FAFSA--Fill One Out!

The FAFSA (Free Application for Student Aid) is required by many scholarships to determine need.

The FAFSA can be found online at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/

Information about filling out the FAFSA on the web: http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/fafsa.jsp

Information about completing the FAFSA can be found here, including the PDF versions of the Dept. of Education's Completing the FAFSA, 2008-2009 and Completing the FAFSA, 2009-2010: http://studentaid.ed.gov/students/publications/completing_fafsa/index.html

Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine web site has a great article entitled, "11 Student-Aid Traps to Avoid," which would make for timely reading: http://www.kiplinger.com/features/archives/2009/01/avoid-student-aid-traps.html

There is a comment in the reader's comments by Mark Kantrowitz, author of FastWeb College Gold: The Step-By-Step Guide to Paying for College and FinAid, The SmartStudent Guide to Financial Aid, one of the best free resources for college financial information on the Internet (http://www.finaid.org/). Pay attention to that comment.

Scholarship Gold: Finding Money Online

The University School of Nashville offers evening classes for the Nashville community, monies benefiting USN's endowment for need-based scholarships.

Here is the web address: http://eveningclasses.org

Here is the description of the class I will be teaching.

Class #201 Scholarship Gold: Finding Money Online
Thursday, 2/12/2009
Time: 7:00-8:30 pm USN

Description: Is it possible to graduate from college with little or no debt? How do you find legitimate scholarship opportunities on the Internet? For more than a decade, Tennessee State University instructor MICHAEL TURNER has coached students on how to find money to pay for college. This hands-on computer class will show you exactly how to search the Internet for scholarships and internships online and offline. Ages 16 and up.

Items needed to bring to class: Paper, pen

Class Fee: $35 per person

I call the classes offered at USN's evening classes as classes for living.

Some other classes featured are Make Your Music Marketable, Song Critique from a Pro, Essential Songwriting taught by Tom Kimmel, The Wisdom of Scrooge, and Got Search? Secrets of Online Marketing.

I view this as Nashville's own Learning Annex (located in New York City and also has an online presence: http://www.learningannex.com/ ).

Synergy: Vanderbilt Students Help K-12 students Prepare for College

Synergy is an organization of Vanderbilt Students that help prepare students K-12 for college.

Here is a description from the web site: “SYNERGY is an undergraduate organization that provides the skills and resources to empower K-12 students to successfully complete high school and advance to college by means of developing one-on-one relationships with consistent college mentors.”

Every Tuesday, Synergy is holding a college workshop (also college help and tutoring) from 6 pm—8 pm at Hadley Park Community Center.

Check out there web site for more details: http://www.vanderbilt.edu/synergy

Free College Tuition!

I found the following video searching for college tuition information on the Internet:

http://www.foxnews.com/video-search/m/21608025/free_college_tuition.htm

This details the School of the Ozarks, where students can work for tuition and go to college for free. Many of these schools, Berea College is a well-known example, have endowments, which allow them to assist students in paying tuition.

To explore these schools and see what programs are offered, check out this web site:
http://www.workcolleges.org/

Video Student Competitions

I know I haven't blogged in a long time, but I am gearing up to publish my ebook next year, so I decided I better do the Web 2.0 thingie and provide some information.

Anyway, I had a student who was interested in becoming a film director, so I googled video student competitions and found this great handout from Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York.

This pdf file of 6 pages has links, which if you move the pointer over the web address, the pointer becomes a hand and you can click on through:

http://www.ithaca.edu/rhp/misc/Studentcompetitions.pdf

Win $25,000 Toward College Tuition Video Contest

I just wanted to let people know about this opportunity.

Win $25,000 toward College Tuition Video Contest

http://upromise.eprize.net/tuitiontales/

Deadline: March 23, 2008 (read the official rules)

The person going to college or anyone who supports them can make a video, which could win up to $25,000 dollars toward college.

I found out about this contest on this web site, which contains many more video competitions: http://desktopvideo.about.com/od/onlinevideocompetitions/a/vidcontest.htm

Scholarships for Adults and Matthew Lesko

Scholarships for Adults and Matthew Lesko

In Matthew Lesko's January 2007 newsletter, he has posted scholarships for adults:
http://www.lesko.com/newsletter2005/jan07-b.htm

Matthew Lesko is good at collecting information. Here is the archive of his past newsletters:
http://www.lesko.com/backnewsletter2005.php

Here is his web site, which you can explore for more free information: http://www.lesko.com/index.php

Matthew Lesko is a salesman, so he has a tendency to exagerate, but he still has good information.

I would suggest checking out one of his books from your public library or checking out his book in the reference section of your library.

That way you can see whether you would find that book beneficial and decide if you want to purchase any of his books.

Much like anything, information is most likely useful if you use it.

I will be updating this blog more often. Look for my post about my upcoming ebook and the philosophy of my publishing company.