| Vol.
I, No. 7 | May
Day / Mother's Day | Apr.
20th, 2001 |
Learning
& Education
Links to Learning & Education
On-Line . Links
to Learning & Education On-Line
The amount of info on the web is enormous, as anyone who's ever tried to run a
search can attest to. And, to put it all in context, best estimates say
that only a fraction, maybe 20 - 40 % of what's out there is actually making its
way to the search engines.
Well ...
Here at DownStreet, we'd like to try to help. So each issue, we
post a few links in House & Home to sites that might interest you.
Sometimes the links will be related to one another ... sometimes
we'll just offer up a somewhat random sampling. In either case, we think
we might be able to help you find the kind of site you've been looking for.
Of course, while we can't vouch for the fact that every link we provide will be
of interest to everyone, we do our best to filter out the noise and the
bustle. ... On-Line
Financial Aid Resources {cont.} As
we mentioned this month's Learning & Ed. feature article -- "Need
Help with Financial Aid?" -- this time we're foregoing our usual format
of links to three quality web sites in order to provide you with as many quality
on-line financial aid resources as we can. In this light, know that each
of these sites rates at least **** [4 stars]. ... We'll
start off with the VSAC -- Vermont Student Assistance Corporation -- sites,
since, among other reasons, they are a source of financial aid, as well
as a clearinghouse for fed and other financial aid info. ... VSAC
Resources ... The VSAC site is fast & informative.
However, be aware that not all features work with Netscape browsers. ... V
S A C-- Vermont Student Assistance Corporation
This is the VSAC
Home Page. ... V
S A C What's New Monthly Planning Tips
This is VSAC's monthly
calendar to help you stay on track with the application process. V
S A C FAQs
VSAC's Frequently Asked Questions page ... We wish
they'd've played at least 20 questions. But the 10 questions they do
answer are useful and common. V
S A C Request Information
Instead of using the Post Office, you
can go on-line to request info or ask a specific question -- either using
their on-line form or e-mail address. V
S A C Pathway -- On-Line Loan Applications
Includes links to both
VSAC grant application and the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student
Aid). We also provide a direct link to the latter, below. V
S A C Pathway -- Calculators
Links to 2 calculators ... a Loan
Calculator that shows total payments, and interest, for different types of
education loans ... and an EFC [Expected Family Contribution] Calculator
that steps you through a series of questions to determine how much your
family will be asked to contribute yearly towards college expenses. V
S A C Pathway -- Grants
Basic info about grants available,
including Vermont Incentive Grants, Vermont Part-Time Grants, Vermont
Non-Degree Grants, Federal Pell Grants, and Federal Supplemental Educational
Opportunity Grants (SEOG). V
S A C Pathway -- Loans
Basic info about Stafford Loans, PLUS
Loans, and EXTRA Loans. V
S A C Pathway -- Scholarships
Links to some VSAC info about
scholarships, including some we have listed below at the source. V
S A C Pathway -- Work-Study
A brief over-view of the College
Work-Study program.
Dept. of
Education Resources ... For a gov't site, the ED web is pretty
fast. All IE, Netscape & AOL browsers 4.0 and above are supported for
the on-line application. ... U.S.
Department of Education (ED)
This is the Dept. of Ed. Home
Page. ... FAFSA
on the Web
This is the 1st page of the FAFSA [Free Application
for Federal Student Aid] on-line application form. You can save your
info, so you don't have to complete the entire app in one sitting. Getting
Started -- FAFSA on the Web
This is a very useful page,
especially, but not only, for those using the FAFSA on-line
application. Links to info on an Overview of the Process, Deadlines,
and Records Needed. Frequently
Asked Questions -- FAFSA
This page provides answers to dozens of
questions about the FAFSA process. SFA
- Finding Out About Financial Aid
Links to lots of useful info,
including Funding Your Education, Student Guide, Tuition Tax Credits, Direct
Loans, students.gov (Access America), Accrediting Agencies, Closed School
Information, Looking for Student Aid, State Information, and Other Federal
Aid Sources. ED-OSFAP
Direct Loans
This page provides links to lots of info on fed
loans, including on-line counseling, calculators, school links, and
publications & guides. Student
Guide 2000-01
This is last year's Student Guide, the only one we
found on-line at this point. But it still contains lots of useful
& pertinent info. What
Do I Need? {Records Needed} -- FAFSA
This is a direct link from
the Getting Started Page, in case you'd like to start here by gathering the
necessary info together.
