Saturday, June 30
PG Grad Awarded New Scholarship
Prince George teen, Sanja Knezevic, is one of 60 B.C. students awarded the first 'Pacific Leaders' scholarships for children of BC Public Service employees.

In announcing the scholarships earlier this week, Deputy Premier Shirley Bond said, "Sanja has demonstrated strong academic achievement while at Duchess Park and is a very worthy recipient.

Sanja will receive the $2,500.00 scholarship when she enrols as a full-time student in an under-graduate degree program or a trade, technical or vocational program.

Successful recipients were chosen based on academic achievement (with a minimum B average), communication skills and an essay written on the value of the public service.

Labels: , , , , , , , , ,

posted by ^%&^ @ 7:01 PM   4 comments
Riot-hit Gujarat children face uncertain future in Hyderabad
An uncertain future looms ahead for a group of Gujarat children who were brought here after the 2002 sectarian riots in that state with a promise of free education. The NGO that brought them here has suddenly shut down the residential school where they study, and they have nowhere to go.

The children, who were promised free education till Class 12, were shocked to see their school and hostel in the Tolichowki neighbourhood locked upon their return from Gujarat after a two-month vacation.

With nowhere to go, a group of around 45 children were forced to stay on the footpath for around two weeks. About 20 of them, including six who fell ill, returned to their home state while the others have decided to stay back here in the hope that the NGO - Muslim Educational, Social and Cultural Organisation (MESCO) - would admit them in other schools run by it.

The children who had to return to Gujarat include Nazim, whose tailor father was shot dead by the police during the riots. Nazim, who had passed Class 9, had come with his mother. He and the other children who returned were allegedly not given a certificate of their marks or a transfer certificate to enable them to continue their education in Gujarat.

Of the children who decided to remain, 16 were staying in Mehdipatnam in a small two-room house provided by a kind-hearted man. The children, aged between seven and 16, are feeling dejected seeing other children go to their schools, which re-opened early this month for the new academic year.

Another group of nine children is staying at another house. They have almost run out of the little money they had brought along. They told this IANS correspondent that they just don't know what to do now.

Taj Mohammed, the father of Class 9 student Irfan Siddiqui, has come from Ahmedabad to drop his son. He feels totally shattered. "The children were brought with high promises to fulfil their dreams of becoming doctors and engineers. In one stroke their dreams have been shattered," he said.

Giving reasons for the school's closure, MESCO secretary Fakhruddin Mohammed said that the lease for the school and hostel building had run out. The NGO offered to accommodate the children in another school, Al-Salaama, but said the children and their parents are not willing.

"The quality of education at Al-Salaama is very poor and the hostel there is already overcrowded," said Taj Mohammed.

"Our children have been studying in MESCO for five years. They want to continue their education. Why can't MESCO admit the children in other schools and hostels run by it," asked Ayesha Banu, mother of Class 8 student Mohammed Arif.

The parents alleged that though their children were brought with a promise of free education till Class 12, they were paying Rs.15,000 to Rs.18,000 annually for each child. "A few students were paying Rs.20,000 to Rs.25,000," said Nazeer Khan, father of another child.

"When they are not imparting free education to the children why should they refuse to admit the students in other schools run by them?" he asked.

One of the parents alleged that the NGO was running the school till the donations from various charitable organisations from India and abroad kept pouring in after the riots.

"They were running the school only to get the funds, and when the funds stopped coming from abroad they shut down the school," one of them said.

Nazeer Khan alleged that the NGO had sent back several children as their parents could not afford the hefty fees. One of them was Faisal, whose father was killed in police firing during the riots. The boy had to drop out of Class 4 two years ago as his mother could not pay the fees.

According to some parents, the school had closed due to an internal fight in MESCO.

"Director of MESCO Mohammed Azam and his son-in-law Fakhruddin Ahmed received huge funds in the name of these children. The funds were siphoned off," claimed a man who had played a key role in bringing the children to Hyderabad.

"The children who were studying with Gujarati as their medium of instruction had to struggle to switch over to English when they came here. Now if they are to return to Gujarat they will have to again switch over to Gujarati-medium schools," he said.

"After studying here for five years our children have attained non-local status in Gujarat. If they return it will also have a psychological impact on them," said Hafiz Suleman, who is from Gujarat's Mehsana district. (IANS)

Labels: , , , , , , , ,

posted by ^%&^ @ 6:30 PM   0 comments
Path to sustainable growth and development
Some hard and possibly unpopular decisions will have to be made, but we will see if the elected officials mean the country any good or if they are only present to collect their salary cheques and get rich by unstated but questionable means. The new minister of finance will have to be more flexible and communicative and less combative with the private sector, as well as all the government agencies he ultimately presides over indirectly. He will have to manage the nation's funds and get value for every dollar he collects and subsequently spends. He will need to be proactive and not reactive. For too long, political committees have been established to evaluate different proposals, only to send in their recommendations and have them changed or shelved. I say we establish rules and laws and enforce them!

Here is my shortlist for the next government to seriously consider implementing.

. We are held to ransom annually by our dependence on oil imports, so make it mandatory for 25 per cent of all new cars to be Flex fuel cars and gradually increase the ratio to 85 per cent over five years to eliminate gasoline-powered vehicles. Flex car engines run on either ethanol, gasoline, or any combination of the two.

. The government of the day should pass a law forcing oil companies to add small quantities of ethanol to their gasoline. Make it mandatory for the gasoline retailers to retrofit some pumps to sell Flex fuel. In a bid to cut the country's reliance on foreign oil imports and help our own sugar producers, we should follow Brazil's example, where the government pushed alcohol-powered cars in the early 1980s. Jamaica does not yet produce enough sugar cane to provide all the raw material for an ethanol plant, but importing same from Cuba and Haiti could result in real growth and development in all three countries. With oil prices at a record high, there is a clear advantage to diluting gasoline or even substituting it with sugar-based ethanol. We need to plan for the future; oil is finite and it is going to get more and more expensive.

. In addition to the savings to operate a Flex car, the reduction in pollution will be a positive step for the environment. It should be noted that the technology is readily available. Unlike hybrid cars sold in the US, for example, flex cars sold in Brazil don't cost any more than traditional models. Ethanol engines use 25 per cent more ethanol per mile than gasoline. But ethanol can be sold at somewhere between a third to half of the price of gas and still obtain a reasonable profit.

