Financial Aid is a wonderful program to help with the cost of college. It is a program that helps to supplement the cost of education and offers opportunities to those who otherwise may not have the means to further their education.

The first step to receiving financial aid is to filling out the free application for federal student aid. This is the agency that determines what the family contribution should be. The difference between the cost of attendance and expected contribution for a student, determines how much funds should be awarded based on need. There are some programs that are based on merit or are non-need based and can replace expected contributions from a family source.

By applying early, several funding sources for assistance can be considered. An eligible student with demonstrated need should not be denied the opportunity to attend college. Though the maze of financial aid can be intimidating, if it is taken on a step at a time it’s as easy as drawing a line from A to B.

Begin by determining your eligibility to participate in federal, state and local financial aid assistance. Once you have determined that you are a good candidate for eligibility, apply for and receive your financial aid. After your initial application for Federal Student Aid, the remainder of the process should be completed at your prospective college or university. The Financial Aid office can be very helpful with this process.

To ensure your success, plan a college education budget. Understand the policies and procedures that will affect your financial aid experience; and if a student loan is part of your budget be sure you understand all the repayment options. Another important financial aid opportunity that you can’t afford to overlook is the work-study program. Often you will be given a part time job within your college or university to help you with expenses. With proper planning, nearly anyone can obtain a good education.

James Hunt has spent 15 years as a professional writer and researcher covering stories that cover a whole spectrum of interest. Read more at http://www.financial-aid-central.info

In 2005 we saw a huge push for digital libraries and noticed Google and Microsoft both scanning books and putting them into digital format for the world to see. We saw many writers get aggressive and threaten lawsuits for copyright infringement. We watched the big companies explain to the world that they were first going to do all the books which were out of print and produce them for all the world to see. In 2005 we also saw a continuation of a trend to make white papers, research reports and University manuscripts, dissertations and documentation online for all. These systems used hybrid search features which could cross reference photos, videos, sketches, paper, reports a number of different ways using the latest and greatest artificial intelligence searching software. Many Universities are now teaming up together to make this a reality and partnering with major search engines to see that all of it is readily available to the world.

In 2006 we will see a uniting of all the worlds knowledge and works from as far back as the books which were in the Alexandria Library all online and at your finger tips. Imagine the amount of knowledge available to the world without the barriers of time, location or language. Able to read information, see videos and pictures and learn anything you want to learn literally at your finger tips; like an add on memory to the human race. Of course this project will take years, but the first half million books will be completely online and ready to go in 2006 and this trend will continue and accelerate in the coming years. Think on this.

Lance Winslow

An important question: how important is it to get into a really competitive school?

Depends on lots of different things…

*What kind of career path are you looking at?

*What kind of people would you like to attend school with?

*How much are you willing to pay (or play the financial aid game) for the privilege of going to a really competitive school?

There are many good reasons for seeking out schools whose admission standard is more competitive than others.

And there are two common reasons for doing so…one we usually talk about and one we don’t.

One we talk about: so I can get a good job after I graduate.

One we don’t talk about: because my ego will feel REALLY good if I get in.

Let’s look at these reasons one at a time, shall we?

"BECAUSE I’M INTERESTED IN A SPECIFIC CAREER, AND A REALLY GOOD COLLEGE WILL HELP ME GET IT.

It’s absolutely true that some colleges have very strong departments and will open doors for you after you graduate. Vanderbilt and Stanford are known as two of the best education universities in the country; and Massachusetts Institute of Technology may be the best engineering school in the world.

And for a student with unusual talent, the growth possibilities at schools such as these are endless!

"I WANT TO BE AROUND SERIOUS STUDENTS OR PEOPLE WHO ARE FROM REALLY HIGH-POWERED FAMILIES."

Well, being a product of a middle class family and a graduate of public universities, I’m not sure I share the values that go along with that statement.

But those are MY values, and readers of this newsletter may not share what is important to me. It’s true that on the AVERAGE, the more competitive the college, the more students will come from well-to-do famiies.

But like every other rule, this one was made to be broken. Bottom line: you will find every kind of student at every kind of school.

"I WANT TO GO TO A REALLY COMPETITIVE COLLEGE SO I CAN GET A GOOD JOB AFTER I GRADUATE."

A competitive college is NOT going to make you more marketable in the economic world anymore than driving an expensive car is going to make you a better driver.

In my career in education I’ve made lots of hiring decisions. I’ve turned down people from big ticket schools and hired people from public colleges. It’s ALL about who and what you become, not where you go.