Other
Financial Aid Resources ... The remaining sites -- all very useful
-- include both fed and private resources. ... IPEDS
College Opportunities On-Line [COOL] Search Page
This link,
actually from NCES [the Nat'l Center for Educational Statistics] provides a
very useful tool for college and other postsecondary searches. You can
narrow your choices geographically by region, state, city, or max distance
from you zip code. ... Or by type of institution or instructional
program. ... Or by size of the school {number of students
enrolled. You can also search for specific schools, as well as Title
IV-eligible {meaning fed financial aid participating} institutions.
The site is very fast! {On one search for all New England institutions
offering a program in Education, the COOL database returned 132 schools in
about 5 sec. on a 56k modem.} The initial results page provides info
for each school by name, location, and size. Click any school name,
and you go to a page of more detailed info, including: mailing address;
phone numbers for gen'l info, financial aid & admissions; web address
{where applicable}; Carnegie Classification; type of institution; fed aid
available; degrees & certificates offered; application fee; and ...
probably most important in this context ... Academic year prices for
full-time, first-time undergraduate students, including tuition & fees,
books & supplies, and on- & off-campus room & board and other
expenses, including family accomodations. Peterson's
- Financing Education
Long one of only a few of THE college
guides to reference, Peterson's now has lots of on-line financial aid info
available, including: The Future of Financial Aid, Financial Aid
Negotiation, The Financial Aid Story, Trends in Financial Aid, Scholarship
Myths, Admissions Calendar, Q and A on Financial Aid, Glossary of Financial
Aid Terms, Tips from Parents, and Quick Quotes from the Experts. College
Board Online Scholarship Search
From The College Board, this site
provides an on-line form you can complete to track down scholarship funds
available. You can help focus the search by year in school or
non-degree awards ... "awards based on competition, talent, or
interest" ... aid based on federal aid programs, financial need,
or academic achievement ... research grants, loans, or internships ... state
of residence ... religious or ethnic background ... proposed major ...
parents' affiliation with specific employers, clubs, or other organizations
... military service ... and even a misc. category, including primarily
disabilities. Financial
aid home page U.S. News
U.S. News provides a solid & pretty
comprehensive financial aid site. You can check out Articles &
Features by topic {Where to Start, Students Loans, Scholarships, and
Parents} ... use their Interactive Tools {to do a Scholarship Search,
Predict College Costs, Compare Aid Awards, or use a Loan Repayment
Calculator} ... or check out their Best Value Rankings for schools
rated best for highest quality at the lowest cost. {Note: They
also list schools by the amount of debt students leave with -- most and
least. UVM ranked 13th among National Universities for students
leaving with the most debt.} FinAid!
The SmartStudent Guide to Financial Aid
A solid general resource
with info about loans, scholarships, military aid, other types of aid,
financial aid app's, an 'Ask the Aid Advisor' feature that offers
personalized help rather than an FAQ, calculators, and related info, like
testing & admissions. Family
& College Home - MSN MoneyCentral
This site, part of the
Microsoft Network, includes step-by-step guides, scholarship searches, links
to news sources, and more. There are also Quick Reference sections for
Children • Death • Divorce • Marriage • College Planning •
Financial Aid • Saving for College • and Scholarships.
Good
luck! . .*******
******* If you know of any
links that you think are worthwhile, why not send them along to ...
links@downstreetmagazine.com
... If we agree, we'll be happy to include
them in an upcoming issue to pass the word along. ...
Thanks. *******
******* .
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