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| Big Hitter by Andre C. Fernandez Guynaese Iningrant Valedictorian by Felicia Persaud All in the Family Gospel Singer, Nine, Enchants Montreal Stop Linked Center's Past to His Future Standing Out, Fitting In Blindness Not A deterrence... Developing Countries Struggle to pay for Education Dominican Ranstar Luke to Attend Aviation Camp Antiguan Baby Undergoes Successfull Brain Surgery Guyanese Lass Undergoes Successfull heart Surgery Teen turns dream to reality Child prostitution widespread in Jamaica Locks of Love by Matie Singh Haitian student aiming for Duke ... by Elizabeth Wendt Khadian Thomas is academically gifted Lecture series honores student's ability to maintain ... The State of the American Child by Annan Boodram Resources for College by Annan Boodram Laura Khillawan is Making History by Felicia Persaud Nevisan Mickia Mills Wins Conde Nast .. by Annan Boodram Talking Dirty in School by Dr. Warren Throckmorton |
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Human Rights Watch`s call comes as UN diplomats in New York are debating the juvenile death penalty as part of negotiations on a General Assembly resolution on the rights of the child. Last week the group of Latin American and Caribbean states rejected a proposal from the European Union to call for an immediate suspension of all juvenile executions, pending abolition through legal reform, even though none of the countries in the region has carried out such executions since at least 1990. The group also rejected a proposal for a report from the UN secretary-general on compliance with the absolute ban on the juvenile death penalty in international law. `It's simply baffling that Latin American and Caribbean states would block efforts to end the execution of children,` said Jo Becker, children's rights advocate at Human Rights Watch. `None of these countries has executed juvenile offenders for years. Why would they possibly defend this practice?` All countries in Latin America and the Caribbean are party to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which prohibits any executions of persons for crimes committed before the age of 18. Only five countries worldwide currently carry out executions for such crimes. However, the number of such executions has nearly tripled in the last four years. Since January 2005, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Pakistan and Yemen have carried out 32 such executions, with well over 100 other juvenile offenders on their death rows. Between 2001 and 2004, 12 known executions of juvenile offenders took place worldwide. `While only five countries still execute juvenile offenders, the recent rise in such executions is extremely worrying,` said Becker. `Latin American and Caribbean states should join others in calling for an immediate end to this barbaric practice.` Since January 2005, Iran has been responsible for 26 of the 32 known executions of juvenile offenders worldwide. Saudi Arabia and Sudan have each executed two juvenile offenders, and Pakistan and Yemen have each executed one. On October 14, the day the UN General Assembly began its annual debate on children's rights, more than 300 nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) from 82 countries called on the General Assembly to take urgent action to end executions for crimes committed by children. Organizations signing the statement included groups from Argentina, Aruba, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico and Peru. Negotiations on the rights of the child resolution are continuing this week in New York. The resolution is expected to be adopted in November.
 Jesma Noel of the Westmoreland Secondary
School in St. George's, out performed 15 other Caribbean "Junior
Minister of Tourism" to emerge winner of the event held
here as part of the programme for the CTO's Annual General Meeting.Jason Yearwood of Queen's College just outside the Barbados capital, Bridgetown placed second and Kaeiron Saunders-Rogers, a student of the Antigua Girls High School in St. John's, was third. The 16 students, representing their respective countries as "Junior Ministers and Commissioners of Tourism" at the Youth Congress, were challenged to discuss climate change and to suggest ways to focus greater attention on the subject and its impact on the tourism sector. They also debated a "mystery topic" which challenged them to "market" what's unique about their countries. Noel won US$500 and a laptop computer. Her school will also receive US$1000. Yearwood received US$300 and Saunders-Rogers, US$200. Last year's winner Emerald Williams of St. Kitts chaired this year's event, which is sponsored by Travel & Leisure, with support from the Naismith Basketball Foundation and Air Jamaica.