Going to the right school for you and learning and growing while you are there is what gets you in a good position after you graduate.

"I WANT TO GO TO A REALLY COMPETITIVE COLLEGE BECAUSE MY EGO WILL FEEL REALLY GOOD IF I GET IN."

Know what? I understand this line of thinking.

I don’t agree with it, but I understand it.

Kids are taught to compete for everything since they are young. They’re taught to compete to see who gets picked first for kickball.

They’re taught to see who gets the best grade on the spelling test.

They’re taught to see who makes the football team or cheerleading squad.

They’re taught to see who has the best class rank.

And they’re taught to try to get into the best college.

If you want to keep playing that game, it’s your choice.

Just realize that it’s a child’s game and college is for people getting ready to be grown ups.

Larry Hochman, "The Guidance Guy" is a internationally read advice columnist and one of the Internet’s leading authorities on education, college admissions and successful parenting. Have a question on education or college? Visit the Guidance Guy at http://TheGuidanceGuy.com

How will you decide which colleges you should apply to?

Here’s a story that might help a little.

About three years ago one of my students (we’ll call her Allison) was a senior. She came from a divorced family where neither parent had gone to college. She didn’t know much about how the system worked.

Of course, she went through all the workshops her high school’s guidance department offered. she listened to all the returning graduates coming back for Thanksgiving vacation.

She got lots of stories about what was a good college experience and what should be "do-overs".

Allison was a good student…a B average. Her S.A.T. scores were also pretty good…just over 1000. She had lots of options.

So what should Allison do?

Allison didn’t care much about the size of the school she went to, but she wanted it in a large metropolitan area. Since she lived about two hours from New York City, she thought that might be nice.

She also thought she might like to major in business, since she didn’t particularly enjoy science or math and she liked the business side of her job at a sit-down restaurant.

Beyond that, Allison didn’t give the college search process much thought until November of her senior year.

Big mistake.

As I’m sure you know from term papers, the closer you get to something’s due date, the more nervous you get about doing it, and the more you become willing to settle for any old choice, so long as you’re doing SOMETHING!

So one day Allison got a letter from a really nice college in the NYC area that specialized in business degrees. A good college…nothing wrong with it.

It also cost $28,000 a year. Is that a good investment?

Sure it is…if a college has EXACTLY what you’re looking for. If the major is perfect, if the atmosphere is perfect, if you have fallen in love with the place…

…if you think it will put you in a REALLY good position to compete in the economic world when you graduate.

And if you’re very rich or you’re willing to go into debt up to your eyeballs for a very long time.

Because even with financial aid, you’ve still got enough loans to choke a pig.

So what did Allison do?

She made Mistake Number Two.

Without looking at any other colleges, she decided to apply to that one and that one only. Since it was not a very selective college, she got in easily.

And they gave her a SCHOLARSHIP! $1500!

Great…now she only had $26,500 per year to pay.

Despite the pleas of her guidance counselor and the misgivings of her mom, she decided this was the college for her.

She applied for financial aid, got another couple of thousand in grants, got the standard student loan for a first year college student, and had her Mom take out loans for the remainder of one semester’s tuition.

Allison really enjoyed her one semester at this college…got good grades and felt like she really fit into the community.

So it was really hard to say good-bye after half a year because her mother decided she didn’t have the tuition for the second semester.

Allison wound up going to community college for the spring semester, and transferred to a state university in her home state. She’s now a junior majoring in accounting.

She enjoys her "new college" and looks forward to moving to the Big Apple when she graduates.

Of course, she and her mom are still paying off the loans from her one semester at Big Price Tag U.

Am I saying that expensive universities are a mistake?

NO.

Let’s look at what Allison did wrong.

1. She started the college search process late, so she made decisions under pressure.

2. She didn’t look at enough schools. Someone had a really nice picture of a really nice school on a really nice letter, so she said "yes" to the first place that looked good.

3. She didn’t look at the big picture. Finances are a big part of the picture for many people, and just because someone said "scholarship" to her, she thought the money part would be taken care of.

There are other mistakes she made along the way, but these are the big three.

You can make mistakes and still wind up in a good situation, but these three are enough to take what should be an exciting time and turn it into a nightmare!

How do YOU compare to Allison in YOUR college search process?

Larry Hochman, "The Guidance Guy" is a internationally read advice columnist and one of the Internet’s leading authorities on education, college admissions and successful parenting. Have a question on education or college? Visit the Guidance Guy at http://TheGuidanceGuy.com

A person’s education is actually never completed. We are all lifelong learners. We do however, have formal education systems that are finite and well defined.

