hi all?

Don't Get Caught With the Big Lie About Scholarships... Buyer BewareThere are many myths and misunderstandings about student financial aid. The biggest one is that "There are millions of unused scholarships each year."
This is a horrible myth that has continued for twenty years because of many unscrupulous scholarship search companies out to take advantage of families. It's just not true. Private scholarships are not where the action is in terms of student aid. We know that is not what you want to hear, but scholarships represent less than four percent of the total aid available each year. That means very few students win an outside scholarship. And for those students who do receive a private scholarship, the average award amount is usually less than what is needed to pay for books and supplies for a year.
Sure, apply for local scholarships from philanthropic organizations in your community and check with you local high school counselor and college financial aid administrator for lists of scholarship possibilities and scholarships. But do not be disappointed if you do not receive one because scholarships are not the way the great majority of students finance their college education. And be wary of scholarship search scams, companies who are out to take advantage of unknowing students and parents. These questionable businesses try to continue the myth about scholarships and charge hundreds of dollars and "guarantee" results.
It just isn't true. Their "guarantee" fine print usually indicates you have to send them several denial letters from outside scholarship agencies before they will refund your money. And most of the scholarship agencies on the lists they send you (you have to write the letters requesting scholarship applications) will never even respond to you nor even mail you a scholarship application. In our 34 years in the student aid industry, we've learned that paid scholarship searches are often not worth the money.
There are a number of companies that provide "free" scholarship searches on the Internet, including fastWEB. However, it is still highly unlikely you'll receive an application or response from most companies or agencies. And to make matters worse, FastWEB (owned by www.monster.com) sells the names of students to other companies so you'll be hounded by others through their junk mail and evening phone calls trying to sell you something. So as usual, the only one who usually gets any money is the scholarship search company, not the deserving student.
If you are a Native American, there may also be scholarships available through your tribe, the Bureau of Indian Affairs or schools themselves. See a list of 562 federally recognized Native American tribes in the U.S. and Canada and more information about Bureau of Indian higher education grants.
For blind or visually impaired students, scholarship opportunities ranging from $3,000 to $12,000 are available through the National Federal of the Blind.
The way most students will finance their education is through traditional forms of financial aid sponsored by the Federal and state governments (see Types of Financial Aid) and the colleges themselves. Our suggestion is to spend your time on these traditional financial aid programs and be sure to complete the FAFSA, or have FAFSA.com's experts do it for you.
If you must spend time with private scholarships, your chances will be much better with those that are from companies, religious, and philanthropic organizations within your own local community. Those students with outstanding academic records in high school (i.e., high grade point average and SAT scores) and those who have been very involved in athletics, clubs, and activities in their high school and community have the best chance at the limited and competitive scholarship programs.