Minister of State with responsibility for Local Government Reform in the Office of the Prime Minister, Robert Montague, said the decision to set up the system came as concern mounted about recent child abductions. Among them were last month's disappearances of Ananda Dean, 11, whose body was later recovered; Aamir Scott, 11, whose dissected remains were also later found; and Baggio Easy, 15, whose decomposing remains were found in water on the edge of a landfill. "We were in discussions, (as to) how we are going to tackle this monster that has beset this wonderful country of ours. When the nation was galvanised with this (Ananda Dean) horrible abduction, we met in Portland with the Executive of ALGA (Association of Local Government Authorities) and a number of issues came out," Mr Montague said. One of those issues, he said, is the need for cooperation between the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) and the Local Authorities. System will use existing networks The Minister noted that the Local Authorities, which have responsibility for disaster preparedness, have a huge network available at every parish council which would be utilised by the new system. "When you combine that network, the disaster zones, the Parish Development Committee (PDC) zones...with the political network that the Councillors take to the table - indoor agents, outdoor agents, runners - you can reach out and touch any Jamaican in any town in less than 12 hours," he pointed out. Mr Montague said that when a child is abducted, "the whole community must have a means to be galvanised, to come together, to put aside political differences, to put aside religious differences, to put aside any difference, to put our energies, our focus on reuniting that child with his or her parents". He said that a call desk would be established at each parish council office, as part of the system. The call desk would be activated as soon as the police receive an official report that a child is missing. Mr Montague explained that the information would then be copied by the parish council and sent to the libraries, for distribution to their network. "Once that call, fax or email comes in to the Local Authority, there will be a network that will be activated. The Councillors, PDC Chairmen, the zonal committee persons, the post offices, (and) libraries will be called," he said, adding that the information would also be posted at supermarkets, bus terminals, and at other major points in communities. "The councillors will be asked to activate their network, the service clubs, the Chambers of Commerce, the various Parent Teachers' Associations (PTAs), and Consultative Committees. All of these groups will be contacted, because we are now in the process of building that data base." Public education part of plan The State Minister further noted that the incidence of abduction also highlight the breakdown of family and home life in the society, which leads to many children being on the streets at various hours. "So, coupled with this programme, we are proposing a massive public education campaign that will entail parenting workshops, because many parents do not have the means or the skills of parenting. Nobody taught them, and therefore they can't pass it on to their children. In other words, what we see in society is that children are not being brought up, children are being 'dragged up'," Mr Montague contended. Meantime, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has commended the Jamaica government for establishing a national task force to explore and recommend short and long term initiatives to curtail and reduce violence against children in the island. Prime Minister Bruce Golding established the committee more than two weeks ago, following concerns raised by various private and public sector interests over the alarming increase in the incidence of crime and violence being committed against the nation's young people. UNICEF's Deputy Representative and Officer-in-Charge in Jamaica, Nada Marasovic, said that the establishment of the task force is timely, and urged that as the group collaborates with concerned citizens, child-focused agencies, and other private and public sector entities to find long-term sustainable solutions, that their work be guided by evidence-based analysis.
 Powell
of Jamaica. This contest, now in its 16th year, is the first
of its kind for Caribbean school children, and has become a symbol
of Condé Nast Traveler©s commitment to the development
of the Caribbean.Grand prize winner Storm Halbich received a $2,000 scholarship and the two runners-up each received a $500 scholarship. Storm©s winning essay will also be featured in the January ©Gold Lis t©" issue of Condé Nast Traveler. Given the topic: ©If you could share a secret about your island with someonevisiting for the first time, what would it be?©" Storm wrote:I really want to tell you about our friendly and interesting people who are always ready to welcome you to our country. Let me tell you about Tonty Muggy who mixes up herbs to cure everyone. Tourists come from far and wide to cure ailments by her side. An d what about old man Earl who takes you on a beach lime and shows you how to catch your own fish for lunch, man you willhave so much fun. Gran dma Vee in her wooden house will invite you in for fresh passion fruit juice and a slice of hot banana bread; you will unbuckleyour belt and beg for more. Let me carry you by Rasta Wally who will strum some sweet reggae music while we sit drinking coconut water by the seaside. So come, let me take you to find the Caribbean you©ve been looking for. This annual contest, administered through the school system in each Caribbean country, strives to educate primary and early secondary school children in the Caribbean about the importance of tourism in their region. After a multi-step judging process involving the ministries of tourism, the ministries of education and the Caribbean Tourism Organization, a finalist was chosen on each island. Each of the 26 finalists and a chaperone were flown to the Caribbean Tourism Conference (CTC) in Trinidad and Tobago to enjoy three days of experiencing the local culture and interacting with their government delegates and ministers of tourism. The contest was created and is produced by Condé Nast Traveler in conjunction with The Caribbean Tourism Organization. This year©s local sponsors are Courtyard by Marriott and Trinidad and Tobago, The True Caribbean.