An experience that is nearly universal in western societies is the experience of grade school and high school. These institutions do more than educate us in academics, of course. They also socialize us and are part of our life-education process: how to make friends, good decisions, establish personal standards, and so forth.

Some children will continue their formal educations by going to directly from high school to a college or a technical school, and that is where most will have their first taste of true independence. Here again, the institution does so much more than merely academic education.

How well prepared a graduate fresh out of high school is for the experience will quickly be revealed. There are classic pitfalls awaiting young college freshman.

Food, money, study habits, recreation. Each of these areas requires attention for the young student to do well.

Food: The reason for the term “freshman fifteen” is that suddenly the teenager is on his own with respect to food choices. Many students begin by making poor choices, and quickly put on extra pounds.

Money: Students who have suddenly got to balance their own checkbook and make large payments on things like tuition and housing without prior experience and coaching about handling money are at a disadvantage that could be disastrous.

Study habits: Some freshman aren’t prepared for the collegiate expectation of time outside of class devoted to study. They don’t recognizing that it’s a full-time job.

Recreation: There is no curfew and students living in dorms can be of drinking age, so alcohol is readily available. Many teenagers on their own for the first time are sorely tempted by the sense of freedom for experimentation.

Knowing ahead of time about potential problem areas allows parents to help their college-bound children get better prepared. Making good decisions is obviously not something one takes a crash course to learn how to do. It is the habit of a lifetime, and as parents, we begin to teach our children to make good decisions by allowing them sufficient independence while they are still at home and directly under our care.

The freshmen who were tightly restricted at home, and never encouraged to think for themselves, are generally the ones who go wildest as freshman. They’ve been given a taste of freedom they weren’t ready to handle.

If a parent thinks that a graduate needs more time and maturity before going to college, it is wise to give that time. It isn’t necessary to go straight from high school to college. Sometimes, it is better to see to our continuing education after expanding our life experience.

Callista Neuharth’s articles on topics related to college are published at You Go College , providing valuable free information about education. Also visit Yes Education for additional articles by Callista.

At the beginning of my senior year in high school, I sent off half a dozen college applications and recieved acceptance letters from most. After much thought, I chose to attend the local junior college instead of an out-of-town university. My plan was simple: spend two years earning my associates degree, transfer, spend two more years to finish my bachelors. In the end, it didn’t turn out that way. They say hindsight is 20/20, so I am here to share my experience so you may gain from it. Here is a list of what not to do when transferring colleges:

1. Do NOT put your associates before you bachelors degree

My first mistake was knowing the graduation requirements for the junior college I attended and paying little attention to the requirements for my transfer college of choice. I spent two and a half years memorizing the graduation checklist to get my associates. When I finally thought to look at what would be expected of me at the university I had applied to for a transfer, I discovered almost a full third of my classes were not going to count towards my major. If I had compared the requirements for both degrees sooner, I could have still earned my associates without wasting those eight classes.

2. Do NOT put off your transfer application

This is perhaps the one mistake I didn’t make. My transfer university promised a response within two months; I applied five months before the start of the quarter. It is always best to apply well ahead of time to give yourself time to breathe and to tackle any roadblocks that might come up. Face it, they happen.

3. Do NOT put off sending your transcripts

This means both college and high school. Some colleges require an associates-level of college credit before they will accept a transfer, others are not as picky. If you do not have the required number of college credits, the transfer school could put a hold on your application to wait for high school transcripts. It is best to send both off, preferably within a few days of filling out your application. If you can, do it the same day. Don’t wait for them to send you a request for your transcripts. You should also keep in mind that in-progress classes will not be counted as college credit. When you finish the semester and your final grades are in, send a second copy of your transcripts to the school or you won’t get credit for the classes you just took.

4. Do NOT expect them to contact you

This isn’t saying they won’t contact you, just don’t wait for them to do it. Read up on their admissions procedure, taking special notice of how long it should take to hear back from them. If you haven’t heard from them within the minimum amount of time, do not hesitate to call the admissions office and ask about the status of your application. Do this frequently until you recieve your acceptence (or rejection) letter. This will enable you to stay on top of any requirements or any holds on your application. Most universities will attempt to contact you if there are problems with your application, but do not depend on it.

5. Do NOT wait for your acceptance letter before acting

Even before I got my acceptance letter, I had purchased a college catalog, made a list of classes I would have to take and when they were offered, contacted the financial aid office, and made contact with staff working under my major. I had also toured the campus with a map in hand, discovered just how bad parking would be, and what would be the best way to get in and out of campus. This meant I was very comfortable with the idea of attending my transfer university, before I’d even registered for my first class!

