Pell Grant For Moms - A Vehicle For Achieving a Mother's Dream

To contact us Click HERE

Via the efforts of the federal government numerous moms will now have the opportunity to return to college and end a school diploma. A Stimulus Strategy which provides moms the quantity of $ten,000 a yr in the type of academic grant will assist deliver 1000's of moms back again to college.

The best barrier why moms have a tendency to stop pursuing their dream of an schooling is simply because of lack of funds. Moms these days have two or 3 work opportunities just to help their households and make ends meet generating it not possible for them to carry on their education and learning.

With the support of the Federal Pell Grant, moms can attain that dream of a much better existence. The grant will assist moms throughout the nation to finance the expenditures in obtaining a school diploma. With introduction of on-line schooling program moms are no lengthier confronted with the issue of quitting their careers or leaving their children at house. They can now research and complete their schooling in the comforts of their personal residing rooms.

On the web finding out applications are provided by various schools and universities in the United States. Moms can verify their preferred instructional establishments if they are providing the technique by just going to their sites or just by seeking in the diverse search engines.

The Pell Grant is a motor vehicle which will assist hundreds of lives. Mothers could now have the career they need and at the identical time provide their little ones and people with greater dwelling problems. Not like pupil loans, Federal grants desire not be repaid. So a mother will end her school diploma with no currently being indebted.

Utilize for the grant right now for a much better daily life tomorrow!

Freedom of Speech doesn't give people the right to be A-holes

To contact us Click HERE
Today, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled 8-1 in favor of Westboro Baptist Church. Saying that the First Amendment gives this church the right to protest at soldiers’ funerals. The SCOTUS ruling also reversed a five million dollar judgment given to the father of Matthew Snyder, a marine whose death was protested by the church members.

I am all for the first amendment, it is a right that many other people in the world don’t have. In the United States no one is going to stop us if we say something bad about the president or the legislature or anything about the government. The press is allowed to report what ever the news is, the government does not control them. There are talk radio shows geared directly to either conservatives or liberals that tailor their coverage to what their audience wants to hear.

The first amendment should not extend to protesting a soldier’s funeral. I am very liberal in my political beliefs, I think that George W. Bush was an idiot and we had no right to invade Iraq or Afghanistan. However, it is a tragedy when ever any soldier dies and while our beliefs might not be similar I would never insult them or their families by holding up a sign saying that their loved one is in hell because the US is tolerant of homosexuals.

Which is precisely what the members of Westboro claim, that the terrorist attacks of 9/11 the casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan are all due to the US’ tolerance of homosexuals. They claim that God is mad at this country for being tolerant of another person’s way of life. Black, White, Latino, Asian, Indian, Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Atheist, Wiccan, Straight or Gay regardless of classification we are all human.

The freedom of speech might protect their right to believe and say what ever they want, but their so-called beliefs should stop them from judging another and damning them to hell. I might not be a super religious person, but what I remember from the bible is “Love thy neighbor, as I have loved you”. I have already had this fight with the super religious and I know that you can find a quote in the bible saying how being gay is a sin. I also know if you look in the bible you can find quotes that defend racism that demean women and every subject in between.

The bible was never meant to be the only absolute truth in the world. It is a road map if you are Christian that is influenced and expanded upon by preachers. This is the 21st century. You would think that we would have stopped being scared of things we didn’t understand a long time ago. And yet it is groups like Westboro and others of that ilk that hold us back.
Whether are beliefs are similar or different can we at least agree to be decent to one another. I know it’s a new and terrifying idea to accept people as they are, but how about we give it a try. Let tolerance and reasonableness dictate our actions instead of crazy antiquated beliefs.

Google+ Communities - What You Need to Know (part 1)

To contact us Click HERE



Streamed live on Dec 6, 2012Google+ Communities - What You Need to Know... We discuss the brand new release of Google Plus Communities (Groups). Visit Ronnie on G+ at: http://goo.gl/9bAxY - Jesse on G+ at:http://goo.gl/54h7q & Nikol Murphy on G+ at: http://goo.gl/FIj2F Just rolling out to us today... this is what we've been waiting for: TOPIC BASED Communities. Watch the video here to get an idea of what we might be doing with this cool new tool.

Connecting with your life's purpose: Sandra Hilton at TEDxWhitehall

To contact us Click HERE



Published on Dec 28, 2012Sandra Hilton talks about the importance of connecting with your life's purpose.

Sandra helps senior leaders of global organisations discover and define their purpose in order to be authentic and effective in an increasingly stressful and chaotic world. Her work is informed by her own life experience as Sandra has a pretty eclectic background. Before becoming a consultant, she spent several years as a project finance lawyer and before that worked in the film industry, living and working for almost ten years in Russia through the dramatic changes of the 90s.

Whatever she has been involved in, she is driven by the belief that everyone is more successful and more fulfilled when they're living on purpose and bring the value that only they can bring. Her passion is to help people understand, define and live that value and to serve her own life purpose of creating wholeness within herself and others.

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

EduOnAir: Eric Curts, "Rolling Out Google Apps For Education"

To contact us Click HERE



Published on May 7, 2012This Google+ Hangout was part of the Education On Air conference on May 2, 2012.

Hangout Description:
Google Apps for Education is a powerful suite of free web-based tools for schools including Gmail, Google Calendar, Documents, Spreadsheets, Presentations, Forms, Sites, Blogger, and more. Learn step by step how our district rolled out Google Apps to our staff and students, why we chose Google Apps, plus staff training, challenges faced, lessons learned, the benefits of cloud computing, practical examples of how staff and students are using Google Apps, and how we are saving money while expanding educational opportunities for everyone in our district.

For more details and resources related to this presentation please see here: http://www.appsusergroup.org/presentations/rolling-out-google-apps

Session hashtag: #rollinggafe
Conference hashtag: #eduonair

For more information:
--Conference website: https://sites.google.com/site/eduonair/home
--Google in Education Page on Google+:https://sites.google.com/site/eduonair/home
--Other videos: http://www.youtube.com/user/eduatgoogle

Google+ Communities - What we know after 1 week (part 3)

To contact us Click HERE



Streamed live on Dec 12, 2012Google+ Communities - After 1 week; Ideas, thoughts, praise, concerns, ANSWERS. More info... find Ronnie on G+ here:http://goo.gl/9bAxY The Product Mgr. for G+ Communities Brian Glick joined us! Wahoo here is a link to him: http://goo.gl/kwWiD he says he would be happy to join your hangout! Visit Jesse at:http://goo.gl/54h7q & Nikol at: http://goo.gl/FIj2F

We talk about how GPC or GPComm has evolved over the approx 120 hours since it has started, get some helpful answers from Brian and some great ideas from Jesse & Nikol.