. With the savings from the oil imports, the government could then complete the much-needed road infrastructure and maintain it!

. Forget about rejuvenating the railroad. It's not a dead horse. It's just plain dead!

. Look to the Ministry of Agriculture to promote non-traditional crops (basil, lemon grass, ginger, ginger lily, limes, nutmeg, peppermint and turmeric), and encourage the private sector to invest in these products, with a view to extracting the essential oils and generating some much-needed foreign exchange. Talk is cheap. You have heard the opinions from the economists, the experts, the world market. Now walk the walk! And lead the country.

. Enforce the litter act with the same enthusiasm, then ask the police to enforce the Road Traffic Act. Go into the poorer communities and "tell" the occupants that the law exists and it will be enforced. If they continue to dump refuse into the gullies, they will be removed forcibly from beside said gullies to discourage them.

. The pain of crime has affected us all, rich and poor, young and elderly. It is now permeating our schools. No school is immune. We all know discipline begins at home, but is reinforced at school. Allow the schools more freedom in establishing their rules and codes of acceptable conduct. Depending on the Ministry of Education to act as judge, jury and enforcer results in inadequate attention to our growing disciplinary problems in the education system. Justice delayed is justice denied.

. The masses blame lack of opportunities for the high level of crime. To some extent this is a contributing factor, so the creation of jobs needs to be prioritised. On the other hand, having the current laws and punishment reviewed could be a worthwhile exercise. Giving the security forces the necessary equipment and remuneration to perform their duties is of utmost importance.

. The promise of free education from one party and free health care for the young and the elderly from the other are merely demonstrations of how ignorant our aspiring leaders assume the citizens of Jamaica to be. They may actually wish us well but the reality is that "nothing in life is free". Someone will have to pay the cost of providing these services, ultimately the "taxpayer" - us. As Bob Marley would say, "Don't mek dem fool yuh"!

. The bureaucracy in the health-care system needs to be evaluated and revamped as soon as possible. The current CEOs and administrators should be held accountable or be replaced. Each hospital and health centre should be self-sufficient and earn its way with minimal subsidy from the government, if any. You may ask, what about the poor? Well, I say, what about them? Let them stop harbouring criminals. Let them find employment to survive. Let them stop idling at home and having so many children whom neither they nor the state can afford to maintain. Many of these so-called poor people are still looking for a hand-out from their political representative. Unfortunately, many of them will receive said hand-out over the next few weeks leading up to the election!

. For the next prime minister and government, I say to you, "Good luck", for you will surely need it. Start praying now, and pray every day because without divine intervention to guide our leaders, we are headed towards greater hardships, while forever being classified as a "Third World Economy".

I say to you, Prime Minister and Government , " He who knows what to do and does not do it, will live to want to do it, thinking of when he should have done it !"

Labels: , , , , ,

posted by ^%&^ @ 6:30 PM   1 comments
Tuesday, June 26
Student Loan Process Improvements
The province is hoping improvements to the Student Financial Assistance program will make it easier for students to apply for loans.



Student loan applications are now available on-line and the program call centre hours have been expanded.

Last year the province approved more than 13 thousand 5 hundred student loans totalling more than a hundred and 19 million dollars.

Loan recipients also got more than 35 million dollars in grants and bursaries.

One point 3 million dollars went to students with permanent disabilities, high need part time learners and female doctoral students.

Labels: , , , , , , , ,

posted by ^%&^ @ 9:09 PM   0 comments
Community award finalists are revealed
YOUNG carers, charity fundraisers and youth leaders are among the finalists in a competition which rewards community spirit.

Six students from Coleg Glan Hafren in Cardiff have been shortlisted for the Active Citizenship in Education (ACE) awards for the concern and care they show for others. They are:

Single mum Machala Evans, 29, of Llanedeyrn, Cardiff, who balances her college course in science with being a mum as well as supporting family members who have mental and physical health issues.

Christopher Smith, 17, who is studying information and communication technology (ICT) was nominated for helping to raise money for charities such as the British Heart Foundation and Breast Cancer Care fund. His classmate Murad Khan, 18, has made the shortlist for helping elderly members of his local mosque as well as organising events for young people in Grangetown, Cardiff.

Darren Yorath, 17, of Whitchurch, Cardiff, volunteers with young people and teenagers at a youth club. The IT At Work student also helps a disabled neighbour with chores and raises money for charity.


Story continues Continue story
ADVERTISEMENT

Gina Taule Hella and Fredrik Tangerås, both 17 and from Norway, helped police identify the perpetrator of an assault outside the college.

The winner, who will receive £250 from the Cardiff Bay Rotary Club, will be announced at a ceremony at the college next week.

Labels: , , , , , , , , ,

posted by ^%&^ @ 8:51 PM   0 comments
A bill to be considered by the U.S. House in July would cut federal payments to student lenders by $4.1 billion in fiscal year 2008, according to a Co
AN audit has uncovered a $70 million discrepancy between the student subsidies the Federal Government is estimated to have paid education providers and the actual amount accessed by students.

The figure was revealed today in an Australian National Audit Office report examining the Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) - the government assistance provided to tertiary students, including HECS, which they eventually pay back once they earn above a certain salary.

The report said the education department had estimated an amount of $1.72 billion in HECS-HELP payments went to higher education providers in 2005, whereas the actual amount of student loan assistance accessed was $1.65 billion.

"The net reconciliation variance of approximately $70 million represents an amount that was receivable by the department," the report said.

The education department had accounted for the variance in December 2006 instead of earlier in the 2005-06 financial year, the audit office said.

The report warned the department had not documented its procedures for preparing and approving estimates of HECS-HELP spending, increasing the risk the figure could be inaccurate.
Despite this, the audit office found that overall, the education department was effectively monitoring the amount universities charged students under the HECS-HELP scheme.

The department has accepted the report's recommendations.

Labels: , , , , , ,

posted by ^%&^ @ 8:45 PM   0 comments
Galway Student Wins Top Design Award for New Wind Turbine
A revolutionary new design for personal wind turbines has won the top prize at the BSI Sustainability Design Awards 2007 in London. Ben Storan from Galway, a student graduating with an MA in Industrial Design Engineering from the Royal College of Art (RCA) London, has been working for the past year in conjunction with Imperial College London to design an affordable personal wind turbine suited to the urban environment.