Senior Latoya Butler, one of two members of the school's African Caribbean Society who secured coveted tickets to attend the event, said she just could not hold back her chagrin when Republican Presidential candidate John McCain spoke of his running mate Sarah Palin as a role model for women. `A lot of the girls gasped, we don't find her a good role model for us,` said Butler, who was among the 500-600 students attending last night`s debate, which focused on domestic issues. And she said that throughout the debate, the students, most of whom followed a direction from school officials to show up in business attire, quietly expressed skepticism about McCain. `There were a lot of kids whispering stuff like 'oh please,' `whatever with McCain,` she added. But when it came to Democratic candidate, Barack Obama, the Caribbean-born student said she felt he kept his cool and had better command of the facts. `I felt like Obama was more relaxed while McCain was more on the offensive, he was attacking Obama a lot,` she said. Butler also said she found the exchange on abortion the most interesting. But she did not feel that McCain was sincere when he said he wouldn't use opposition to Roe vs. Wade as a litmus test to determine whom to pick as a Supreme Court justice. `I felt it was more of a ploy to make it seem like he was fair,` she said. Though there was discussion of education, Butler felt that neither candidate was specific enough about what they would do for college students, and particularly their financial concerns. While Butler was inside, other students gathered elsewhere to watch the event on television. Among them was African Caribbean Society President, Candice Bento, who said the debate ended in `pretty close` to a draw between the candidates. But she added that Obama scored points by speaking plainly and directly about Joe the Plumber, a man he had met in Ohio who wanted to start his own business. A senior who wants to pursue a public relations career, Bento recalled that when McCain claimed that Obama's tax policies would hurt Joe the Plumber's chances as a small businessman, the Democrat looked directly into the camera and spoke to the entrepreneur. `He didn't stumble, he was ready to say what he had to say, she said. But Bento, a native of Trinidad who said she can't vote in the election, wanted to hear more about immigration. McCain's immigration policy includes securing the border through physical and virtual barriers, dedicating funding to U.S. attorneys in border states, using aircraft to survey border regions, and developing a market-based system to determine how many workers enter the country. Obama also wants to employ additional resources to secure borders, but also supports a system allowing undocumented immigrants in good standing to apply for citizenship. Meanwhile, Nicole Zyer, a junior majoring in speech communication and public advocacy said she believes that some people will continue to believe terrorist accusations against Obama, despite his detailed explanation Wednesday of his past association with former Weather Underground member William Ayers. `There's always going to be that one person who thinks the opposite,` she said. By Kirk Jackson/ CWNN
Dr. Blake, who has been appointed by Mayor Bloomberg to his newly-formed New York City Climate Change Technical Advisory Committee, intends to make inroads in this critical area of research with support from a three-year, $459,108 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The funds are targeted for faculty-supervised student research in state-of-the-art satellite and ground-based remote sensing. "Remote sensing technology is at the cutting edge of research in the studies of air-quality monitoring, precipitation estimation, hurricane genesis, development and tracking, floods, droughts, global climate change and a whole host of other aspects of geophysics," he explains. "With this in mind, we at City Tech sought an NSF grant to enable us to pursue research in these areas."  Ten students from
five CUNY colleges -- including three from City Tech and the
rest from City College (CCNY), LaGuardia Community College, York
College and Medgar Evers College -- have been chosen to participate
in this NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates initiative.
