A college education will be one of the most important investments of your life, in fact the average college graduate earns about 75% more than the highschool graduate does.With this in mind we have put this section together to help you get started on your journey. Getting accepted into a college of your choice is your first priority, which means getting good grades participating in extracurricular activities, and scoring well on the SAT's or ACT exams. The first two priorities we have alot more control over than scoring well  on a SAT, or ACT exam. If you are one of those people that need alittle help when preparing for these nerve racking tests email us at ekidsmind1@yahoo.com and we will provide you the help you need to ace these tests. For students and parents that want to research a wide variety of colleges that might not focus on test scores try looking up www.gocollege.com, www.collegequest.com, or www.collegesurfing.com. Now comes the fun part, the rising cost of college.Total expenses for college have shot up approximatly 6% for public and private schools across the board.The average private school currently cost over $27,000 per year and the public school is over $11,000 per year. With the cost of college reaching record levels every year, most of us need all the help we can get paying for it.No need to panic yet the amount of financial assistance available is actually going up for college students, you just need to be prepared and know were to find it.First dont forget that January is financial aid month and you need to get started as soon as possible.Start by finding out which forms your school requires and the dates they need to be submitted.Fill out all the financial aid forms and admission forms as soon as possible to avoid any delay in the process.Dont be hesitant to seek aid if you feel you earn to much money or your school is very expensive. Nearly half the families earning over $80,000 qualify for assistance and the more expensive your college the more likely you are to receive assistance. Financial aid forms can be found on www.fafsa.ed.gov. or www.collegeboard.com/profile. Here is a list of additional resources to help you with financial aid and scholarships.   www.finaid.org, www.collegenet.com, www.studentloan.com, www.petersons.com, or www.free-4u.org/. Speak to your school conselor and plan for your college degree because it will not only help you find a better career, it will help you grow as a person in more ways than one. Parents if you have any good suggestions please let us know at www.blogger.com ,username kidsmind, password griffin. Or simply contact us on our  message board. 

                                                               529 Plans 
Parents, look far into the future and imagine your child as a successful doctor, lawyer, accountant ect. One of the main ingredients in achieving these goals is finding a way to pay for your childs college. The 529 plan has many benifts and it was specifically designed to help parents pay for their childs education. Some of the advantages you receive when investing in a 529 plan are, 

#1 Investment earnings in the 529 plan grow federal tax free.
#2 Spending these asets in the future for qualified higher education is federal income tax free.
#3 The adult who opens the 529 plan maintains control over the account.
#4 The beneficiary of the 529 plan can be changed at any time.
#5 There are no income restrictions on participation in the 529 plan. 
#6 Investing in a 529 plan may help with the owners estate planning.
Virtually anyone can take advantage of a 529 plan, just consult your financial advisor to get the full story on how to build a solid foundation for your childs future. 

                                                    Scholarships&Grants 

                                          Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards
In 1998 the Hispanic Heritage Foundation established the Hispanic youth award program which offers Hispanic high school students awards for up to $8000 for college, a new laptop computer, trips to differnt cities and more.The categories that students can apply under are Sports, Academic Excellence, Community Service, Engineering&Mathematics, Healthcare and journalism. To learn more about these exciting awards visit their website at www.HispanicHeritageAwards.org/youth.php

                                                 Intel Science Talent Search
Since 1942 Science Service  along with their sponsor Intel has held the oldest and one of the most prestigous science talent contest in America.  The contest is open to highschool seniors, with a top prize of a $100,000 scholarship. Go to www.sciserv.org/sts/. for more details. 

                                                      The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
This award is provided for young writers and artists in grades 7-12. This creative award offers recognition, cash and college scholarships. For more infomation visit, www.scholastic.com/artandwritingawards/index.htm. 

                                                     Fred Rogers Memorial Scholarship
The Academy of Television Arts & Science, in association with Ernst & Young LLP, has established a scholarship in honor of Fred Rogers. The scholarship is intended to incourage students to persue a career in childrens media and offers an award of $10,000 per year. For more information visit www.emmys.org.

                                                      The Jack Kinnaman Scholarship
This scholarship was created in the memory of Jack Kinnaman and is offered to college students. For more information visit www.nea.org/student-program/programs/Kinnaman.html.

                                     Siemens Westinghouse Competition