I just would like to share with you all information about Pell Grants, which help pay for college courses. The grants are for up to $5800 per year, with eligible students recieving half in the fall term and half in the spring term. These are Government Grants that do not have to be repaid. They more than cover the expense for a junior/community college, as well as for books. They can be used for both on-campus and on-line courses. You should first register with the school you plan to attend, and then apply for the grants. It is free to apply. The grants re based on your annual Adjusted Gross income on your tax return, as well as your family size. You can apply for the grants here:

http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/

Once you apply, the information will be sent to the school you have selected and the school will pay you your grants. You can, at most colleges, also apply for a Board of Governors Fee Waiver. This is in addition to the Pell Grants and it pays for your classes/units.

This is how I have paid for school. Let me know if you have any questions.

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Just an FYI on that note

The school I attend online (cough,kaplan,cough) went through the whole process of securing grants for me (I qualified for the full amount) as soon as I submitted my FAFSA with their school code on it.

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Yes, once I submitted my FAFSA, the school handled everything else.

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The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is only the first step in securing grant and scholarship money for college. Many of the federal and state grants, such as the Pell Grant, are need based, and so if your Expected Family Contribution is too high you do not qualify for them. If you're serious about getting through college without taking out a lot of student loans you should also search for other grant and scholarship money. There are hundreds of scholarships that go unclaimed every year simply because people don't know about them and don't apply for them. I would suggest getting a copy of How to Go to College Almost for Free by Ben Kaplan as a starting place.

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Crystal: I don't mean to offend because you know much I respect you, but what does this thread have anything to do with childcare/daycare? I saw you fussed at someone on another thread because they got off topic. I was just curious as to why you would post something like this.

Is it because maybe providers here can take a courses on childcare? Like I said I don't mean to offend or anything. Its just that there is no referance to children etc.. in here.

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I know this question isn't directed to me but I just wanted to say that I was glad that she did post it. Although there are providers that don't take classes/courses in the child development field which is okay but there are some of us that do. I am currently taking self-instruction courses to get credit for obtaining a CDA (Child Development Associate) credential and just recently decided that I would take college courses as well to a) get there faster and b) might as well get a certificate of achievement in child development and then c) eventually get an AA.

For child care providers that want to do something similar or take some classes to better their business (even if taking business classes) this would help us out a lot since we don't make too much as it is.

I was excited when I read the post and went over to the link right away to get more info but was bummed out when I found that the cut-off for CA for the 2010-2011 year expired Sept. 1 . This would have been a great back-up plan for me if I didn't get the stipend program that I applied for. Oh well.

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Pell Grants are based on the families income. And based on what some here have said they made per year, there is no way they would have qualified for them. I know last year our family made approx $32,000 for a family of 4, and we each qualified for about 85% of the Pell Grant. So there is no way some here would qualify based on the incomes they have stated here on the forum.

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Which is why, in my OP, I said The grants re based on your annual Adjusted Gross income on your tax return, as well as your family size

Now, re. " So there is no way some here would qualify based on the incomes they have stated here on the forum" If that is referring to me and my previous posts about income.....keep in mind that when I posted previously about my income, I stated my GROSS income, not my NET income after expenses (many of which I calculate back into my income later because they are expenses I would pay with or without my business) and then the grants are based on AGI, which is after medical expenses, one-half self-employment tax, etc. So, I qualified, although I wouldn't now.

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Well thanks Crystal for posting this anyway. I book-marked the link so that I can apply in April for the 2011-2012 year. Seeing as to how I only have 1 FT child and the rest are PT this would help out a lot and I would deffinetely qualify for the summer/fall 2011 using my tax forms for this year. I'll take your advice and still apply for the spring semester and see what happens.

The nice thing about this as of right now is that I'm not married so myself and my fiance prepare our taxes seperately so I would deffinetely qualify since my only income is daycare.

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Thanks.

And, you should still apply.....even though it says the deadline has passed, MOST schools in Ca. will still allow you to apply and be approved....you just recieve your money a bit later. AND, you can get the grants in addition to your stipend.

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Awww....no offense taken! And, yes, I suppose I should have specified that I meant paying for ECE/Child Development, although the grants can be used for most majors.

Re. going off topic, which I am about to do The thread you are referring to was posted in the parent forum, by a provider, seeking input from parents. Other members here went into that thread and continued to discuss/debate with that provider about another thread/topic in the Provider forum, taking the OP's thread off topic, and basically followed her into that thread to tell her how wrong she was. I requested that they keep that conversation in the provider forum in the original thread. THAT is off topic and not okay, IMO.

Again, no offense taken

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Thanks Crystal for clearing it up for me. I pretty much thought that is what you meant but sometimes I do have my moments!

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Oh my...Even when you try to be helpful on here, people chew you a new one..

Many providers are also PARENTS, and many parents from the other board come over here, so I see nothing wrong with posting a Off Topic on its OWN thread. Does every single question HAVE to be about childcare? Cant we ever talk about other stuff? I have a suggestion...if a thread is O/T, and if that bothers you, just don't read the thread! And how about adding a O/T board?

Crystel,sorry for the attacks you have been getting, but THANK YOU for posting that info! It is helpful!

Gee, I was going to ask for prayers for my cat, but thats O/T

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vanessa,

i wouldn't wait until april. you can start filling out the fafsa on january 1st each year (and that's what i used to do). even if you can't qualify for grants, you can get loans with very little interest. if you do qualify for grants, they sometimes want to verify your income. i think they require income verification for 1 out of every 3 people. so, the sooner you apply - the better. it gives you more time to get the information they request and for them to process it.

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