Who is Eligible and the "EFC"
More families are eligible for need-based types of financial aid than ever before. This is a result of more sensitive Federal need analysis standards whereby the equity in a family's home is no longer considered for Federal or state aid programs. In addition, there is no longer a minimum expected student contribution used in the awarding of federal or state aid programs. The basic equation used to determine a student's financial aid eligibility or "need" is the following:
Cost of Attendance or BudgetLess (-) Expected Family Contribution (EFC)= Financial Aid Eligibility or Need
The EFC is calculated using a need analysis formula updated and approved each year by Congress called Federal Methodology or FM (PDF document which requires Adobe's free Acrobat Reader). An EFC is first calculated by the federal processor after you submit your FAFSA. However, your college financial aid administrators may revise your original EFC if you are selected for a process called verification. If selected for verification (approximately one-third of all applicants are selected), you will be asked to submit copies of your most recent federal income tax returns for both the custodial parent and the student.
If the estimated income information you submitted on your FAFSA is different than the actual income and tax figures on your tax return, your school's financial aid administrators will re-calculate your EFC using the standard FM formula. There is no penalty if your estimated income is different than your actual information. You may update your income information on a four-page Student Aid Report (SAR), available after your FAFSA is fully processed by calling the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1.800;.433.3243. Once you make the corrections on your four-page SAR, sign the last page (Certification section) and mail it back to the federal processor. As with any changes you make on your SAR, the student will receive a new, revised SAR showing the changes made within four weeks. Some colleges may require all applicants to provide copies of federal income tax returns for both the student and parents, even if you were not selected for verification by the federal processor.
Treatment of a parent's assets are generally not treated as harshly as many families expect. The Education Savings and Asset Protection Allowance (ESAPA) is the table used to determine the amount of assets of the parents that will be "protected" (not used to generate the EFC). However, a student's assets are assessed at a 35% rate. That is, 35 percent of whatever assets are reported on the FAFSA for the student (under 26 years of age) will be expected to be used for their educational expenses in the next school year. But for parents, up to $60,000 of their assets, excluding their home and retirement programs (except for the amount contributed to a tax-deferred retirement program in the prior year) are protected for retirement and emergency expenses, depending on their age. The older the parent, the more their assets are protected.
Another aspect of the Federal Methodology (FM). The FM formula includes a basic living allowance for families. The government uses figures derived by the Bureau of Labor Standards, low standard of living. This is the amount the government assumes a family can live on for a year, based on their number of family members. This is one of the key elements or tables within the formula and is probably the most to blame for those extremely unreasonable and high EFCs that families frequently complain about. They expect me to pay what? The living allowance (called the Income Protection Allowance) is the same for all families, whether they live in California or Mississippi. Many families believe the Federal Methodology (FM) need analysis formula has become a way for the government to ration limited funds then a true measure of a family's ability to contribute to their child's educational expenses.
Curious about those government tables? Click here for more details about the FM need analysis tables (requires Adobe's free Acrobat Reader).
If your college also requires the CSS PROFILE Financial Aid Application, an Institutional Methodology or IM is used to calculate an expected family contribution (EFC). This IM EFC is, on average, approximately $2,000 higher than the EFC calculated using the Federal Methodology (FM) need analysis system.
This is a result of the following factors:
1) IM takes into account a parent's equity in their primary residence (market value less mortgage amount) while FM does not use a family's home equity.
2) IM assumes a minimum "student contribution," regardless if the student has worked during the previous year or expects to work in the current year.
After your PROFILE is processed, the results are transmitted electronically and/or a paper report (PROFILE Need Analysis Report) is mailed to your college financial aid administrators. The Institutional Methodology (IM) is different than the Federal Methodology, which is used to calculate your "Expected Family Contribution" or EFC, for consideration of Federal and state aid programs such as the Pell Grant, Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Perkins Loan, Work-Study, and state grants (i.e., Cal Grants, TAP, etc.). The IM is used by some colleges as a method of rationing their limited institutional funds (usually grants) to the neediest students. Federal regulations require that schools use the FM need analysis system in determining eligibility for Federal funds, including the Federal Stafford Loan, but schools can use whatever need analysis system they choose for awarding their own funds.

