How Online Students Are Using Financial Aid For College Costs and Living Expenses

As a student, going to college or pursuing a career can be a frustrating affair. With there being so many issues to balance, students find the most pressing issue is finding funding for college. Without having any knowledge of the options which are available to many students assume the worst and quit before they even get started. This article will help students understand the financial options available to support an academic career and living expenses.

The most common misconception about funding college is there are scholarships and grants available to give students the opportunity to complete a degree or certification of some sort; Like all misconceptions there is some truth to this falsehood. There is a popular grant called the Pell Grant and also the SEOG grant. These grants are awarded to students through financial aid or FAFSA. What people must keep in mind when assuming they are going to pay for college buy using ONLY grants is the government normally does not provide you with enough grants to support your college education beyond an Associates Degree. In the event the student is attending college online the pell grant and the seog grant will more than likely not be enough money to cover all of the student's college expenses for the year such as tuition and books. The reason being is the cost of education online vs. the cost of education for traditional or ground student. Convenience always cost more for the consumer so attending school online higher priced than the educational cost for traditional or ground students. The price of education regardless if you attend online or if you attend a classroom is still too high for a full time student to attend work full time and school full time. The government has compensated for the imbalanced lifestyle of the student and has approved federal funding to help the student with college expenses and living expenses.

Financial aid is a combination of three pillars: student loans, grants, and scholarships. Being approved for federal funding is two prong process and the first phase is based on how much money the student makes per year, how old the student is, if the student is incarcerated, if the student is current on their taxes, if the student is a citizen and if the student has ever committed a drug felony while receiving federal support. Since pell grants and scholarships are normally not enough money to support a full time student's college cost most students become approved for financial aid for support. What most students do not realize is the federal government has permitted students to use financial aid money to support not only the educational cost but also their living expenses; for example, the financial aid is used to pay for dorm expenses and food expenses at colleges nationwide. When the student receives the allotted amount of financial aid for the year if the financial aid amount is more than the cost of school per year the student is able to keep the remainder to support their living expenses. In addition if the student feels he/she still needs more money to support their educational and living expenses the student can apply for a student plus loan which if approve will award the student additional funds for financial support.

 

How to Make Money As an Online College Instructor

There are over eighteen million students attending community colleges, four-year colleges, state universities and for-profit online post-secondary academic institutions today, and more and more of those college students require an online college instructor to lead their classes. Distance education technology has matured to the point that it would be hard to imagine a school that is not offering online college classes to its new and returning students.

In fact, it is almost guaranteed that the lower cost of offering online college classes will force colleges and universities to move as many of their undergraduate classes online as possible in the next few years. The migration from traditional, on-ground education to digitally-accessed education represents a major shift in how a college education will be earned, and it concurrently represents a major shift in how almost anyone with a graduate degree in a core area of academic study such as English, math, history, psychology or Information Technology can find ample opportunities to earn a very nice living by teaching in multiple part time online teaching positions. It should go without saying that the first step to landing an online teaching position is to become familiar with the needs of the over five thousand institutions of higher learning.

First and foremost, the schools are almost literally being overrun with new and returning college students who have become unemployed or know with relative certainty that they stand a very good chance of becoming unemployed. These students want to improve their chances of earning a decent living again when the recession lifts, and they plan on making that happen by attending college in order to earn a degree or by attending a community college in order to acquire technical training. In either case, it is absolutely necessary that they take a certain number of core college classes.

The person with a graduate degree in these core areas of study can certainly take advantage of the growing need for instructors who can use a computer hooked to the Internet to teach college students taking these requisite courses. This growing need for education professionals with technology and academic skill sets is creating a very definite career path for those seeking to become an online college instructor.

