Posts Tagged financial
Federal Student Financial Aid
If your student is college bound this coming fall, then now is the time to become acquainted with the financial aid application process. The most important form is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, otherwise known as the “FAFSA.
Here are some tips to prevent any problems and make sure your application is considered:
Tip #1: Read the form
Many questions on the FAFSA are straightforward, like your Social Security Number or your date of birth. But others require you to read the instructions to make sure you answer the question correctly. Certain terms like “household” have special definitions purposes of student financial aid. So be sure to read the instructions.
Tip #2: Apply early
Deadlines for aid from your state, from your school, and from private sources tend to be much earlier than deadlines for federal aid. To make sure that any financial aid package your school offers you will contain aid from as many sources as possible, apply as soon as you can after January 1, 2005.
Tip #3: Do your 2004 taxes first
Filling out your tax return first will make completing the FAFSA easier. You are not required to file your tax return with the IRS before you submit your FAFSA. But, if you file the FAFSA first, and your income or tax information changes once you complete your tax return, you are required to go back and correct any inaccurate information on your aid application. If you do not make these updates, you may not receive as much aid as you qualify for, or you may be required to return federal aid you improperly receive based upon incorrect information.
Tip #4: File Electronically
You can fill out and submit a FAFSA over the Internet. This is the fastest way to apply for financial aid. Also, by filing online, your application can be scanned for errors before being submitted, reducing the risk of your application being rejected.
Tags: Call, college, fafsa, federal student, financial, financial aid, financial aid application, instruction, Internet, Online, school, special, student, student aid, student financial aidRelated posts
Community Governance In Higher Education Institutions
Ronald Barnett in his book the Idea of Higher Education says that governance of institutions of higher education which includes policy making and strategic planning should be an expression of the will of the entire academic community. He states that boards of directors and vice chancellors are primarily interested in financial status, the essentials for operating, and that over endorsing the use of performance indicators and systems of appraisals is likely to diminish the feeling of community throughout an institution. When Barnett uses the term community of scholars he means a group of academiciansscholars having an internal culture of sharing and a common set of interests. Developing this community in universities can be realised, but can be hampered by managers whose primary focus is the cost and essentials of operating.
As I reflect on Barnett’s book and statements, I realise that a participatory approach manifested in a collaborative form of internal government is generally an excellent principle to guide the management of higher education institutions. Indeed there are benefits to employing a participatory approach to higher education governance. Doing so aids in establishing a balance between administrative and scholastic interests and also maintains the feeling of community in an institution. Additionally, if the faculty is allowed to participate in the development of policies and the governing body implements these policies harmony will be the result.
What I am advocating is a process of amalgamation of faculty and staff involvement, faculty resources and managerial techniques in the governance of an institution. Specifically, this requires four things firstly, staff and faculty commenting on areas such as the use and distribution of funds and the effective use of resources; secondly, the development of a process of soliciting their opinions and comments; thirdly, ensuring that opinions and comments are taken into account when implementing policies and making decisions which affect the entire academic community; fourthly, if a collaborative form of internal government is to be truly successful, it requires the use of appraisal schemes aimed at balancing managerial techniques with faculty and staff involvement in governance. This appraisal scheme will also serve the purpose of determining the extent to which the views of the academic community are being considered.
Globally, there are many issues facing those who lead higher education institutions. These include the need to receive government and research funding in order to operate effectively and to show that the institution is not an ivory tower but is relevant and responsive to the needs of the local community. The need to provide training and expertise in developing a knowledgeable labour force that is equipped to participate in the development of local and national goals is also important. Another issue that is real to any institution of higher education, especially in the developing world, is that of resources and the growing demands placed on those institutions to be self-sufficient, accountable and produce more with less.
These and other issues faced by institutions of higher education might encourage boards of governors to focus on the financial status and essentials of operating. However, to successfully navigate these issues requires a tempering of the control exhibited by boards with staff involvement. In other words, there is a need for a collaborative form of internal government in higher education institutions. For indeed, more wisdom can be garnered from a group of people than from a single individual armed only with managerial techniques.
Tags: appraisal, education, expression, financial, higher education, research, scholar, scholars, special, training, universitiesRelated posts
Practical Homeschooling Tips – When In Need Of Receiving Home Schooling Tax Credits
Wouldn’t we like to know about the available home schooling tax benefits? Home schooling lessons could turn out to be expensive. Traditional schoolteachers are liable to receive tax credits from federal governments but is it the same case for home schoolteachers? As usual, home schoolteachers it seems do not find the same favor with those making the laws. Let us find out whether home schoolteachers come in the tax credit category.
Teachers are liable to received tax benefits of $200 against federal taxes. That surely is a wonderful law, but only if you are teaching at a private or public school. But here’s where the party ends, parents teaching their own children do not have access to similar benefits of tax credits. The law is clear in this context that you should be working in an accredited school (federal agencies check for either W2 or 1099) and this checks for unpaid, out of classroom supplies pocket expenses budget.
In case you do not have direct employment by a school and you are a home schoolteacher, and as it is in most cases that the school isn’t an accredited one either. Then sorry to say but you come under any such category that qualifies to receive any such tax credits. Do not make any attempts to gain the same thinking you will go scoot free. The IRS is like a police and they know home schoolers are after this thing. It makes for you being caught and then you made to pay the taxes back.
For those people having kids with extra needs then such parents can take tax credits advantages. Those kids having some small leaning problems to not qualify, such tax credits are meant for those kids who have severe problems that make them highly dependent on others for even there basic needs. Children who cannot do without health care assistance, who need specialized caretaker teachers and who have other special needs come in this category.
There are few variations in the tax credits, in case your child suffers from muscular dystrophy, severe autism, downs syndrome or other disabilities like deafness or blindness, then application for tax credit should be granted. This should come, as a relief to most as providing these kids with proper care is a humongous task. Such credits are applicable for medical as well as home school cost as well.
Apart for these credits there are a few more that can be received from the state to a home school. For this you need to verify the tax code of your state before you apply for tax credits. One sure way to qualify for tax credit is by opening a 529 account for your child’s post secondary education or college education.
North Carolina allows you to pay less in 529 contributions till $7500 for the financial year of 2007. Find out if the state you live has some other benefits as well. Credits are for parents as well as grandparents so do check for information. 529 accounts is not limited to just home schools but even grandparents or for that matter anyone having a child can have such an account.
If you look at the broad picture then home schools find it tough to receive tax credits. Of it all very small sum is there to get so be sure to take the guidance of a professional to secure your tax credits.
Tags: autism, children, classroom supplies, college, college education, disabilities, education, financial, grant, home school, home schooling, home schooling lessons, home schools, homeschool, homeschooling, parents, post secondary education, public school, school, schooling, schools, special, special needs, teach, teacher, teachers, teaching, teaching the, the schoolRelated posts