I mention the idea that many Public Communities are popping up all over and the wave will likely turn to Private later (if not already). GPC may be best kept focused on specifics and less useful to us if they are too broad and become too big in what they cover... Time Will Tell.

Leave your thoughts and comments about your experiences with GPComm (and vote on GPC vs. GPComm as a nickname... the one with the Plus in it is a challenge for using as a hashtag!). If you found this valuable, please share it with those that would also like to learn.

Government Student Grants; What's Available, and How to Apply

To contact us Click HERE
Government student grants are available for most U.S. students and can go a long way towards paying for your education. Government student grants are considered the building block on which all other sources of student financial aid are applied. Amounts offered vary each year depending upon the availability of federal funding, a school's enrollment cost, and whether or not the student is planning to attend school on a full-time basis. The key to receiving a government student grant is in knowing how to properly apply, with the correct forms for your specific grant. We will endeavor to tell you how in this article.

Who Qualifies for a Government Student Grants:

Government student grants are available to those who show scholastic aptitude, those who are in financial need, and minorities. Whichever sort of grant is being applied for, whether government or private, it is important to first fill out the proper application for federal student aid. For any grant, even the lesser known or not as easy to obtain ones, it is always best to purchase a grant writing kit. Just make sure you get the best guide that you can find, some even have software that can be used as a template for filling out and writing your grants.
Ads by Google


What Government Student Grants are Available:

If you are eligible for a Pell grant, you may be able to receive an academic competitiveness grant if you meet certain criteria. The federal supplemental educational opportunity grant (fseog) program also provides supplemental grant funding to Pell grant recipients. This program is administered by the financial aid department at each participating college or university, giving priority to the neediest of the Pell grant recipients. To attract students to certain high-priority career areas, there are government student grants designated for recipients in specific college majors. If you are planning to be a teacher and willing to sign an agreement saying you'll spend at least four years in a school that serves students from low-income families, you may be able to receive funds through the teacher education assistance for college and higher education grant (teach) program.

For more information on properly filing for government student grants


Visit >>>http://fafsa-studentaid-ed-gov.blogspot.com/


Tag: college scholarships academic scholarships african american scholarships scholarships women minority scholarships merit scholarships scholarships hispanic mba scholarships study abroad scholarships undergraduate scholarships scholarships foundation scholarships nursing engineering scholarships graduate scholarships international scholarships financial aid college college scholarships and college scholarships for women



Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/personal-finance-articles/government-student-grants-whats-available-and-how-to-apply-1490202.html

I Won't Qualify for Financial Aid

To contact us Click HERE
I Won't Qualify for Financial Aid

|More


One of the most common, and often the most disheartening, misconception about financial aid is that a family's income will disqualify them from receiving any aid. This is usually based on some anecdotal evidence where a friend or family member went to all the trouble to file the paperwork to receive aid and they were denied any money. This of course could happen to anyone at any income level filing for financial aid; aid is not guaranteed. These misconceptions often lead to a family not filing for aid and a student paying way too much for an education or, in the extreme, skipping a college education entirely.While financial aid is based to a large extent on a family's income, families earning up to $250,000 per year are often receiving some type of aid to offset the cost of a constantly increasing college cost burden. It is true that families earning less than the $52,000 median income in the United States will receive the bulk of the need-based financial aid, especially the money funded by the federal and state governments. It is also true that to attract the top students to their institutions colleges and universities are resorting to a widening variety of financial incentives for families earning over the median income. Even at state institutions, which are supposed to serve as the great educational equalizers, a recent study found that between 1995 and 2003 aid to families earning over $100,000 per year jumped by 400%, while aid to families earning less than $20,000 fell by 13%.It is important to understand how the financial aid process works. Colleges and universities all require a family to fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) which is designed to determine how much a family can afford to pay for college. The FAFSA is also used to determine whether a family qualifies for Federal and State grants and subsidies for education. Colleges try to use money from outside sources first when developing an aid package. They will especially try to get you as much money as they can from government sources. While this is free money to the family, it is also free money to the college. Once the outside sources have been exhausted a college or university often has its own money to subsidize a student's education from their endowment funds. While most of this money is still given away based on need, much of the money is allocated based on the "merit" of the student. In other words how much they want a student to attend their school.While merit money is largely allocated on the basis of academic achievement, colleges also use this money for a variety of other purposes including geographic diversity (it looks good in the college catalogue when you can say you have students from all 50 states), ethnic diversity, acquiring special skills (talented athletes or musicians), and increasingly more common, the gift giving ability of the parents. If a university thinks that you might be a generous benefactor in the future there is no doubt they will find some way to subsidize your student's education.The gist of all this is very simple; there are no fixed rules about whether you will or will not receive financial aid. Even at the Ivy League colleges which always prided themselves on only giving away aid based on need, competition for students and the constantly increasing cost of college have forced them to toss out the old aid formulas. At many of these schools families earning less than $60,000 per year will pay little or nothing for their student's education. Families earning up to $180,000 per year will pay for college based on a sliding scale which is well below what the FAFSA would calculate for their family contribution. Competition breeds more competition and now the second tier colleges and universities are offering tuition discounts, up to 50% in some cases, and reducing the amount of student loans allocated to each family.So before you throw your hands up in the air and despair about your ability to receive financial aid you can perform a self-assessment. A quick look at your income versus the cost of the school will give you some indication of your likelihood of receiving need-based aid. If your income is over the median income of $52,000 per year and five times the cost of the school, your likelihood of receiving need-based aid is poor. So if you earn $70,000 and you want your student to go to a community college which costs $3,000 per year, it is likely you will be paying most of that cost on your own. However, if your student wants to attend a school that costs $50,000 per year it is likely your student's education will be heavily subsidized with financial aid. This is not a hard and fast rule. The number of dependents and the type of assets you own will also affect this calculation. It is just a quick way of giving you some perspective on receiving need-based aid. Families earning less than the median income are likely to receive aid at most any college or university.When you look at the schools your student wants to attend, how does your student measure up with the typical entering class? If your student's class rank and SAT or ACT scores put them in the top 25% of the entering class, it is likely the school will be providing your student with not only need-based aid but some of the merit money as well. Colleges subsidize the brightest students. This of course means the dream of your student attending an Ivy League school may not come to fruition. You have to be realistic about your student's chances of receiving aid.Are you willing to let your student attend a school in another state? Colleges and universities are increasingly looking for geographic diversity in their student body. I tell parents, especially at private schools, the further away you live from a school the more likely it is that you will receive a better aid package. A student from Massachusetts is less likely to receive a great aid package at Boston College than a student from California. So many students from Massachusetts want to attend Boston College. So few students from California want to attend Boston College. The law of supply and demand also works for financial aid.Does your student have special nonacademic talents? If your student has athletic or musical talents a school often has a bit of money to attract theses talents. On the athletic front your student is more likely to get a bit of extra money if they play lacrosse, rugby, or gymnastics than if they play the two big sports football or basketball. This is especially true for women. Title IX requires a school to provide as many scholarships for women's sports as are provided to men's sports. To offer money to all those male football and basketball players they have to offer the same number of scholarships to women. If your student is a talented musician, to receive some merit money, they may have to agree to play in the marching band on Saturday. If it helps pay for their education they can live through it.With the complexity of the financial aid process there is really only one guarantee. If you do not apply for aid you will not receive any aid. Families earning up to $250,000 should go ahead and fill out the financial aid applications. Even though your family contribution may end up being higher than the cost of attending, it indicates to the financial aid officers that you are interested in some of the school's money. These financial aid officers just might take a second look at your student and decide that they are deserving of a little help. Even if it is only a few thousand dollars, over four years, that can add up to a lot of money.Timothy R. Wall is a partner in the group Independent Financial Aid Advisors (IFAA, LLC) which works with families to develop strategies for achieving the best financial aid packages for their students who want to attend college. The company provides a free resource guide at http://www.achievecollegeaid.com. You may contact Tim at trwall@achievecollegeaid.com.Visit to - http://fafsa-studentaid-ed-gov.blogspot.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5265990

