Are You Going to College? Then You Probably Should Fill Out the FAFSA!

If you are applying to college, or are currently in college, you probably have heard of the FAFSA form. This is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Teachers, counselors and other students have likely told you various reasons why you should or should not fill out the FAFSA form. But have you investigated it for yourself?

FAFSA determines a student’s eligibility for federal financial aid. It also is used by colleges and universities to determine who is eligible for financial aid awarded through their institutions. Even if you don’t think you qualify, you probably should fill it out, as not all financial aid is based on need. You could also qualify based on merit, for your grades, standardized test scores, or for athletic achievements. And it costs nothing to apply.

Even if your parents make enough money to pay, or you’re a nontraditional student, or your grades are not as high as they should be, you probably still qualify for some form of financial aid. (The biggest problem with low grades is that fewer colleges or universities will accept you, and you will end up at a less competitive institution. And this may limit your future opportunities.)

A common myth is that filling out a FAFSA form is difficult and takes too much time. The form used to be time-consuming, but it has been made much easier to fill out. It now takes an average of 23 minutes.

Because college is expensive, you should always be looking for some type of financial aid. Although not all forms of student aid are equal and taking on too much loan debt can leave you with a heavy financial burden for many years, you do well to investigate all aid that is available to you.

Have you filled out your FAFSA form for the next school year? The best time to begin is early January, as soon as the form becomes available for that year. This way, you learn your results earlier, and so will your college or university. If your institution awards funds early, you want to make sure you’re in time and have every opportunity to receive aid.

Watch out for errors when filing, as most submissions have some incorrect information. Most importantly, be sure you understand which assets count against you and which you could leave off the form. Your checking account does count against you, while retirement assets and family businesses do not. But you will have a chance to correct errors. If your parents have not yet filed their taxes, you can always estimate their income and correct it later.

References:

Hoyt, E. (2015, December 2). Why Should I Complete the FAFSA?  Fastweb. Retrieved January 13, 2016, from http://www.fastweb.com/financial-aid/articles/why-should-i-complete-the-fafsa.

Rice, A. (2015, January 5) Why You Should Fill Out the FAFSA. US News & World Report. Retrieved January 13, 2016, from http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/my-money/2015/01/05/why-you-should-fill-out-the-fafsa.

The Importance of Learning a Foreign Language for your Future Career

Many students see foreign language requirements as a nuisance, something they simply have to get through in order to finish school. They graduate with minimal knowledge of a language and then forget most of what they learned. If all you remember years later are a few words, then you haven’t gained much from the experience. But languages can be much more valuable to you than you might think.

Living in an English-speaking country, you may have gotten along fine so far knowing only English. However, many jobs require a second language. Even if it’s not a requirement, knowing a second language makes you a more competitive job candidate. If more than a few people apply for a job, employers will not invite them all for interviews. Showing on your resume and application letter that you are fluent in one or more foreign languages sets you apart from the rest, and can get you in the door.

Knowledge of other languages also helps you interact with more people. It helps you reach across social barriers and form personal and business relationships that would not be possible for you otherwise. Even if the person you are talking to knows English also, they will be much more open to you if you speak to them in their own language. It not only helps you make friends, it also makes you much more valuable to your employer.

If you’ve heard discussions in the news about globalization, then you may know already that much business is done internationally. The company you want to work for may conduct business overseas, and learning another language could gain you the opportunity to travel around the world. Your knowledge would make you valuable for international sales, marketing, etc. You would likely earn more money that way.

If you are bilingual, be sure to say what languages you know in the “skills” section of your resume and job application. Mention it again in your job interviews. If you are not bilingual, don’t be discouraged. You can always learn another language, whether you are in school or not. Language courses are available in other settings, including commercially. Whenever you begin, it will be worth the time and investment you put into it.

According to Kiplinger, these are the ten most valuable foreign languages for your future career:

1.         Chinese-Mandarin

2.         German

3.         Portuguese

4.         Japanese

5.         Spanish

6.         Korean

7.         French

8.         Arabic

9.         Hindi

10.      Russian

For more information on advantages and disadvantages of learning each of these languages, click the link below to access Kiplinger’s slide show.

References:

Doherty, J. (2013, October 7). Five Reasons Why Knowing a Foreign Language Will Help Your Career. WinterWyman. Retrieved January 19, 2016, from https://www.winterwyman.com/blog/five-reasons-why-knowing-foreign-language-will-help-your-career.

Ruhl, C. (2015, October). Best Languages to Learn to Get Ahead in Your Career. Kiplinger.com. Retrieved January 19, 2016, from http://www.kiplinger.com/slideshow/business/T012-S001-best-foreign-languages-for-your-career/index.html.

Job Scams

In this video, you will learn about how some job listings could be scams, and what you need to look out for.