Sunday, February 22, 2009

Investing For College Students

Investing for college students isn't as hard as it may seem. Did you know you could start a very simple but prosperous investing plan with just a small commitment each month?
The problems most college students run into when it comes to investing is lack of capital. Not long ago, it wasn't worth your time and effort to invest in the market. This is because commissions used to eat up investor's returns. If you had only $50 a month to invest, would you want $10 of that going towards your broker? The key to successful investing is keep 100% of your returns as possible.
The first company to market investments towards young students has been T. Rowe Price. With a minimum of $50 a month, you can invest in one of their mutual funds. There are small account fees, but nothing that will eat away at your returns.
They offer a wide range of index funds, with below average expense ratios. College student's number one problem is shortage of capital. However, there are no excuses now since it only takes $50 a month. The main advantage to starting early is compound interest. Many students have a vague idea what this is. However, have you realized the power that compound interest possesses?
For example, if you invested $50 a month into a Roth IRA, with an 11% return, at age 70 you will have approximately $1,370,000 by that age. All it takes is $50 a month. If you waited and started at age 30, and put in $100 a month with an 11% return, you total would be approximately $774,992.
The opportunity to take advantage of compound interest dwindles each day. Albert Einstein called compound interest, the "The most powerful force in the universe." Don't hesitate any longer. Take advantage of compound interest today. Having little capital is no longer an issue.
There is also another hidden benefit to this automatic investments, it forces you to invest each month. For some strange reason, most investors like to buy high and sell low, a strategy that doesn't make sense in any other endeavor. By forcing to invest each month, think of it as buying more when stocks are on sale, and buying less when stocks are overpriced. A great but simple strategy.
Investing for college students isn't as time consuming and complex as it once was. Start learning about simple investing strategies today. There are many advantages down the road. If you can start building a retirement portfolio for just $50 a month, imagine what you can do once you start making more money. Use the calculator below to dream big. Any goal can be reached with the right planning.

Do You Have a College Degree Or Did You Get Your Knowledge Online?

Over the years, I have noticed and perhaps you have too, that many people that do not have college degrees feel lesser than those that do. They actually think that folks that have degrees from college are smarter? No, that is not actually the case, sure they might have crammed more information into that little head of theirs and might use their brains for different things than those that had not went to college, but that does not mean they are smarter.
Running a Think Tank is fairly interesting in that often applicants apologize for not having very many advanced degrees, as in PhDs, after all nearly everyone who is anyone has a master's degree right? Well, I don't and I wouldn't accept one if it were offered either. So, on the degree thing well;
No worries on the College Degrees, I think they may be over rated anyway. After all a 10-year old PhD isn't worth much when the world moves so fast and even after 10-years most folks still have their student loans they are paying on. By that time everything is on WikiPedia or you can read it yourself on Google Scholar tool bar feature.
In fact, I left college after just a 2-year degree myself. You can probably become a semi expert in just about anything within about 2-3 weeks of hardcore study on the Internet anyway. There are videos of professors, research papers, information, articles, you name it, most is all there. Think on this.

Single Mother Grants For College

Obtaining educational financial aid is a daunting enough task for the average college student who only has to be responsible for herself. How much more intimidating, then, will accomplishing the same task be for a single mother who, before she can even think about paying for college, must provide for both her own and her child's (or children's) basic needs? Fortunately, there is help to be found in single mother grants for college.
Before you attempt to tackle finding specific government grants, it may help to take a step back from your personal situation for a moment. Look at yourself as simply a current or prospective college student.
Realize that there are government grants for education for anyone who needs them, regardless of her background. For example, any undergraduate can receive Federal pell grants - currently up to $4371 per school year - based on financial need alone. The outlook doesn't seem so bleak now that you realize that any single mother grants for college you obtain will serve as additional assistance to the minimum the federal government will allot you simply as a student with a certain level of financial need.
So, what specific study grants do exist and how do you obtain them? The power of the Internet makes finding financial resources much easier than it used to be. Start with a simple search for "single mother" and "financial assistance", "financial aid", or "college grants", and you'll be well on your way to finding the help you need in providing for you and your children's future. Also try including the name of your state of residence in your search. For example, Arizona offers the Arizona Foundation for Women, which provides empowering opportunities to girls and women through grants that assist them in meeting their personal needs, including higher education.
Specifically, single mother grants for college can be acquired through the Helping Hands for Single Moms program that is funded in part by the Arizona Foundation for Women. Helping Hands for Single Moms not only provides financial aid, but helps single moms find affordable housing and also teaches money management through the guidance of a mentor. The goal is that through a combination of higher education and life skills such as financial literacy, single moms will acquire the lifelong ability to independently support themselves and their children.
Helping Hands for Single Moms is just one example of many programs that make it possible to find single mother grants for college. Plus, positively keep in mind that grants such as these are financial assistance in addition to that which you will receive first from the federal government. Rest assured that with perseverance, you can indeed achieve your dream of obtaining a college education and becoming a financially independent provider for yourself and your children. Louis Zhang, Singlemotherfinancialassistance dot com.

