Getting an Education

We asked Vicki Lytle to share her experience negotiating the community college system and getting into a state university.  She provided us with the following excellent article.  There are undoubtedly those may feel that they are not in a position to use this information, but we ask that you consider passing this along to those in your family who can use this information.  L&K President Gordon B. Hinckley and other church leaders have taught on many occasions that the Latter-day Saints, especially young Latter-day Saints, should get all the education they can get. Beginning or continuing to earn a bachelors degree is an excellent way to be prepared for the future.  It is cost effective to begin at a community college, but eventually you will have to transfer to a four-year university to obtain a bachelors degree.  The first step is to apply at the university you have chosen. Each school has different procedures, so call or e-mail the campus and follow the steps.  After being accepted, look for funding.  There are several avenues to follow. 1.  FAFSA.  Always apply for a federally funded grant at www.fafsa.ed.gov.  It is a clear and easy-to-follow web site that explains why and how to apply.  You will need all your tax information from the previous year.  Even if you do not qualify for or want a grant, many programs require a current FAFSA application on file before they can work with you.  FAFSA is the acronym for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. 2.  Counseling.  Call the university and set up an appointment with a general education counselor.  The counselor will help you map out a course of classes that will meet your educational goals.  They also have pages of financial resources to give you.  Many scholarships are not awarded because no one applied for them.  Every school has grants available also, but you must apply for each grant within a specified time frame. 3.  Avoiding scams.  There are thousands of web sites devoted to helping interested parties get into college, but be careful. Information on getting into college or getting scholarships is always free from the government.  Any site that asks you to pay for information is a scam and there are thousands of them.  A good site to begin at is www.fedmoney.org.  However, even at this site there are schools advertising, so always remember to peruse cautiously. 4.  Tax benefits.  There are some new programs discussed on the IRS web site (www.irs.gov) under the link, Tax Benefits of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.  Tax deductions that can be taken are also explained. 5.  Help from your employer.  Always ask your employer about tuition reimbursement or other incentives for getting an education.  Many companies set aside funds for the training and education of employees, either as a scholarship or just as a grant.  If your degree is job-related in any way, your company may pay for all or a sizeable portion of your tuition. After choosing a major, set up an appointment with a counselor in your major.  You may have to apply to be accepted into that major program.  The counselor can help you to select the best classes for you and to follow all the correct procedures.  Meet with the counselor every year or even every semester.  You are entitled to that service and have paid for it in your student fees. The most important procedure to remember is to ask whenever you do not understand or need direction. The university wants you to succeed and no question is “stupid” or unnecessary.  Finally, don’t assume you have to have completed a degree to benefit from college.  Often what you learn in a single class enables you to apply for a higher position.  And sometimes you’ll find out about a job from others in your class or are eligible for certain positions simply because you are a student.  Good luck! President Gordon B. Hinckley:  “Be smart. You are all in school. Do not waste your time. This is a time of great opportunity that you will never have again as long as you live. Make the most of it right now. It is wonderfully challenging. It is hard, it is tough, isn’t it? But what a wonderful thing to go and learn of all the accumulated knowledge of all the centuries of time. Go on to college or whatever school, vocational school, whatever your choice is, but take advantage of every opportunity that you have because the Lord has laid upon you a mandate through revelation to the Prophet Joseph Smith concerning not only spiritual learning but secular learning. Yours is the responsibility, and you can’t afford to waste your time. There is so much to learn. Be smart. Give it the very best that you have.”  (Emphasis not in the original.) "None of us can assume that he has learned enough. As the door closes on one phase of life, it opens on another, where we must continue to pursue knowledge. Ours ought to be a ceaseless quest for truth. . . . As we go forward with our lives and our search for truth, let us look for the good, the beautiful, the positive." —Gordon B. Hinckley, Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley (1997), 301 "You belong to a church that teaches the importance of education. You have a mandate from the Lord to educate your minds and your hearts and your hands. . . . There can be no doubt, none whatever, that education pays. Do not short-circuit your lives. If you do so, you will pay for it over and over and over again." —Gordon B. Hinckley, “A Prophet’s Counsel and Prayer for Youth,” Ensign, Jan. 2001, 4, 7 "Because of our sacred regard for each human intellect, we consider the obtaining of an education to be a religious responsibility. . . . Our Creator expects His children everywhere to educate themselves." —Russell M. Nelson, “Where Is Wisdom?” Ensign, Nov. 1992, 6