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Archive for January, 2012

Understanding Government Grants for Distance Learning Educational Programs

January 26th, 2012

If you’re thinking about going back to college through a distance learning program to earn a higher degree but you aren’t sure how to pay for it then you should seriously consider applying for a federal grant. The reason for applying this is simple; grants are essentially free money given out by the government for the express intent of helping serious students pay for their education.

Not only is it free money but there is a lot of it available. Every year the US Department of Education gives out around 67 billion dollars to millions of students in the form of grants, loans, and other types of financial aid. But unlike loans federal grants do not need to be paid back.

The idea behind the grant system is to give people a chance to earn a higher degree when they might not have been able to attend a distance learning college because of financial limitations. The grant system is largely based on financial need but all applicants also need to show that they are serious about obtaining that degree. People who are not serious about their education need not apply.

There are a variety of different grants that a student can apply for. The most well known are the Federal Pell Grants. The amount a student will receive will depend on whether or not they are full-time or part-time students. For 2011-2012 the maximums have been set at $5,550 for full-time and $2,775 for part-time attendance. There are other factors that can determine how much a student gets that may include the cost of tuition and financial need.

There are also campus-based grant programs that are administered by each universities financial aid office. Two such programs are the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) and the Federal Work Study (FWS) programs. Each schools financial aid office is responsible for distributing the funds from these programs to the students they feel deserve grant assistance.

To be eligible for any educational government grant you will need to have at the least either a high school diploma or a GED certificate (General Education Development). You can also take and pass a test that meets certain Department of Education criteria to qualify for these aid assistance programs. You also need to be a U.S. citizen or qualified non-citizen with a valid social security number. U.S. citizens also need to be registered with the Selective Service.

When applying for any federal aid assistance program the first thing a student needs to do is submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid otherwise known as the FAFSA. The FAFSA website will guide you through the application process. You can find it at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov. Completing this application will help determine what grants, loans, and scholarships a student may be eligible for and how much they can receive. In many cases private grant foundations require a FAFSA be completed before determining grant recipients.

The best place to get help when looking for government grants to help pay for a distance learning program is the financial aid office of the college or university the student will be attending. A good financial aid officer will get the student pointed in the right direction, help them identify grants and financial aid opportunities, and navigate them through the application process.

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Posted in Continuing Education, Financial Aid

Tags: federal pell grants federal supplemental educational opportunity grant fseog Government grant

Top ESL Teaching Tips

January 21st, 2012

Teaching English as Second Language (ESL) is very much in demand these days thanks to the international reach of English and the huge demand for the language in different parts of the world. However, many of the classrooms where ESL teaching is done are in countries where the language has hardly penetrated. There are intensely challenging situations for teachers to face. So, here are some ESL teaching tips that can make language learning fun as well as highly effective.

1. Divide students into groups. Team work is a very effective way of learning languages because children interact spontaneously. It also keeps boredom at bay. Keep groups small so that each child gets sufficient opportunities for self expression.

2. Encourage students to read aloud. This allows teachers to check pronunciation. Also, students are more likely to pay attention to other students than to the teacher and so they learn faster.

3. Check whether the student has understood what was taught by asking them to explain concepts to you. Besides being highly interactive, such sessions also allow students to come out of their shell.

4. One of the most important and perhaps the toughest aspects of ESL is pronunciation. Foreign learners find it very difficult to pronounce English like a native speaker. Teachers must take special care to establish the right pronunciation, whenever possible. Model the word yourself and ask children to repeat after you. Stress placement and syllables are easily learnt this way. It is also a great way of bringing in some change when children are bored with regular exercises.

5. Allow students to talk to each other by minimizing the teacher’s talking time in class. The more children start using the language, so much better will their grasp on the language.

6. Make learning fun by encouraging students to guess the answers even when they are unsure of what needs to be done. Also, each time you drop a clue, you are teaching them more ways of expressing themselves.

7. When students make mistakes, allow them some time to correct themselves. If they realize they have made a mistake, they will try and rectify it even if it takes some time. If possible, correct their mistakes anonymously. You can do this by making a note of the mistake and introducing it in class a while later.

8. ESL teaching requires teachers to monitor students on an ongoing basis. One of the easiest ways to monitor progress is to allow students to take the lead. Sit at the back of the class and allow children to ask questions, hold discussions and so on.

Learning a new language is a lot like learning how to ride a bike. It requires a lot of practice and it is likely that you keep falling off a number of times before you get the hang of it. Once you learn to ride the bike though, it becomes instinctive and comes without having to think about it.