Freedom of Speech doesn't give people the right to be A-holes

To contact us Click HERE
Today, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled 8-1 in favor of Westboro Baptist Church. Saying that the First Amendment gives this church the right to protest at soldiers’ funerals. The SCOTUS ruling also reversed a five million dollar judgment given to the father of Matthew Snyder, a marine whose death was protested by the church members.

I am all for the first amendment, it is a right that many other people in the world don’t have. In the United States no one is going to stop us if we say something bad about the president or the legislature or anything about the government. The press is allowed to report what ever the news is, the government does not control them. There are talk radio shows geared directly to either conservatives or liberals that tailor their coverage to what their audience wants to hear.

The first amendment should not extend to protesting a soldier’s funeral. I am very liberal in my political beliefs, I think that George W. Bush was an idiot and we had no right to invade Iraq or Afghanistan. However, it is a tragedy when ever any soldier dies and while our beliefs might not be similar I would never insult them or their families by holding up a sign saying that their loved one is in hell because the US is tolerant of homosexuals.

Which is precisely what the members of Westboro claim, that the terrorist attacks of 9/11 the casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan are all due to the US’ tolerance of homosexuals. They claim that God is mad at this country for being tolerant of another person’s way of life. Black, White, Latino, Asian, Indian, Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Atheist, Wiccan, Straight or Gay regardless of classification we are all human.

The freedom of speech might protect their right to believe and say what ever they want, but their so-called beliefs should stop them from judging another and damning them to hell. I might not be a super religious person, but what I remember from the bible is “Love thy neighbor, as I have loved you”. I have already had this fight with the super religious and I know that you can find a quote in the bible saying how being gay is a sin. I also know if you look in the bible you can find quotes that defend racism that demean women and every subject in between.

The bible was never meant to be the only absolute truth in the world. It is a road map if you are Christian that is influenced and expanded upon by preachers. This is the 21st century. You would think that we would have stopped being scared of things we didn’t understand a long time ago. And yet it is groups like Westboro and others of that ilk that hold us back.
Whether are beliefs are similar or different can we at least agree to be decent to one another. I know it’s a new and terrifying idea to accept people as they are, but how about we give it a try. Let tolerance and reasonableness dictate our actions instead of crazy antiquated beliefs.

Pell Grant For Moms - A Vehicle For Achieving a Mother's Dream

To contact us Click HERE

Via the efforts of the federal government numerous moms will now have the opportunity to return to college and end a school diploma. A Stimulus Strategy which provides moms the quantity of $ten,000 a yr in the type of academic grant will assist deliver 1000's of moms back again to college.

The best barrier why moms have a tendency to stop pursuing their dream of an schooling is simply because of lack of funds. Moms these days have two or 3 work opportunities just to help their households and make ends meet generating it not possible for them to carry on their education and learning.

With the support of the Federal Pell Grant, moms can attain that dream of a much better existence. The grant will assist moms throughout the nation to finance the expenditures in obtaining a school diploma. With introduction of on-line schooling program moms are no lengthier confronted with the issue of quitting their careers or leaving their children at house. They can now research and complete their schooling in the comforts of their personal residing rooms.

On the web finding out applications are provided by various schools and universities in the United States. Moms can verify their preferred instructional establishments if they are providing the technique by just going to their sites or just by seeking in the diverse search engines.

The Pell Grant is a motor vehicle which will assist hundreds of lives. Mothers could now have the career they need and at the identical time provide their little ones and people with greater dwelling problems. Not like pupil loans, Federal grants desire not be repaid. So a mother will end her school diploma with no currently being indebted.

Utilize for the grant right now for a much better daily life tomorrow!

Earlham CollegeThe First Stop on Jeremy's Spring College Tour

To contact us Click HERE

Earlham College is 660 miles from just outside the Holland Tunnel, on the Jersey side, where we gassed up on our way out west. Although the trip took nearly one whole day (11 hours) of driving and two tanks of gas, the school is definitely worth the trip!

Earlham is a small college in Richmond, Indiana, minutes from Dayton, Ohio. The school was founded by Quakers in 1847, and, like Guilford, has a philosophy strongly rooted in Quaker beliefs and values. The school sits on 800 acres, some wooded, and is made up of Georgian style red brick buildings. The overall architectural theme is one of simplicity, and although the campus is not the most beautiful we have seen, it has an extremely pleasing look and is peppered with lots of old, tall trees, many smaller, colorful flowering trees and lush green lawns in between. The buildings are clustered around a quad affectionately called “The Heart,” making the walk from one to the next relatively short.


A prospective student visiting Earlham is given a schedule created by the admissions office. Celeste just signed up for a tour, but Jeremy attended a class at 9am, (computer science-artificial intelligence,) went on a tour at 10am, and was interviewed at 11.




At 12 there was a lunch tour and all of the visitors and their parents who were visiting that day walked to the dining hall and we all ate together at two big tables! It was so welcoming and, well, fun! We made many new friends and chatted with people visiting Earlham form all over. Celeste and I actually toured twice, once with Emma and once again with Mallory. Interestingly, there is no info-session. It is up to us to speak to people and gather facts and information about the school ourselves. So we chatted with almost everyone we met. It makes for a warm and very personable experience.






