We Wish You a Merry Christmas!

It is Christmas time! The season of joy and giving. It’s time for holidays as well, so no SAT or ACT. Just fun!

All of the colleges and Universities have declared holidays and students are already home decorating the Christmas tree, shopping for gifts, and gearing up for the celebrations. But before they left for home, the Universities and colleges celebrated the festivals at the premise itself.

Let us see what the US Universities and colleges were up to this Christmas season.

Liberty University

What strikes our minds when we think of Christmas? The Christmas Tree! Liberty University of Lynchburg, Virginia celebrated Christmas with a large Christmas Tree. It became a rage soon after its installation and attracted a lot of spectators. Check out the lovely Christmas celebration images here where the employees of the University gathered with President Jerry Falwell, Jr.

Stephen F. Austin State University

The Stephen F. Austin State University invited the alumni of the University for its Christmas celebration named as “Deck the Hall”. The celebration included ‘Making food for Santa’s Reindeer’, ‘Writing letters to Santa’, decorating cookies, etc.

Grand Canyon University & North Central University

Carols and choir! Music always brings joy to Christmas and certainly, to our hearts. Grand Canyon University of Arizona and the North Central University this year, have arranged for musical concerts to welcome Santa with Carols.

Kendall College

Melodies for our ears and nothing for the stomach? Well that cannot happen in a Christmas. Chef Christopher Koetke of the Kendall College, Chicago has shared some of the globally-inspired recipes starting from the appetizer till the dessert to make our holiday fulfilled.

University of Southern California

Finally, the Gifts! “The joy of living, is in the giving”. And that holds absolutely true. It’s joyful for the person who gives gifts and even more joyful for the person who receives them. At the University, students and faculty took part in Annual Angel City Christmas celebration where students handed out dental care supplies. 

So that was a small update on this festival of Joy.

Here is the GetTeacherED team wishing all of those teaching professionals out there, as well as the entire world a very merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas!!!

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Know the Routes to Finance Your Studies (PART II)

This article is the continuation of PART I of the article Know the Routes to Finance Your Studies. In the first part, we discussed about the federal aids available to students to pursue higher education. In this article, we will continue with more such aids that facilitate higher education in the US.

Also, we will focus on other types of financial aids available to students from various sources including the state government, educational institutions, and private organizations. Read on to know more and some tips on how to fund your education costs on your own through clever strategies.

Federal Student Loans

The US Federal Government also offers repayment of loans to the students who need financial support to pursue higher education.
Direct Loan (from the federal government):

• Direct Subsidized Loans – for eligible undergraduate students who reveal financial need


• Direct Unsubsidized Loans – for eligible undergraduate, graduate, and professional students who need not demonstrate financial need


• Direct PLUS Loans – graduate or professional students who do not avail any other financial aid


• Direct Consolidation Loans – to eligible students who can combine all the available financial aid under one loan provider

Apart from these financial aids, there are number of scholarships available for students to utilize.

Aid from the State Government

If a student is not eligible for federal student aids, he or she can apply for financial aid from the state government, to which the student belongs.
Some of the financial aids by state governments are offered with the support from the federal government.
Following are the financial aids awarded by the state governments:

• Byrd Scholarships
• LEAP (Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership) Grants

Aid from the College or School

Students can avail financial aid from the college or university in which they are planning to take admission. A student can visit the official website of the college or enquire the financial department of the college to know more about the process. Also, he or she can check the academic department for any scholarships or grants available.

Aid from a Not-for-profit Organization or a Private Institution

Students may also try to source financial aid from many not-for-profit organizations or private institutions that offer scholarships or grants for students who posses excellent academic skills or purely based on the economic status of the student.

Reduce, Save, and Fund Your Education

Apart from the scholarships, grants, and loans, students can fund their education with proper planning and financing strategies:

College and their Location: Student can opt for colleges that require less tuition fee and offer high quality education. Students can also prefer colleges that are located in areas where the living expenses are reasonable.

Excellent Academic Performance: Excellent academic performance of a student in the first year can earn a student some waiver in the tuition fee in the following years of study.

Accelerated Programs: Students can opt for courses in community colleges if the credits can be transferred to the regular college. Also, students can take one additional course per semester or online classes or summer classes.

In this 2 part article, we have discussed about the various financial aid sources available for US students. In the next article, we will discuss about the FAFSA and how to apply for financial aid. Keep checking this space to clear your doubts about the process involved in getting the necessary finances for your dream education in the US.