Sarah Kurczodyna is an author at http://www.writing.com which is a site for Writers

With China becoming the 6th largest economy in 2004 and likely to rank 4th in 2005, this is likely to fuel further anxieties over the impact of China`s rising economic might for the world economic leaders. But for company executives and aspiring young entrepreneurs, it has become imperative to understand China so as to explore the increasing business opportunities in China.

One of the usual route for this is to study and build social networks at the leading Chinese universities. Latest available figures show that there were about 85,000 foreign students studying in China in 2002. Almost 500 Chinese universities, mainly in Shanghai and Bejing, accept foreign students. The top 5 universities with the largest foreign students are Beijing Language and Culture Center, Fudan, Peking, Tsinghua and Shanghai universities.

If you are planning to do a post-graduate MBA program while working in China, there are many learning organizations to choose from.

The University of Maryland`s Smith School of Business offers a degree, custom and certification programs at learning centers within Beijing and Shanghai. Smith`s first executive MBA program class started in Jan 2003 and graduated in spring 2004.

The University of Wisconsin Milwaukee`s School of Business Administration has recently launched an EMBA program in Beijing in partnership with Motorola for staff of Motorola`s China operations.

Together with the top-ranked Jiao Tong University in Shanghai, the University of British Columbia is also offering an International MBA in China. Besides having the same curriculam as its Canadian MBA, professors from the University of British Columbia teach all of the courses.

Another EMBA program is the Cass EMBA 2-year part-time off-campus program by City University from Britian which has been launched in collaboration with Bank of China and the Shanghai University of Finance & Economics.

Britain`s Nottingham University is the first foreign university to establish a physical campus in Ningbo in September 2004. Nottingham Ningbo`s degree is comparable with its degree from the British campus with all courses conducted in English.

The Chinese government is actively promoting more educational tie-ups in China to develop university graduates who will be better geared for the many multinational corporations operating in China and spearhead economic growth. Currently, there are about 700 such jointly managed educational programs in China.

With the many future and current leaders and managers in China enrolling in the many tertiary education and post-graduate MBA programs, it makes good career sense to take up these courses and build a social network which will be useful for operating within Chinese business community for the future.

Author Ken Yap is a director of Suwa Precision Engineering in Singapore and represents niche manufacturers of metal stamping, swiss screw machining, pcb fabrication and gear hobbing from Suwa, Japan.

Everybody knows that university can be an expensive time of your life. It is usually three or four years of living in rented accommodation, paying university fees, for books, for all your educational needs, and for all your other living expenses, without properly earning anything at all for the entire period. University costs thousands of pounds these days and you will probably have to fund the entire period either from money provided by your parents, if you are lucky, or money borrowed.

Most students, who have to move away from their parent’s home for study, will rent their accommodation. You can usually choose between renting from your university o renting from the private sector. Renting from university has its advantages and disadvantages. First of all, you will be living in halls which has a reputation for being noisy and maybe a little less conducive to study than a university provided accommodation should be. But on the other hand, you will probably be glad of the opportunity to socialise and meet new people. You will have a lot of students similar to yourself around you and you will be able to get to know all of them very quickly.

Halls also give you the option of being catered or self-catering. This means that if you are not sure about cooking and are a little apprehensive about taking on all the responsibilities of moving away from home all at once, you can have your meals provided for you. You also will probably not have to worry about bills, as everything will be included in your rent fee. Rent is usually paid in instalments that coincide with student loan and grant instalments so you should be able to meet your costs.

Halls tend to be a little bit more expensive than finding a flat however. This is because all your bills are included, even your food if it is catered accommodation, and all the other services that may be provided by your university. If you want to save some money on accommodation, what you could look into is finding some friends or flatmates and renting a flat near to your university. This will entail all of the responsibilities of living away from home. You will have to pay a deposit plus your rent on time every month, bills for all utilities will be sent directly to you from the companies, and you will certainly have to cook for yourself. It does offer you good value however, as the cost of renting a flat, divided between you and your flat mates, should be significantly cheaper than halls.

Joseph Kenny is the webmaster an writer for the loan information sites http://www.selectloans.co.uk/ and also Loan Store. At the Personal Loan Store you can find the cheapest personal loans available in the UK.

An accredited MBA diploma is your entry to a better life, job prospects, and a higher personal satisfaction level. Your MBA diploma prepares you for the work challenges. It also assures prospective employers that you have the educational qualifications and appropriate skills to handle senior managerial responsibilities.

