Financial Aid and Grad School

Getting a higher education isn't easy. Or cheap. Going to a public university is definitely cheaper than going to a private one (think USC and their $30,000 plus tuition yearly). However, the fact that even one of my classmates is having a hard time paying for school and that this necessitates him or her to work, really chaps my hiney, so to speak.

I know I've written about financial aid on my blog before, and I'd like to offer up some suggestions again, but I'm no expert. I'm hoping that others who may read this post will take heart and offer up their own suggestions, so that others may benefit from their wisdom.

If and until that happens, I've dug up some book titles for scholarship searches and websites that may be of help:

• www.fafsa.com (apply for financial aid online)
• www.fastweb.com (access to financial aid info and scholarship search)
• "1001 Ways to Pay for College" -- good for a wide range of scholarship and financial aid ideas
• Your local library -- oftentimes has Scholarship Books or other resources for student financial aid planning

These are all books and resources I've used myself. But this, by no means, is even a slightly exhaustive list. I'm sure there's more resources than I could possibly research and put on this blog. But, at least it's a good start! Hope it helps!!

Distracted, much?

To say that the 4th of July threw me off track is a complete understatement. Watching "Julie & Julia" has reminded me of the importance of my blog, no matter who is (or is not) reading it. After all, the internet immortalizes the least of us, and my goal is to leave in my wake links to the plethora resources that have enabled me to succeed in school.

Did I ever mention that I got into grad school? I'm still blown away, so forgive me if I have. Besides being off school and using it as time to research new and valuable resources and scholarships, I have been full-time single parent, whittling away at the month-plus days left of the summer. I just do my best to entertain. :-)

Not only that, but also the getting readiness of the upcoming quarter has been under way. I simply could not find the best desk for me after countless fruitless hours searching for one on the internet. Thus, my significant other has done his best to make my ideas for my very own custom-made desk come to fruition. God bless his creative little soul.

Anyways, my goal of "One scholarship each day for Monday through Friday of each week" has failed miserably. But the scholarships I have researched thus far are posted on here. And, when I get back on track, you will be the first to know. Have a great day!

Does worry really cause warts...? ...Or just ulcers??

Since I have remained silent thus far about the economic crisis, I thought that the prompting of the new Mad Magazine would give me a good excuse to bring it up. After all, who are we kidding here? People who thought that buying a home was the American Dream ("people" such as myself) are now coming to the realization that it may be just the opposite: the American Nightmare.

Having had the fortuitousness to be able to live vicariously through home owners and stock holders, I have come to appreciate my education, friends, and children that much more (and not necessarily in that particular order either). People don't go away when money disappears -- unless it's your portfolio manager. Children don't suddenly turn evil when the usual "Saturday Night Out" is replaced by an economically feasible "Saturday Night In". Love has no measurable monetary cost.

Which brings me to the point of this post. Worry has a monetary cost, in the form of medical bills. According to the theory of Somatic Experience, when one encounters stressful events that they allow to build up in their body instead of experiencing, processing and developing a solution for, the effects of the pent up stress cause physical manifestations of illness to appear in the body. Somatic Therapy is the process by which the person learns to stay in the moment, present in their own body, feeling the sensations of the experience and allowing the feelings to process and find a natural resolution. This allows healing on a holistic level (body, mind and spirit). Read about Somatic Therapy here.

I hope that the current money situation in your life allows you to get closer to what is truly important in the grand scheme of life: the intangible, human experience through love in the form of people and passion for life.