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Know the Routes to Finance Your Studies (Part-I)

The United States is one of those countries that encourages its citizens to get Educated and create a learned society. This encouragement is not just given in the form of some schemes but majorly shared with the people in the form of grants or loans. Here is how you can take advantage of such financing options available.

A US high school student can utilize the following financial aid sources to pursue higher education in Universities, colleges, professional schools, career-oriented schools, or graduated schools.

Aid from the US federal government

The US federal government offers student aid in the form of:

• Scholarships and Grants that need not to be paid by the student


• Student loans that have to be repaid with interest


• Work-study program that offers employment to the students to avail finance for their studies

The federal government aid may cover student expenses such as tuition fees, housing facilities, stationery, transportation costs, computer facilities, etc.

To avail any financial aid from the federal government, students have to apply through the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form.

Types of Federal Grants

Although there are various student offers provided by the Federal Student Aid. The four most common ones are:

Federal Pell Grants, that need not be repaid, are awarded to students –

• With financial need


• Who have not earned their first bachelor's degree


• Who are not enrolled in certain post-baccalaureate programs

Stafford Loan is a repayable loan with interest, offered to students enrolled in accredited American institutions of higher education. Following are some important points to note:

• Student need not repay the loan until the student is enrolled and even until six months of leaving the school. (Leaving may refer to graduating, dropping below half-time enrollment, or withdrawing).


• This loan is available as subsidized and unsubsidized loans


• For subsidized loans, the interest is paid by the federal government while the student is in school and until six months of the student leaving the school


• For unsubsidized loans, payment of interest becomes the student’s responsibility solely

Federal Perkins Loan (FPL) is a loan similar to that of Stafford but is lent directly by the schools through individual states.

• A student can apply for FPL only for funding their post secondary education


• The loan carries a fixed interest of 5% for a ten-year repayment period


• The interest does not accrue until the student begins to repay

Federal Work-Study Program is a system where students join a part-time work and earn up to a certain amount. In most cases, the federal government pays half of the wage and the school pays the other half.

• This program covers post-secondary education programs


• The student must be accepted into the program to qualify for this program


• Students can join work programs through their college


• FWS programs also cover undergraduate and graduate programs and provide part-time jobs to the students of the same


• The work offered mostly is either related to the subject that the student has chosen or community service

Below are some other federal grants available for the US students:

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG) is awarded as “campus-based” aid. The participating schools of the program award these grants to students who are eligible for Federal Pell Grant and in higher need of finance

Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grants are awarded to those who choose to study to become a teacher. The students are obliged to certain criteria like teaching in schools that have children from low-income families, for a particular period of time, in order to avoid the grant from turning into a loan

Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants are awarded to students whose parent or guardian died in the Iraq or Afghanistan during military service.

In this article, we have discussed about various financial aids available for the US students by federal government. More of financial aid sources will be dealt with in the PART II of this article.



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Useful Tips to Get Ready for College Admission Process in the US

As you would know already, the application process for the US Universities and college admissions starts at least two years prior to the academic year. One of the important reasons is the nature of the requirements for admission. For the US college admissions, the important requirements are:

• High School records


• Standardized test scores


• Creative essays


• Letters of Recommendation


• Financial aid

Let us see how we can prepare ourselves and be ready with above requirements well before the deadline for college application submission and the following processes.

We have already discussed about the initial steps in our blogs that were about doing  initial research to select University/colleges and the standardized tests such as SAT, ACT, and TOEFL & IELTS. In this article, you will find useful information about the admission essays and letters of recommendation required for University/college admissions.

Creative Essays

1. College admission essays can play a huge role in the admission process if more number of qualified applicants compete for limited number of seats in a specific college.


2. These essays, that can be written about your interest in a particular college, can help a student get admission in such scenarios. The essays are evaluated to identify the value of the student to the college community.


3. The essay should be written in a way to show your interest in the institution as well as a support to your application. The essay should not be written in such a way that it becomes a negative aspect while processing the application.





4. Some colleges give very high importance to the admission essays. They may check the essays first, even before checking the application form, high school records, and other documents.


5. In such college essays, you need not have to write about your accomplishments or your profile. You must use this opportunity to let the college know about you as a person and how would you be a difference maker to their academy. You can explain an important incident in your life that has influenced you in some way or about a person who has been your inspiration.