Saturday, January 31, 2009

Concerning Athletic Scholarships and College Sports

Countless high school students, possessing athletic skill and talent, are looking forward to a college education with the support of an athletic scholarship. In order to attain these grants, there are a few things students need to remember.

It should go without saying that grades are very important in availing (and maintaining) an athletic scholarship. A player has more opportunities open to him in college sports , the better his grades are. Schools are more inclined to give sports grants and scholarships to students who show that they can perform academically as well as athletically. Poor grades in turn may lessen a player's chances of getting student athlete scholarships.

Coaches appreciate applicants who make the effort to call. It is important to contact the coaches of prospective colleges and determine what they are looking for in a student athlete. Waiting on them to call would be a mistake, given the vast number of hopefuls in other schools. Initiating contact can accelerate the recruiting process and let an applicant know what coaches are interested in.

All emails and letters from schools should be considered, even if they are not an Ivy League college. Coaches who don't receive any response from letters will naturally assume the student is not interested. Do not leave out any possibility unless the decision has been made and finalized. A so-called second or even last choice may prove to be only one.

It imperative that an applicant should be professional in the process of trying out for college sports. There are no second chances when making first impressions with college coaches and administrators. Immaturity and irresponsibility will easily turn away and discourage a potential coach. The applicant should maintain respect for all involved as much as possible. The influence other people can have to coaches in regards to assessing student's character should not be underestimated as well.

Fortunately, the Internet has proved to be a useful venue for both athletes and coaches participating in college sports. There are many websites and online forums wherein students and scouts can come together and interact about athletic scholarships and other important information. D1Athletes is an online community wherein athletes and coaches alike can share and exchange information they need. D1Athletes offers them a place to build an online presence and gain important public exposure.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Cut Your Spending - College

Let's face facts. Most of our population did not save anywhere enough to send their kids to college. Does this make you a terrible parent? No! In fact, we believe that you are a better parent if you do not pay for all or even most of your child's education.

Contrary to what a lot of universities will tell you, they figure that 75% of a freshman class will not last till graduation. Actually, 50% usually drops out by the end of the first year with the other 25% dropping out at a later date. However, this is also how these schools manage to stay in business. That is, if the parents have diligently saved for this or are willing to personally borrow the necessary funds, there is a school that will accept that student no matter what their grades or potential for graduation are. Thus, the school collects the money from students that are only average students and not capable of completing college studies in order to keep the school going. Where does that leave you and your student?

First, if a child is only a C average student, you both need to really consider whether college is going to help. It may help your feelings as a parent so you are not embarrassed telling your friends that your child is not going on to college, but how will it help the student who ends up failing because they cannot handle college level courses? Do you really want the love of your life feeling like a failure? Or do you want them to have a career that they enjoy and can support themselves from? And keep in mind, more than half of the most successful business owners in this country do not have a degree.

If your child is highly motivated to attend college, he will be more than willing to do the necessary paperwork (with a little help from you) to apply for financial aid which should include a government grant, government guaranteed student loans, and work study. If nothing else, we do not feel it is asking too much for a student to spend at least a few hours a week earning his own spending money (which will certainly make him think twice about where he is spending it). However, assuming that you agree to only help in paying for your child's advanced schooling, you can get personal loans to help with tuition. A lot of colleges will even allow you to pay the tuition on a monthly basis if you are willing to sign a contract stating that you are liable to pay the entire tuition even if your student drops out.

As with most things in life, there are a lot of options available when it comes to financing a college education. Do not spend your younger years devoted to saving for a college education that your child may not want or need. Remember that less then 40% of our high school graduates ever actually get a college degree. Also, it is estimated that 2% of high school graduates have already started their own businesses and that number is expected to increase in the future.

Do Employers View Private College Education As Equivalent To Community College Education?

Choosing where to go for post secondary education has gotten harder in the last few years. Even though there are more choices and options available, there are also more people going to college and entering the workforce. Future graduates have always had to think about a college's location, price, curriculum and reputation, and nowadays they also have to think about what their school will look like on their resume.