In addition, your diploma from a reputable online MBA program makes you a valuable asset in the work place.

And that’s why it is certainly in your best interests to know what accreditation of online MBA programs means and why this is critical to your prospects for employment.

Where can you get this valuable piece of information? First, access the US Department of Education official website. Although the Department does not conduct these evaluations, it works closely with the various accrediting agencies, on regional and national levels. These accrediting agencies, in turn are the designated authorities who’ll evaluate the quality of education found educational institutions.

Are there online accrediting agencies? Yes, these accrediting agencies apply the same rigorous standards in evaluating whether an online university or college utilizes the proper teaching methods and materials. However, these standards have been modified to answer the particular differences of online educational programs.

Here’s a 5-step guide you should use in researching whether the online MBA program you’re planning to enroll is legitimately accredited.

When you log on to this educational institution’s homepage, check to see if they have advertised their professional membership in an accrediting agency.

Next – double check by going to the accrediting agency’s website. Then access their membership list of accredited schools to see if this educational institution is listed .

Thirdly, check out the U.S. Department of Education database of Postsecondary Educational Institutions and Programs, to see if the accredited agency is listed.

A fourth source of information the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) website. This is a nongovernmental higher education organization that examines the all the accrediting agencies.

Fifth – conduct research on their faculty. You can access the school’s website and obtain a listing of the faculty. Take time to read up on their professional resumes, and credentials. Are their educational backgrounds and expertise in line with the courses they are teaching?

Make no mistake about this; you must take the initiative in ensuring you graduate from an accredited online MBA program. Alternatively, you will suffer some serious consequences later on.

The first less serious consequence you’d get from enrolling in an unaccredited online MBA program is when you change schools and transfer the credits earned. You won’t be able to transfer those earned credits. This means, you have lost a considerable amount of money, time, and resources down the drain. But by far the worse consequence? You’ll get from graduating from an unaccredited online MBA program, is the serious loss of your present job, future work opportunities, and professional credibility, and the real possibility of jail time.

All because you did not tame the time to educate yourself on selecting an accredited online MBA program.

There is great value in graduating from an accredited online MBA program and immeasurable losses if the online MBA program is unaccredited.

Mansi aggarwal recommends that you visit http://www.ombag.net/2005/12/make_sure_to_ch.html for more information on accredited online MBA program.

Most online MBA courses are commonly put together to meet the needs of working students with undergraduate degrees in business related programs, as well as those with undergraduate degrees outside the area of business. Depending on the student’s prior education in business, most online MBA courses have a 30 credit program, that can often be completed in as little as two years. Depending on the learning institution, students may transfer in up to 6 credits towards their MBA.

In order to know what you need to take an online MBA course, you should first understand how online MBA courses work. All work in the online classrooms is completed and submitted through the computer. Written work is usually submitted as an email attachment. Just like in a traditional classroom, students are often expected to read any textbook material prior to the due date specified in his/her syllabus or course calendar. Class participation is commonly expected from each student in order to successfully pass each course.

It is not uncommon to finish an entire MBA degree program from the comfort of your own home. But if you desire to have a personal meeting with your professor, you are normally welcome to schedule one. The only thing you need in order to take an MBA course is a computer and the desire. The computer would need to be internet ready, with the capability to send email attachments. Depending on the specific institution, windows 95 or greater is necessary.

Registering for an online MBA course is fairly simple. It is basically the same process you endure when you intend to apply for your education through a classroom. You must submit a completed application to the learning institution. Your application fee, and a copy of your resume should accompany the application, as well as any undergraduate and graduate transcripts. Very often your GMAT exam scores will also be necessary. If you already have a Master’s Degree from an accredited college, you may not be required to take the GMAT exam. That will depend on the individual learning institution.

Online MBA courses can be costly, but as long as the institution is accredited, financial aid is available. Financial assistance is often available in the form of loans, grants, and scholarships. To apply for grants, you need to fill out the federal FAGSA form, as well as check with your school’s financial aid office for aid they may offer. Sometimes, even veteran’s benefits may be available to the student. After registering for the online MBA course, it is always best to visit the school’s financial assistance office, or visit that section of their web page for available scholarships and grants.

Understanding the processes and procedures of online MBA courses is important before you enroll. With an internet ready computer, a desire to learn, online MBA courses could be perfect from you. With online MBA courses, you can get the degree you desire from the comfort of your own home

Mansi aggarwal recommends that you visit http://www.ombag.net/2005/12/how_does_and_on.html for more information on online MBA course.