Types of Aid Programs
Student financial aid programs consist of need-based grants, scholarships, attractive student and parent educational loans, and work opportunities. Grants and scholarships are considered gift aid and do not have to be repaid. Obviously, this is the most popular type of financial aid, but also the most difficult to obtain.
Grants are based on financial need, using a national need analysis formula called Federal Methodology (FM) as mentioned above. Scholarships are normally based on merit, including academic performance, special talents, or other criteria. There are many private scholarships sponsored by companies, philanthropic organizations, religious organizations, etc. Unfortunately, scholarships represent less than four percent of the total aid available. Colleges and universities also offer scholarships not based on need, though these are generally very competitive.
Most students must credit-finance part of their educational costs through student loans. The largest aid program by far is the Federal Stafford Loan, which makes up approximately $50 billion of the $90 billion available from all sources each year. The subsidized Federal Stafford Loan is based on need and means that the government will pay the interest as long as the student is enrolled at least half-time in a school that participates in the Stafford Loan program. More information about the Federal Stafford/Direct Loan is available online.
The unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loan is not based on need though you still must complete the FAFSA to receive this loan. Parents may also borrow through the Federal Parent Loans for Undergraduate Student (PLUS) program.
Another attractive Federal loan programs is the Federal Perkins Loan program. The Federal Perkins Loan is based on financial need and is administered by the colleges. Perkins funds are normally limited at most schools as the majority of their Perkins Loan funds come from collections from past borrowers and very limited new Federal Perkins Loan funds are made available to schools. Usually only the neediest students who apply early are awarded a Perkins Loan and normally the annual award amount at most schools is less than $2,000.
Students may also work part-time while earning their degree. Research indicates that most students who work a reasonable number of hours while in college (10-15 hours per week) earn as good or better grade point average than those who do not work. Of course, all students are different so it may not be right for you.
The Federal College Work-Study Program has been around since 1965 and is based on financial need. If you are awarded Work-Study, it means you can work part-time during the school year either on or off campus, depending on the jobs your student employment or financial aid office have approved. Work-Study is simply a part-time job where you get paid like any other college employee. You can use your Work-Study earnings to pay for any educational-related expense, including room and board, personal expenses, books, etc. Usually it is an advantage to have Work-Study as part of your award offer since the employer normally only pays about one-half of your salary while the government pays the remaining amount through a grant to your school. That means a Work-Study student is less expensive to hire for an employer as it will save their department money.

How SFAS Will Help You
FAFSA.com has been in the student aid business since 1971 (over 34 years), helping students and parents obtain the funds necessary to finance their college education. Let us help you with such important matters. We complete the FAFSA, the main application which must be completed in order to receive any Federal or state financial aid programs, including educational loans.
For more information about us, go to the Top Ten Reasons to Use FAFSA.com. Or go to How to Subscribe to FAFSA.com and be one step closer to obtaining the funds you need for your college education. Still not sure? Find out what expert college financial aid administrators, FAFSA.com's customers, and high school counselors say about our experts.
Need more assistance getting financial aid? Be sure to contact an experienced financial aid administrator at your college(s) to learn more about the programs they offer, scholarship programs, application procedures, deadline dates, etc. Remember, even if you and your parents don't have enough money to finance your college education, financial aid programs are available to make it possible. Good luck!

What Applications Do We Complete to Apply for Financial Aid?
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA is the financial aid application form to complete in order to be considered for virtually any type of assistance, including need-based grants, educational loans or work-study programs. The FAFSA is first sent to a federal processor which enters your information into a federal database (called the Central Processing System or CPS). Your college's financial aid administrators will then be able to retrieve or download your FAFSA application information electronically through a government software program designed for colleges called EDExpress, required by the U.S. Department of Education of all schools who participate in the federal aid programs.
A colored Student Aid Report (SAR) Acknowledgement will be sent to the applicant by the Federal Student Aid Programs within two weeks after the FAFSA is submitted. The FAFSA consists of 8 pages with 146 items, including 3 worksheets with 45 items, a supplemental form, and a postcard. It takes most families at least one to two hours to complete the FAFSA.
The FAFSA-by-Phone is the fastest and easiest way to apply using FAFSA.com's experts. Or you may complete the FAFSA yourself at no charge through the electronic version of the application, called the FAFSA on the Web. However, you must navigate between 43 and 54 screens and depending on your Internet access speed, it may take between one and two hours to complete the online FAFSA version. The FAFSA on the Web program requires a compatible web browser and one must have a printer configured or PIN numbers (for student and one parent, if dependent). FAFSA.com's experts electronically complete the FAFSA for you without the hassle and frustration. This is only one of the many reasons to subscribe to FAFSA.com.
College Financial Aid Application or Form - In addition to the FAFSA, which is required by all colleges, some schools also require the completion of an additional institutional financial aid application or form. And some private colleges require the PROFILE financial aid application administered by the College Scholarship Service (CSS). Check with an experienced financial aid administrator at your college to determine if they require any other financial aid applications in addition to the FAFSA. Some colleges also require an institutional financial aid application or form.

