Borrowing Student Loans Responsibly

As you may know, student loans are today’s largest form of student aid. Researches have found out that it made up to 54 percent of the total aid awarded every year. However, with the rise of student loans, several cases of student loan defaults occur. The student loan debt is even today’s one of the major problems of most student borrowers. It is rising every year and the college expenses as well as the graduate school costs have definitely gone up faster than inflation. Well, let me tell you that this case often surface when you take a particular loan then another student loan followed by another loan. It is often said that as much as you take student loan offers, your loan debt gets bigger and bigger.

Since the case for student loan debt always happens and it carries certain burdens to the attainment of the student’s dream of higher education, it is then important that you consider some steps that will help you lower or manage your debts. Perhaps one of the most necessary things to consider is to borrow loans responsibly.
Think Before Your Borrow
Many people find it easy to rush through the student loan process. However, if you take a minute considering some of the money saving tips mentioned below, you could save yourself some bucks in the long run. So, read on.
Falling Into the Loan Trap? Oops! Avoid it!
Most of the time, you may find it tempting to borrow up to the maximum amount. Well, this is what many people call as the “loan trap”. It is the case where you borrow the maximum amount of money from the student loan lending company or institution even if it is more than you can afford to repay. It often occurs for the fact that need-based loans are very easy to apply for and they don’t usually require payments while you are attending your degree. So, to avoid certain consequences as you enter the repayment period, you should avoid the loan trap.
How Much Loan Do You Actually Need
Before you consider borrowing a student loan for your college, think first how much loan you really need. Always note that when taking out student loan, you don’t have to borrow the entire amount which is usually specified in your award letter. Just borrow what is enough.
Reduce Your Loan As Much As Possible
There are several options available for student loan borrowers. But, before opting for one, it is necessary that you question yourself if you can hold down the expenses; if you can work more, either in the academic year or during vacations; or if there are scholarships available for you. It is often said that if you minimize spending or bring in more money, the amount you have to borrow for your education tends to go down.
Consider Student Loans with the Best Terms
Note that the lower the interest rate, the less pricey the student loan is. This actually means, the less you will have to repay for your student loan debt.
For your own sake, here is what your batting order should be (from the least expensive):
Student Loans
Federal Perkins Loans
Federal Subsidized Stafford or Direct Loans
Federal Unsubsidized Stafford or Direct Loans
Alternative or Private Loans
As you may know, most of the students thinking for student loans have access to a special loan source these days. These sources, like the Air Force Aid Society, have student loans terms that are comparable to the Perkins or Subsidized Stafford or Direct Loans. Of course, it may be worth your time to look into the possibilities. There are some sources these days that offer low-interest student loan programs, and perhaps one of the most resourceful is the College Board’s online Scholarship Search.
Parent Loans
1. Federal PLUS Loans
2. Private Loans or Alternative Loans
As mentioned, there are two available forms of education loans for parents. These programs are what commonly offered by some colleges anywhere in the world. But, for great chances of availing the benefits of such programs, it is best to check with your financial aid office to see if the school you wish to attend offers its own loan program. This will also allow you to know if you qualify for the loan, before you submit a PLUS loan application.
How Much Should You Borrow?
Many experts agree that you should borrow only as much as necessary. As mentioned earlier, it is often tempting to borrow whatever you are offered or are eligible to borrow. However, it is necessary to think first carefully about hoe much you really need, as well as to consider other possible options.
Always note that there is actually no need for you to borrow the entire amount shown in your award letter. And, even more important is that, never plan to borrow as much as you can up the yearly limits because if you do so, expect yourself to be deep down in debt.
Consider Options That Will Reduce Your Loans
If you are thinking for borrowing money to support your education, try to ask yourself first if you have savings left that you can use instead of taking out a student loan from the school of your choice. Also, think if you can get by with less by way of holding down expenses, or if you can do something great, like working more, either in the academic year or during vacations just to support your education. Also, think for the possible scholarships that you can apply for, or you can be qualified for. There are actually a lot of options left for you out there. The best move to take now is to know and understand them.
Estimate Your Loan Payments
It is worthy to note that the more you borrow for your education, the higher is the amount of your monthly repayments will be once you finish your degree. So if possible, try to estimate your loan payments. There are a number of student loan repayment calculators out there that you can use to do the math. What’s more, you have the chance to calculate your monthly payments based on the estimated starting salary of your chosen occupation.
The Essential Borrowing Tips
Now that you have pondered enough about your student loan with the things you have to consider before borrowing, as well as with the amount you need to borrow, I guess it is now important for you to look at the most recommended tips for borrowing student loans. Just consider the following:
Start by looking at the award letter given to you by your servicer. From the letter, figure out which need-based loans you have been qualifies for and for what amounts.
After looking at the full financial picture, such as the awarded aid, education cost, and family share, you should then consider settling on an amount that you actually need to borrow.
The rule is: never borrow more than you need. Always note that as a student loan borrower, you are not required to take the full amount of the loan you have been offered.
Don’t ever forget about student employment as an alternative for borrowing. Even though working at a job can seem like an extra burden for students, so is struggling with high loan repayments after college.
Apply for the student loan right away. This is very necessary especially if you want to ensure that the loan is approved as well as the money paid to the college before you have to make your first student account payment.
The key to successful application is to follow the loan application instructions carefully. Note that any mistakes you make will delay receipt of the funds.
When you are applying for a Stafford or Direct student loan, be prepared for the amount that is paid to the college to be less than the amount you signed for. Usually, a fee of up to four percent will be deducted from the student loan. This deduction occurs before the check is sent to the college of your choice.
If you already figured out the exact amount you are borrowing before any borrowing process begins, you should start keeping track of your student loan tab, which is what your monthly repayment amount will be after you graduated from college. There are student loan calculators out there than can do the math for you.
If instances occur that you find yourself needing more than the amount that’s been offered in your award letter, it is necessary to contact with a financial aid counselor before taking on an additional loan.
And, if you do take on an additional, unsubsidized loan, just consider making interest payments while attending your degree. The interest won’t be much and this will help you save money. If you delay or capitalize the interest payments, you will end up having to pay back significantly less than.
As mentioned, planning and thinking your moves for taking out student loans is very necessary for a successful borrowing. If you do consider what have been mentioned above, then there is no doubt for you not to attain your dream education, and even a successful career in the future.