The result is a unique design, which uses vertical, rather than traditional horizontal, rotation. This feature gives a slower rotational speed, which allows the turbine to capture more energy from turbulent air flow, common to urban environments. It also means quieter operation.

As a result, it is able to generate more energy than domestic models currently on the market. Similarly sized existing personal wind turbines claim to generate 1kW at a wind speed of 12 m/s, but typically produce just 40% of what is claimed. Ben Storan’s design should realistically produce 3 times that (1.2kW).

The clever vertical rotation design uses lightweight materials, which means Ben Storan’s turbine is more stable than other personal turbines leading to better energy capture and making it easier to install.

Speaking of winning the award and 3,000 first prize, Ben Storan said: “I’m delighted to win such a prestigious award. Growing up in the windy west of Ireland, I’ve always been acutely aware of the huge potential in harnessing such a free, clean and renewable source of energy which, along with a spinning clothes line, gave me the idea in the first place.”

Whilst still at the early stages of development, he hopes that his design will be in production in the not too distant future. Before attending the Royal College of Art , London, Ben Storan was a student at the National University of Ireland from 1999-2003 where he graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He also obtained an Art Portfolio Preparation Certificate for the Galway Institute of Technology in 2005

Labels: , , , , , , , ,

posted by ^%&^ @ 8:33 PM   0 comments
Eastern Washington University Announces New Online Courses
Online career training courses are in heavy demand. Staying on the cutting edge of this popular educational methodology, Eastern Washington University recently partnered with Gatlin Education Services to provide online career training courses in the fields of healthcare, business, construction technology, Internet, design and technical, networking and CompTIA certification and video game design and development.

Accessible online, the non-credit courses can help individuals at any stage of their career. Whether the student is interested in switching career paths, obtaining advanced training and certificates, or a first-time job seeker in need of specialized training, EWU and Gatlin provide the necessary resources for workforce, corporate, vocational rehabilitation or individual career training, all from the convenience of your own home or office.

Gatlin programs blend various types of instruction in a unique format that provides a logical, comprehensive and effective education. The typical course combines online instructional content, traditional textbook material and instructor-facilitated lessons. Though the courses are self-paced, personal instructors are available to guide every student. This blended learning differentiates EWU and Gatlin courses from ordinary online courses. Each course is open enrollment and takes an average of 90 days to complete.

Web-based instruction is growing in popularity. Gatlin’s enrollments with their partner institutions have increased by 100 percent in the last year. The company has strategic partnerships with more than 600 institutions of higher learning worldwide.

“Between juggling a job, a home, a family and a social life, there isn’t always a lot of time left to attend an on-campus class,” said Stephen Gatlin, founder of Fort Worth-based Gatlin Education Services. “Online training offers the convenience of working from your personal computer and at your own pace. It’s a viable tool right now as evidenced by the growing number of people utilizing it, and is the way of the future.”

Established in 1989 by Stephen Gatlin, Gatlin Education Services is the largest provider of Web-based, instructor-supported training to community colleges and universities. Gatlin’s online career training courses are open enrollment, allowing interested students to start their desired training immediately. Gatlin’s courses are designed to provide the skills necessary to acquire professional caliber positions for many in-demand occupations.

Labels: , , , , , , , , ,

posted by ^%&^ @ 8:33 PM   0 comments
Monday, June 25
Maharey Free With Rhetoric, But Not With ECE
ACT New Zealand Education Spokesman Heather Roy today congratulated Education Minister Steve Maharey for pulling off, what may be, the biggest scam in New Zealand's history of Early Childhood Education.

"Mr Maharey has even managed to pull the wool over the eyes of the charitable trusts that provide funding to the Auckland Kindergarten Association - so well, in fact, that these trusts are now either opting out or threatening to opt out of the arrangement," Mrs Roy said.

"This means the AKA is at risk of losing $1.1 million of funding a year - and will have to charge parents an additional 50 cents per hour per child to provide 20 hours free Early Childhood Education for three and four-year-olds.

"So much for Mr Maharey's statement that: 'from July 1 tens of thousands of New Zealand parents will have more money in their hands every week' - or perhaps he simply wasn't including Auckland parents in that statement.

"A group of concerned parents - '20 Hours Free. Please' - has delivered a petition to Parliament urging the Minister to keep his election promise that '20 hours free education will be provided for three and four-year-olds at any licensed teacher-led service in New Zealand from July 2007'. Around the nation, 3,375 people have signed this petition.

"This just goes to show: Mr Maharey can fool some of the people some of the time, but he can't fool all of the people all of the time.

"Mr Maharey has put Early Childhood Centres in an untenable situation, stuck between parents on one side and the Government on the other - and unable to make either one happy.

"With ECCs facing a tough enough time as it is, the least Mr Maharey could do is come clean and admit that his interpretation of the term 'free' is different to that of the rest of the English-speaking world - then, perhaps, the AKA might be able to retain some of the funding they so desperately need to provide quality education," Mrs Roy said.

Labels: , , , , , , , , ,

posted by ^%&^ @ 9:36 PM   0 comments
Student Loan Financial Group Announces Interest Rates on Variable-rate Loans Increasing July 1st
Student Loan Financial Group , the premier financial center specializing in Federal Student Loan Consolidation , today announced that interest rates on existing variable-rate student loans will climb eight basis points, or .08 percentage points July 1, 2007. While interest rates on new Federal Stafford and PLUS loans are fixed under federal law, students, graduates and parents who have older, variable-rate student loans can take advantage of the lower rate if they apply for student loan consolidation by June 30.

Most federal Stafford and PLUS loans first disbursed before July 1, 2006 charge variable interest rates that are set by federal formula and based on the last auction of 91-day U.S. Treasury bills in May. Interest rates on loans disbursed after that date are fixed at 6.8 percent (Stafford) and 8.5 percent (PLUS).

"This Spring 2007, college grad's who still have variable rate loans may consider applying to consolidate before their six month, post grad grace period ends," said John Wrinn, President, Student Loan Financial Group. "Students can lock in a lower rate if they lock the rate prior to June 30th. Also, parents with PLUS loans will save an eight of a percent by consolidating before July 1st, instead of waiting.

