How College PLUS Loans Can Assist In Close The Gap In College Funding Education With the climbing cost of education in recent years students depending on traditional Stafford loans have regularly discovered that they fail to meet the majority of their expenses. The PLUS program (Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students) was therefore introduced and is designed to close the gap between the monies provided by college loans and the actual cost of education.
Though the interest rate for PLUS loans is greater than that for other loans the limit on borrowing is considerably more flexible and PLUS loans are not need-based.
For the FFEL program (Federal Family Education Loan) for which loans are funded by private lenders the interest rate is presently 8.5% and loans provided by the US Department of Education under the Direct loan program are presently charged at 7.9%. This difference of 0.6% might appear inconsequential but can prove to be substantial when viewed over the lifetime of the average loan.
With PLUS loans parents can borrow up to the full cost of education minus the amount of any financial aid that the child is awarded. Although PLUS loans are not exactly cheap they can frequently make a difference when choosing which school to attend or whether to attend at all.
However, as PLUS loans are not need-based, they do require a credit check before approval. Usually it is of course the parent's and not the student's credit which is considered since the parent is the signatory to the promissory note and will be responsible for repayment of the loan.
In those cases where the credit history of the parent makes him or her ineligible for a PLUS loan a co-signer can participate in the loan and a relative or other third party can agree to guarantee the loan repayment and take on the legal responsibility as a co-borrower. With recent difficulties in the area of sub-prime borrowing however such cases are unfortunately more common than they once were. That suggests that in borderline cases the requirement for a co-signer is becoming increasingly likely.
Apart from changes in interest rates another fairly recent alteration to the program is the fact that it has been extended to allow professional and graduate students to qualify for PLUS loans. The same eligibility criteria and interest rates apply and they must be studying at a suitable institution and on an eligible program.
Different from many college loan programs, repayment of a PLUS loan begins immediately and the first payment is generally required within 30 to 60 days after the loan monies are disbursed. Interest begins to build up from the time the first payment is made and both interest and principal are paid in regular monthly installments during the time that the student is in school. Payments have to be made to the specific lender in the case of FFEL loans and to a US Department of Education servicing center in the case of Direct loans.
It is important to calculate the costs of obtaining a PLUS loan carefully and look on it very much as a loan of last resort. Even a home equity loan Could turn out to be cheaper because the interest payments are tax-deductible. TheStudentLoansCenter.com provides information on all aspects of college loans and grants and provides details of PLUS loans for college Related Articles - Student loans, college loans, parental loans, PLUS loans, college funding, money for college, | Online Tutors Education Deciding about hiring a good personalized tutor is a tough task. With increasing education standards and competition to excel have raised the need of engaging tutors to help your child. Normally, parents go for private tutors for their child’s needs. These tutors are skilled and experienced teachers, who usually come to your place or any mutually consented place to help your child. Hiring private tutoring is the most common ways to find a good tutor.
Nowadays, tutors are available through various teaching centers. These centers are specialized to provide quality teachers for areas of development. One can just look at the all the registered teaching centers of your area and contact them to get some help. It is beneficial as academy or teaching centers gives the guarantee of teachers and quality can be assured.
Online Teaching Centers
No doubt, the Internet has transformed the way of living. For getting quality teachers for your child, parents can look for various online teaching centers that provide solutions for your all problems. In just a click away, you can get numerous tutoring options for parents. The one of the greatest advantages of choosing a tutor from the Internet is freedom from the scheduling constraints. Online teaching centers makes teaching a real fun, motivating students to do their best.
Online tutoring is gaining popularity, as it never had. With the usage of the Internet children find it easier to communicate through the computer. Specialized CD's and learning materials are also available to help your child to meet out his or her weaknesses and difficulties.
Although, the system of online tutoring is really beneficial, it is always good to take care of the pros and cons of this system. Try to gather as much as information you can before encouraging your child to use online tutoring. Moreover, look for the testimonials and other proof that say more about the quality provided by these online tutoring.
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Myself webmaster of http://www.orbitutors.com , A premier website to find a tutor for various subjects in US and connect with qualified tutors in the city. | Is It Possible To Get a Fast Online Degree? Education Is it possible to get a fast online degree? Many people today are beginning to realize how advantageous it can be for their careers if they have several degrees to their name. But since we now live in a fast-paced world, majority would rather not spend years trying to get their degrees. Instead they want to get their degrees quickly, and preferably online so all they have to do is get on the Internet from their computers at home. For this reason, many schools began offering online degrees and other accelerated programs. However, before you jump in on the online degree bandwagon, there are a few things you need to know.
