Controversial Issues Regarding Education Of Undocumented Immigrants

In a suburban area of wealthy and working class families outside of New York City, a growing number of immigrants are settling in. It's gotten so diverse that nearly 25 percent of all residents in this area are born outside of the United States - in places such as Colombia, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Asia and the Middle East, according to a July 2010 article in The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education. Throughout the country, Latinos particularly represent a growing number of students at Associate's degree-granting institutions, such as community, junior and technical colleges.
Latinos also happen to comprise the largest number of undocumented immigrants in the country, according to the Pew Research Center. While undocumented immigrants are able to attend public schools at the K-12 level for free, a Journal News article in suburban New York City noted, some 65,000 of them graduate high school each year. These high school graduates might have problems finding jobs, entering the military and paying for tuition at even community colleges, which are often the most affordable of Associate's degree granting institutions.
The federal government since 2001 has been considering a Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors, or DREAM, Act that, in its most recent version, would have allowed immigrants who came to the United States when they were younger than 16 the opportunity to qualify for citizenship. To qualify for citizenship under this latest version, immigrants would have to demonstrate good moral quality and either complete two years of military service or participate in college or university studies for at least two years, whether or not they obtained an Associate's degree.
The US Senate voted the DREAM Act down in December. A statement on the website for Kay Bailey Hutchison, a US Senator from Texas, notes that she couldn't support it because it "expanded the scope of the bill beyond the intended individuals who were brought here as children and grew up and were educated in the United States." John Ensign, a US Senator from Nevada who also voted against the DREAM Act, noted that it "does nothing to further secure our borders... (and)... goes as far as granting legal status for criminal aliens, creating a safe harbor for illegal aliens facing deportation, and does not require the completion of a college degree or military service as a condition of amnesty."
The Pew Research Center in October reported on how Latinos are a diverse group and how they can became even more divided - and concerned about immigration - as a result of a backlash against illegal immigration. On the issue of undocumented immigrants, a small majority of Latinos (53 percent) suggested that these immigrants pay fines without having to be deported. They were nearly evenly divided three ways as to whether illegal immigration positively or negatively affects the United States or doesn't affect the country at all. Where a good majority of foreign born Latinos - 70 percent - say that discrimination against them prevents them from succeeding; slightly under half of the Latinos born in the United States agreed, according to the Pew Research Center.
The Migration Policy Institute in July 2010 came out with a "DREAM vs. Reality" report suggesting that, in part because of language and financial barriers, fewer than 40 percent of the slightly more than 2.1 million total potential DREAM Act beneficiaries, the majority of them Mexican, would become legal citizens. The Community College Consortium for Immigrant Education works to increase the visibility of issues surrounding immigrant education, particularly as they relate to Associate's degree-granting community colleges. In an interview with the National Center for Refugee Employment and Self Sufficiency, consortium director, Jill Casner Lotto, suggested that the ability for immigrants to gain an education in the United States is important to their personal success as well as to the country's economy and social fabric. The consortium is now exploring how the law might affect certain aspects of Associate's degree-granting community colleges - aspects such as English as a Second Language and financial aid, for instance.
Information from the National Center for Education Statistics shows that nearly half of all Latinos who attended colleges and universities in 2008 were enrolled in Associate's degree-granting community colleges. New York State is one of only 10 in the nation where undocumented immigrants attending public colleges and universities pay a reduced tuition rate that's set aside for state residents, according to the Journal News article. Undocumented immigrants otherwise don't enjoy the government scholarship, grant and low-interest student loan opportunities that American citizens do, either.

