Financing+Your+Education

= Financing Your Education- Don't Let Finances Stop You =

Getting an Education isn't cheap, but don't let that stop you from pursuing your dreams, there are all kinds of educational funding resources out there. Take a look at the tips and list below.

Please be aware that each school can have a different deadline for financial aid applications. For instance, many have the deadline of June1 others require you to complete all your documentation by March. As soon as you settle on a program/school ask what that campus's financial aid deadlines are.

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Visit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid website and request a PIN as soon as you decide to take your first class. It can take a few days to receive your PIN so don't put it off. You don't even need to know for sure which school you want to or will be attending. You can either ask that your information be forwarded to several schools or you can go back in and edit your application at a later date. Be patient as your work through the application, read all the advice provided at the start of the process. Collecting the suggested information before you sit down to fill the application out will save you much aggravation.======


 * Step two :** Leave no stone unturned in looking for scholarships and grants. For example, my sister and I are 1/16 Hawaiian, several years ago she completed her BA through a scholarship awarded by the Kamehameha Schools foundation in part because of our Hawaiian ancestry. So look for scholarships based on your career field, your interests, your cultural background, anything you can think of might present a financial aid opportunity for you.

When looking for financial aid, please be cautious, there are websites and services that will promise you they can find you a scholarship but they expect a fee for information you can likely find on your own for free. The Federal Trade Commission has this to say:

//According to the Federal Trade Commission, unscrupulous companies guarantee or promise scholarships or grants. Some guarantee that they can get scholarships on behalf of students or award them "scholarships" in exchange for an advance fee. Most offer a "money back guarantee" - but include conditions that make it impossible to get the refund. Others provide nothing for the student's advance fee-not even a list of potential sources. Some companies ask for a student's checking account to "confirm eligibility," then debit the account without the student's consent. Even if the company does provide the student with an award source(s), most often the same information is available at the Financial Aid Office for free.//

** Here are some resources to help: **
1. My Career Advancement Account which you can access through Military OneSource has undergone several changes but is still a great resources for military spouses.

2. The AF Clubs program (the Enlisted, Officer and Joint Ranks clubs programs) has an annual scholarship competition: http://www.afclubs.net/CN_Scholarship.htm 3. This site provides many links and basic information resources for financial aid and scholarships and the GI Bill: @http://www.careeronestop.org/MILITARYTRANSITION/financialAid_ms.aspx 4. Scholarship Scams? Scams are out there, use common sense, do your research and check out this website for more: @http://www.finaid.org/scholarships/scams.phtml 5. There are several databases to help you search for financial aid resources, again be cautious, but do give this one a look: @http://www.fastweb.com/