Facebook Chat for High School Seniors

To celebrate Financial Education Month Bigger Than Your Block will offer a free Facebook chat with high school seniors. Shay Olivarria the author of “10 Things College Students Need to Know About Money (2nd edition)” will be on hand. The one hour chat will allow students to  ask any questions they have about personal finance including:

• Choosing a credit union.
• Opening a checking account.
• Opening an investment or retirement account.
• Accepting financial aid monies.
• Locating scholarships.
• Creating a spending plan for college.
• Anything else you can come up with!

Wednesday, April 5th 6pm PST

#BTYBChat for High School Seniors

Join the chat

 

October 1 and the FAFSA Application is OPEN!

Parents moving college student into her dorm.

It’s FAFSA time!

This is one of the changes that’s happening to the FAFSA: families are able to start applying today. Head over to the FAFSA website and start your application now. It will probably take about an hour.

WEBINAR: Using Your Financial Aid Check to Build Wealth

The second free webinar in the series (check out the first one here) is Using Your Financial Aid Check to Build Wealth. In this dynamic webinar you’ll learn how to leverage the money you have to build wealth. We’ll talk about student loans, checking accounts and investing for retirement using compound interest. You’ll learn how to turn $100 from your financial aid into $36k. This webinar is free, but there are only 25 spaces.

REGISTER HERE

 

Update:

In case you missed the live event, you can watch the replay here https://www.anymeeting.com/WebConference-beta/RecordingDefault.aspx?c_psrid=EF52D9848549

 

Scholarship for Cherokee Student in Oklahoma

From Cherokee Pheonix:

Cherokee Nation Higher Education Scholarship deadline is June 12

By Staff Reports

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The Cherokee Nation Higher Education Scholarship application deadline of June 12 draws near for the 2009-10 academic school year.

The desired outcomes of the scholarship program include strengthening the tribe’s sovereignty, increasing the capacity of its citizens and promoting the Cherokee language and culture, according to the CN Web site.

Applications may be picked up in the CN Office of Higher Education in the W.W. Keeler Tribal Complex or downloaded at http://scholarships.cherokee.org, as well as the CN Web site http://www.Cherokee.org, under the “Check it Out” section.

Students may use a checklist of required documents that are to be included with the application. Students also must have applied for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA. To apply for the FAFSA or to get more information, go to http://www.fafsa.ed.gov.

High school seniors graduating in May can apply now with an official seven-semester transcript. Applications must be postmarked by June 12. Applications received after this date will be considered late and unacceptable.

Scholarship recipients are required to volunteer one hour of service to the CN or community for every $100 they receive in scholarship funding. For example, if a student receives a $1,000 scholarship per semester, the student will be required to volunteer 10 community service hours.

Students will be notified in writing when the Higher Education office receives their complete application. Students will also be notified in writing the first week of August if they are selected for a scholarship.

Scholarship Scams

We began talking about scholarship scams a little on today’s radio show. I just read this article and thougt it was a perfect compliment to the discusion. It lays out, quite clearly, the different types of scholarship scams.

We don’t believe in reinventing the wheel, so we’ll as you to read the article at your leisure and post any questions you may have here or DM us on Twitter.

Understanding Your Financial Aid Package for College

This article on reading the financial aid package clearly is invaluable. It clearly breaks down the differences, and what you can expect, from scholarships and grants.

Remember: scholarships and grants are monies that you don’t have you pay back. Loans, you always have to pay back.

Most students will get a package that has an offer for grants and loans. Scholarships must be applied for. Start looking early and apply for every one you can. Many scholarships are not even awarded because no worthy people apply. I reiterate: apply for every grant that you believe you qualify for.

Wards of the state (i.e. foster youth and orphans) are usually given independent status instead of dependent status as we have no one to depend on. This affords us the ability to receive more grant money and fewer loans. If this is a bit confusing, call in to our radio show on Tuesday, April 14th at 10am to ask your questions.