Star Staff Reports
Federal aid programs may help students interested in health care careers
The federal government offers several financial aid programs that may help students interested in health care careers pay college expenses, according to KHEAA.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has four scholarship programs:
·National Health Service Corps Scholarship: For students who plan to become physicians, dentists, nurse practitioners, certified nurse-midwives or physician’s assistants.
·National Institutes of Health Undergraduate Scholarship: For students interested in careers in biomedical, behavioral or social science health-related research.
·NURSE Corps Scholarship: For students accepted for enrollment or enrolled in a registered nurse program at an accredited school of nursing in a U.S. state or territory.
·Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students: For students from disadvantaged backgrounds interested in just about any health care field.
HHS also offers several loan and loan repayment programs. Several HHS scholarship, loan and repayment programs require recipients to provide public service health care for certain lengths of time.
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is used to apply for all of these programs.
KHEAA is a public, non-profit agency established in 1966 to improve students’ access to college. It provides information about financial aid and financial literacy at no cost to students and parents. KHEAA provides the ThinkAhead Net Price Calculator to universities and colleges.
The calculator, available on a school’s website, lets students and parents determine their out-of-pocket costs for attending that school. KHEAA also helps colleges manage their student loan default rates and verify information submitted on the FAFSA.
In addition, KHEAA disburses private Advantage Education Loans on behalf of its sister agency, KHESLC. For more information about Advantage Education Loans, visit www.kheslc.com.
Money Tips for Students, August 2014
Learn the difference between a need and a want
One of the biggest steps to financial security is learning the difference between a need and a want, according to KHEAA. Students who have learned that difference will find that their bank accounts grow more quickly.
Needs include clothes, food and, for many students, transportation.
With clothes, a want may mean wearing only designer items that cost more than clothes that last just as long and look just as good.
Students might want to eat a deluxe cheeseburger at a fast food restaurant every day, even though they can save money by making their own sandwich and brown-bagging it.
If a student needs a car to drive to and from school, a want would be a new sports convertible instead of a reliable, used car with good gas mileage and less flash.
A student who lives in a city, however, might save more money by taking public transportation.
Each time students are faced with a purchase, they should ask themselves if they really need it or if they can get by with a less expensive item — or without it completely. They should save the money they don’t spend so it’s there when they really need something.
KHEAA is a public, non-profit agency established in 1966 to improve students’ access to college. It provides information about financial aid and financial literacy at no cost to students and parents. KHEAA provides the ThinkAhead Net Price Calculator to universities and colleges.
The calculator, available on a school’s website, lets students and parents determine their out-of-pocket costs for attending that school. KHEAA also helps colleges manage their student loan default rates and verify information submitted on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
In addition, KHEAA disburses private Advantage Education Loans on behalf of its sister agency, KHESLC.
For more information about Advantage Education Loans, visit www.kheslc.com.