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An All-Around Yoga Exercise: 12-Step Salute to the Sun

One of the all-around yoga exercises is the 12-step salute to the sun. Do it once or twice when you get up in the morning to help relieve stiffness and invigorate the body. Multiple repetitions at night will help you to relax; insomniacs often find that six to 12 rounds help them fall asleep.

1. Stand with your feet slightly apart, palms together, thumbs against your chest.

2. Inhale deeply while slowly raising your hands over your head, and bend back as far as possible, while tightening your buttocks. Hold for three seconds.

3. Slowly exhale and bend forward, keeping your knees straight, until your fingers touch the floor outside your feet. (If you can't touch the floor, go as close as you can.) Bring your head in toward your knees.

4. Slowly inhale, bend your knees, and if your fingertips aren't outside your feet on the floor, place them there. Slide your right foot back as far as you can go, with the right knee an inch or so off the floor, (a lunge position). Now look up as high as possible, arching your back.

5. Before exhaling again, slide your left foot back until it is beside the right one, and with your weight supported on your palms and toes, straighten both legs so that your body forms a flat plane. Make sure your stomach is pulled in.

6. Slowly exhale, bend both knees to the floor, bend with your hips in the air, lower your chest and forehead to the floor.

7. Now inhale slowly and look up, bending your head back, then raising it, followed by your upper chest, then lower chest. Your lower body - from the navel down - should be on the floor, and your elbows should be slightly bent. Hold for three to five seconds.

8. Exhale slowly and raise your hips until your feet and palms are flat on the floor and your arms and legs are straight in an inverted V position.

9. Inhale slowly and bring your right foot forward as in position 4. The foot should be flat on the floor between your fingertips. The left leg should be almost straight behind you, with its knee slightly off the floor. Raise your head, look up, and arch your back.