First, because of the high demand for fast online degrees, many shady companies are trying to cash in on this demand. These companies are more commonly known as degree mills. They offer online college degrees to anyone who is willing to pay. The catch? There aren't any coursework, so what these degree mills do is basically sell degrees to anyone willing to shell out the dough. These degree mills have ala carte options too. For additional fees, your degree can come with honors, transcripts and even employer verification.
So now you're probably wondering how these degree mills can give you a degree. They actually give you credit for your "life experience." There are many legitimate schools that do give credit for life experience but that's in addition to some sort of coursework that you have to do still in order to get an online college degree. Degree mills, on the other hand, will simply give you all credits on the basis of life experience.
Be aware that many employers don't accept "degrees" earned from degree mills. Sure, you may have extensive life experience and you may know as much, or even be better, than your degreed co-workers, but a degree from these degree mills just won't cut it. In fact, it is illegal in some states for employees to use unearned degrees in order to get hired or promoted for a job. Employers look at the practice of getting degrees from degree mills as unethical. Case in point: Laura Callahan, the former deputy chief information officer of the Department of Homeland Security, is one of the many government employees currently under investigation by the Senate for including unearned degrees in their resumes and job applications.
So now you know that buying a degree from degree mills is not only unethical, but can also get you in a whole lot of trouble when you're found out. This doesn't mean, however, that you can't get a fast online degree legitimately. There are reputable and legitimate institutions that offer fast online degrees. It pays to do some checking on schools and other institutions that offer online degrees. Use the following as your guideline:
1. Evaluate the degree program being offered. Find out the graduation requirements, how many credit the school will grant you for prior learning and what exactly does the school consider as prior learning. Most reputable and legitimate schools that offer fast online degrees will typically give you at most two years' worth of credit for prior learning. This may or may not include your life experience.
2. Evaluate the institution offering fast online degrees. Is it a reputable school overall? What is the profile of the school's graduates? Are graduates of the school able to get into graduate schools? For a list of "substandard" schools, check out the database by the State of Oregon: http://www.osac.state.or.us/oda/unaccredited.
3. Evaluate the teaching staff. Find out what the student/faculty ratio is. What percentage of the teaching staff has doctorate degrees? master's degrees? In terms of publication, what types of work and how any have members of the faculty published, and where?
4. Check accreditation of the school. You want to get your online degree from an institution that is duly accredited by a legitimate state-approved accreditation body. The Universal Council for Online Education Accreditation (UCOEA) and the Board of Online Universities Accreditation (BOUA) are not considered legitimate accreditation bodies, so keep this in mind if you come across institutions stating they are accredited by either the UCOEA or BOUA. Visit the website of the Council for Higher Education to check a college's or institution's accreditation: http://www.chea.org/institutions.
It is possible to get a fast online degree that is both legitimate and acceptable to current and future employers. You simply need to take the time to thoroughly study each institution and program to make sure you won't be paying for something you won't be able to use to advance your career.
Nic Haffner likes to give this readers information about online education programs. Do you want to take online accredited degrees? Then click the link. |
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Networking Systems (1)Exam 70-290: Managing and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Environment - 5 Interactive CD-ROMs, Microsoft Authorized MeasureUp ExamSim, Printable Courseware & more. (2)Exam 70-291: Implementing, Managing, and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure - 5 Interactive CD-ROMs, Microsoft Authorized MeasureUp ExamSim, Printable Courseware & more. (3) Exam 70-293: Planning and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure - 5 Interactive CD-ROMs, Microsoft Authorized MeasureUp ExamSim, Printable Courseware & more. (4) Exam 70-294: Planning, Implementing, and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Active Directory Infrastructure - 5 Interactive CD-ROMs, Microsoft Authorized MeasureUp ExamSim, Printable Courseware & more.