6. The essay should be of 250-500 word length. But, if you can deliver the right message, the word limit can be extended, say up to 600 words. Have a general essay and trim it before sending it to different colleges. For example, while answering the questions asked by the specific colleges. Remember to mention the right college name in the essay. Do not send a different college name to the college you applying for.

Recommendation letters

When you choose the person to write the recommendation letter for you, choose wisely. Ensure that the person knows you well – these people can be your teachers, counselors, mentors, etc.

Let them know about the requirements of the college that you apply for. Do not push them too hard, give enough space and time for them to work and write an analysis report about your classroom learning capabilities and communication skills which will provide true insight about you to the new institution that your are applying for. This may help you to secure admission in the college.

Also, let the teachers know more about you outside the classroom by providing a resume about you. Inform them about the application deadlines for them to prepare in advance.

If you are all set with all the necessary documents and test scores, go ahead and start applying for the colleges you wish to apply for.

But, wait a minute before that! Do you have enough funds to complete your education degree?

If not, you should be aware of the financial resources available to you to successfully complete your four-year under-graduation or a higher education program.

Financial Aid

The US Education Department has recently created an online financial aid toolkit to help the counselors of finance in the US higher education institutions and whoever involved in student financial aid counseling activities.

The department has also announced that the toolkit includes details about application process for financial aid and repayment of student loans with other related documents that can be downloaded. The toolkit is also said to contain information about professional development information.

This move is identified as one of the measures of the US government to make the college application process smoother for students.

In the next article, we will discuss about the financial aid available to you from the government and from other sources, necessary eligibility for you to avail these funds, application process, etc. in detail.

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Top 10 Tips to Clear TOEFL and IELTS

This article is the third and final part of the Standardized Tests for the US College Admissions series. So far, you have learned about preparation strategies that can be used to get through SAT and ACT tests. In this article, we are going to talk about how to prepare and perform well for IELTS and TOEFL tests that examine the English language skills of a potential candidate to get admission at the US Universities and colleges.

Though most US colleges give importance to TOEFL scores for admissions, for some specific colleges, IELTS can be the gateway. Please note that TOEFL and IELTS scores are not only for foreign students who wish to pursue higher education in the US, high school students who have less than four years of school education at the US schools are also required to take any of the theses tests for college admissions. Hence, along with your SAT or ACT preparation, ensure that you brush up your language skills including reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills.

You would have already heard a lot about TOEFL and IELTS exams and its structure, without much ado, let us learn about how to prepare for TOEFL and IELTS exams.

Both of these tests consist of Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing tests. The following tips will not only help you to perform well during the examination, they would also help you to improve your every day communication skills.

Top 10 Tips for TOEFL

1. For Reading test, read regularly, especially textbooks in subjects related to arts, sciences, business, social sciences, etc. and try to comprehend the passages in the book. Practise to skim through the passages to get the overall picture of the subject.


2. Develop the habit of reading journals, general books, and magazines. After reading the text, identify unfamiliar words and add them to your vocabulary.


3. For Listening test, develop the listening habit in English language, especially if you are in the non-English speaking country. Listen to as much English as possible. The best sources are television, radio programs, etc. in English language.


4. After listening to a program or a lecture, try to identify the purpose and the main idea behind the speech.


5. For Speaking test, try to develop the habit of thinking and speaking in English language every day. While practising, try to explain a subject or a topic to others completely in English. This provides enough opportunity to use many words in a particular subject of study.



6. Argue with your friends over a topic for preparation purpose and state your opinion clearly while doing the same. Understand the conversation and try to give a solution to the problem in discussion. This will increase your creative thinking ability.


7. For Writing test, read a text book that contains reading material and comprehension questions. Try to answer these questions. Also write your own summary of the passages given in the text book.


8. While writing the summary, try to use different words and grammatical structures to create a new copy of the original passage without deviating from the main idea or the subject of the context.


9. Most importantly, practise using the TOEFL and IELTS study materials to get familiar with the structure of the test.


10. Practise to pace yourself during the preparation and on the test day to distribute and use your time wisely for all the questions to be answered.

With this, the three part series of Standardized Tests for US College Admissions comes to an end. In the next article, we will discuss in detail about the whole application process in practice at the US Universities and colleges including the application and financial procedures, creative essays, recommendation letters, and acceptance & rejection letters.

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