10. Slowly exhale and bring your left foot forward next to your right one. Straighten your legs and stand, trying to keep your fingertips on the floor, and try to touch your head to your knees as in position 3.

11. Slowly inhale, raise your arms up and stretch back as in position 2. Don't forget to tighten your buttocks. Hold for three seconds.

12. Slowly exhale, lowering your arms to your sides. Relax. Repeat the series.

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LACES Threads High Expectations Throughout School

High expectations, demanding courses, and dedicated faculty combine to give the Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies (LACES) the feel and results of a pricey prep school rather than an urban magnet school. Included: Description of a strong urban magnet school program.

Imagine being accepted to a school with more competitive admissions than the University of California -Los Angeles (UCLA) -- when you’re a sixth grader.

So impressive are the reputation -- and the results -- of the Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies (LACES) magnet school that it draws hundreds more applicants than it can accommodate and has an acceptance rate closer to that of elite colleges than urban magnet schools.

Almost 100 percent of LACES graduates are admitted to college. Yet most of the 1,523 students enrolled in the grades six-to-12 school are from minority groups and the inner city -- populations that typically struggle in school.

“This is not a gifted magnet; yet, somehow when they get here, they become successful, and get motivated," said principal Margaret Kim. “I can’t quite figure out the formula -- maybe it’s because students have to apply."

“IT’S HARDER TO GET IN HERE THAN UCLA"

For assistant principal Marion Wong, the main ingredient in the formula is high expectations. The school’s motto is “In search of excellence."

“We start with the idea that everyone is going to college," Wong told Education World in spring 2007. “The school is designed around two standards of excellence. Every student will take one or more advanced placement (AP) classes by the end of his or her career. Every student will attend a four-year college, have a fruitful career, and be an engaged citizen."

Serving students from many different backgrounds and circumstances and widely varying ability levels has not diluted those goals or expectations. “We do run the gamut, from some special education students to the very gifted," Wong noted. “A lot of kids are inner-city, but not hard core inner-city. Some live in bad neighborhoods."

LACES results stand out even more because the school has many of the challenges that often sink urban schools into the lower-performing category and anchor them there: a predominately urban, minority population; large classes (the average is 29 students in middle school classes, 34 in high school); few computers, no computer lab, and a building new when Franklin D. Roosevelt served as president.

Yet in 2005, LACES received the California Distinguished High School Award. The school also earned the California Distinguished School Award twice and the National Blue Ribbon School Award once.

“By multiple measures, the school offers an island of excellence in the midst of the inner city neighborhood in which it resides," according to a California Best Practices Study done in 2005. “LACES is not a high-end private school but an inner city school with no admissions criteria in GPA. Yet, it shows many of the features of an Exeter or Groton."

“It’s harder to get in here than UCLA," noted Wong.

For the 2007-2008 school year, LACES received about 2,000 applications for approximately 244 openings in sixth grade. Students are chosen through a complex lottery system, and preference is given to siblings of students. The school also accepts about 35 ninth graders each year to replace students who transfer to another high school.

“Parents cry when their kids don’t get in here," Wong added. “Therapists call and say they want a child to go here."

In part because getting admitted is so difficult, parent involvement also is very high. “If we call a parent, they’re in," Wong said. “Often both parents. All the families want the best for their kids. This school is definitely the first choice for many parents."

Lorraine, 16, a junior, said she was drawn to LACES because she heard it was a good school and her mother liked that she wouldn’t have to transfer after middle school.

“I know it’s much harder than an LA high school," Lorraine told Education World. “There are more classes and the teachers are nice, but strict. You have to balance your schedule so you do well." Asked about her plans after high school, Lorraine answered, “I’ll attend college, of course. I’m not sure yet what I’ll study -- maybe fashion, business, or economics."
BUILDING A REPUTATION

The school offers 23 AP courses, a wide variety of electives, and classes for different ability levels. LACES’ students are required to take seven courses a year, using a block schedule. Faculty members teach six courses, as opposed to five in many schools.

“This is designed to be an academic school," teacher Randy Rutschman said. “The kids realize why they are here."

