Monday, January 7, 2008

Funding Your College Experience with Grants
Getting a college education is a very smart move, but the cost of going can be crippling. A grant is one way to make it less painful.
A grant is a very good way to finance your college education. It has a major advantage over a student loan. You do not have to pay it back. Grants can be received from private organizations, educational institutions, or professional associations. The Federal and State government is the most common source of grants for college students.
Grants are awarded based on a number of different factors. The main determining factor is financial need, but such diverse factors as ethnicity or religious affiliation. In some cases membership or the membership of parents in an association may determine if a grant is awarded. In many cases a record of achievement either in academic or extra curricular activities can qualify a student for a grant.
One example of a Federal grant is the Pell Grant. In order to be eligible for a Pell grant, a person must be a United States citizen with a high school degree or GED. They must be seeking their first undergraduate degree. The amount of the grant will be determined by the financial need of the student and the cost of the schooling. In the 2005/2006 school year, the range of Pell grants will fall between $400 and $4,050.
Another Federal grant is the Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant (FSEOG). These grants are awarded to students with a very great financial need. The priority is given to students already receiving Pell grants, but these students are not guaranteed a FSEOG grant. The range of this grant is between $100 and $4000. The FSEOG can be paid directly to the student or credited to the students college account.
Although both of these grants are awarded to students who can demonstrate financial need, many other grants are based on merit and achievement. Most High School guidance counselors can supply the information you need to apply. College financial aid offices can be of assistance also. For the Federal financial grants there is a form called the FAFSA, or the Free Application for student aid form. This form will determine your financial eligibility for Federal Grants.
College expenses are rising rapidly, and student loans often put a heavy burden on the students in the years after college as the graduates struggle to repay them. College grants are a good alternative when your own financial situation is poor, or when your academic record is such that you can compete successfully for the ones based on merit.
Winston Goldstein is with MoneyMakerstop.com - your source for daily money saving tips.


You Can Get Money From Foundations
A foundation is a charitably organization formed to benefit some area of society. Why should you know this? You can get money from foundations for your projects.
A Foundation is an entity that functions as a non-profit corporation or charitable trust. Its purpose is to make grants for scientific, educational, cultural, religious, or other charitable purpose. The history of foundations dates back to the medieval times when a wealthy patron would usually endow a monastery or other religious group in perpetuity. Although they are used for many other purposes today, most Foundations still have specific goals that direct who receives the grants.
There are several types of Foundations and they are usually distinguished by the source of their funds. The Private Foundation receives its funds from a single source. This may be an individual, a family, or even a Corporation. The Public Foundation receives its funding from multiple sources. This could be from groups of Corporations, or Government agencies, or even Private Foundations. The differences here mainly impact the tax exempt requires imposed on the Foundations by the Internal Revenue Service.
Surprisingly, Foundations have a very low profile on the internet. It is estimated that less than 10% of all Foundations in the United States maintain web sites. One of the reasons for this could be that many Foundations are locally orientated. They provide grants to a particular area, and the very nature of the World Wide Web leads to exposure beyond the intended area of interest.
The total number of Foundations is rising steadily as the population continues to grow. In 1975, there were 21,887 Foundations making grants in the U.S. By 2004, that number had grown to 67,736. It is hard to pin point the exact reason behind this three fold increase in just twenty five years. Some people attribute the growth to tax breaks that Corporations and individuals receive for funding Foundations, while others see it in a less cynical way as just the increasing sense of social responsibility of the wealthy.
The first Foundations were designed to support religious institutions, but this has changed very much over the years. In a list that divided all Foundation grants into major groups, religion ranked last in number of grants. Science and technology was also near the bottom and social science ranked just slightly ahead of religion. Leading the list was Arts, Culture, and the Humanities. Education and Environment held the second and third positions. Although the Foundations themselves do not generally maintain an internet presence, information about them and how to apply for them is available.
Winston Goldstein is with MoneyMakerstop.com - your source for daily money saving tips.


Salary Profiles – The Average Wage of a Make-Up Artist
Ever wondered what someone else is making on their job? Well, the answers are out there. If you are considering becoming a make-up artist, here are the figures.
A make up artist is as the name suggests an artist. It is their job to apply the make up used by models or performers. It is not just the applying of beauty aids, but they also apply special effects make up that can be anything from showing aging to creating a monster. It is not a field that one can prepare for with normal schooling. Although some college preparation can help, it is more often trade school type education and on the job training that is more the norm.
The most prestigious area of the make up artist field is the Hollywood motion picture industry. It is a highly competitive field with very few openings. It was estimated by one magazine that if no new make up artists were hired for the next ten years, every motion picture made during that time could be handled by the existing artists. Although this might be discouraging for someone considering this field, it is similar to professional sports. In other words, when a new artist wins a job in the industry, another one gets “cut.” Make up artists in Hollywood can be very well paid, too. Earning in excess of a million dollars a year is not unheard of it for the top artists.
Another area where make up artists can work is the much more diverse modeling and photography field. It is not quite as hard to get into this field and some people even begin to do it on a free lance basis. It takes sometime to build up a good relationship with the agencies and photographers, but the rewards justify the effort. A junior free lance make up artist can earn between $400 and $600 per day, while an experienced one could earn between $1200 and $2000 a day.
One report that covered estimated salaries for make up artists listed their income potential as being between $24,000 and $50,700 per year. This was an average for several different groups of artists including those working in the theater industry.
The make up artist field is exciting and can be extremely profitable. Sadly, it is also difficult to prepare for it and harder still to find employment in it. Many artists have had to hold other related jobs, like in beauty salons, while they slowly and carefully gain experience and make contacts. Some are willing to take on jobs without pay to gain the experience and to fill out their resumes. If you are successful, you can expect to be more than amply compensated.
Winston Goldstein is with MoneyMakerstop.com - your source for money articles.