MCSE Client Operating System Exam 70-270: Installing, Configuring, and Administering Microsoft Windows XP Professional - 5 Interactive CD-ROMs, Microsoft Authorized MeasureUp ExamSim, Printable Courseware & more. MCSE Design Exam 70-297: Designing a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Active Directory and Network Infrastructure - 3 Interactive CD-ROMs, Microsoft Authorized MeasureUp ExamSim, Printable Courseware & more MCSE Elective Exam 70-298: Designing Security for a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Network - 3 Interactive CD-ROMs, Microsoft Authorized MeasureUp ExamSim, Printable Courseware & more.
Related Articles - MCSE exam, MCSE certification, MCSE training, MCSE training exam, MCSE certification exam, | Public School Dangers: Sex in the Public Schools Christian,Education,Free Web Resources The Washington Post states that 900,000 teenage girls become pregnant each year. According to another study, one in four American teenagers contract an STD each year. These statistics naturally strike fear into the heart of every parent, especially considering that more teens are engaging in secular activity at younger ages.
What's more disturbing is that the public schools are no longer discouraging this kind of activity but encouraging teen sex by providing free condoms and other “safeguards” against STD's. Abstinence is often taught as an outmoded footnote in sex education programs that encourage students to be safe while having sex with multiple partners. Teen rape is also at an all-time high.
Christian parents should be aware of the sexual climate that exists within public schools. Consider the game “Snap” played by young schoolgirls. The girls wear bracelets of various colors, each color representing some kind of sexual act. The boys try to yank the bracelets off of the girls' arms. If successful, the boy is guaranteed a sexual liaison featuring that particular act with the girl. If the nature of this game shocks you, consider that the girls playing the game are as young as eleven years old.
Parents need to do something about this. From the moment that students walk out of their homes they are confronted with attitudes toward sex that are completely antithetical to a Christian worldview. Parents should seriously rethink exposing their children to this kind of environment. There is really only one solution, as cultural and social factors are working against teens and preteens 24 hours a day. Only homeschooling offers an environment in which students can learn free from these negative influences. Homeschooling allows your kids to be kids.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mimi Rothschild is a homeschooling mother of eight, accomplished author, and Founder and C.E.O. of The Southern Baptist Academy.
Rothschild launched the home educating academy because she saw a need for an affordable alternative to the public school specifically for families answering the call to Exodus coming from Southern Baptist Convention Leaders. It is her sincere prayer that Southern Baptists will be able to use the K-12 program in order to achieve academic excellence and moral soundness. The Southern Baptist Academy is an online private homeschool that offers students a world-class Kingdom education alternative.
You can read more from Rothschild at The Southern Baptist Academy Blog. | Education news: Homeschool Kids Address Socialization Issue Education,Christian,Free Web Resources More than any other concern, parents of public schooled children seem to focus on the socialization, or lack thereof, of homeschooled students. Many parents seems to have the idea that homeschoolers sit in a dank basement with no outside interaction, leaving only for bathroom breaks. Nothing could be further from the truth, according to the spunky group of homeschoolers interviewed at a Coshocton, OH co-op.
"A lot of people say when you're homeschooled, you don't have a social life. At first I was worried about that," Tracy said. "But there was so much in the community I was involved in, choir, piano, volleyball, my church. A lot of people don't realize you can have a social life and be homeschooled."
Their lives are full of opportunities to socialize. Extracurricular opportunities abound for today's homeschooler. From church groups to athletic organizations, homeschool students, even those living in rural areas, are able to meet and socialize with other homeschooling peers. Interestingly, some of these students feel that the concern for socialization itself is not necessarily warranted. Perhaps not all socialization is good socialization. Jamie thinks peer socialization is overrated.
"I don't think there are any disadvantages, the only argument you ever get is socialization. To me, in my memory of school, the only socialization was lunch and recess and those were with no adults around. Children left to their own devices isn't proper socialization," Jamie Jenson of Coshocton said.
Homeschoolers can read more at the Coshocton Tribune.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mimi Rothschild is a homeschooling mother of eight, accomplished author, and Founder and C.E.O. of The Southern Baptist Academy.
Rothschild launched the home educating academy because she saw a need for an affordable alternative to the public school specifically for families answering the call to Exodus coming from Southern Baptist Convention Leaders. It is her sincere prayer that Southern Baptists will be able to use the K-12 program in order to achieve academic excellence and moral soundness. The Southern Baptist Academy is an online private homeschool that offers students a world-class Kingdom education alternative.
You can read more from Rothschild at The Southern Baptist Academy Blog. |
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