Besides mandating that all LACES’ students take at least one AP class, the school’s standards for graduation are much higher than the state’s. While California requires students to earn 230 credits to receive a high school diploma, LACES’ students must earn 280.

“So LACES’ kids look pretty good," said Victoria Vickers, the magnet coordinator and sixth-grade counselor.

Even with all the requirements, every student has a course he or she likes during the day, Wong noted. “We’re able to offer electives. They can take at least one elective every year -- usually two."

And unlike many urban schools where teachers spend the bulk of the day on scripted lessons, drilling classes on basic skills for high-stakes tests, LACES’ teachers spend very little time prepping students for California’s state tests. “We teach to state standards, and our kids usually do well on tests," Wong said. Teachers often take students to a local college for testing, because there are fewer distractions and the setting reminds students of why they are taking tests and working so hard.

Most graduates make a successful transition to higher education. “Generally, our kids do really well in college," guidance counselor Mary Jane London said. “The kids who go to small schools do better -- many of them get lost at larger schools."

Staff members do want to add some curriculum specifically for middle-schoolers. “Our reputation has been made on the reputation of the high school," Vickers said. “We need to concentrate on the middle school. Now we’re adding distinctly middle-school classes, such as leadership and journalism."

Generally speaking, LACES’ students are inquisitive and motivated, and that is a large part of the appeal of teaching there, said Marlene Braer, a 12th grade English teacher who has been at the school for 15 years.

“I like the students and I like my colleagues," Braer told Education World. “My students are respectful and complete assignments and I respect them. I love the interplay. The expectations are high; they don’t want to disappoint me. And they stay engaged if you give them interesting things to talk about."
LEARNING WITH THE WORLD

While requiring hard work from its students, LACES provides them with a dedicated 60-member faculty, a safe environment, 80 after-school clubs from which to choose, and a diversity that many public or private schools would envy. Preference is given to applicants from racially-isolated neighborhoods. About 90 percent of LACES’ students are bused in from different parts of Los Angeles. The school’s acceptance rate is designed to create a population that is about 70 percent minority and 30 percent white.

“I would never have met anyone who was a white American if I hadn’t come here," said Cecilia, 13, a seventh grader. “The neighborhood school I went to was all Hispanic; known for violence, and the people were not so nice. I learned new things here about people who are Korean, Chinese, and Japanese that I never would have known and became friends with them. You learn more here from other groups of people."

Because electives are open to students in all grades, pupils also learn with students of varying ages. Math classes are grouped by ability level, allowing some sixth graders to take first-year algebra. The calculus teacher also can teach seventh-grade honors math.

LACES’ faculty has little turnover, and that and the fact that students are there for seven years allows teachers and students to bond. Teachers try to turn students on to their strengths, and often the older ones help the younger ones, Vickers noted.
“Just having them for so long is a plus," she added. “You can start with kids who don’t know anything about music and dance and get them involved."

Some, though, say there are drawbacks to spending their middle-and-high-school years in one school. “I met a lot of people I wouldn’t have met normally," said Marissa, 16, a junior. “But it is a long time to be in one place. I wish I’d had some more transitions."

Others initially had doubts about attending, but were won over. “When I first came here, I didn’t want to come," said Christina, 13, a seventh grader. “I am an artist, and they focus on academics. It’s a different experience -- there is no football team, the mascot is the unicorn, which is different -- but I feel like I’m learning a lot. Classes are big, but teachers try hard to give you a lot of help. You get to make friends with kids from other grades and races."
STUDENTS INSPIRE TEACHERS

Teachers at LACES probably have more work to do than their counterparts in other districts schools, but the longer hours for staff members pay off in the relationships they build with students and peers, Rutschman said. “There is a lot of interaction among the faculty and we have a supportive administration; the principal has vision."

Rutschman has been at LACES for 23 years and teaches AP psychology, a leadership class, U.S. history, and is a tenth grade guidance counselor. He also passes out licorice to his advisees.

If that weren’t enough, he serves as principal of an orthodox yeshiva, a school for Jewish students, working there from 3:20 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. four days a week.