The co-sponsor is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA), the federal agency that focuses on using satellite and
ground-based remote sensing to study the Earth's oceans and atmosphere.
The students will work primarily at CUNY's NOAA Cooperative Remote Sensing Science and Technology Center (NOAA-CREST), based at CCNY. Two of NOAA-CREST's primary goals are to conduct cutting-edge research in remote sensing science and to train students in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, particularly those students traditionally underrepresented -- people of color, women and students with disabilities. "City Tech's new NSF grant will help create an educational pipeline that will produce a diverse workforce for NOAA and for the nation," according to Dr. Reza Khanbilvardi, director of the NOAA-CREST Center. "In the 21st century, we cannot ignore the role of satellite technology and observation in understanding and predicting change in the Earth's environment." The NSF grant will fund seminars, summer internships and school-year research assistantships for the selected students, who will be the future engineers and scientists of our nation, notes Dr. Blake. "For the next three years, the students will have the opportunity to work with scientists and engineers in this new, emerging area of geophysics," he says. "Their work will be used to develop algorithms to validate and improve the remote collection of data via satellites." Two of the ten students (City Tech's Adam Atia and CCNY's Ibrahim Siddo), will participate in one of the project's most exciting aspects -- they will conduct research aboard the NOAA ship Ronald H. Brown, as it sails across the Atlantic Ocean between Africa and the Caribbean in March 2009. On board, they will assist in the study of why and how aerosols are transported from the Sahara Desert across the Atlantic Ocean and towards the U.S. and the Caribbean. They spent part of this past summer with Dr. Vernon Morris and his team at Howard University, where remote sensing research is ongoing. "I'm very excited to be part of this project," says Atia, a 24-year-old sophomore from Flatbush majoring in computer engineering technology. "I care very much about global warming, the energy crisis and climate change. I want to be involved in work that seeks to solve the world's problems. People talk about the need for change, but I think it's important to 'do.' That's what this project and this voyage are all about for me. "And I'll be gaining skills from a global perspective," he adds. "When we get to the west coast of Africa, for instance, we'll be exchanging remote sensing ideas with the scholars and people there. The possibilities for learning and sharing are limitless." For nine weeks this past summer, all ten participating students -- including City Tech's Atia, Lori Younge and Jian Hong Li commuted to CCNY in Harlem to study and research remote sensing as it applies to aerosols, vegetation, hurricanes, coastal waters and "nowcasting" (the prediction of severe weather within a short time before its occurrence). They also visited the Bronx Botanical Gardens' Geographical Information System Laboratory, The American Museum of Natural History, the Brookhaven National Laboratory and the National Weather Service. The students will attend the University of Texas' Student Research Conference in El Paso later this month to make oral and poster presentations of their work. "Educating tomorrow's leaders in science, technology and mathematics (STEM) is central to our mission," says Dr. Pamela Brown, City Tech's dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, who is the project's co-principal investigator. "This grant complements our ongoing efforts to increase graduates in these fields and builds upon NSF grants previously awarded to the College, including a five-year $990,000 grant (2007-2011) to develop a mentoring network for our STEM students and a three-year $497,000 grant (2007-2009) for scholarships for students enrolled in our computer and engineering technologies programs."