When a student decides to consolidate their student loans, the loan consolidation lender pays off the student's current federal student loans in full and creates a new loan, with a new interest rate and a longer repayment term. Federal student loan consolidation has a fixed interest rate, based on the weighted average of the interest rates of the student loans being consolidated, rounded up to the nearest 0.125 percent or 8.25 percent, whichever is less.

For existing Federal Stafford and PLUS loans that still carry a variable interest rate, the interest rates as of July 1, 2007 will be:

Stafford Loans (in school, grace and deferment periods): 6.62 percent

Stafford Loans (repayment): 7.22 percent -- PLUS Loans: 8.02 percent

In addition, there is no credit checks, no fees, no prepayment penalties as well as student loan consolidation can reduce the monthly payment amount by nearly 50 percent. That is because student loan consolidation stretches the repayment period from the standard 10 years to up to 30 years, depending on the amount of the education debt.

Student and parent customers who consolidate their Stafford, PLUS and other eligible federal student loans using a Student Loan Financial Group Consolidation Loan can also reduce their interest rate by an additional 1.25 percentage points by making scheduled loan payments on time, and by using automatic debit to make payments electronically. Combined, these benefits can provide the average customer with $4,300 in savings on a $20,000 loan.

About Student Loan Financial Group
Student Loan Financial Group (SLFG) is a premier loan service that guides clients through the options and choices of student loan financing with ease and simplicity. Headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, SLFG specializes in student loan consolidation and has helped thousandths of students fulfill their ambitions of high education. Through an extensive network of highly specialized products, SLFG offers low rates, great borrower benefits and the best options available to solve a wide-range of consumer-financing needs. SLFG was incorporated as a privately held company in 2006; all of its shares are currently held by officers and employees.

Labels: , , , , , , , ,

posted by ^%&^ @ 9:34 PM   0 comments
Tafford Uniforms announces nursing scholarship winners
Tafford Uniforms, a leading supplier of nursing uniforms, shoes, and medical accessories, announced that two students have been awarded the inaugural Tafford Uniforms Nursing Scholarship.

The scholarship program, announced in March 2007, was created by Tafford Uniforms to support the education and training of nursing students and help address the critical nursing shortage facing the healthcare industry in the United States.

This semester's winners of $1,000 scholarships were selected from an amazing group of applicants who will soon be serving in the nursing profession. The Tafford Uniforms Scholarship Committee received over 6,000 completed applications from approximately 1,600 schools across the country. Michael Allbritton, a single father with primary custody of three children, returned to school after raising a special-needs child.

Allbritton was awarded the scholarship to assist in his pursuit of a BSN degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. In his application, Allbritton stated, "With the opportunity presented, I am committed to succeeding, regardless of time, effort, or difficulty."

Labels: , , , , , , , ,

posted by ^%&^ @ 9:33 PM   0 comments
SAE Institute announces a first of a kind scholarship program for the region
SAE Institute in partnership and with the support of Dubai Knowledge Village, Dubai International Academic City and the Australian Trade Commission & Australian Education International, a unique scholarship program for the region to follow in the footsteps of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation.

In attendance was H.E. Mr Jeremy Bruer - Australian Ambassador to the UAE, Dr. Kazim Ayoub - Executive Director of Dubai Knowledge Village and Dubai International Academic City; Mr. Steve Garrett, Consul - Education, Science and Training - Australian Education International and Mr. Romy Hawatt, Senior Executive of SAE International.

SAE is the worlds largest Creative Media & Communications Technology education & training provider in the fields of Film Making, 3D Animation, Multimedia & Web Design and Audio Engineering and has launched this first of a kind scholarship program in support and the facilitation of 240 selected students, from 9 regional countries, to study an Australian 1 year Diploma program at the SAE Institute - Dubai Knowledge Village campus for Lebanese, Egyptian, Sudanese, Indian & Pakistani students and also the new state-of-the-art SAE Campus in Amman, for Jordanian Iraqi, Palestinian and Syrians.

Dr. Ayoub Kazim, Executive Director of Dubai Knowledge Village and Dubai International Academic City commented, 'As a pioneering regional hub for education and professional development, Dubai Knowledge Village hosts several leading academic institutions. SAE Institute is one of the key providers of arts and creative media technologies education and we are supportive of their part-scholarship programme offered here. Moreover, we are glad that our business partner has chosen Dubai Knowledge Village to extend such a valuable programme to the students.'

Successful applicants will be able to study a fully Australian accredited course at either the renowned Dubai Knowledge Village educational zone in the UAE or the brand new SAE Institute campus in Amman Jordan. Upon graduation the student will be well positioned for consideration- subject to Visa application criteria at the time, to continue studies for a degree qualification at one of the SAE degree centers in Australia or elsewhere.

Mr. Steve Garrett, Consul - Education, Science and Training, Australian Education International stated that 'SAE Institute provides not only a high quality education, it addresses a gap in the market by providing unique courses unlike anything else in the region, and this is done successfully with SAE's qualified teachers and the latest technology and equipment. I encourage those who are keen to pursue a career in Audio Engineering, Film Making, Digital Animation or Web design to apply for an SAE scholarship'.

In order to provide this unique study program to as broad an applicant base as possible the SAE scholarship fund will pay 50% of the published course fees on behalf of the successful applicant, thus effectively doubling the number of students that may take advantage of experiencing an SAE education.

'SAE Institute is in awe and greatly inspired by the recent announcement of the unprecedented pledge by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum to establish a $10 Billion Foundation to support 'human development and knowledge creation & dissemination' and we will be applying forthwith to align the existing SAE Scholarship program to meet the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation policies, criteria & objectives.' said Romy Hawatt, Senior Executive, SAE International.

We believe that an internationally recognized & accredited education can provide a giant step toward poverty alleviation and self determination, especially in developing and war torn countries. On this basis SAE has joined forces & resources with a number of private, industry and Government agencies and donors to provide a broad based and uniquely Australian education opportunity to those that meet application acceptance criteria.

'Australia has a legacy and proud history of actively developing & participating in programs & campaigns that align, bridge and support our friends & neighbors. The Middle East is no different in this regard and we are committed at both a Government and business level to maintaining & increasing the very best of relations with our Arab friends. The generous and innovative scholarship program offered by SAE is one important example of how positive contributions can and are being made.', said H.E. Jeremy Bruer - Australian Ambassador to the UAE.

Plans are already underway to expand the scholarship program to further territories in late 2007 /08 and it has been suggested that these could include Libya, Morocco, Kenya, Turkey and Iran.

