Whew, Glad That’s Over!!!

Dear Readers,

Whew, I’m sso glad the business is over. I’ve been so busy lately, writing a proposal for the Riordan grant for my school for computers & laptops. I submitted it, now I’m going to wait with bated breath, prayers, & a lot of butterflies in my stomach. I’m so tired; I’m about to take a nap. So, I will talk/write to you later, Dear Readers.

Talbots Later-in-Life Scholarship

Since I’ve been a shopping fool at Talbots lately, I was emailed information regarding Talbots Charitable Foundation for women pursuing a scholarship later in life. I sure wish I would have seen this when I returned to school: www.talbotsscholarship.com (This is not the address of the link, I simply put this one because it’s easier on the eye than the actual link)

In keeping with our tradition of serving the community, the Talbots Charitable Foundation is proud to offer the 2012 Talbots Scholarship Program for women pursuing a college degree later in life.

Here’s information straight from the website:

Since its inception in 1997, the program has awarded more than $1 million dollars in scholarships. This year, the Talbots Scholarship Program will award $200,000 in scholarships for the 2012 academic year, including seventeen $10,000 scholarships. It will also present the $30,000 Nancy Talbot Scholarship Award, named in honor of the founder of Talbots and granted to one extraordinary finalist who demonstrates courage, conviction and an insatiable entrepreneurial spirit.

“The secret in education lies in respecting the student.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

Lakeshore- Buy 1 Get 1 50% Off!

Here’s the newest coupon from Lakeshore. It’s buy one get one 50% off.

Present this coupon at time of purchase.

©Lakeshore	coupon code: 3956
Offer valid 2/27/10-2/28/10. Purchase one item at regular price and receive the second item of equal or lesser value at 50% off its regular price. Valid on in-store purchases only. Limit one coupon per customer. Offer excludes sales tax & shipping charges. Valid on in-stock items only. No ship-to or special orders. Not to be used toward the purchase of gift cards or in conjunction with any other offers, prior purchases or sale items. Limit one item per coupon per transaction. No cash value. Must present coupon at time of purchase.

Lakeshore 15% Off Coupon!

Present this coupon at time of purchase.

©Lakeshore	coupon code: 1631
Offer valid 11/14/09 – 11/15/09. Valid on in-store purchases only. Limit one coupon per customer. Offer excludes sales tax & shipping charges. Valid on in-stock items only. No ship-to or special orders. Not to be used toward the purchase of gift cards or in conjunction with any other offers, prior purchases, or sale items. Limit one item per coupon per transaction. No cash value. Must present coupon at time of purchase.

An A.P.L.E. a Day? Maybe not!

An A.P.L.E. a Day? Maybe not! It seems my site has become an unofficial sounding board for A.P.L.E. recipients who haven’t received their promised payments. Now, this disheartens me since I am signed up for the A.P.L.E. grant. I am beginning to get scared. Am I going to have problems collecting like all those who use my site as a sounding board? Will the A.P.L.E. program do me like all the others. That remains to be seen. I hope not though. I need A.P.L.E. to take a bite out of my loans. I owe a truckload of money!

Children’s Place Coupon

Here’s a coupon that’s sure to come in handy, to the tune of 15% off. It’s from one of my favorite clothing stores, Children’s Place. I received it today. Enjoy!

Click picture below, save it, and print:

Mission Impossible Assignment #3: School Shopping on a Budget, Part 2

My mission (which I already accepted) was to purchase school uniforms, underwear & socks, and shoes for 2 children for under $150. This was seemingly impossible, but it’s been done before and it can be done again. One of the best ways to save money is to recycle clothing from the previous year that are still in good condition.

So, I rummaged through David’s bureau drawers and found 5 shirts & 2 pairs of pants from last year that he can still fit. So, I only had to purchase 1 pair of khaki pants for $12.99, & two monogrammed shirts (1 white & 1 navy) @ $12.99 each + a pair of And 1 sneakers (Rocket mid) for $29.99 + tax @ Big 5 Sporting Goods for a grand total of ~$75. So my grand total for David & Phillise’s school shopping adds up $75.00 + $55.00= $130

Mission accomplished!

This post is a continuation from an earlier post last week.

A.P.L.E. news!