The new standards, developed by the Attorney General's student loan task force, ban a wide range of deceptive marketing practices such as: mailing phony solicitations designed to look like they come from the federal government; advertising interest rates that are not available to the majority of borrowers who take out loans with the lender; offering prizes and running contests and sweepstakes to induce students to take out loans with a particular lender; and paying off students to get their friends to take out loans with particular lenders. The eight student lenders who have agreed to abide by these new heightened standards include Nelnet, Inc., Campus Door, Inc., GMAC Bank, NextStudent, Inc., Xanthus Financial Services, Inc., EduCap, Inc., Graduate Loan Associates, L.L.C., and MRU Holdings, Inc., doing business as My Rich Uncle. Seven of these companies have entered into settlement agreements with the Attorney General's Office in which they agree to abide by a code of conduct and to donate a total of more than $1.4 million to the Attorney General's national fund to educate and assist students and their families with respect to the financial aid process. One company, My Rich Uncle, has agreed to voluntarily adopt the code. "These settlements are a major step forward in cleaning up an industry where false and misleading advertising practices have been all too rampant. Unsolicited and deceptive mailings that are sent to the homes of students are more than a nuisance, they can result in students being buried in mountains of debt for years to come," said Attorney General Cuomo. AOur investigation of direct marketing in the student loan business found a wide variety of problematic practices that put business profits ahead of the borrowing needs of students and their families. I commend the eight lenders who have today signed the code thereby committing to help my office clean up this industry. It is unconscionable for lenders to entice students into loans that are not best for them." The Attorney General also called on the rest of the direct marketing industry to adopt the code of conduct. "These eight companies are setting the industry standard. If other companies won't adopt the new code, it should raise a red flag and students should be asking those companies, 'why not?' Students and their families should certainly think twice before taking a loan from any company who has not signed on to the code. This industry has a spotty track record when it comes to protecting consumers and it's time for the companies to be held accountable," said Attorney General Cuomo. The Attorney General's investigation of the student loan industry began last year with the exposure of conflicts of interest in the relationships between lenders and universities that included kickback arrangements where lenders were paying universities to have the universities recommend the lenders to students. The Attorney General developed a code of conduct for lenders and universities that became the model for a New York law known as SLATE, as well as for a recently enacted federal law which now protects students nationwide. After addressing these conflicts between lenders and universities, the Attorney General turned to combating deceptive and illegal tactics in the direct marketing of student loans through the mail, the Internet and on television without going through the colleges' financial aid offices at all. Today's announcement of a new set of agreements with some of the nation's leading lenders of student loans marketed directly to consumers will bring much needed reforms to this other major channel through which students and their families obtain loans for college. Barmak Nassarian, Associate Executive Director, American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers ("AACRAO"), said, "Attorney General Cuomo's Office has once again broken new ground by obtaining significant protections for students and families. These settlements improve the amount and quality of information available to educational loan borrowers." Chris Lindstrom, Director of U.S. P.I.R.G. Higher Education Project, said, "Deceptive marketing practices can lead students to make ill-informed decisions at a serious financial cost to borrowers. We applaud the continued action and leadership shown by Attorney General Cuomo in protecting the interests of students and families." The student loan direct marketing investigation uncovered numerous deceptive practices, all of which are now banned under the Attorney General=s new code of conduct, including: · using logos and return addresses that made it look like the lender=s solicitation to consumers was from the federal government or the student=s current lender; · mailing fake checks or false rebates offers on current loans to entice students to take out loans; · giving inducements to students, such as gift cards, iPods, and GPS devices, to distract students from focusing on the (sometimes onerous) terms of the higher education loans being promoted; · offering inducements to students to convince their friends to take out loans with particular lenders; · making false and misleading representations as to the advantages of private student loans over lower-cost federal loans; * providing illustrations of loan costs or terms that are available only to a tiny fraction of borrowers without disclosing that fact; · failing to guarantee that advertised borrower benefits, such as discounts on the interest rate of the loan during the repayment phase of the loan, follow with the loan, regardless of who purchases the loan in the future. The Attorney General's new code of conduct bans all of these practices and many others. In addition, under the new agreements, in connection with the marketing of private loans, lenders and marketers will provide a warning that students and their parents should exhaust lower-cost federal borrowing options before turning to private loans. Moreover, the code requires lenders to provide timely disclosures of the terms of federal and private loans, ensuring that students have the information they need to comparison shop for those loans. The Attorney General urges students and their families to seek more information on the New York Attorney General's website, at www.oag.state.ny.us. On the website, students can also order a free informational DVD to learn more about the student loan process and how to protect themselves. The investigation and settlements were handled by Assistant Attorneys General Carolyn Fast, Mary Alestra, Melvin Goldberg, Brian Montgomery, Stephanie Sheehan, and Jason Garelick, under the supervision of Consumer Frauds Bureau Chief Joy Feigenbaum.