'SAE Institute will continue to set the pace & lead the way, actively enhancing and delivering an education that corresponds with the latest technical advancements & global industry needs. We have always maintained an 'equal opportunity in education' and 'unity in diversity' policy which is designed to facilitate & provide for a variety of nationalities to come together on our campuses. We will continue to work to spread the benefit of our lead positioning by educating as wide an international student base as is possible within territories warranting support. The SAE scholarship program is evidence of our commitment to helping to create a sense of community and a generally better world through the provision of practical education & training,' Dr. Tom Misner, SAE Institute, President & Founder.

Labels: , , , , , , , , ,

posted by ^%&^ @ 9:27 PM   0 comments
LIN TV Announces 2007 Minority Scholarship Recipient
television, digital media and online news organization that owns and/or operates 29 television stations and websites, today announced Stacie L. Thompson as the recipient of its 2007 Minority Scholarship and Training Program.

Ms. Thompson, a junior in the fall at the University of Missouri, will receive a two-year scholarship, worth up to twenty thousand ($20,000) dollars per year, for tuition, fees, books, and room and board. In addition, LIN TV will provide Ms. Thompson with hands-on broadcast training through a paid summer internship program at WISH-TV in Indianapolis, IN, where she will gain valuable experience in all areas of television station operations.

LIN TV’s 2006 Minority Scholarship Recipient, Jana Gordon, a senior in the fall at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, is currently interning in Community Affairs at WDTN-TV in Dayton, OH. Both recipients may be offered full-time permanent positions at a television station owned and/or operated by LIN TV upon graduation and successful completion of the program.

"By endorsing and supporting students interested in journalism, LIN TV is helping to guarantee the future quality of the broadcast industry,” said Vincent L. Sadusky, president and chief executive officer. “Our recipients are from diverse cultures and are well-rounded, hard-working, and dedicated students. Their goals are ambitious and we want to see them succeed.”

“LIN TV has offered me an opportunity of a lifetime,” said Stacie L. Thompson. “This scholarship ensures that I can complete my college education and gain unparalleled ‘real world’ experience in broadcasting.”

For nearly a decade, LIN TV has been awarding scholarships to ambitious students who are pursuing a wide spectrum of goals in or relating to broadcast television and digital media, ranging from producing and engineering to broadcast journalism, community affairs and sales. They were selected to receive the Minority Scholarship because of their academic achievement, their passion for broadcasting and their desire to contribute to the overall advancement of the industry.

Labels: , , , , , , ,

posted by ^%&^ @ 9:27 PM   0 comments
Saturday, June 23
Student loan interest rate looks set to double
Interest rates on student loans look set to double, it emerged this week. The interest charged on a student loan now stands at just 2.4%, but rising inflation means students and graduates could soon face interest rates of twice that on their outstanding loans.

That's because the Student Loans Company interest rate, which is set every autumn, is based on the March retail price index, which this year jumped to 4.8%.

The Welsh party Plaid Cymru this week described the student loan system as "a complete scandal". Plaid member Bethan Jenkins said: "If interest rates double, many will be charged £50 a month in interest alone. We cannot allow this to continue."

Labels: , , , , , , , , ,

posted by ^%&^ @ 10:25 PM   0 comments
Why You Should Take Advantage Of Student Loan Debt Consolidation
You went to college, and you have your degree. And now that you have a job, you are making your own money, which means you have your own bills to pay. College probably wasn't free, and it certainly wasn't cheap. You probably had to take out several student loans in order to pay for your tuition, books, even your living expenses. So now that you have graduated, you are faced with the prospect of paying back several loans at a time. This can be quite overwhelming. It can be difficult to keep track of several different monthly loan payments with different interest rates. That is why student loan debt consolidation is a good thing to consider.

When you consolidate your student loans, you are combining them into one loan. This has many benefits for you, including only 1 monthly payment rather than several to keep track of, and one low interest rate for the entire amount. Also, you can take longer to pay back the loan, which will help keep your monthly payments lower. In the long run, you will save money by choosing student loan debt consolidation, because you won't be paying several varying interest rates on several loans.

Another huge advantage of student loan debt consolidation is that it is beneficial to your credit rating. If you have several loan payments to keep track of and pay per month, the chances of you missing a payment are much higher than if you have just one loan payment to pay monthly. And missing student loan payments is nothing to mess around with. If you get behind on your loan payments, you run the risk of having property and possessions revoked, and your credit rating will be damaged for a very long time. Therefore, if you are someone who might not be able to keep track of several student loans at a time, you should consider student loan debt consolidation!