Federal Stafford Loan or Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students (PLUS) Applications - For most students who receive a financial aid award from their college, part of their aid package will include either the subsidized or unsubsidized Federal Stafford/Direct Loan. Your school's financial aid administrators will normally mail you a financial aid award letter or notification after correctly submitting a FAFSA application. Within your award letter will normally be more details about the school's loan processing procedures.
If your school participates in the Federal Direct Loan Program (FDSLP), you will not need to select a private lender as the school receives the funds directly from the U.S. Treasury and Department of Education, similar to other federal aid they administer (i.e., Perkins Loans, Pell Grants, Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Work-Study, etc.). If your school participates in the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP), you will need to select a bank or other lender that participates in the Stafford Loan program.
Most schools now utilize electronic loan processing software while other schools still require the completion of the paper Federal Stafford Loan Master Promissory Note. Contact your school's financial aid administrator or lender for more details about their loan processing procedures.
The CSS PROFILE Financial Aid Application - Some private or independent colleges also require students and parents complete the PROFILE Financial Aid Application administered by the College Scholarship Service (CSS) in order to be considered for need-based financial aid controlled or sponsored by the school (non-federal or state aid).
If you are interested in applying for federal aid programs only, including the student (Stafford) or parent (PLUS) loans, you are not required to complete the PROFILE. For example, if you know you are certain you will not qualify for a school's own need-based grants, you do not need to complete the PROFILE. Generally, the PROFILE is used as a tool by private college financial aid administrators to ration their limited institutional grant and scholarship aid to the neediest families, using CSS' Institutional Methodology (IM) need analysis procedures. In past years, the expected family contribution has been approximately $2,000 higher using IM (compared to the Federal Methodology or FM tables in PDF - requires Adobe's Acrobat Reader) because of the use of a parent's home equity and assessing a minimum expected student contribution (regardless of whether the student worked last year).
CSS charges a $5.00 fee to register for the PROFILE and $18.00 for each college that requires its completion. After completion, CSS forwards a copy of your PROFILE application and need analysis results to the appropriate college(s).
Some schools that require the PROFILE also ask appropriate parents to also complete a Noncustodial Parent's Statement and/or a Business/Farm Supplement (both in PDF).

When Do We Apply For Financial Aid?
Generally speaking, it is best to apply for financial aid by completing the FAFSA as soon as possible after January 1st each year. Most schools publish financial aid deadline or preferred filing dates. That means they award their limited need-based funds first to those students who meet their deadline dates. And many schools award their funds on a first-come, first-served basis. However, even if you miss your school's or state grant agency's deadline date, you may still receive some form of financial aid, including the Federal Stafford/Direct Loan program and, if you demonstrate financial need, the Federal Pell Grant.
Although most families do not complete their IRS income tax forms until March or April, it is to your advantage to complete the FAFSA early and use estimated income information.
Some states offer grant programs to students who demonstrate financial need and/or who have a high grade point average. These state agencies normally require the FAFSA and may require a supplemental application or form, such as the GPA Verification Form required by March 2 by the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) in order to be considered for their Cal Grant programs. Other states such as New York (for their Tuition Assistance Program or TAP and Florida) have similar supplemental applications and deadline dates. Check with your state agency or college financial aid administrator regarding application procedures and deadline dates.
Your school's financial aid administrators also need time to complete their processing and review of your application, mail you a financial aid award letter, and process your student and/or parent loan, if interested. Most families want their financial aid available when classes begin in the fall so it is always a good idea to apply as soon as possible after January 1st each year. The financial aid process is often slow and bureaucratic at many colleges and universities. Your FAFSA will first go to the federal processor before your college(s) receive the information. Some financial aid offices are understaffed and have limited resources so it may take them weeks or months to process your FAFSA and make their award.
If you are applying to a private or independent college, check with their financial aid office to determine if they also require the PROFILE Financial Aid Application administered by the College Scholarship Service (CSS). If so, you must complete the PROFILE in addition to the FAFSA. All schools require the FAFSA but only a selected number of schools also require the PROFILE. The PROFILE can be completed as early as September 15th each year.