Named for a former NIGMS director, the Kirschstein Award seeks to improve the diversity of the health-related workforce by supporting training of pre-doctoral students from underrepresented groups. Its goal is to help ensure that highly trained, productive and creative scientists will be available in adequate numbers and in appropriate research areas and fields to meet the United States' health research needs. Award selection criteria include: likelihood of the candidate becoming an independent investigator; the mentor's abilities and funded research support; the institution's research environment, and the quality and significance of the candidate's research proposal. Between 40 and 45 percent of submitted proposals are typically funded, according to Dr. Shawn R. Drew, director of the funding program. The award to Mr. Thomson will support his investigations into chemical carcinogenesis understanding the events that lead to formation of tumors after DNA damage. He is working under the guidance of Dr. Mahesh Lakshman, CCNY Professor of Chemistry. Mr. Thomson, a native of Jamaica now residing in Brooklyn, who has a B.S. in biochemistry and premedical studies from CCNY, has been a member of Professor Lakshman's lab since 2001, initially as an undergraduate. Mr. Thomson will study how molecular structures use polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which are widely prevalent in the environment, influence metabolism and DNA damage. He plans to conduct X-ray crystallographic analysis to examine the shapes of a set of compounds for which he has developed a novel chemical synthesis. A collaborator will test the biological effects in cellular systems to determine whether metabolism to carcinogenic species is increased or decreased, as well as the extent of DNA damage. In another phase of the investigation, he will also use chemical synthesis in an effort to modify genetic definitions within a strand of DNA. Afterwards, a collaborator will use nuclear magnetic resonance to study the structure of the modified DNA in order to relate structure to biochemical events such as replication and repair to the DNA structure. Mr. Thomson came to the United States from Kingston, Jamaica, with his family in 1998 and settled in the East New York section of Brooklyn. He worked in a local supermarket as a janitor for a year to earn money for college and enrolled as a freshman at CCNY for the Fall 1999 semester. During his long commute between Brooklyn and the CCNY campus in Harlem, he often reads scientific journals on the subway. "I've seen Paul grow from a youngster into a young man and a professional," Professor Lakshman said. "He truly enjoys what he is doing and in my profession it is truly rewarding to see young people like him get started in their careers." Mr. Thomson praised Professor Lakshman as a "very knowledgeable and very encouraging" mentor. "He's always been there for me. It transcends being a mentor. He's a good friend."
The findings suggest that factors such as institutional racism could explain why Afro-Caribbean pupils are less likely to take high-level examinations in Math and science than their white counterparts. But a teaching union has expressed doubts about the findings.
"Our findings highlight the importance of screening for asthma among victims of childhood abuse, and to be aware of the possibility of physical or sexual abuse among children with asthma," write Dr. Juan C. Celedon of Harvard Medical School in Boston and his colleagues, noting that their study is the first to find a link between child abuse and asthma. Several studies have found higher rates of asthma among Puerto Ricans living on the US mainland than among whites, blacks or other Latinos, the researchers note in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. Research conducted after September 11, as well as studies in Vietnam vets, has also suggest that Puerto Rican individuals may suffer greater emotional distress when exposed to violence, they add. To see if certain stressors boost childhood asthma risk, Celedon and his team looked at whether Puerto Rican children living in Puerto Rico who had been exposed to violence at home or in their communities might be more likely to have been diagnosed with the condition. Their survey of 1,213 children and their chief caregivers found that nearly 40 percent had been diagnosed with asthma at some point. During the year before the survey, 14 percent of all the children had seen an act of violence, 7 percent had been victims of violence, and 6 percent had suffered physical or sexual abuse. The researchers found no relationship between exposure to neighborhood violence or stressful life events and a child's asthma risk. However, those who had been victims of sexual or physical abuse were 2.52 times more likely to have asthma currently, and 2.35 times more likely to be taking asthma medications. The study likely underestimated the prevalence of abuse, Celedon and his colleagues note. That's because such violence is most often perpetrated by a child's parents, and while the information was gathered from children separately, when possible, it also came from their parents or other primary caregivers. The researchers call for further research to examine potential mechanisms behind the abuse-asthma link, such as alterations in the body's ability to respond to stress.