“I like the [LACES] kids -- they are intelligent, personable, and verbal -- that’s mostly what has kept me here all these years," Rutschman told Education World. “At this school, the worst kid is a good kid. They are willing to tell you when you are right or wrong. And I like the fact that it is integrated -- it’s really culturally rich."

Robert, 17, a senior and a member of the Young Black Scholars, said LACES is a good place for people who want to apply themselves. He had been accepted to Loyola Marymount College.

“The classes are smaller and I met a lot of different kinds of people," Robert said. “If you come to school to handle your business, you’re okay. If not, it’s hard."
POSITIVE PEER INTERACTION

LACES also encourages peer support and interaction across the grades. High school students serve as peer counselors, for which they must undergo 20 hours of training. The program is run by an English teacher.

Students who complete the training meet with classmates and talk about issues such as transitions, coping with divorce, and handling grief. But the students recognize they are no substitute for professionals. “They know when to call in help," Wong said.

High school students also volunteer as homeroom leaders for the younger ones. At least four or five high school students are assigned to all the sixth grade homerooms. The homeroom leaders also run summer orientation for new students.

Homeroom leaders help sixth graders with homework, the transition to middle school, and discuss how to work with different teachers. The older students also participate with sixth graders in team building, seasonal activities, and diversity training.

Christopher, 12, a sixth grader who lifted his feet up and down as he talked, said the interaction with older students was one of LACES’ strengths. “I like having the big brothers and big sisters -- they help with homework," he said.
MINDING THE GAP

Despite the staff’s efforts to help all students perform at high levels, the biggest challenge LACES faces is closing the achievement gap. African-American and Latino students do better than students in those groups in other district schools, but they still are not scoring as high as Asian-American and white students. “We love all the kids, but they come from uneven backgrounds," Wong noted.

To assist struggling students, teachers volunteer to tutor pupils before and after school and during their own lunch periods. The school has no formal remedial or tutoring programs.

“I wish we could do more for kids who need that [extra help]," Vickers said. “Maybe it makes them more responsible; they have to take responsibility for their own learning."

LACES makes an effort to get all parents involved in their children’s learning by providing buses for people without their own transportation so they can attend school functions and meetings.

Other strategies LACES’ faculty has used include participating in district-supported site leadership for closing the achievement gap; designing opportunities for teacher collaboration around increasingly common assessments; and offering professional development for highly differentiated instruction, noted the California Best Practices Study.

Staff members have adopted other approaches to narrow the gap, including making some courses more culturally relevant. In one math class, for example, students map the neighborhood to learn map construction and trigonometry. Teachers also rotate teaching courses so they get experience teaching students at different levels. Language arts teachers are including more books by minority authors in reading assignments.

Teachers also have begun identifying which standards need to be taught and administering quarterly assessments to pinpoint the skills on which students need to concentrate, according to Vickers.

To promote multicultural awareness, student organizations on campus such as the Young Black Scholars, Young Latino Scholars, and the Young Asian Scholars put on cultural programs for the school. The Black Scholars organize Black History Month programs and the Latino student group sponsors dance assemblies.

And LACES’ efforts narrow the achievement gap have not gone unnoticed. “…The school is challenging the conventional belief that excellence must be sacrificed in the quest for equity," noted the California Best Practices Study. “The school aims for both -- though it has not yet succeeded."

What LACES is succeeding in doing so far creating an academic and social setting that is providing many students the skills and vision to take them beyond high school. “I heard of the school’s reputation for getting people into college," said Ian, 16, a junior, explaining why he applied. “This seemed like a way to secure my future."

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

* Los Angeles Unified School District
* School Issues Glossary: Magnet Schools
* School Issues Glossary: Urban Schools

Article by Ellen R. Delisio
Education World®
Copyright © 2008 Education World

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Memminger Elementary program impressing on students that if they don't snooze, they lose

By Diette Courrégé (Contact)
The Post and Courier
Thursday, March 20, 2008

Nathaniel Frasier puts his kindergartner to bed by 9 p.m. each night and wakes him up at 6:30 a.m. for school.

He thought his son was getting enough sleep and didn't realize until this week that recommendations call for up to an hour and a half more sleep than his son gets now.