Dependent or Independent?
Some families may have heard that the way to "beat the system" is for their student to claim their independence. However, federal regulations were changed during the 1992 Higher Education Amendments and now the definition of independence for financial aid purposes is much more restrictive. To be considered an independent student, the student must meet one of the following criteria:
be 24 years of age (born before 1/1/81 for the 2004-05 school year or 1/1/81 for the 2004-05 school year or 1/1/82 for the 2005-06 year), or
be married before filing a FAFSA application, or
have a dependent that his or her lives with and supports at least 50 percent of the time, or
be an eligible veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces, or
be enrolled in a graduate or professional program, or
is or was an orphan (parents deceased) or ward of the court, or
have very special family circumstances which must be documented and approved by your school's financial aid administrator (called a "dependency override").
It does not matter if the parents claim the student as a tax exemption or whether the student lives at home. If you do not meet one of the above criteria, the student will be considered dependent for financial aid purposes and the parents demographic and financial information must be included or the FAFSA will be rejected. It normally makes sense for parents to claim their student as a tax exemption to reduce their tax liability (for 2004, the standard deduction is $9,700 for married couples filing jointly) with the IRS. Contact your tax accountant or financial advisor for more information.
Being independent does not necessarily mean the student will not receive financial aid. Regardless of the parent's income, an eligible student who enrolls at least half-time should still be eligible for at least an unsubsidized Stafford Loan. However, the custodial parent(s) income and asset information must be included on the FAFSA (along with the student's financial information) and will be included in determining your expected family contribution (EFC) which is used to determine your financial need and aid eligibility by your college financial aid administrator.

College Costs
The cost of going to college has risen dramatically during the last twenty years. The cost of even a relatively low-cost, public college or university will likely be in the range of $40,000 to $60,000 for four years. Private or independent colleges can easily exceed $150,000 over four years.
What's a family to do? There are a variety of ways to reduce the cost of a college education. Perhaps the easiest is to attend a local community college for the first two years, then transfer to a four-year college to complete your graduation requirements. The tuition and fees at a community college in most states are very reasonable and usually permit the student to live at home to save money on room and board expenses which they would otherwise encounter.
Regardless of the cost of the college you are considering, financial aid programs, including grants, scholarships, educational loans and work opportunities are available to make it possible. So don't let a lack of money prevent you from applying for the college of your choice. But we recommend that you have at least one "back-up" college in mind in case you are not accepted or cannot afford your first-choice school.

Why College Anyhow?
The cost of going to college has risen dramatically. And many students and parents will go into debt by borrowing student and parent loans in order to finance their college education. And after graduation, there are no guarantees that you'll find a job. So why go to college in the first place?
Well, research studies show over and over that someone with a college education will...
be more likely to vote
travel more
make fewer demands on public funds
contribute far more in taxes paid over their lifetime
be more involved with their families and communities
commit fewer crimes, and
earn nearly twice as much over their lifetime than someone without a college education
Yes, a college education will be one of the best investments you can make. No one will ever be able to take away your education. Gifts and toys fade away but your education will last a lifetime.

Applying for Admission
Applying for admission is another important part of the process of going to college. Make sure you find out the application procedures and deadline dates from an admission representative at the college(s) you are considering. Request the admission application as soon as possible and complete and mail it before the deadline date. Some private colleges admit nearly one-third of their freshmen classes through programs titled "early decision" or "early action." These programs are normally designed for students with high academic qualifications. For more information about selecting a college and the overall admission process, check out our recommended list of other interesting college sites.