At 18, American teens can assume control of their legal and financial futures. Yet they need to understand that slip-ups now can affect their futures for years to come. "Once kids turn 18, they have their first shot at establishing a positive credit history," said Mike Sullivan, director of education for Take Charge America, a national non-profit credit counseling agency. "If they end up abusing or misusing the system, their actions can prevent them from qualifying for additional lines of credit down the road." According to the most recent statistics from Nellie Mae, in 2004 college students reported freshman year as the most prevalent time for obtaining credit cards, with 56 percent having obtained their first card at age 18. "Our homes, cars and other valuables are all rooted in our credit history. The younger you start, the sooner you'll be able to achieve financial independence," said Sullivan. "Without a consistent, positive track record, teens and 20-somethings won't be able to rent an apartment, buy a car or apply for a loan without their parents' signature." So, what does it take to build a positive credit history? Sullivan describes what not to do: * Don't go on a spending spree Just because you have the credit, doesn't mean you should spend it all. Your first credit card should have a low limit, such as $100 or $500. This will help prevent large impulse buys. If you know you're an impulse shopper, you can further restrict temptation by applying for a store or gas card, as opposed to a general bank credit card that can be used at almost any location. * Don't test your credit limits Make a small purchase to kick off your credit history and then make consistent payments. You don't want to be caught in an emergency situation with a maxed out credit card. If you withdraw over your credit limit, you will be faced with exorbitant fees. Plus, the overdraw shows up on your credit report, and that could prevent you from receiving other forms of credit at reasonable interest rates in the future. * Don't share your credit information No one should have access to your credit information, including close friends. Don't leave your monthly bill in plain sight, nor ask anyone to hold onto your credit card. This could leave you susceptible to fraud and identity theft. * Don't ignore the fine print You need to know exactly what you are getting into before you sign the contract. Financial jargon can be confusing, so ask questions if you don't understand the terminology. You will be held accountable for all information listed in the fine print, whether you understand it or not. Be cognizant of over limit and missing payment fees. How much could these fees potentially cost you? What happens if you miss a payment? Do you have an introductory fixed rate? If so, for how long? Once you have established a line of credit, be sure to examine each monthly bill and take notice of the minimum payment amount, the total balance and the interest rate. Has anything changed? Is there an unauthorized purchase? Call the credit card company immediately if you notice inconsistencies. * Don't be afraid to ask for help It's normal to encounter bumps along the road to establishing credit. Have an open dialogue with your parents and ask them to go over your credit card bill if you are confused. You can also seek the advice of a credit counselor. Visit www.bbb.org to locate a reputable agency.
According to the New York State Society of CPAs, these two education tax credits can help defray education expenses for you and your family. And because a tax credit is subtracted dollar-for-dollar from the taxes owed, it's more favorable than a tax deduction, which simply reduces the total income on which your tax is based. For example, if your tax bill is $2,000 and you qualify for a $1,000 education credit, you can cut your tax bill in half. The Hope Credit INCREASES For 2006, the maximum Hope credit has been increased to $1,650, up from $1,500 in 2005. To calculate the credit, you claim 100 percent of the first $1,100 in college tuition and fees for each eligible student, plus 50 percent of the next $1,100, for a maximum tax credit of $1,650 per eligible student. The Hope credit can only be claimed for the first two years of pursuing a degree at a college or other post-secondary institution. The student must be enrolled at an eligible education institution at least half-time during the year. You can claim the Hope credit for qualified education expenses for yourself, your spouse, or a dependent for whom you claim an exemption on your tax return. Expenses that qualify are tuition and fees required for enrollment or attendance. Generally, books, room and board, student activities, athletics, insurance, equipment, transportation, or other similar personal living expenses do not qualify for the purpose of calculating the Hope credit. The Lifetime Learning Credit While the Hope credit is available for only the first two years of college, the Lifetime Learning credit