Labels: , , , , , , , , ,

posted by ^%&^ @ 9:59 PM   0 comments
Memorial scholarship established by Palance’s widow
Students financially in need who want to attend the Hazleton campus of Penn State University – especially those from Hazle Township – may have an easier time getting an education, in the name and memory of the Hazleton area’s most famous person.
Friday, Elaine Palance – the widow of actor Jack Palance – was at Highacres to announce she was establishing the Jack Palance Memorial Trustee Scholarship.
Elaine said Jack would have been pleased to leave a legacy that combined two of his great loves – his hometown and young people.
“When I was approached about doing this, I knew at that very moment it was the right thing to do,” she said. “Jack loved this area and the people, and he’d want to make the future of children better. I can’t think of a better way than helping young people attain their educational goals.”
Kevin Salaway, the campus’ director of development, explained how a trustee scholarship works.
“The donor contributes a prescribed amount,” Salaway said. “An endowment such as this remains in perpetuity, so the principal remains, and the interest is used for the awards.”
Salaway said the number of scholarships and their amounts are dependent upon by the university’s Financial Aid office.
“A trustee scholarship means the trustees match the amount (of the scholarship),” Salaway said. “Trustee scholarships start at $50,000.”
Implemented in 2002 by the university’s board of trustees, the scholarship program has assisted more than 4,000 students in the 2006-07 school year.
Although Mrs. Palance did not reveal how much she has endowed on behalf of her late husband, who passed away last November, she said she would like to build the scholarship to be even larger.
“I would like to have a golf tournament or some other event,” she said as she signed papers for the scholarship. “I want to get very involved and participate so that it can help as many students as possible. I don’t want to have just X dollars for this, I want to have 10 X.”
Salaway said the scholarship is a culmination of money raised from family and friends around the world. It is a testament to the way Palance felt about his hometown.
“Jack had a long-standing relationship and commitment to the Hazleton community,” Salaway said. “We are flattered the Palance family has elected to make this contribution to the Penn State Hazleton Campus. It’s a way of giving back to the community. It was their (the Palance family) interest to leave a lasting legacy, so they elected to do this.”
Attorney Pasco Schiavo, vice president of the Hazleton Educational Council, the campus advisory board, and chairman of the campus Development Committee, presented Mrs. Palance with a token of appreciation.
“Many of us here in the community view Penn State Hazleton as a true asset to the region, and it’s gratifying to know that someone like Jack Palance agreed,” Schiavo said. “It’s a great legacy.”
It was Schiavo and local TV personality Sam Lesante who began a dialogue with Jack and his family related to supporting the Hazleton campus as a means for creating a legacy in his hometown.
“Jack expressed interest in supporting the campus, and it’s wonderful to see his wishes come to fruition,” Lesante said.
“We appreciate the Palance family establishing the Jack Palance Memorial Scholarship at Penn State Hazleton,” said Penn State Hazleton Chancellor Dr. John Madden. “This gift will have a lasting effect on students, giving those who may not have the resources to attend college an opportunity to do so.”
Following Palance’s death, one of Palance’s daughters, Holly – the other daughter is Brook – requested that a memorial scholarship fund be established at the campus.
Elaine said Jack would have been pleased to help young people.
“You had to see the way he was around children,” Elaine said. “In order to understand, you would have to have been over our house for a sleepover – when all of the kids would be outside, skating on the pond at the farm, with the car headlights shining on them – and Jack holding one that was too cold. You had to see that. Jack would be so proud to do this.”
And if any of the scholarship recipients wanted to study theater or acting, Elaine said she had some study tips.
“I could help anyone study drama and acting,” she said. “I could tell them what books to read. Jack had his own library.”
Mrs. Palance also took then opportunity to speak with the media and thank veterans who saluted the famed actor upon his death.
“I would like to thank the veterans for bringing all of the majesty to Jack’s memorial Mass,” Elaine said. “Many people don’t know he won the Purple Heart and Bronze Star in World War II. Jack is being honored by the Green Berets in Oklahoma City in August.”
Born Volodymir Ivanovich Palahniuk in Lattimer Mines and the son of a Ukranian coal miner, Jack Palance is well known for his roles in 1950s movie classics such as “Shane” and “Sudden Fear.”
On television, he won the Emmy Award for the 1957 show “Requiem for a Heavyweight.”
In the 1980s, Palance also co-hosted with his daughter Holly the television series “Ripley’s Believe It Or Not.” And he won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1992 for his performance as cowboy Curly Washburn in the comedy “City Slickers.”

Labels: , , , , , , , , ,

posted by ^%&^ @ 9:45 PM   0 comments
Scholarship fund reaches new heights
The University of Memphis athletic department is expected to set a record for donations to its Tiger Scholarship Fund, surpassing last year's record of $5 million.

The TSF, the fund-raising arm for the athletic department, reached its longtime goal of $5 million last year, but could approach $6 million when figures are announced next month. A re-seating at FedExForum for the Tiger basketball program -- coming off consecutive Elite Eight appearances and expected to be ranked in the preseason top five -- has contributed to increased donations.

''We budgeted $5.2 million (in donations) for 2007, but we are going to surpass that,'' said Bill Landsen, UofM associate athletic director/development. ''We'll be setting a new record, although I'm not sure what it will be.''

After last year's record donation total, athletic director R.C. Johnson, who set the $5 million bar when he was hired 11 years ago, said $6 million would be the next benchmark.

''I don't have a tally, but we're having phenomenal success with our (TSF) renewals and with new members,'' Johnson said. ''We wanted 500 new members, and we have surpassed that.

''As for our donations, the goal was $5.2 million. I feel confident we'll make that, which will be another all-time record. The goal has always been to offset scholarship costs.''

Johnson said each percentage point increase in tuition translates to about $52,000 in scholarship costs. Tuition has increased in recent years by about five percent annually.

Golfer transfers

Kyle Peterman, a freshman on the UofM men's golf team who finished in a tie for first in his college debut, is transferring to Western Illinois near his hometown of Sherman, Ill.

Peterman said he was leaving the Tiger program because he was unhappy with the limited playing time he received in the spring. Peterman had a 74.3 scoring average for six rounds in the fall, including a tie for first in the Mason Rudolph Intercollegiate, where he fired a second-round 66. He did not qualify for any spring tournaments, according to Grant Robbins, the UofM men's coach.

''He had every opportunity to qualify (for spring tournaments),'' Robbins said. ''He just didn't qualify. He'll do well (at Western Illinois). He's a good golfer.''

Busy offseason

Lady Tiger basketball player Aroha Jennings, a native of New Zealand, may find herself returning to the UofM this fall to rest. Jennings, the lone returning senior for coach Blair Savage-Lansden, has been busy traveling with the New Zealand national team after earning a roster spot in May.

Jennings, who led the Lady Tigers with an 11.9 scoring average last season, traveled to Japan in late May for a five-day tour that included three tournament games. Last week, the team flew to Beijing, China to begin an eight-day stay and participate in a four-team tournament in preparation for the Olympic qualifying tournament.

New Zealand, ranked 17th in the world, will participate in the William Jones Cup tournament in Taiwan early next month.

Odds and ends

Former Tiger kicker Stephen Gostkowski, beginning his second NFL season with the New England Patriots, will be involved in a minor league baseball promotion with the short-season Class A Lowell (Mass.) Spinners Sunday. Gostkowski will kick autographed footballs into the stands between innings of the Spinners' game against the Vermont Lake Monsters. There was no mention of Gostkowski, a former Tiger righthander, throwing out the first pitch. ... Former Lady Tiger basketball assistant Jay Bowen, a Memphis native and former Ole Miss assistant, has been hired as head basketball coach at East Texas Baptist University in Marshall, Texas. East Texas Baptist, a Division 3 women's program, went 22-5 last year. Another former Lady Tiger women's basketball staff member, Bartlett native Toby Bush, has been named head coach at Neosho County Community College in Chanute, Kan. ... Former Lady Tiger golfer Stacey Tate participated in last week's U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links tournament at Kearney Hill Golf Links in Lexington, Ky., but missed the cut by one stroke after rounds of 75 and 79.