A lot of students have the bad habit of changing their minds about what career they would like to have, and unfortunately, this comes with changing majors. Some changes are small, but there are students that completely change direction and have to alter their course load, and this would be more difficult at a private college. Private colleges are much more expensive, and it would cost a student an awful lot of money to change his or her mind!

These days, a student has to make extra sure that they know exactly what they want to do for a living before they decide what kind of school to go to. This way, they will know which school will look the best on their resume. Whether or not an employer will care about which type of college an applicant lists on their resume all depends what career choice someone makes. Some employers barely look at the education part of a resume, caring more about skill and experience, while others scrutinize the education section.

If you are looking to make a career out of a job that is more skill based, it would probably be a better idea to choose a good community college. These types of colleges tend to offer much more hands on experience and learning than private colleges. Employers will be more likely to hire a student right out of college if they have had this type of learning. If your goal is to make a career out of a job that is more knowledge based, a private college may be a good choice. These fields can be more competitive, and employers are more likely to look at the education part of your resume.

There is a middle ground between the two career types discussed above, and for this broad span of career choices, students need not worry about which school to choose. These employers will probably mostly care about the fact that you have the education and experience for the job and will not be concerned about whether you went to a community college or a private college.

If you fall into that "middle ground", you can feel free to make your choice based on what the school offers you, as opposed to choosing between community and private. If you have the money to spend, a private college might be a good choice, and if a community college has just what you are looking for, then it would be just as good a choice for you.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

College Requirements to Become a Pharmacist

If you have made the decision that being a pharmacist is the career path that you want to go on, then you need to find out all the information you can about what you need to start your schooling and get your license to become one. In order to get the education that you need in order to be a pharmaceutical chemist, you need to research on the school, university, or college that you would like to attend. You need to find out the College Requirements To Become A Pharmacist; and if you already possess these qualifications or need to get them.

The education that you need that would qualify as a requirement in order to become a pharmacist would be being very proficient in math, physical sciences, and chemistry. You can either take these types of classes the first years of your college education or you could enter into a pre-pharmacy courses that would already have the types of classes that you need to take in their curriculum.

You need to have at least two years of undergraduate training before you can even apply for a pharmacy school. There are many medical professions that you could enter with this beginning schooling.The schools that you contact in order to find out about the College Requirements To Become A Pharmacist, can basically take you by the hand and lead you through everything that you need to do in order to reach your goal.

When you have completed your first years education, you will have to take the PCAT one of the qualifications that you must have in order to get into a pharmacy school. This is the Pharmacy College Admissions Test and it basically covers everything that you have learned during your two years of undergraduate study.

After you have passed this test and are accepted into one of the many pharmacy schools that are available, depending on the school, you will have to spend the next three years taking all of the classes and passing them with specific grades in order to move on to the education of being in the field. You will have a field internship for about a year working with licensed pharmacists who will guide you through the whole hands-on process of being a pharmacist. Once you pass this aspect of education, then you will have to take the licensing exam and upon passing, you will become a licensed pharmacist. Louis Zhang, Pharmacistqualifications dot com.

Personal Education Grants For College

One of the easiest ways to get money to pay for college is to apply for personal education grants. The great thing about this option is that, unlike a student loan, you never have to pay the money back.

When trying to come up with a financing option to pay for school, there are a few places you can turn to. Your financial aid officer at your college is an obvious choice. They can present you with a number of loans that the school provides, scholarship programs, and government loans.

But what if you do not have high enough grades to receive a scholarship? What if you don't have down payment money, a good credit score or a co-signer. While most college students assume they are out of luck at that point, there is an option that really should be the first place.

Besides government student loans, college students can receive federal education grants to help them pay for college. This is free money that never has to be paid back, and is available in many different forms. Some grant programs are specifically for minority women, while some are for low income students. Whatever your situation is, there is going to be a education grant that you can apply for and likely receive.

When you qualify, a couple things could happen. The government or private organization that provides the funding can either send the money directly to your college to help reduce your tuition. That's often the best scenario for students who can't enroll because they have an outstanding tuition bill.

Other times the education grant can arrive in your mailbox in the form of a check. This is a great option for people who may have their tuition covered through scholarships or other programs, but can't afford textbooks, student housing and other college expenses.

Whatever the case, finding college grants from the government and other private foundation programs is simple. All you need to do is find the funding that is available and then submit your application. Often this can be done right online and you can quickly get a response.