Insurance

Do You Really Need a College Financial Aid Consultant?

Would you pay $200 to save $10,000? Or $25,000? Or $40,000? Let me start off by saying that hiring a college financial aid consultant is not absolutely necessary. Many families manage to put in the time and effort to research the financial aid process, and end up doing just fine. Having said that, I’ve seen firsthand how being uninformed and making mistakes when it comes to financial aid can lead to devastating consequences.

A friend of mine (we’ll call him Rob) is a prime example. He hired a “financial aid consultant” to help him navigate the bewildering financial aid system when his oldest son was applying to colleges. I don’t know the exact qualifications for the man who showed up at Rob’s house to “help” him, but, he was clearly not qualified. Rob’s son was subsequently admitted to the expensive private school of his choice (which was no surprise, since it wasn’t a selective school), and they paid full price for the privilege. The son graduated, and now, 4 years later, both Rob and his son are still struggling every month to cover the payments on over $80,000 in student loans. I look incredulously at Rob and ask him, “What were you thinking?!?” His response: “We just didn’t know.”

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Natty-Gritty For Teaching

Are you paying attention in an occupation philosophy English in Spain? You might be astonished to learn that it’s startlingly easy to find a position. Unlike other countries where advanced qualifications are required, the Spanish are more likely to hire native English-speaking teachers based on other credentials. While it’s wise to approach the job with a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certificate in hand, advanced degrees and credentials are not necessary. If you have a Bachelors Degree in almost any subject and a working knowledge of French, you’re already well on your technique to a job.

You will be required to have a work visa for teaching English in Spain. It is possible to work part-time hours in Spain while traveling on a student visa, but this should not be considered as a main way of supporting yourself. If you’re serious about the career and plan to do it for any extended amount of time, its best to get a work visa.

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