What makes Earlham so special, in my opinion, is that it is a little oasis in the middle of no-where. It’s a beautiful college in the middle of a lesser known little town in an area of the state that is open and flat, and lacks the beauty of mountains or rolling hills. And, Earlham is full of friendly, sophisticated, liberal, like-minded folks who seemed to have gathered in this out-of-the-way place to make a great school that does wonderful and important things. Earlham is, hands down, the most racially diverse school I have ever seen, and it has the most diverse soccer team of all. We were told that only a small percentage of students hail from the immediate area. The bulk, like 80%, come from other places, and many, maybe 18% are international students. It seems Earlahm attracts a certain caliber of student and facluty to gather in this magical place. This makes for a rich and diverse student body, and an interesting place to be.

I must mention the beauty of the buildings, both inside and out. The student center, for example, is open, bright, clean and wonderfully appealing-something that stood out especially after our next tour. There is a student art gallery inside! The living and learning areas are pleasing and comfortable-I saw no cinder blocks! I wish I had photographed the large, bright dining hall that everyone calls SAGA. There is just one, and everyone eats together at big round or rectangular tables at specific times. Students who miss a meal can use their card at a coffee shop. I've always believed that schools with one dining hall help build community that way.


Jeremy had a lovely meeting with the men’s soccer coach, who met him at lunch with other players. Afterwards, he took us around to his office and then down to the soccer fields. He spoke at length and with pride about his school and his team’s accomplishments. He has been at Earlham for 31 years, and plans to continue on for at least a while longer. He invited Jeremy to return in the fall for an overnight and to see a game.

Next time, Jeremy will be flying…

Government Student Grants; What's Available, and How to Apply

To contact us Click HERE
Government student grants are available for most U.S. students and can go a long way towards paying for your education. Government student grants are considered the building block on which all other sources of student financial aid are applied. Amounts offered vary each year depending upon the availability of federal funding, a school's enrollment cost, and whether or not the student is planning to attend school on a full-time basis. The key to receiving a government student grant is in knowing how to properly apply, with the correct forms for your specific grant. We will endeavor to tell you how in this article.

Who Qualifies for a Government Student Grants:

Government student grants are available to those who show scholastic aptitude, those who are in financial need, and minorities. Whichever sort of grant is being applied for, whether government or private, it is important to first fill out the proper application for federal student aid. For any grant, even the lesser known or not as easy to obtain ones, it is always best to purchase a grant writing kit. Just make sure you get the best guide that you can find, some even have software that can be used as a template for filling out and writing your grants.
Ads by Google


What Government Student Grants are Available:

If you are eligible for a Pell grant, you may be able to receive an academic competitiveness grant if you meet certain criteria. The federal supplemental educational opportunity grant (fseog) program also provides supplemental grant funding to Pell grant recipients. This program is administered by the financial aid department at each participating college or university, giving priority to the neediest of the Pell grant recipients. To attract students to certain high-priority career areas, there are government student grants designated for recipients in specific college majors. If you are planning to be a teacher and willing to sign an agreement saying you'll spend at least four years in a school that serves students from low-income families, you may be able to receive funds through the teacher education assistance for college and higher education grant (teach) program.

For more information on properly filing for government student grants


Visit >>>http://fafsa-studentaid-ed-gov.blogspot.com/


Tag: college scholarships academic scholarships african american scholarships scholarships women minority scholarships merit scholarships scholarships hispanic mba scholarships study abroad scholarships undergraduate scholarships scholarships foundation scholarships nursing engineering scholarships graduate scholarships international scholarships financial aid college college scholarships and college scholarships for women



Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/personal-finance-articles/government-student-grants-whats-available-and-how-to-apply-1490202.html

I Won't Qualify for Financial Aid

To contact us Click HERE
I Won't Qualify for Financial Aid

|More


One of the most common, and often the most disheartening, misconception about financial aid is that a family's income will disqualify them from receiving any aid. This is usually based on some anecdotal evidence where a friend or family member went to all the trouble to file the paperwork to receive aid and they were denied any money. This of course could happen to anyone at any income level filing for financial aid; aid is not guaranteed. These misconceptions often lead to a family not filing for aid and a student paying way too much for an education or, in the extreme, skipping a college education entirely.While financial aid is based to a large extent on a family's income, families earning up to $250,000 per year are often receiving some type of aid to offset the cost of a constantly increasing college cost burden. It is true that families earning less than the $52,000 median income in the United States will receive the bulk of the need-based financial aid, especially the money funded by the federal and state governments. It is also true that to attract the top students to their institutions colleges and universities are resorting to a widening variety of financial incentives for families earning over the median income. Even at state institutions, which are supposed to serve as the great educational equalizers, a recent study found that between 1995 and 2003 aid to families earning over $100,000 per year jumped by 400%, while aid to families earning less than $20,000 fell by 13%.It is important to understand how the financial aid process works. Colleges and universities all require a family to fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) which is designed to determine how much a family can afford to pay for college. The FAFSA is also used to determine whether a family qualifies for Federal and State grants and subsidies for education. Colleges try to use money from outside sources first when developing an aid package. They will especially try to get you as much money as they can from government sources. While this is free money to the family, it is also free money to the college. Once the outside sources have been exhausted a college or university often has its own money to subsidize a student's education from their endowment funds. While most of this money is still given away based on need, much of the money is allocated based on the "merit" of the student. In other words how much they want a student to attend their school.While merit money is largely allocated on the basis of academic achievement, colleges also use this money for a variety of other purposes including geographic diversity (it looks good in the college catalogue when you can say you have students from all 50 states), ethnic diversity, acquiring special skills (talented athletes or musicians), and increasingly more common, the gift giving ability of the parents. If a university thinks that you might be a generous benefactor in the future there is no doubt they will find some way to subsidize your student's education.The gist of all this is very simple; there are no fixed rules about whether you will or will not receive financial aid. Even at the Ivy League colleges which always prided themselves on only giving away aid based on need, competition for students and the constantly increasing cost of college have forced them to toss out the old aid formulas. At many of these schools families earning less than $60,000 per year will pay little or nothing for their student's education. Families earning up to $180,000 per year will pay for college based on a sliding scale which is well below what the FAFSA would calculate for their family contribution. Competition breeds more competition and now the second tier colleges and universities are offering tuition discounts, up to 50% in some cases, and reducing the amount of student loans allocated to each family.So before you throw your hands up in the air and despair about your ability to receive financial aid you can perform a self-assessment. A quick look at your income versus the cost of the school will give you some indication of your likelihood of receiving need-based aid. If your income is over the median income of $52,000 per year and five times the cost of the school, your likelihood of receiving need-based aid is poor. So if you earn $70,000 and you want your student to go to a community college which costs $3,000 per year, it is likely you will be paying most of that cost on your own. However, if your student wants to attend a school that costs $50,000 per year it is likely your student's education will be heavily subsidized with financial aid. This is not a hard and fast rule. The number of dependents and the type of assets you own will also affect this calculation. It is just a quick way of giving you some perspective on receiving need-based aid. Families earning less than the median income are likely to receive aid at most any college or university.When you look at the schools your student wants to attend, how does your student measure up with the typical entering class? If your student's class rank and SAT or ACT scores put them in the top 25% of the entering class, it is likely the school will be providing your student with not only need-based aid but some of the merit money as well. Colleges subsidize the brightest students. This of course means the dream of your student attending an Ivy League school may not come to fruition. You have to be realistic about your student's chances of receiving aid.Are you willing to let your student attend a school in another state? Colleges and universities are increasingly looking for geographic diversity in their student body. I tell parents, especially at private schools, the further away you live from a school the more likely it is that you will receive a better aid package. A student from Massachusetts is less likely to receive a great aid package at Boston College than a student from California. So many students from Massachusetts want to attend Boston College. So few students from California want to attend Boston College. The law of supply and demand also works for financial aid.Does your student have special nonacademic talents? If your student has athletic or musical talents a school often has a bit of money to attract theses talents. On the athletic front your student is more likely to get a bit of extra money if they play lacrosse, rugby, or gymnastics than if they play the two big sports football or basketball. This is especially true for women. Title IX requires a school to provide as many scholarships for women's sports as are provided to men's sports. To offer money to all those male football and basketball players they have to offer the same number of scholarships to women. If your student is a talented musician, to receive some merit money, they may have to agree to play in the marching band on Saturday. If it helps pay for their education they can live through it.With the complexity of the financial aid process there is really only one guarantee. If you do not apply for aid you will not receive any aid. Families earning up to $250,000 should go ahead and fill out the financial aid applications. Even though your family contribution may end up being higher than the cost of attending, it indicates to the financial aid officers that you are interested in some of the school's money. These financial aid officers just might take a second look at your student and decide that they are deserving of a little help. Even if it is only a few thousand dollars, over four years, that can add up to a lot of money.Timothy R. Wall is a partner in the group Independent Financial Aid Advisors (IFAA, LLC) which works with families to develop strategies for achieving the best financial aid packages for their students who want to attend college. The company provides a free resource guide at http://www.achievecollegeaid.com. You may contact Tim at trwall@achievecollegeaid.com.Visit to - http://fafsa-studentaid-ed-gov.blogspot.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5265990