"That's a big difference," he said. "I thought that was too much sleep."

Frasier signed a contract Tuesday promising he would move his son's bedtime up by an hour, and he's curious to see if it makes a difference. The bedtime contracts are a school-wide initiative at Memminger Elementary in Charleston to create awareness about the importance of sleep, and to encourage parents to set and enforce earlier bedtimes.

"I'll give it a try," Frasier said. "It's a good idea."

Children who don't get enough sleep are more likely to get in trouble in class or lose their focus on the day's lessons, and it's a problem for many Memminger Elementary students, principal Diane Ross said.

Some stay at work late with their parents and don't get home until 11 p.m., while others stay awake for hours watching TV in their beds, she said. When students get into middle school, some stay up late sending text messages on their cell phones, said Kathy Lewis, a school climate specialist working with Memminger Elementary.

The situation has implications for the school's test scores. Many students admitted to filling in random circles on high-stakes standardized tests because they were tired, Ross said. Students need more than one night of good sleep to be well-rested, she said, and that's why school officials have started pushing to change students' habits.

Research shows that many children don't get enough sleep. Children ages 3 to 5 get nearly 10 1/2 hours while they should average between 11 and 13 hours, and first- through fifth-graders get an average of 9 1/2 compared to the recommended 10 to 11 hours, according to the National Sleep Foundation.

"So many people don't realize fourth- and fifth-graders should be in bed by 8 p.m.," Lewis said.

Eighteen elementary schools on Johns Island, downtown Charleston, West Ashley and Hollywood are participating in this sleep initiative. Some are sending fliers home to parents, some are making presentations to PTA groups and others are asking students to track the amount of sleep they get each night.

Memminger Elementary has embraced the effort to spread the message that students need more sleep. Ross stood in a robe outside Memminger Elementary on Tuesday and asked parents whether they signed the bedtime contracts. Students wore their pajamas to school, and teachers organized classroom activities around the issue of sleep to emphasize its importance.

School officials plan to track the number of discipline referrals for the school's younger students to see whether the figures decrease when students get more sleep.

The school also held a meeting for parents Tuesday morning to talk more about the relationship of sleep to their childrens' well-being.

Jessica Rabon attended the parents' meeting. She has 5-year-old and 7-year-old daughters at Memminger, and she said they get grouchy and don't want to do their homework when they don't get enough sleep.

She's a stickler for bedtimes and makes sure her children are in bed by 7:30 p.m. and are going to sleep by 8 p.m. Every family should set bedtimes for children, she said.

"They need their sleep," she said.

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Sex education is taught in Greece

I am writing in response to Brennans news story on teenage pregnancies in Britain and Dowmans letter in which she says that biblical teaching may be more effective than free condoms.1 I am a medical student in Greece, and my personal experience of teaching sex education dates back to 1998, when I was first introduced to an intervention project providing health education to secondary schools. The project is organised by HelMSIC, the Greek member of the International Federation of Medical Students Association (IFMSA), and it deals with sexually transmitted infections and healthy sexual behaviour.

Initially, medical students are briefed about what they have to teach young pupils in high schools, and then they are divided into small groups to conduct studies about, for example, contraception, hygiene, termination of pregnancy, AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections, anatomy of the genital system, hepatitis, and so on.

The next step is visiting the high schools, where we debate topics with small groups of pupils of the same sex. The high school pupils fill in questionnaires to determine the level of their knowledge before and after their conversation with the students. The questionnaires are analysed statistically.

In the sessions, there are groups of pupils who are willing to share their secrets, whereas others are more hostile or shy. There are no taboo topics, and everything depends on them and their willingness to participate. The shy or hesitant students are encouraged to express themselves.

At all stages of the project, there are many things to learn. Not only details about the anatomy of the human genital system or epidemiological facts, but ways to intervene effectively. Right from the beginning, every step is made after thinking and planning, about the methods, the needs, and the results.

Our main target is to make teenagers aware of the problem and solutions of sexually transmitted diseases in Greece by providing them with all the information required about a healthy sexual life. At the same time, the project helps medical students to understand public health interventions and social medicine.

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