applies to any person taking undergraduate or graduate classes. It provides a tax credit of up to $2,000 on the first $10,000 of college tuition and fees for yourself, your spouse, or your dependent child. The qualifying expenses and eligible institutions are the same as for the Hope credit. But unlike the Hope credit, you can take advantage of the Lifetime Learning Credit even if you're only taking one college course. The Lifetime Learning credit, which may be claimed for an unlimited number of years, is calculated per family, not per student. The maximum credit ($2,000) is the same, regardless of how many family members are in school. Study THE fine print You cannot claim both the Hope credit and the Lifetime Learning credit for the same student in the same year. But if you pay qualified education expenses for more than one student during the same year, you can claim the Hope credit for one eligible student and the Lifetime Learning credit for another student. Both the Hope and Lifetime Learning credits are phased out for higher-income taxpayers. To qualify for the full credit in 2006, your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) must be below $90,000 for married taxpayers filing jointly, and below $45,000 if you're a single filer. A partial credit is available for joint filers with an MAGI between $90,000 and $110,000 and for single filers with an MAGI between $45,000 and $55,000. You cannot claim an education credit if your MAGI is $110,000 or more if you file a joint return ($55,000 for single filers). To apply for the Hope or Lifetime Learning credits, you must complete IRS Form 8863, Education Credits, and submit it with your tax return. Educational institutions are required by law to send students Form 1098-T, which shows the amount of qualified tuition and related fees paid during the tax year
The student training system found at www.caribbeanexams.com features over forty full-length, timed, computer-adaptive tests whose delivery simulates that of the actual exam. It includes resources for parents, practice questions, answers, and explanations (via an online help desk), as well as a comprehensive Language Arts review section. The website provides resources to enhance the preparation process for the following examinations: * Grade Level Assessment Test (GLAT), * Common Entrance Examination (CEE), * Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT), * Continuous Assessment Programme (CAP), and * Grade Nine Achievement Test (GNAT). After a student takes a practice test, they receive their scores instantly. They are able to review each of the test questions to see which items they missed. The system allows students to return and rework the questions they got wrong on the practice test with a view to developing successful test-taking strategies. The site also features a real-time online grade book that identifies the student's weaknesses and strengths, allowing them to focus on the areas that most need improvement. The website's exclusive examination techniques will show students super speed methods to get through the questions they know with ease, saving then time so they can concentrate on the hardest questions without rushing. Students will also: * Learn to avoid procrastination. * Learn to tell the difference between right answers and clever-sounding traps. * Learn the secret to using contextual clues to make important distinctions between right and wrong answer choices. "We are very excited to provide Caribbean students with this opportunity to improve their chances on their examinations," said Shalette Ashman-East, who spearheaded the project. Technological infrastructure for the system is provided by the Institute for Mathematics and Computer Science, an educational research institute based in South Florida. "We've undergone many months of pilot testing, and we're delighted with the response now that it is widely available," Ashman-East said.
Recently, researchers from BlackNews.com compiled what they felt was a list of the top eleven web sites for African-American students. All of the sites are safe and legit. The sites are as follows: 1) StudentSweepstakes.com - $10,000 scholarship sweepstakes www.studentsweepstakes.com 2) HBCUconnect.com - Free info on Black colleges www.hbcuconnect.com 3) UNCF.org - Free scholarships www.uncf.org 4) BlackCollegian.com - Black college news and career info www.blackcollegian.com 5) ThurgoodMarshallFund.org - Free scholarship fund www.thurgoodmarshallfund.org 6) BlackStudents.com - Free scholarships and internships www.blackstudents.com 7) SevenSecrets-Books.com - Free how-to-study tips www.sevensecrets-books.com 8) HBCUcareercenter.com - Black college jobs and internships www.hbcucareercenter.com 9) BlackNews.com/education - Free info from online colleges www.blacknews.com/education 10) FinancialAssistance.org - Lower your student loan payments www.financialassistance.org 11) Fastweb.com - Free scholarships and internships www.fastweb.com All majors: |