Student loans without cosigner

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Student loans without cosigner

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Student loans with no cosigner are considered the best option for students, as well as the entire family. Not only does this give the student the independence they need when embarking on their college experience, but it also releases the family from any future financial burden. Though this may not feel like a comfortable option for some students, particularly those who may not feel ready to take on such a large amount of debt, they should still be guided toward this responsibility.

 Instructions 

1Research student loan options on paper. Using the student loan brochures, make notes in a notebook or binder about which options may be best. Write out all the pro’s and con’s for each option a pamphlet or brochure is available for.

 2Research student loan options on the Internet. Print out in information for other student loans besides the ones mentioned in your pamphlets and brochures. Make notes about this research in your notebook, as well. Highlight important facts on the printouts, as well as in your notebook. Again, write out all the pros and cons for each option.

 3Weigh your options. Many students don’t realize there are federal student loan programs available where a cosigner is not required. The Stafford Student Loan is the most common federal student loan option, but there are many others listed on the Internet as well as at banks.

 4Learn a bit more based on financial need. There are loans and grants available to students without the need for a cosigner. The Perkins Loan is a loan disbursed and collected by the school. Students must demonstrate financial difficulties or need in order to qualify for this loan. The Pell Grant is also based on the need of the student, but it does not have to be paid back. Work-study programs are another option where the student works throughout college, earning while he is learning.

Read more: Where to Get a Student Loan With No Cosigner | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_4548928_where-student-loan-no-cosigner.html#ixzz2FIu5x5YE

Pell Grant For Moms - A Vehicle For Achieving a Mother's Dream

To contact us Click HERE

Via the efforts of the federal government numerous moms will now have the opportunity to return to college and end a school diploma. A Stimulus Strategy which provides moms the quantity of $ten,000 a yr in the type of academic grant will assist deliver 1000's of moms back again to college.

The best barrier why moms have a tendency to stop pursuing their dream of an schooling is simply because of lack of funds. Moms these days have two or 3 work opportunities just to help their households and make ends meet generating it not possible for them to carry on their education and learning.

With the support of the Federal Pell Grant, moms can attain that dream of a much better existence. The grant will assist moms throughout the nation to finance the expenditures in obtaining a school diploma. With introduction of on-line schooling program moms are no lengthier confronted with the issue of quitting their careers or leaving their children at house. They can now research and complete their schooling in the comforts of their personal residing rooms.

On the web finding out applications are provided by various schools and universities in the United States. Moms can verify their preferred instructional establishments if they are providing the technique by just going to their sites or just by seeking in the diverse search engines.

The Pell Grant is a motor vehicle which will assist hundreds of lives. Mothers could now have the career they need and at the identical time provide their little ones and people with greater dwelling problems. Not like pupil loans, Federal grants desire not be repaid. So a mother will end her school diploma with no currently being indebted.

Utilize for the grant right now for a much better daily life tomorrow!

2011 FIFA Women's World Cup and the US Women's National Team

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If you ask me what I did this summer (2011), an honest answer would have to be that I became obsessed with the Soccer Women's World Cup. The World Cup is a series of international soccer games between countries that takes place every four years. I remember enjoying the Men's World Cup games last year, but my involvement with the men's teams in no way compares to the depth of my admiration of and love for the women's teams. I love the power, strength and committment of these players. They are beautiful, smart, strong and interesting women who love soccer, as I do, and who are great at playing the game (unlike me.) The tournament was broadcast by ESPN, and while some might have complaints, I enjoyed the coverage, the commentaries, the interviews and the replays. I especially enjoyed the stories of the teams: Japan was unable to practice on fields after the tsunami, and the players could only run to prepare for the tournament, for example. These stories brought the players to life for me. Now, as a devoted and avid fan, I feel as though I know some of them.

My favorite team is the US team. I also fell in love with the Japanese team and, ironically, these two teams played in the final. In the end, if the US was not to win, I'm happy that Japan was the team it lost to. I also felt the nature of the Japan win was random, as any soccer fan knows, because to win in PKs does not mean the stronger or better team won, at all.

In this article, I will try to upload some video highlights of goals, the most exciting and spectacular momemts for me.






