forget to include the time it takes to get a degree as a cost factor. Five or six years at a state school may wind up costing more than 4 years at a private school regardless of how they might offset the cost of education with their endowment funds. This process is the most powerful key to proper college selection.

Finally, a family must identify a budget for college. The timing of college expenses coincides very closely to the onset of retirement. If parents overspend on college without recognizing the impact to their other financial goals, particularly retirement, they may not have time too recover. This holistic approach to the financial aspect of college is the HAND.

Instead of an act largely dictated by convention and the application of common lore, college selection is much better addressed with an educated plan. If a family uses the HEART, HEAD, and HAND approach, measuring wants, needs and financial ability, they will be handling a daunting task with great insight and will be much more likely to enjoy the fruits of their labor.

Andy Hickman has used his knowledge of College and Financial Planning to help thousands of parents achieve financial security in the midst of a family expense (college) often second to none. As a Certified College Planning Specialist awarded by the National Institute of Certified College Planners, Andy has presented in front of numerous audiences and thousands of high school parents wanting to learn how financial aid REALLY works and how they should go about starting their own financial approach for college. His entertaining and myth-busting presentations result in a client base that is fast becoming the benchmark for college planners across the country.

After 3 years as the call-in radio show co-host on "Dollars & Sense" aired in Cincinnati, Ohio, coupled with 7 years of specific college planning, more than 25 years in the financial services industry, and as the father of 2 college students with a 3rd student on her way to college next year, Andy uses his professional and personal experiences to benefit his clients and audiences. Andy has been published in "Cincinnati Gentleman" magazine on the topic, and is invited year after year to host financial presentations for high schools and private groups. Andy is also a consultant to dozens of Financial Advisers nationwide on the topic of proper financial planning for parents of college bound students.

Using a systematic approach to college planning, Andy's objective for his clients is always the same: ensuring the greatest degree of success for ALL of a families financial objectives using holistic approaches. In Andy's words, "Any other approach would be malpractice." To contact Andy for a speaking engagement, article submission or client inquiries, please contact him through the Summit College Funding Website at: http://www.summitohio.com or find him on the advisor listing for OHIO at http://www.niccp.com