Anyone signed up for A.P.L.E. will be happy to hear this news regarding A.P.L.E. payments. Someone just left a comment on my page regarding payment. They finally got it. I’m happy to hear that. I was starting to get nervous because I will start getting payments next year. I was beginning to think I wouldn’t. I’m happy to hear that people are getting their money. That means $19,000 for me. Thank God.

Mission Impossible Assignment # 3: School Shopping On A Budget

Okay, all you shoppers out there. Boy, do I have an assignment for you: School Shopping on a budget. Should you choose to accept this assignment, you may encounter a store full of shoppers, some rude, some not. You may also stop and park @ several locations looking for the perfect deal. Well, lucky for you I know where to shop for uniforms, so look no further. I’ve found the perfect place; at least it’s the perfect place to get school uniforms at unheard of prices.

Listen up. Here’s how the mission began and ended in one place. During the summer I received a notice from Phillise’s school stating that uniforms are now mandatory. The only requirement, a navy blue or white shirt with any color bottom. Yeah! That means waaaaay less money I have to spend.

Since I knew I had a nearly impossible mission (less than $200 for 2 children) and funds are low, I decided to run to FALLAS PAREDES’ warehouse. I knew I’d find great deals there. I always do.

Was I right fellow shoppers? Yep, I sure was. I got the same deal as last year: a grey jumper & a burgundy jumper for $1 each. Yep, you read right- $1 for the jumpers. So, I got her 2 grey ones, 1 burgundy one, a navy blue skort (@ $6.99), and 3 white uniform shirts @ $1.99 each, for a grand total (after taxes) of $17.52.

@ Target, I bought 20 pairs of underwear, 6 camis & 20 pairs of socks for a grand total of $26.32. @ Old Navy, 2 weeks ago, I bought some white sneakers with black polka dots for $10.97.

So, for Phillise’s sneakers, uniforms, underwear & socks, I paid a grand total of:

$17.52 + $10.97 + $26.32= $54.81

Having only 2 children to buy school clothes is so much easier since they both wear uniforms. David even has some from last school year. I will recycle @ least 2 shirts and 1 pair of pants. So, fellow shoppers, did I accomplish my impossible assignment of school shopping for 2 children for $200 or less? Well, that remains to be seen since I still have to buy David’s shoes, uniform pants, and shirts. However, last year, I simply went to Big 5 for the shoes. Looks like I’ll be going there again this year. I will keep you posted.

If you’d like to visit the warehouse, here’s the information.

FALLAS PAREDES Warehouse

15001 S. Figueroa St.

Gardena, CA 92048

(310)965-0379

http://www.fallasparedes.com

Don’t believe it, check it out for yourself.

P.S.- I am seriously going to take pics of Phillise in her uniforms and I will scan my receipt from Fallas Paredes.

Yet More Much Needed Financial Resources!!!

My friend Susan told me about this grant that, depending when you first receive it, can be worth up to $24,000. That’s right $24,000. It’s called the TEACH grant. The award is $4,000/year beginning as soon as you begin college if you know that you’re interested in teaching, follow a path to securing your teaching credential, and agree to teach for four (4) years.

A note of caution here: If you do not fulfill the requirements within 8 years it is converted from a grant to an unsubsidized loan.

Here is the link:

http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/TEACH.jsp

More Much Needed Financial Resources

George sent me the information about Loan Forgiveness that I discussed yesterday. Here it is:

www.finaid.org/loans/publicservice.phtml

You’re Good Enough.You’re Smart Enough & Doggone It, People Like You!

Kinda’ corny, I know! Those words are from Al Franken’s alter ego, Stuart Smalley, from Saturday Night Live.

To lighten the mood when I was blubbering and just being a crying fool, those are the words that my husband used to comfort me. I had myself a good ole’ cry; one of the biggest ones that I’ve had in a long time.

The feelings of unworthiness began earlier in the year when I found out that I didn’t get into Teach for America. I didn’t understand why I didn’t get in. I had the perfect success story. I returned to school after a long absence. After which, I excelled in my program, earning straight “A’s”, except for my bible class which I got a C+ in. At the time that I applied, I had a cumulative g.p.a. of 3.6; yet I didn’t make the cut. The one thing that I don’t like about Teach for America is that they don’t respond. They don’t let you know the reason why you didn’t make the cut.

Well, after so many months of feeling unworthy, I finally found out why I didn’t make the cut. I didn’t make the cut because of a simple misunderstanding. (I have to go back and change my older post regarding AmeriCorps. ) I don’t understand how I could have been so wrong! I thought that I could do T.E.A.M.S and Teach for America for two years each for a total of four times. That is incorrect. The total amount is two times.