The final game, US v Japan, was played July 17 in Germany. It was a heartbreaker because the US did not win. Both teams played excellently and seemed evenly matched although. The game was exciting as both teams played clean, efficient, beautiful soccer, devoid of fouls, tricks, fakes and flops, things that are so common in men's games. (With the exception of Brazil, the women in the World Cup played true soccer, and for this reason, it is more enjoyable to watch.) Japan answered each US goal with one of their own. In the end, despite the fact that the US made every PK against Brazil to make it into the semi-finals, three shots did not make it into the back of the next in this final game. Each of Japan's did. The US lost to Japan in PK's after two overtime sessions.

So, while the US v Japan game was great, it had a heartbreaking ending. The happiest and most exciting outcome for me was when the US beat Brazil in PKs, after two overtime sessions, in the semi-finals. Unlike the US loss to Japan, Brazil's loss to the US was especially just because of several bad referee calls, or lack thereof, and the fact that the US played a man down for 55 minutes of regulation and overtime play. The cincher was when a Brazil player flopped and was carted off the field on a stretcher, only to pop back up again seconds later in a effort to stop the US's momentum at the very end of the game. The fake backfired however, because the US scored in the stoppage time awarded. Here is a video of the result: the tying goal scored by Abby Wambach, forcing the game to go to PKs: 











Homare Sawa is captain of the Japanese team. Against Mexico, Sawa had a hat-trick (3 goals in one game) in which Japan beat Mexico 4-0. She is my favorite non US player.







My favorite US players are Hope Solo...








...and Abby Wambach, whom I admire because of their talent and their confidence. I believe these traits are especially important for women, not just athletes. I love that these players are role models for hundreds of thousands of young girl athletes all over the world. They inspire me




Yes, I am obsessing, and I am transferring, I know! My own daughter no longer plays varsity soccer after years and years of this being a huge part of our lives. But I think having watched how hard Elsa worked and trained, week after week, month after month, season after season, I understand the committment these players and their families have made and it makes me appreciate their dedication, their talents and their game all the more.

I am going to be much more aware when the USNT players will be playing locally and will try to post updates as I learn of them, in case any readers are avid soccer fans and want to keep this World Cup momentum going with me.

Here is a video Hope Solo posted on her Facebook wall. I think it's very inspiring:



Here is a video of Abby Wambach:


There are more on YouTube as well. Search "Pressure Makes Us" by Nike.

Earlham CollegeThe First Stop on Jeremy's Spring College Tour

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Earlham College is 660 miles from just outside the Holland Tunnel, on the Jersey side, where we gassed up on our way out west. Although the trip took nearly one whole day (11 hours) of driving and two tanks of gas, the school is definitely worth the trip!

Earlham is a small college in Richmond, Indiana, minutes from Dayton, Ohio. The school was founded by Quakers in 1847, and, like Guilford, has a philosophy strongly rooted in Quaker beliefs and values. The school sits on 800 acres, some wooded, and is made up of Georgian style red brick buildings. The overall architectural theme is one of simplicity, and although the campus is not the most beautiful we have seen, it has an extremely pleasing look and is peppered with lots of old, tall trees, many smaller, colorful flowering trees and lush green lawns in between. The buildings are clustered around a quad affectionately called “The Heart,” making the walk from one to the next relatively short.


A prospective student visiting Earlham is given a schedule created by the admissions office. Celeste just signed up for a tour, but Jeremy attended a class at 9am, (computer science-artificial intelligence,) went on a tour at 10am, and was interviewed at 11.




At 12 there was a lunch tour and all of the visitors and their parents who were visiting that day walked to the dining hall and we all ate together at two big tables! It was so welcoming and, well, fun! We made many new friends and chatted with people visiting Earlham form all over. Celeste and I actually toured twice, once with Emma and once again with Mallory. Interestingly, there is no info-session. It is up to us to speak to people and gather facts and information about the school ourselves. So we chatted with almost everyone we met. It makes for a warm and very personable experience.






What makes Earlham so special, in my opinion, is that it is a little oasis in the middle of no-where. It’s a beautiful college in the middle of a lesser known little town in an area of the state that is open and flat, and lacks the beauty of mountains or rolling hills. And, Earlham is full of friendly, sophisticated, liberal, like-minded folks who seemed to have gathered in this out-of-the-way place to make a great school that does wonderful and important things. Earlham is, hands down, the most racially diverse school I have ever seen, and it has the most diverse soccer team of all. We were told that only a small percentage of students hail from the immediate area. The bulk, like 80%, come from other places, and many, maybe 18% are international students. It seems Earlahm attracts a certain caliber of student and facluty to gather in this magical place. This makes for a rich and diverse student body, and an interesting place to be.

I must mention the beauty of the buildings, both inside and out. The student center, for example, is open, bright, clean and wonderfully appealing-something that stood out especially after our next tour. There is a student art gallery inside! The living and learning areas are pleasing and comfortable-I saw no cinder blocks! I wish I had photographed the large, bright dining hall that everyone calls SAGA. There is just one, and everyone eats together at big round or rectangular tables at specific times. Students who miss a meal can use their card at a coffee shop. I've always believed that schools with one dining hall help build community that way.


Jeremy had a lovely meeting with the men’s soccer coach, who met him at lunch with other players. Afterwards, he took us around to his office and then down to the soccer fields. He spoke at length and with pride about his school and his team’s accomplishments. He has been at Earlham for 31 years, and plans to continue on for at least a while longer. He invited Jeremy to return in the fall for an overnight and to see a game.

Next time, Jeremy will be flying…

Government Student Grants; What's Available, and How to Apply

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Government student grants are available for most U.S. students and can go a long way towards paying for your education. Government student grants are considered the building block on which all other sources of student financial aid are applied. Amounts offered vary each year depending upon the availability of federal funding, a school's enrollment cost, and whether or not the student is planning to attend school on a full-time basis. The key to receiving a government student grant is in knowing how to properly apply, with the correct forms for your specific grant. We will endeavor to tell you how in this article.

Who Qualifies for a Government Student Grants:

Government student grants are available to those who show scholastic aptitude, those who are in financial need, and minorities. Whichever sort of grant is being applied for, whether government or private, it is important to first fill out the proper application for federal student aid. For any grant, even the lesser known or not as easy to obtain ones, it is always best to purchase a grant writing kit. Just make sure you get the best guide that you can find, some even have software that can be used as a template for filling out and writing your grants.
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What Government Student Grants are Available:

If you are eligible for a Pell grant, you may be able to receive an academic competitiveness grant if you meet certain criteria. The federal supplemental educational opportunity grant (fseog) program also provides supplemental grant funding to Pell grant recipients. This program is administered by the financial aid department at each participating college or university, giving priority to the neediest of the Pell grant recipients. To attract students to certain high-priority career areas, there are government student grants designated for recipients in specific college majors. If you are planning to be a teacher and willing to sign an agreement saying you'll spend at least four years in a school that serves students from low-income families, you may be able to receive funds through the teacher education assistance for college and higher education grant (teach) program.