Online College Instructor Income Potential

Obviously, each school will have its own formula for deciding how much to pay an online adjunct instructor to teach a course and anyone who teaches online for any length of time will realize that there isn't any arguing the point with the school's administrators. The only real option for an online adjunct teaching math or English, and it is these two core academic subjects that will have the vast majority of new and returning students, is to decide if a school that pays fifteen hundred dollars to teach an online college class for fifteen weeks is a better deal than a school that pays two thousand two hundred dollars to teach the same course for eight weeks.

Much of the evaluation process for one or another school depends on the demands of the course. Eventually, the alert online adjunct instructor will learn to teach at multiple accredited online degree programs at once so that if one academic institution becomes too demanding it can be replaced by another school that is more profitable for the adjunct. In general, it is possible to make fifty to sixty thousand dollars a year through online adjunct faculty employment, and there are those online instructors who laser-focused time management skills and cutting edge technology abilities that can earn in the six-figure range, but they do not sleep at lot. Online teaching can be lucrative in a variety of ways not directly related to the actual teaching.

For example, online adjunct instruction does not require a personal vehicle and there are no public transportation, streetcars and buses, necessary to manage the online classes. The best way to quantify this economic aspect of online instruction is to add up how much money is spent driving a car to and from the various college campuses every day. If a college instructor teaches at several traditional institutions that are some distance from each other a pretty penny of the money earned from teaching is eaten up in sheer transportation costs. An online faculty member only needs a computer and an Internet connection to function in the classroom.

Today, a perfectly serviceable laptop can be had for less than four hundred dollars and almost any coffee shop of public library has free wireless Internet service. Now compare that cost of teaching online with the almost endless expense of owning and maintaining an automobile that is sure to break down from all the miles put on it driving from one campus to the next. Another economic benefit to being an online college adjunct is that of geographic mobility. This mobility is of paramount importance since it can transcend geography, which means the adjunct can move about the globe freely and still earn a living wage. This geographic mobility could become very important if and when the area I which the adjunct lives become too expensive or is prone to natural disasters like hurricanes or earthquakes. Thus, the income potential of online adjunct faculty employment should be measure in more than just the payment for teaching an online college class.

Online College Instructor Application Strategy

While it is true that teaching online college classes for a distance learning online college requires a minimum of a graduate degree, it is also true that one needs to be hired to teach online in order to start earning money from it. Therefore, an application strategy is quite important to the overall process, and the application strategy is one that will be ongoing since the number of community colleges and other post-secondary institutions offering online classes will only grow over time.

First, gather all the documentation you will need during the application process. This includes a cover letter that contains an expressed intent to teach online undergraduate classes since it is these classes that have the most students in them. Along with the cover letter, a resume, not a vita, is a necessary element of the process. A third and very important element is scanned in unofficial copies of all graduate transcripts. All three of these application elements should be kept in a handy place on the computer's desktop since they need to be in motion, so to speak, at all times.

The academic job boards are always a good place to search for possible online college course to teach, but it is a better idea to apply directly to each of the over five thousand academic institutions that have web sites on the Internet. Just keep submitting applications to teach online as an adjunct and sooner or later a positive response will be generated by the effort to make contact. Keep in mind that the schools have a lot more students than teachers who can master the digital classroom and teach college materials in a professional manner. Sooner or later, it will become easier to see the outstanding opportunities that being an online college instructor for multiple colleges online offers those with graduate degrees in need of a decent living.

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Are Online College Classes As Hard As Normal Classes?

One thing that many people, especially younger people, look for when they enter a college is how hard the classes will be. In the past, many people chose online college classes, thinking that they would be easier than a normal class. Although there is something to be said for not having to turn up to class and sit in an uncomfortable desk for three hours at a time, online college classes are actually often much more difficult than traditional classes.

Any school that offers online college classes has a requirement to put each student through a certain amount of work in a semester, and the same rules apply for classrooms as they do for online classrooms. So, if you were to sit in a lecture for three hours a week in a classroom, then there must be an equivalent amount of work or time spent in an online class. With few exceptions, you will find that online courses require you to do more interaction with other classmates, and a lot more writing.