This is what it breaks down to: If I would not have chosen my current AmeriCorps program, I could have been in Teach for America (TFA). I couldn’t get in because I was already in one AmeriCorps program, which used up half my time that I could participate in AmeriCorps programs. Since a two year commitment is required for Teach for America, I could not have joined.

If I would have known that, I would not have chosen T.E.A.M.S. Don’t get me wrong, T.E.A.M.S is a good program, it’s just that Teach for America offers a little more. They offer a 40% discount on tuition at certain universities; they find you a teaching job and a lot more.

Anyway, I was crying because for my boot camp, there were a couple of TFA people there. I was a little intimidated for a bit because they got in and I didn’t. I was also crying because since I did make the choices that I did, I am not going to be receiving that 40% tuition discount. I have to find my own teaching job… blah, blah, blah. I was basically holding my own pity party. I didn’t need anyone else in attendance- just three people- me, myself, and I. After a little while, I began to say, “Hey, we’re all in this room together, regardless of what program we’re in or not in”.

However, I still felt bad because in one fell swoop, I realized that I will not be getting the $18,900 from AmeriCorps like I thought it was. It is going to be somewhere in the neighborhood of $9,000. (It would have been more, but it was prorated because I didn’t have all the hours that I needed.) Not only that, but I don’t qualify for the Teacher Forgiveness Loan (TFL) because I’ve received AmeriCorps $$.

What upsets me the most is the fact that I thought that I had done all the research necessary. I read and I read and I read. Yet somehow, I didn’t get an understanding. I misunderstood. How did that happen? How could I have been so wrong? I feel like I’m damned if do and damned if I don’t. But, so I wouldn’t dehydrate myself, I stopped crying, because at this point there’s nothing that I can do about it.

Because I misunderstood, the thing that I was most afraid of happening, is happening. Barring a miracle, I am going to come out of school owing about $45,000 in student loans. Let me see… let’s do the math. It’s not as bad as it sounds though because,-$9,000 for AmeriCorps, and -$19,000 for the A.P.L.E. grant, and -$6000 (@ $3,000/yr. for the next two years) for the L.A.U.S.D. scholarship, that brings the total to about $-$34,000 once everything is said and done. That’s only about $11,000 and some change. Which, when you think about it, is excellent for education at not one, but two private universities.

Now that everything is put into perspective, it’s definitely worth it. I was just being a big fat cheapskate. Well, actually, I thought that it was more until I did the math just now. So now I don’t feel so bad. I’m actually feeling better. I don’t have to begin paying back until the end of 2009. Not bad. Not bad.

There’s a price to pay for everything— $11,000 for two universities is an excellent price to pay for the priceless gift of an education which is an investment in myself.

Now that I know that I could have made it into TFA, I don’t feel so bad because I know that I am good enough, I am smart enough, and doggone, people like me!

Good Summer Eatin’ On A Budget, part 2

Just a little warning- this post is kinda’ long.

The best way to stretch your budget during the summer months is to think creatively. Ask yourself what your children like to eat. Are they picky eaters or little eat-’em-ups? If they are like my children who eat anything, then stretching your budget should not be a problem. However, if you have picky eaters, it gets a little harder. It’s all about knowing your child and what they will or will not eat.

My teenage sons have very healthy appetites and they also love healthy foods. So, needless to say, they love to eat. Sometimes there is a gap between dinner and lunch. This is what I do, I make them a vegetable platter for only $4. At the .99¢ store you can buy cucumbers in packs of 3, a pack of carrots, a pack of cherry tomatoes & a pack of celery. This will make a vegetable platter for all four kids. Just put some ranch dressing on the side for dipping and you’ve bought yourself at least an hour.

Here’s a menu for a week for a family of six for less than $100.00.

A+: Where there’s a will, there’s an A!

While at the local library signing up for the reading club, I came across a flyer for A+ tutoring. It’s a tutoring service that’s available free of charge for those who qualify. They have partnered with L.A.U.S.D. and other districts throughout California.To find out if your child qualifies for this FREE program, contact your school’s counselor, principal or Title I coordinator.

Just in case you’re interested, they’re currently accepting applications for tutors for the Fall w/a pay rate of $14+/hr. The only requirements are a Bachelor’s and basic Math & English skills.

