Personal Finance Journal

Planning for college is likely one of the most important financial moves a young person makes in his or her life up to this point.  It can also be quite a daunting task.  A recent NYTimes articles points out that “73 percent of undergraduates attending private four-year institutions received financial aid in the school year that ended in 2004, not even counting loans.” It  is comforting to see that colleges are stepping up to help, but it’s still necessary to work your way through the confusion.

Southern New Hampshire University has put together this handy guide to help navigate the financial aid process.  Very helpful and the visual elements really clarify some of the steps needed to figure it all out.

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The cost of education is rising on an annual basis, but this really shouldn’t prevent someone from attending college when there are so many options to help fund the expense.  This guide should get you started and help to understand what kind of decisions need to be made.

If you’ve considered moving into the property management field and currently live in Nevada or are thinking about making the move, you would do well to consider Nevada property management training at Key Realty School. Since the state of Nevada requires a property management permit for anyone in certain types of leasing activities such as those involved with multiple owners or multiple sites, it is imperative that the proper training and certification be met.

The course offered by Key Realty School, spread out over three days, and the successful completion of the permit test at the PSI testing centers will satisfy the Nevada state requirements for a property management permit. Since Key Realty School has educated over 30,000 students, they are in a great position to provide the proper training and support needed to obtain the certification. You can learn more about their property management training program, as well as other information on education they provide at their web site.

If you’ve been hunting around for college scholarships you might have some idea what a daunting task it can be. Fortunately, you can get some great assistance with this challenge by utilizing the ever useful and expansive college scholarship database at Scholarships.com.

The service at Schoalrships.com provides users with a very extensive variety of grants and college scholarships for free. Using the information you submit in your personal profile they’ll help you locate scholarships that are most suited and relevant to you from an extensive database that is continually updated. You’ll be able to find a host of great opportunities like the Bill Gates scholarship and millions of other. In fact, they feature about 2.7 million scholarships and grants that total over $19 billion.

There was an interesting article in a recent NY Times article discussing rising tuition costs for elite universities. Interestingly enough, the gist of this article is that some of these colleges have had to raise tuition to look more attractive to prospective students. The idea here is that the more expensive a college is, the better it must be. This point is highly questionable, at best, and there are far too many variables that need to be considered, but the end result is the same…higher college tuition.

The upside to this recent trend is that colleges have increased the amount of financial aid that they are providing to their students. The NY Times article points out that “73 percent of undergraduates attending private four-year institutions received it in the school year that ended in 2004, not even counting loans.” This is of some comfort, considering the high costs of college, but doesn’t change the fact that college is not cheap.

In order to better prepare for these high costs, whether your child is planning on attending an elite, Ivy League university or a “cheaper” state school, it is best to start saving soon. You should consider opening a 529 college savings plan as soon as your child is born, or at least in the first few years of their life.

Finding the adequate financing for a vocational education can be a daunting task, but for those individuals needing financial assistance there are a host of vocational student financing options available. Keep in mind that all vocational schools are not the same and some have different strategies for addressing the financial needs of their students. One of the best types of financial assistance is in the form of a scholarship or grant, which unlike a loan, does not have to be paid back at a later date. These scholarships and grants can sometimes be found directly through the school and some states set aside scholarships exclusively for students of a vocational institute while other scholarships are sponsored by union groups, religious organizations or private corporations and companies.

The federal government provides a great deal of funding for vocational students ranging from grants to student loans. You can call 1-800-4 FED AID or check the US Department of Education’s website (www.ed.gov) for more information on the type of financial support available to students.

If your vocational school qualifies for Title IV funding, then it is possible to obtain a student loan much like you would through a traditional college or university. Many private loan companies provide funding for students of qualifying schools.

Finally, most vocational schools have an office specializing in financial aid programs. Plan on meeting with a financial aid officer to see the best types of funding that the school can provide. Take advantage of the resources that are available in these offices and make sure to utilize all of the information they can provide. These individuals are very knowledgeable of the financial aid world and are happy to provide assistance to students seeking aid.

Grants are a type of student aid that is awarded by the government. Grants for college students do not have to be repaid. Grants are based upon financial need, as calculated by the federal aid program. The first step in applying for government grants is by completing the FAFSA. Continue reading »

So your teenager has decided to go to college. You’ve hoped for this day. You sweated through 12 years of school with your child, and have been an active participant in his/her education. You’ve been saving for this day for years, but with all the other “incidentals” of daily life, car expenses, medical bills, that new roof, the money you had hoped you’d have is not there. What you have is not quite enough for that four year private college he/she is interested in attending, and you don’t want a home equity loan. What to do? Continue reading »

Many of us could really use some extra income. We have enough to pay our bills and put food on the table, but nothing extra. You could always go to work for McDonalds or Walmart, but with all of your responsibilities, is minimum wage worth it? Continue reading »