Character Education

Most college students need some sort of assistance. Very few students go into college with all the cash needed to support the whole education process to the end result. Most students have to work during college and/or get financial aid of some sort. Here we will talk about the different types of aid that can be possible solutions.

Federal Aid Grants - These grants are determined by a number of factors. Grants are funds that you receive that you DO NOT have to pay back. These are much better than loans and should be the first resource that a student turns to just to keep their future debt load to a minimum if at all possible. Keep in mind that you can do an Internet search for non-federal aid and you may be surprised. There are many offers out there and many people/organizations willing to fund education. For federal aid (Pell Grant) here are a few of the qualifiers:

You must be a US Citizen

You must have a GED, high school diploma or take an exam approved by the the Federal Aid Office

If you are male, you must be registered with Selective Service

Have a valid Social Security card

Must be accepted to a college

Must not have had a drug conviction

Give financial documents to prove need and to see how much you qualify for

Student Loans - Many financial institutions offer student loans at low interest rates for the use of education. Student loan payments are usually deferred until the student is done taking classes. After you have been out of school for a certain length of time then the payment begin. The payment amount naturally depends on the loan amount. Most institutions also offer deferment plans if you find that you can't make the payment for some reason. Ultimately though, you will end up paying it all back with interest.

Scholarships - Scholarships are like grants in that you do not have to pay them back. The difference is that scholarships have different requirements and each one is unique. There are scholarships based on academic status, some on sports activity, some on theatre, music, or other arts. Thousands of scholarships go unused each year so it is worth finding scholarships that you qualify for, even if they are small, every bit helps. You should not have to pay fees to apply for scholarships so don't get caught up in a scam.

Teaching Morals in School -Character Education

Teaching values and morals in our schools can also be called "character education". This is much debated on one hand and then much needed on the other. Education is generally focused on three things: knowledge, skills, and character.

Knowledge naturally covers the learning that is actually assimilated and usable in the future. It is also general knowledge that creates a well rounded mind and ultimately a well rounded person. This knowledge base allows students to experience a wide variety of subjects and therein find their particular interest and specialty. This is probably why in continuing education they require two years minimum of "general education".

Skills refers to what the student can do or perform with the knowledge they have been given. It isn't good enough to just give the information back on tests, students should come out with skills that they can use in the work place.

Character refers to the type of people that the school produces. If we do not teach character buildingvalues and morals in the schools we could be missing a great chance to better society. The debate comes in when parents believe that there is not place for anything but scholastic knowledge in the public schools.

Teachers and administrators will most likely argue the point that values and morals such as honesty and integrity are always okay and that there are no religious conflicts with such teachings. It isn't that they are "God based" or "Christian" values and morals but that we need more upstanding and honest men and women in the world who are willing to do the right thing and stand up for what they know to be right.

Another attribute of character education is fostering pro-social traits. For example, an elementary school student may mistreat another student and the teacher may have to give a lesson on empathy and/or sympathy. These traits ultimately benefit the individuals, our families and then a society as a whole.

Character education can be taught in a wide variety of ways but it usually is not a specific topic in thecurriculum. Rather it is a whole school focus that intertwines with scholastic education. That you are kind, you do take care of your neighbors, you treat the world and all those in it with the respect you want shown to you. Schools can do specific things such as focus on good role models and employ good role models, talk about heroes worth of being called heroes and what a hero really is, and then there needs to be reinforcement to see the kudos for what has been accomplished or shown. All students (young and old alike) like to see the fruits of their efforts.

Other things that can be brought about are critical thinking and problem solving skills, how they apply to the world and how to solve social problems. Helping students see as many sides to a situation as possible is a great thing and helps them in years to come with all of the interpersonal relationships. Students can also be taught how to break a situation down to make the best of a bad situation. For example, you can present a problem that there is no ideal answer to (like the welfare issues in the government). It can be taught that while there is no ideal answer other than to not have that issue you can choose from the options that you have wisely and try to foresee the pros and cons of each answer.