But, you must not forget the advantages of online college classes. The most important one is that you can "go to class" whenever you want. Most classes will only require you to be in attendance at a certain time or date during finals, when each student must take the final test at the same time. Other than that, most work done is asynchronous, and you can log in and out whenever you want. The teacher, however, will know if you are attending, so don't think that you can disappear all semester and turn up for finals - that doesn't work in a classroom, and it doesn't work online.

But, online classes are a very viable way for many people to learn, especially those that would otherwise find it difficult to attend a normal class.

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Review on Five Minds for the Future

In this book, Howard Gardner stresses on five minds that is fundamental for survival in the present digital era and century. As we live in a digital technological world and era, inculcating and cultivating the habits of using these minds are mandatory. The five minds in brief are:

1. Disciplined Mind: For each one of us to successful in life, we need to focus on one or two disciplines to succeed. Or else we need to compromise doing menial tasks and to master discipline in one subject takes about 10 years. To develop this disciplined mind, one must consistently work on for long enough until he attains mastery in the discipline. In future, Gardner stresses that for each productive and successful individual, he must focus on one or two disciplines proficiently to thrive in the coming generation.
2. Synthesizing Mind: is basically integrating one or more disciplines to take effective decisions and actions so as to succeed. Most leaders and presidents have to use this mind most of the time in their career.
3. Creative Mind: involves thinking creatively and outside the box. This result in creative breakthrough, inventions, innovations etc. The author stresses that having creative mind alone helps you reach nowhere unless and until it is backed up by disciplined mind and synthesized mind. Or else creative mind is a total failure. Whatever one does creatively need to be practiced and mastered regularly and built into a skill in that particular discipline.
4. Respectful Mind: is another word for tolerant mind. Cultivating respectful minds helps to celebrate the difference across opinions, view, judgments, religious views, castes, races etc. Here one needs to be respectful of each other across nations, groups and community
5. Ethical Mind: is building of ethics, principles and moral values. Here religious values play a great role. Gardner also considers digital way of communicating especially the chat as unethical and stresses here one must be as ethical as possible with support of respectful mind.

This book is a book I would recommend to read not only for the educators but also for the people in all professions including management and leadership. The language is very easy to follow and Gardener had been very down to earth in putting his ideas across. This book is one of the best book I have ever read because I think most of us lack the five minds and we need to be sure to have these 5 minds as a means to live and thrive in the coming decades. I would personally give 5 stars to this book.

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Review on Teaching With the Brain in Mind by Eric Jensen

The author Eric collaborates his thinking a lot to Howard Gardner and stresses on how we as educators must comprehend the working of the brain so as to teach our students in the most effective way.

Eric touches upon the topic of how right nutrition to the brain plays a great role in peak performance of the brain. He emphasizes the school to educate the parents to put them on right nutrition and states that brain expends 20% of energy while doing a work involving mental task like mathematics, reading or even playing video games. So a child must eat nutritious food always and drink plenty of water as brain is made of 78% of water. In fact he states a child must eat to learn and not to satiate the hungry and similarly must drink water to learn. The parents and teachers must educate their children drink water as a thirst quencher and not substitute it with soft drinks.

He also highlights that all schools must take music, art, crafts, physical games into foremost importance as this alone helps brain think, retain memory and supports to a great deal to perform well in academics.

He points out how the music of Mozart helps the students think well and perform better and gives in exercise to the mind thus getting the students ready to learn.

He points out how motivation and rewards given by most schools don't work well for all kids though it could be effective with some kids as long as different strategies are used differently.

Another noteworthy point he makes is how emotions and feelings induced while learning help the child in the learning process. When a students is emotionally touched during the teaching process, that's when the learners can imprint the concept clearly.