Labels: , , , , , , , ,

posted by ^%&^ @ 9:40 PM   0 comments
USC offers a scholarship to 8th-grader
Still mulling over high schools, eighth-grader locks in his college

This is exactly the kind of encouragement parents holding second mortgages to pay for trainers and summer camps do NOT need:

For the second year running, Southern California basketball coach Tim Floyd offered a scholarship to an eighth-grader.

‘‘Hmmm,’’ Louisville coach Rick Pitino mulled over the news. ‘‘I’m not good enough to evaluate that far ahead. Someday, I might wish I was.’’

The kid’s name is Ryan Boatright, he’s 14 and 5-foot-10, and still not sure which Aurora, Calif., high school, East or West, he wants to attend. But he won’t have that problem with college. Ryan left Floyd’s basketball summer camp at USC last weekend with a promise to return in 2011. It may or may not be part of a trend.

Floyd is barred by NCAA rules from discussing specific recruits, but he said Thursday, ‘‘I don’t want this portrayed as if we’re hovering over some eighth-grader by himself. Families are involved and they view the opportunity for a $188,000 scholarship as something important to them.’’

And indeed, Mike Boatright, Ryan’s father, said about the offer, ‘‘It shocked me.’’

Not long after, however, he told the same interviewer, ‘‘I’m tremendously concerned. It could get ugly as far as kids getting jealous. I also don’t want it to get to his head. I want him to stay humble.’’

About the only thing the recruiting process and real life have left in common is this: When something sounds too good to be true, it usually is. So before this goes any further, it’s worth noting that none of what happened — Floyd’s offer of a scholarship, Ryan’s pledge to USC — is binding.

Floyd promised he would make good on his offer — ‘‘I will not back out of any commitment that we make.’’ he said — even though NCAA rules bar coaches from making ‘‘official contact’’ with a recruit before his junior year of high school.

A spokesman for the organization said Thursday that contact between coaches and players at the summer camps was not considered ‘‘official.’’ If that sounds too convenient, at least it still reflects the reality on the ground. NCAA officials know that the kids are no more likely to keep their promises than the coaches and schools are. One of the pioneers of the ultra-early commitments was a McDonald’s All-American named Taylor King who pledged to UCLA and is now set to go to Duke.

‘‘We have a responsibility to get the best players we can find and know what the competition is doing,’’ Floyd said. ‘‘And when they target an eighth-grader ...

‘‘In a perfect world,’’ he continued, ‘‘we’d all wait until spring signing date when these kids are high school seniors. But that’s just not the world that we live in in college basketball. Am I supposed to wait until Duke or Kentucky offer, and then it’s OK?’’

Similarly, just because Floyd made the same offer last year to then-14-year-old Dwayne Polee Jr., doesn’t mean the 6-6 high school freshman from Westchester, Calif., still isn’t on other schools’ list. Or that Boatright, who was reportedly being chased by DePaul, Indiana and a handful of other schools, will be at USC until he actually signs a national letter of intent.

‘‘Four years is a long time,’’ Pitino said, ‘‘and way too often, it just doesn’t work out for either side.

‘‘Unless he’s Greg Oden, where you know he’s going to be that good down the road, I’m not sure what’s in it for the school. For the kid, on the other hand, it could be great — unless the school backs out.’’

And no coach wants his feet held to the fire. Pitino recalled a ninth-grader who committed to Louisville, but wasn’t a good fit by the time his freshman year of college rolled around. He recalled a similar case where Florida coach Billy Donovan, his one-time pupil, had to convince another kid that he’d found three players at the same position in the interim.

‘‘The only thing it’s guaranteed to do,’’ Pitino said about the signing, ‘‘is generate a lot of publicity.’’

Try telling that to all those parents already in debt up to their eyeballs. With dollar signs in their eyes and college scholarships supposedly being handed out at summer camps like consolation prizes, it’s only going to get more expensive still. This is called free enterprise.

Developing athletic talent is not only cheaper, but a whole lot less chaotic when it’s run by the government, or by powerful clubs, such as the soccer teams in Europe. There, talents are identified even earlier than 14, catalogued, sent to academies, signed, trained and delivered to pros a few years later at fixed costs.

When high school prospects were skipping college and pouring straight into the NBA with all the attendant problems, somebody proposed that solution to then-deputy commissioner Russ Granik. He chuckled, thought it over, then pointed out that was never going to be an option.

‘‘It sounds great,’’ he said, ‘‘but there’s no chance people in this country would ever go for that.’’

Labels: , , , , , , , ,

posted by ^%&^ @ 9:09 PM   0 comments
Friday, June 22
Financial aid 101
RECENT NEWS from the student loan industry has all the makings of a gritty detective flick. Some shady financial aid officials cut dubious deals with lenders at the expense of naive student victims.

The seen-it-all detective is Senator Edward Kennedy. He's the chairman of the Senate's committee on health, education, labor, and pensions, which has released a report on student loan abuses. It's a troubling account of what Kennedy calls "inappropriate marketing practices, conflicts of interest, and back-room deals."

The stories are similar. Students take out loans without asking a lot of questions because this is the only way they can go to college. Those who get what are called Direct Loans deal with the federal government. But students who go through Federal Family Education Loan programs are borrowing from private lenders.

This is where problems have festered. Some banks and colleges have had ill-advised, even unethical relationships. In some cases, colleges steer student borrowers by designating certain banks as "preferred lenders." The banks then reward college officials with services, consulting fees, or positions on boards.

Meanwhile, students can be railroaded because they don't know about all their borrowing choices. It's a national problem. Kennedy's report challenges practices at various lending institutions, including Citizens Bank, Chase, Citibank, Nelnet, and Northstar. Some colleges have fired their own financial aid officials, including Emerson College, which fired its dean of enrollment.

But cleaning up student borrowing will take a lot more than throwing out bad apples.

In a meeting at the Globe last week, US Education Secretary Margaret Spellings called for greater transparency in lending and a greater public role in financial aid, pointing out that many students go directly to banks for private loans to pay for college. She promoted President Bush's proposal to raise Pell grants over five years to $5,400 -- a move that's overdue, since grants don't add to the debt many students accrue by graduation.

Spellings also says colleges have to police themselves, making sure they have ethical and well-enforced financial aid policies.