For more information on properly filing for government student grants


Visit >>>http://fafsa-studentaid-ed-gov.blogspot.com/


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Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/personal-finance-articles/government-student-grants-whats-available-and-how-to-apply-1490202.html

I Won't Qualify for Financial Aid

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I Won't Qualify for Financial Aid

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One of the most common, and often the most disheartening, misconception about financial aid is that a family's income will disqualify them from receiving any aid. This is usually based on some anecdotal evidence where a friend or family member went to all the trouble to file the paperwork to receive aid and they were denied any money. This of course could happen to anyone at any income level filing for financial aid; aid is not guaranteed. These misconceptions often lead to a family not filing for aid and a student paying way too much for an education or, in the extreme, skipping a college education entirely.While financial aid is based to a large extent on a family's income, families earning up to $250,000 per year are often receiving some type of aid to offset the cost of a constantly increasing college cost burden. It is true that families earning less than the $52,000 median income in the United States will receive the bulk of the need-based financial aid, especially the money funded by the federal and state governments. It is also true that to attract the top students to their institutions colleges and universities are resorting to a widening variety of financial incentives for families earning over the median income. Even at state institutions, which are supposed to serve as the great educational equalizers, a recent study found that between 1995 and 2003 aid to families earning over $100,000 per year jumped by 400%, while aid to families earning less than $20,000 fell by 13%.It is important to understand how the financial aid process works. Colleges and universities all require a family to fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) which is designed to determine how much a family can afford to pay for college. The FAFSA is also used to determine whether a family qualifies for Federal and State grants and subsidies for education. Colleges try to use money from outside sources first when developing an aid package. They will especially try to get you as much money as they can from government sources. While this is free money to the family, it is also free money to the college. Once the outside sources have been exhausted a college or university often has its own money to subsidize a student's education from their endowment funds. While most of this money is still given away based on need, much of the money is allocated based on the "merit" of the student. In other words how much they want a student to attend their school.While merit money is largely allocated on the basis of academic achievement, colleges also use this money for a variety of other purposes including geographic diversity (it looks good in the college catalogue when you can say you have students from all 50 states), ethnic diversity, acquiring special skills (talented athletes or musicians), and increasingly more common, the gift giving ability of the parents. If a university thinks that you might be a generous benefactor in the future there is no doubt they will find some way to subsidize your student's education.The gist of all this is very simple; there are no fixed rules about whether you will or will not receive financial aid. Even at the Ivy League colleges which always prided themselves on only giving away aid based on need, competition for students and the constantly increasing cost of college have forced them to toss out the old aid formulas. At many of these schools families earning less than $60,000 per year will pay little or nothing for their student's education. Families earning up to $180,000 per year will pay for college based on a sliding scale which is well below what the FAFSA would calculate for their family contribution. Competition breeds more competition and now the second tier colleges and universities are offering tuition discounts, up to 50% in some cases, and reducing the amount of student loans allocated to each family.So before you throw your hands up in the air and despair about your ability to receive financial aid you can perform a self-assessment. A quick look at your income versus the cost of the school will give you some indication of your likelihood of receiving need-based aid. If your income is over the median income of $52,000 per year and five times the cost of the school, your likelihood of receiving need-based aid is poor. So if you earn $70,000 and you want your student to go to a community college which costs $3,000 per year, it is likely you will be paying most of that cost on your own. However, if your student wants to attend a school that costs $50,000 per year it is likely your student's education will be heavily subsidized with financial aid. This is not a hard and fast rule. The number of dependents and the type of assets you own will also affect this calculation. It is just a quick way of giving you some perspective on receiving need-based aid. Families earning less than the median income are likely to receive aid at most any college or university.When you look at the schools your student wants to attend, how does your student measure up with the typical entering class? If your student's class rank and SAT or ACT scores put them in the top 25% of the entering class, it is likely the school will be providing your student with not only need-based aid but some of the merit money as well. Colleges subsidize the brightest students. This of course means the dream of your student attending an Ivy League school may not come to fruition. You have to be realistic about your student's chances of receiving aid.Are you willing to let your student attend a school in another state? Colleges and universities are increasingly looking for geographic diversity in their student body. I tell parents, especially at private schools, the further away you live from a school the more likely it is that you will receive a better aid package. A student from Massachusetts is less likely to receive a great aid package at Boston College than a student from California. So many students from Massachusetts want to attend Boston College. So few students from California want to attend Boston College. The law of supply and demand also works for financial aid.Does your student have special nonacademic talents? If your student has athletic or musical talents a school often has a bit of money to attract theses talents. On the athletic front your student is more likely to get a bit of extra money if they play lacrosse, rugby, or gymnastics than if they play the two big sports football or basketball. This is especially true for women. Title IX requires a school to provide as many scholarships for women's sports as are provided to men's sports. To offer money to all those male football and basketball players they have to offer the same number of scholarships to women. If your student is a talented musician, to receive some merit money, they may have to agree to play in the marching band on Saturday. If it helps pay for their education they can live through it.With the complexity of the financial aid process there is really only one guarantee. If you do not apply for aid you will not receive any aid. Families earning up to $250,000 should go ahead and fill out the financial aid applications. Even though your family contribution may end up being higher than the cost of attending, it indicates to the financial aid officers that you are interested in some of the school's money. These financial aid officers just might take a second look at your student and decide that they are deserving of a little help. Even if it is only a few thousand dollars, over four years, that can add up to a lot of money.Timothy R. Wall is a partner in the group Independent Financial Aid Advisors (IFAA, LLC) which works with families to develop strategies for achieving the best financial aid packages for their students who want to attend college. The company provides a free resource guide at http://www.achievecollegeaid.com. You may contact Tim at trwall@achievecollegeaid.com.Visit to - http://fafsa-studentaid-ed-gov.blogspot.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5265990

Pell Grant For Moms - A Vehicle For Achieving a Mother's Dream

To contact us Click HERE

Via the efforts of the federal government numerous moms will now have the opportunity to return to college and end a school diploma. A Stimulus Strategy which provides moms the quantity of $ten,000 a yr in the type of academic grant will assist deliver 1000's of moms back again to college.

The best barrier why moms have a tendency to stop pursuing their dream of an schooling is simply because of lack of funds. Moms these days have two or 3 work opportunities just to help their households and make ends meet generating it not possible for them to carry on their education and learning.