Overall, the book is great and a must read if you are an educator or teacher. Also if you tend to have a liking towards Howard Gardner's books, I am sure you will find Eric Jensen equally interesting and enlightening too though the topic covered by both are totally unique and worth reading. For all the teachers out there, if you genuinely care for the students from the bottom of your heart, then this book of Eric should be a must read book in your list. On a scale of 5, I would give this book 4. So please don't miss it as it will help you a lot in your teaching process and enhance the quality of your life as a passionate, effective and great teacher.

The author Yasmin Elias is a full time teacher in an international school in Mangalore and, had been in this profession for the last 8 years. She's also a part time writer writing on subjects of teaching, learning, parenting, life success and personal development. Her other passions in life are reading, gardening and cooking. She loves reading non-fiction books and autobiographies. She's is blessed with a son, Ebraheem Fahmy who is the true spirit of all her endeavors

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Advantage of Buying College Textbooks Online

A college textbook is a foundation of knowledge, which is used by college students. The new editions are printed once in a year and can be either purchased online or through a book store.

A common problem faced by students is either they are unable to purchase costly textbooks or they are unable to find the exact editions. These are the 2 problems that students face when they purchase books in the last minute. Hence to solve this problem online method has been introduced.

Nowadays, most of the college students buy college text books during semester exam. Hence demand for books increases at that time which leads to increase in price. In such a scenario, we can save money by buying books online. If you notice most of the college textbooks are available online. It is one of the best ways to get textbooks at cheaper rate. The rates of online books are cheaper when compared to an ordinary bookstore.

Advantages of buying college textbooks online

• When we buy college textbooks online it eliminates the role of wholesalers, retailers and distributors.
• When we buy study materials, previous years questions paper we can save paper and conserve natural resources. As a student we need to save the environment, hence this is something different in saving the global.
• Most of the study materials can be downloaded from the internet. The easy download option allows you to access online college textbook in an easy way.
• Online college textbooks offer many benefits over traditional paper book.

Textbooks are original copy of authors so you don't have to worry if you buy books online. Moreover online books will offer tutorial links. Hence it will have a great explanation of all the lines. These videos will add extra knowledge to your brain.

When you have decided to buy textbook online make sure you are getting the best deal. So before you buy check out with other sites whether they are offering a better deal. Keep in mind that discount offers and the online method can increase your savings.

Buying online books will save your money.

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Kodak Easyshare Z5010 Camera Features:

Kodak Easyshare Z5010 Camera Features:
14 Megapixels, 8X Optical Zoom, 28mm Wide Angle Lens, 3.0 inch Color Display, Smart capture mode, One Button Upload, 720p HD Video, Face Detection, Face Recognition

Kodak Z5010 Technical Specification:

• Sensor type: 1 / 2.3-type 14.5 (4440 × 3274) megapixels CCD
• Effective pixels: 14MP (4368 × 3256)
• Lens: 25–525 mm (35 mm equiv.), wide-angle
• Zoom: 21X optical zoom; f/3.1–f/5.8; 35 mm equivalent
• Shutter speed: Smart Capture mode: 1/2–1/1500 sec., S/M mode: 1/6–1/1500 sec.
• Memory: 90MB internal memory available
• Focus modes: Normal AF, macro AF, infinity
• ISO sensitivity: Auto, 64, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600
• White balance: Auto, daylight, tungsten, fluorescent, open shade
• Flash Modes: Auto, fill, red-eye reduction, off
• Self-timer: 2 sec., 10 sec., 2-shots, 0.8 fps, up to 8 frames (Smart
• Capture mode, 14 MP)
• Image format: JPEG/EXIF v2.21
• Video Format: AVI Motion JPEG
• I/O interface: A/V output, micro USB 2.0 high speed
• Power: Ni-MH rechargeable batteries; 5V 1.5A DC
• Dimensions: 4.6 x 3.2 x 3.1 inch
• Weight: 493.2 gm

Kodak Easyshare Z5010 Price in India: Rs. 10,499/- Indian Rupee (INR)