There are a list of school on the website. If you want to find out if your child qualifies, visit the website @:

www.aplus4u.com/nclb

Check it out!

Career Ladder

As promised, here is information on the other way that I will pay for my education. It’s called the Career Ladder.

It is designed for paraeducators who want to complete:

• 60 units or an Associate of Arts degree

• a degree leading to a job in teaching, counseling or school psychology

• a teaching credential

Even though it’s main purpose is to help paraeducators meet the NCLB requirements, they still offer a host of other services.

• They reimburse for the CBEST up to 2 times

• They also reimburse up to $125 for CBEST seminars and up to $150 for CSET seminar.

There’s so much more, to find out more visit http://www.teachinla.com/ladder

Beautiful BMW? or Lengthy Loans?….

Let’s see, should I go for choice A and get a BMW; or should I go for choice B and pay for my student loans?

I think that I’ll go for choice A and get a BMW.

Isn’t that financial suicide? After all, can’t the government collect on defaulted student loans for up to 20 years?

Yep, they sure can! But, I still think that I’m going to get the BMW. I can do that because I won’t owe almost $50,000 when I complete school.

How much sense would that make to come out of school owing almost $50,000 to get a job that starts at around $40,000/year job?

Since I didn’t want to come out of school owing that much money, I found ways to pay for it.

When I first started back to school almost two years ago, I was worried about how to pay for it. Since Azusa is a private school it is quite expensive. I dropped out of school for two weeks because I was so scared of putting my family in debt. When I added the total cost of what my loans will be after finishing grad school, the grand total will be somewhere around $48,000.

Well, that’s the cost of a European car! I’d rather have the car.

That fear motivated me to find a way to pay for school. I’ve posted on here before about the A.P.L.E. grant and AmeriCorps. The third way, which I haven’t told you about yet is a program through L.A.U.S.D. called the Career Ladder. I will post about that later this week.

From the A.P.L.E. grant, there is the possibility of getting $19,000; from AmeriCorps, there is the possibility of getting $18,9000 . From the Career Ladder, the amount varies depending on when you join. Between the three, I will have the cost of my education covered.

There are a host of opportunities that exist, it all depends on how badly you want it. I wanted it badly enough to find a way. You can benefit from the research that I’ve done.

Here are links back to my other posts on the A.P.L.E. grant and AmeriCorps, plus a link to L.A.U.S.D.’s website for information on the Career Ladder.

www.teachinla.com/ladder.

Check it out!

**P.S.** Another tad bit of information. I forgot to mention that I also get a scholarship from L.A.U.S.D.- $3,000/yr. It’s issued twice a year; once in July and the other half in October. For information, if you work for L.A.U.S.D. and you meet the requirements (high g.p.a.), call the Career Ladder office @ 213-241-4571 and ask for Joe Ryan.

C.S.E.T.

I’ve mentioned the C.S.E.T. before. If you’re reading this website, you probably know what the acronym stands for. If not, then let me enlighten you. It is the California Subject Examinations for Teachers, which is yet another hoop that L.A.U.S.D. expects you to jump through to get hired. I think that California has the strictest requirements in the nation to become a teacher.

Well, after preparing for months, I took it on Saturday. I won’t know my results for at least two weeks. I was so scared! After all, only my future as a teacher is hanging in the balance, right?

It did not turn out to be the nightmare that I thought it would be. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t easy. It just wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. Even though I hope that I did pass it. If I didn’t pass it, all is not lost. I will just take it again until I do. C’est la vie!

For more information on the C.S.E.T., visit the site: www.cset.nesinc.com

An A.P.L.E. A Day!!

Well folks, this post is kind of long, but here is the information about the A.P.L.E. grant. It is the Assumption Program of Loans for Education. It is our government’s way of giving back to those who labor so hard in a sometimes thankless job where the only rewards are the progress of the students. The website to find out more information about this excellent program is http://www.csac.ca.gov/doc.asp?id=111.

