For the past several weeks, the news has been quietly reporting that
perhaps the job market, though still dismal, may just be showing signs
of improvement. Much of the stimulus money is still to be released into
the economy, much of it coming next year.
While
you may not find a great job this month or next, a year from now things
should look much better. Right now is the time to get ready for the
turnaround ahead.
The National Association of Independent Colleges
and Universities seems to agree. A spokesman from that organization
recently commented on the stimulus money available for those seeking
education saying, "Together these proposals mean that low-income
students or families on the brink of stopping or dropping out of their
higher education plans can stay in, and that unemployed workers can
choose retraining for a new job."
Historically, people have used
downtimes in the economy to seek more education, seeing that as a better
payoff in the long run than settling for a low-paying job at the time.
Now you can take advantage of financial aid that allows you to do the
same thing! But you have to take action and you must be prepared to do
some work to get ready. There are lots of programs and people to help,
but ultimately it's up to you to start the process.
Where to
begin? Identify an area of interest, preferably one with strong
potential such as health, energy, and infrastructure. Identify a school,
either local or online. Next, contact by phone or website that
particular school. Many offer online help and links for completing all
the forms such as financial aid applications and enrollment forms. There
you will find information about very important deadlines you must meet
and help links for writing your essay.
When you combine the
increased Pell Grant amounts, the increased tax credit amounts with
state initiatives, you can begin to see that your education might cost
little more than your time and hard work. If you are currently out of
work and receiving unemployment compensation, check with your state.
Some will allow you to continue receiving your payment if you are in
school.