On Wednesday, Kennedy's committee wisely approved a bill that would cut $18 billion in subsidies to student loan companies. Of this, $1 billion would be used to reduce the federal deficit. And $17 billion would be used for financial aid. Pell grants would go up to $5,400. The bill would cap monthly loan payments at 15 percent of borrowers' discretionary income. And the US Department of Education would have to name colleges that raise prices faster than their peers.

When it considers this bill, the full Senate should follow the committee's lead, cutting a fairer deal with college students

Labels: , , , , , , , , ,

posted by ^%&^ @ 8:58 PM   0 comments
Standardize Financial Aid Award Letters
The letters that colleges send students to notify them about their financial aid awards are cryptic and confusing. Families often find them to be difficult to understand and interpret. Key problems include the use of obscure terminology, incomplete cost information and limited disclosure of important loan terms. An award letter might highlight the total amount of aid while providing insufficient information to allow the family to figure out the bottom line cost. A lack of universal standards for financial aid award letters also prevents families from comparing aid offers from different schools on an apples to apples basis.

Currently, there is no standard format for financial aid award letters, nor requirements for the content of award letters. Colleges are not required under federal laws or rules to send an award letter. There is, however, a haphazard set of regulatory and statutory notice requirements that colleges fulfill with the award letter, such as the notice of the amounts and types of Title IV aid, availability of financial aid and certain institutional information.

Every family wants to know how much their college education will cost and how they can pay for it. This means the letter should include the full actual cost of attendance, the total aid (broken down by type and timing), and the remaining cost. Unfortunately, many award letters seem to omit one or more of these elements, as has been demonstrated by Kim Clark of U.S. News & World Report at FinancialAidLetter.com.

Some of the more common problems with financial aid award letters include:

* Inconsistent reporting of cost figures. Some letters don’t mention costs at all and some include only selected costs. For example, some letters mention just tuition and fees instead of the full cost of attendance as defined in section 472 of the Higher Education Act of 1965. Even when an award letter includes the full cost of attendance, it may not break down the costs into the major components — tuition & fees, room & board, books & supplies, transportation and personal expenses — making it difficult to determine whether one or more cost components has been omitted. Some cost components, such as textbook prices and living expense budgets, may be underestimated or be based on old estimates. This makes the financial aid offer appear more generous.
* Masking the identity of award components. Sometimes award letters use cryptic acronyms, abbreviations and names for components of the financial aid package, making it difficult for families to determine what’s a grant, what’s a loan and what’s work-study.
* Incomplete disclosure of loan terms. Award letters rarely disclose the key terms of the loans, such as interest rates, fees and loan length, or even whether it is a student or parent obligation and whether the interest is subsidized or unsubsidized by the federal government. Financial aid award letters also sometimes fail to distinguish between need-based loans and non-need-based loans. There are good public policy reasons for including non-need-based loans and tuition payment plans on the award letter, such as raising awareness of often-overlooked options for financing college (e.g., the PLUS loan and the unsubsidized Stafford loan). But incorporating these loans into the financial aid package without clearly distinguishing them can mask gapping, where the college fails to meet the student’s full demonstrated financial need, and be misleading. For example, when a private student loan is branded as a college loan, a practice that has been criticized by Congress, it suggests that it is a low-cost loan, when in reality it is one of the more expensive forms of education financing.
* Masking the real price of college. Financial aid award letters often emphasize the net cost, which is defined as the difference between the cost of attendance and the need-based components of the award letter. The net cost roughly approximates the expected family contribution (EFC). In some cases award letters include non-need-based loans when calculating the net cost, making the college seem less expensive than it really is. A key problem with net cost is it treats loans like gift aid, as though they don’t need to be repaid. While low-cost loans provide cash flow assistance, and so are a form of aid, subtracting them from the cost of attendance hides how little support some students get. A better approach is to highlight the out-of-pocket cost, which is the difference between the cost of attendance and just gift aid. This more closely reflects the true cost of college.

Colleges need to take the lead in standardizing a set of disclosures for financial aid award letters in order to improve transparency and accountability. This will make it easier for prospective students to compare awards from different colleges and for current students to understand just what help they are receiving.

A standard could include the following requirements:

Cost of Attendance

* Use standard definitions of college cost components.
* Require all award letters to include total college costs, not just a subset of the costs.
* Require all award letters to include a breakdown of each major component of the cost of attendance, such as tuition & fees, room & board, books & supplies, transportation and personal expenses.
* Use realistic cost of attendance figures, based on actual costs, to prevent underestimates that provide a misleading picture of college costs.

Financial Aid

* Segregate need-based aid from non-need-based aid.
* Aggregate and label awards according to award types, such as grant, need-based loan, non-need-based loan, and work-study.
* Disclose the key terms of each loan, including the interest rate, fees, loan term in years, whether it is a student or parent obligation, and whether the interest is subsidized or unsubsidized. For example, a subsidized Stafford loan could be listed as “Subsidized Stafford (6.8% interest, 2.5% fees, 10 year term)".

Standardized Format

* Establish a standard reporting format for this information, akin to the Schumer box required on all credit card solicitations. Using a standard format would make it easier to compare award letters from different schools.
* The award letter could include additional information, but this disclosure box would establish minimum standards for the information to be included on the award letter.
* Summarize the family cost as the out-of-pocket cost in addition to the net cost.

The following design illustrates one possible approach to a standardized disclosure box. It presents just the summary information in a standardized format, establishing a minimal standard for the information that should be included in every financial aid award letter. It highlights the information that is most important to families and uses a standard format to make the award letter easier to interpret. Detailed listings of individual award letter components, such as Pell Grant and subsidized Stafford loan, would appear elsewhere in the letter, along with detailed disclosures of the interest rates and fees and other conditions of the award.

Labels: , , , , , , , , ,

posted by ^%&^ @ 8:53 PM   0 comments

About Me

Name: ^%&^
Home:
About Me:
See my complete profile
Previous Post
Archives

Add to Netvibes Indonesia Top Blog Indonesian TopBlogs PageRank Checking Icon Blog Top Sites World Top Blogs - Blog TopSites :: MalaysiaTopBlogs ::
Add to My AOL Subscribe with Bloglines Subscribe in NewsGator Online

 
Links :
Template by

Free Blogger Templates

BLOGGER