About the FAFSA
The FAFSA application is the application to be considered for virtually all types of federal, state, and college-sponsored financial aid, including grants, educational loans, and work-study programs. One must file the FAFSA application for every school year.
The FAFSA is the application used by virtually all colleges and universities to determine a student's financial aid eligibility using the Federal Methodology (FM) need analysis formula based on most recent year tax return information and other demographic and financial information.
Recent U.S. Department of Education figures indicate that a growing number of students are filing FAFSA applications to take advantage of low-interest student and parent loans, along with other forms of financial aid. As a worse-case scenario, students are eligible to receive at least the Federal Stafford/Direct student loan, provided the student:
is a US citizen or eligible non-citizen;
is enrolled at least half-time in a degree or certificate program;
is enrolled in a college or university that participates in the Federal Student Aid Programs;
has not defaulted on previous student loans;
agrees to verify income information, if requested; and
does not owe a repayment on a federal grant.
The Federal Stafford/Direct Loan is an excellent way to credit-finance all or part of your college education as virtually all students will be eligible, regardless of parents income, and there are no payments on the principal until six months after the student leaves school.
Note for FAFSA filers
Our FAFSA experts carefully monitor processing issues and problems with officials of the U.S. Department of Education and Pearson NCS, the government's primary FAFSA contractor. You may check your FAFSA status online or call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1.800.433.3243.
The FAFSA on the Web consists of between 43-54 screens. Many students and parents, especially those with slow Internet access, may find it time-consuming and difficult to use.You may still apply for financial aid even if you missed your school's or state grant agency's deadline date or already paid your tuition. Check here if you're worried about paying your tuition charges on-time. And review our helpful page on financial aid deadline dates, including a list of financial aid deadline for state grant agencies.
We recommend that students and parents carefully evaluate financial aid and scholarship services. We are student aid experts with over 34 years of experience. Read more about us in our reference section.

its been a long time since mglians started to celebrate this holiday.now its getting closer to X mas.......every year we celebrate that but every year before 00:00 1/1 we feel something which you know....................its time to finish have a nice day !!!!!!!!!!!!!! and Merry CHRISTMAS

hi all. Firstly thank to our lovely teacher Sainaa.My english is not very good and I think it will be improved by this blog.have a nice day

Hi everyone, I am glad to have posts shared with all of you. It seems we gonna have lots of fun with this. Hope you find it interesting. don't hesitate to leave any comments. Oh i almost forgot. Please tell me your names with your nicknames. Because i don't know who you are with your nicknames.

Lovely christmas to all of you,

Sweetness,
Boldbaatar

Merry X-mas!
today is a nice day,and it's also getting more close to the X-mas,we are gonna have a big celebration on 24th,a international Party,we are gonna cook food together and share them
we ahave a rule for X-mas which is people from different countries have to cook their famous food or some tasty stuff like cookies!!and take food they cooked to my Party,then we share it,so at a International Party of Western Celebration we will have a International Dinner in mt apartment!at that time we will have different food from different countries like Czech,Korean,Polish,Rusian food,American cookies,Japanses Sushi and Wasabi,Also Chinese food,that will be a great dinner that we will have so many food to eat!!!I love X-mas!!!
at that time,my roommate Rudy will give us a American country music show!!!c'est coole!!j'aime Christmas!!
Enjoy your Christmas,enjoy your life!

HI all! good luck!

I am delighted to leave this post for all of you.

Lovely christmas to everyone,
Sweetness
Boldbaatar

It is good when clouds don't cover the sun, and it is good when laziness doesn't hamper the learning!!!

Veni Vidi Vici

Hi guys!

First of all I want to thank to our teacher Saina for her nice initiative. Then congratulations to all for joining this blog.
I wish everyone in our class will understand each other closely through this blog and it will absolutely improve our English skills.

Lets learn English with fun!

see~ lichi here,thanks for your Blog!I got it

hi all

Hi everyone! Welcome to the class blog! I hope everyone is exited about this new opportunity to exchange ideas outside the class! The blog is a "must" - everyone must post once a week and comment on others' posts every week. In this way we can learn from each other- learn in every way, not only improve English grammar and writing skills, but also a lot of other interesting things! Happy blogging!