With the support of the Federal Pell Grant, moms can attain that dream of a much better existence. The grant will assist moms throughout the nation to finance the expenditures in obtaining a school diploma. With introduction of on-line schooling program moms are no lengthier confronted with the issue of quitting their careers or leaving their children at house. They can now research and complete their schooling in the comforts of their personal residing rooms.

On the web finding out applications are provided by various schools and universities in the United States. Moms can verify their preferred instructional establishments if they are providing the technique by just going to their sites or just by seeking in the diverse search engines.

The Pell Grant is a motor vehicle which will assist hundreds of lives. Mothers could now have the career they need and at the identical time provide their little ones and people with greater dwelling problems. Not like pupil loans, Federal grants desire not be repaid. So a mother will end her school diploma with no currently being indebted.

Utilize for the grant right now for a much better daily life tomorrow!

Freedom of Speech doesn't give people the right to be A-holes

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Today, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled 8-1 in favor of Westboro Baptist Church. Saying that the First Amendment gives this church the right to protest at soldiers’ funerals. The SCOTUS ruling also reversed a five million dollar judgment given to the father of Matthew Snyder, a marine whose death was protested by the church members.

I am all for the first amendment, it is a right that many other people in the world don’t have. In the United States no one is going to stop us if we say something bad about the president or the legislature or anything about the government. The press is allowed to report what ever the news is, the government does not control them. There are talk radio shows geared directly to either conservatives or liberals that tailor their coverage to what their audience wants to hear.

The first amendment should not extend to protesting a soldier’s funeral. I am very liberal in my political beliefs, I think that George W. Bush was an idiot and we had no right to invade Iraq or Afghanistan. However, it is a tragedy when ever any soldier dies and while our beliefs might not be similar I would never insult them or their families by holding up a sign saying that their loved one is in hell because the US is tolerant of homosexuals.

Which is precisely what the members of Westboro claim, that the terrorist attacks of 9/11 the casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan are all due to the US’ tolerance of homosexuals. They claim that God is mad at this country for being tolerant of another person’s way of life. Black, White, Latino, Asian, Indian, Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Atheist, Wiccan, Straight or Gay regardless of classification we are all human.

The freedom of speech might protect their right to believe and say what ever they want, but their so-called beliefs should stop them from judging another and damning them to hell. I might not be a super religious person, but what I remember from the bible is “Love thy neighbor, as I have loved you”. I have already had this fight with the super religious and I know that you can find a quote in the bible saying how being gay is a sin. I also know if you look in the bible you can find quotes that defend racism that demean women and every subject in between.

The bible was never meant to be the only absolute truth in the world. It is a road map if you are Christian that is influenced and expanded upon by preachers. This is the 21st century. You would think that we would have stopped being scared of things we didn’t understand a long time ago. And yet it is groups like Westboro and others of that ilk that hold us back.
Whether are beliefs are similar or different can we at least agree to be decent to one another. I know it’s a new and terrifying idea to accept people as they are, but how about we give it a try. Let tolerance and reasonableness dictate our actions instead of crazy antiquated beliefs.

2011 FIFA Women's World Cup and the US Women's National Team

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If you ask me what I did this summer (2011), an honest answer would have to be that I became obsessed with the Soccer Women's World Cup. The World Cup is a series of international soccer games between countries that takes place every four years. I remember enjoying the Men's World Cup games last year, but my involvement with the men's teams in no way compares to the depth of my admiration of and love for the women's teams. I love the power, strength and committment of these players. They are beautiful, smart, strong and interesting women who love soccer, as I do, and who are great at playing the game (unlike me.) The tournament was broadcast by ESPN, and while some might have complaints, I enjoyed the coverage, the commentaries, the interviews and the replays. I especially enjoyed the stories of the teams: Japan was unable to practice on fields after the tsunami, and the players could only run to prepare for the tournament, for example. These stories brought the players to life for me. Now, as a devoted and avid fan, I feel as though I know some of them.

My favorite team is the US team. I also fell in love with the Japanese team and, ironically, these two teams played in the final. In the end, if the US was not to win, I'm happy that Japan was the team it lost to. I also felt the nature of the Japan win was random, as any soccer fan knows, because to win in PKs does not mean the stronger or better team won, at all.

In this article, I will try to upload some video highlights of goals, the most exciting and spectacular momemts for me.






The final game, US v Japan, was played July 17 in Germany. It was a heartbreaker because the US did not win. Both teams played excellently and seemed evenly matched although. The game was exciting as both teams played clean, efficient, beautiful soccer, devoid of fouls, tricks, fakes and flops, things that are so common in men's games. (With the exception of Brazil, the women in the World Cup played true soccer, and for this reason, it is more enjoyable to watch.) Japan answered each US goal with one of their own. In the end, despite the fact that the US made every PK against Brazil to make it into the semi-finals, three shots did not make it into the back of the next in this final game. Each of Japan's did. The US lost to Japan in PK's after two overtime sessions.

So, while the US v Japan game was great, it had a heartbreaking ending. The happiest and most exciting outcome for me was when the US beat Brazil in PKs, after two overtime sessions, in the semi-finals. Unlike the US loss to Japan, Brazil's loss to the US was especially just because of several bad referee calls, or lack thereof, and the fact that the US played a man down for 55 minutes of regulation and overtime play. The cincher was when a Brazil player flopped and was carted off the field on a stretcher, only to pop back up again seconds later in a effort to stop the US's momentum at the very end of the game. The fake backfired however, because the US scored in the stoppage time awarded. Here is a video of the result: the tying goal scored by Abby Wambach, forcing the game to go to PKs: 











Homare Sawa is captain of the Japanese team. Against Mexico, Sawa had a hat-trick (3 goals in one game) in which Japan beat Mexico 4-0. She is my favorite non US player.







My favorite US players are Hope Solo...








...and Abby Wambach, whom I admire because of their talent and their confidence. I believe these traits are especially important for women, not just athletes. I love that these players are role models for hundreds of thousands of young girl athletes all over the world. They inspire me




Yes, I am obsessing, and I am transferring, I know! My own daughter no longer plays varsity soccer after years and years of this being a huge part of our lives. But I think having watched how hard Elsa worked and trained, week after week, month after month, season after season, I understand the committment these players and their families have made and it makes me appreciate their dedication, their talents and their game all the more.

I am going to be much more aware when the USNT players will be playing locally and will try to post updates as I learn of them, in case any readers are avid soccer fans and want to keep this World Cup momentum going with me.

Here is a video Hope Solo posted on her Facebook wall. I think it's very inspiring:



Here is a video of Abby Wambach:


There are more on YouTube as well. Search "Pressure Makes Us" by Nike.