For Future Teachers K through 12

The APLE is a competitive teacher incentive program designed to encourage outstanding students, district interns, and out-of-state teachers to become California teachers in subject areas where a critical teacher shortage has been identified or in designated schools meeting specific criteria established by the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

APLE applicants must agree to teach in one of the following teacher shortage areas:

- Mathematics (Grades 7 – 12)
- Science (Life/Physical)(Grades 7 – 12)
- Foreign Language
- Education Specialist Instruction (formerly Special Education)
- Reading and Language Arts
- English(Grades 7 – 12)
- Low-Income Area School
- School Serving Rural Area
- State Special School
- School with a High Percentage of Emergency Permit Teachers
- Low-Performing School

ELIGIBLE SCHOOLS

The 2005-2006 APLE eligible schools have been identified by the State Superintendent of Public Instruction. This list may vary from prior year school listings. To locate an eligible school, you may click here.

Low-Performing –
Must be pursuing a muliple subject or single subject credential and agree to teach at a school ranked in the bottom 50th percentile of the Academic Performance Index (API) grades K-12.

APLE participants who agree to, and provide, the designated teaching service in the area of math, science, or education specialist instruction are eligible to receive an additional $1,000 per year in loan assumption benefits. Particpants meeting this requirement who provide teaching service in a California public school that is ranked in the lowest 20th percentile of the API are eligible to receive an additional $1,000 per year, making the total amount of loan assumption $19,000.

Designated Low Income –
Must be pursuing a multiple subject or single subject credential and agree to teach at a designated low-income school in grades K-12.

Schools with a High Percentage of Emergency Permit Teachers –
Must be pursuing a multiple subject or single subject credential and agree to teach at a school with a high percentage of emergency permit teachers in grades K-12.

Rural Schools –
Must be pursuing a multiple subject or single subject credential and agree to teach at a school serving rural areas in grades K-12.

DISBURSEMENT PAYMENTS TO LENDERS

The Commission may assume up to $19,000 in outstanding educational loan balances in return for four consecutive years teaching service.

* Up to $2,000 after completion of first full school year of eligible full-time teaching

* Up to $3,000 after completion of second full year of eligible full-time teaching

* Up to $3,000 after completion of third full school year of eligible full-time teaching

* Up to $3,000 after completion of fourth full school year of eligible full-time teaching

ELIGIBILITY

- Approved to receive or have received an educational loan(s)

- Not in default on any educational loans

- Agree to teach in a CA public school in one of the areas listed above for at least four years

The following are additional eligibility requirements for APLE only:

- Legal resident of CA

- Completed 60 semester units (90 quarter units)

- In a program leading to BA or in teacher prep program

Money, Money, Money- Want $9,450?

I didn’t get a chance to write yesterday. I was so tired. Yesterday was my last AmeriCorps meeting of the year. These meetings are so helpful, but at times, they can be a tad bit boring. But, far be it for me to look a gift horse in the mouth. This is the way that I am going to pay for my education.

What is AmeriCorps you ask? AmeriCorps is a nationwide educational scholarship program. The program that I am in is administered through the University of San Francisco, called T.E.A.M.S. It stands for Teacher Education for the Advancement of a Multicultural Society. T.E.A.M.S. is a collaborative of schools and community based organizations, led by the University of San Francisco (USF), which provides resources, support and preparation for educators committed to diversity, equality and excellence in education.

It’s run by Julian Lute. He’s nice and not too hard to look at. Whenever I had a question or needed help with anything, he always responded very quickly, either through a phone call or e-mail. The rest of the staff that I had contact with, Mary Rose Fernandez and Lisa Ramlochan are muy helful and very nice also.

There are many AmeriCorps programs. You can participate for up two years in different ones for a total of $9, 450. The requirements to receive the award, besides filling out and keeping track or various paperwork, are as follows:

• Be within the first five years of receiving your credential.
• Completion of 1700 hours for the year, which is no problem if you’re a teacher, assistant or counselor. Don’t panic. Those are a lot of hours but they include your job hours, your school hours and the pedagogical seminar hours.
• Attendance of 5-6 meetings/year
• Completion of a service learning project (more on this tomorrow)
• Be working with children, paid or volunteer.

To find more AmeriCorps programs just google AmeriCorps. There are many ways to pay for college; you just have to be willing to put in the legwork. For more information on the service learning project, check back tomorrow. For financial stuff, check Tuesday’s blog on the A.P.L.E. grant. Don’t know what that is? Well, I guess you’re just going to have to visit my blog to find out.

Here is all of their information just in case you are interested.

TEAMS/Americorps Program
University of San Francisco, School of Education
2130 Fulton Street
San Francisco, CA 94117-1080

415/422-5303 Tel 415/422-5724 Fax

www.teamsusf.org