The Scoop On Educational

It's no surprise that children love computer and video games, and preschoolers are no exception. But in spite of the large number of games that have little or no educational value, the good news is that are many educational computer games for preschoolers available on the market. 21st Century preschoolers and kindergartners are very knowledgeable about computers and video games and the manufacturers of many well-known toys and educational television program makers have now become aware of this.
Children will find these sorts of games fun and many times are not even aware that they are learning at the same time. Parents like them because they are safe knowing that their kids are being taught news which also reinforce things they are learning at school. While preschoolers won't be able to type much, some of the best educational games will have them using the mouse to point and click like a pro.
Some of the best games for preschoolers will have them learning the alphabet, numbers, shapes and colors, while they have fun and give momma a break. Some games help a child learn to match objects or develop early reading skills. These games serve a two purposes of teaching kids about the topic, a well as teaching valuable computer skills.
It's easy to find educational computer games for preschoolers with your child's favorite TV characters online. There are games available with PBS favorites, Berestain Bears, Arthur, Dora and Diego - all through Amazon. Computer games are a great way for your child learn new things and possibly even do better in school. Go ahead and treat Lil' Johnny to a new computer game - he'll have loads of fun feeling like a big kid and won't even realize it's teaching him to read.

ducation Expenses Can Be Paid From Roth IRA Penalty Free

Many parents struggle with how they are going to save for their kids' college expenses while saving for retirement at the same time. Roth IRAs are very flexible investment vehicles, making them a good choice for parents who are juggling saving for college and retirement.
As always there are some rules to follow when using your Roth IRA to pay for college expenses, so make sure you understand the rules before you take a withdrawal.
Roth contributions can be taken out at any time for any reason. This makes Roths not only a great vehicle to save for retirement, but also to save for college expenses. While I recommend that parents put their retirement goals ahead of college savings goals, it's nice to know that you can withdraw your contributions to be used for college expenses, without worrying about paying taxes or penalties.
If you need more money than you've contributed to your Roth account, you still have options. Normally, distributions taken from a Roth before you reach age 59 ½ are subject to taxes and a 10% penalty (on the earnings only). However, there is an exception for withdrawals that are taken to pay for college expenses.
The early withdrawal penalty is waived if you use the funds to pay for qualified higher education expenses for yourself, your spouse or your dependent children. Qualified higher education expenses include tuition, room and board, fees, books, supplies and equipment. Unfortunately, withdrawals taken to pay back student loans do not qualify (I wish!).
The ability to use your Roth account to pay for college expenses is a huge benefit. However, the withdrawals taken from the Roth could affect your eligibility for financial aid. The good news is that Roth IRAs are not counted as an asset for either the student or the parent in the financial aid formula. The bad news is that withdrawals from the Roth IRA are counted as income in the financial aid formula. So you'll need to weigh the pros and cons before dipping into your retirement accounts for education expenses.
In addition, if you take Roth withdrawals to pay for education expenses, it could disqualify you from other education tax incentives such as the Hope or Lifetime Learning credit.
Please note that while the early withdrawal penalty is waived for withdrawals that are used for education expenses, you will still need to pay taxes on any earnings withdrawn before you reach age 59 ½. This is true regardless of how long the account has been open.
Bottom line, Roths are very flexible investment vehicles, which makes them a great tool for saving for retirement and other financial goals such as education expenses. However, there are rules to follow, and just because you can take a Roth IRA withdrawal to pay for education expenses doesn't mean that's the best option for you. You should consult with a tax professional before taking any withdrawals to determine if that's the best strategy for you.

How to Deal With a Lack of Education on Your Resume

I get lots of clients that are concerned about their lack of degree on their resumes. It is very common and is one area that is a sensitive spot. When beginning the process of resume writing, what to put under 'Education' can be daunting.
The good news is there are ways to camouflage minimal or lack of education.
If you started college but never finished, you can list the name of the school, years you attended and major. If you want to focus on some relevant coursework taken while there, list the classes.
Adding any professional development courses or training always looks great on a resume and fills in the space that lack of degree left behind. Certifications for seminars, webinars, etc. should also be listed on the resume, if they are relevant to the position you are seeking.
In the unusual case of no education or training at all, omit the section completely and concentrate on making sure your accomplishments stand out.
Whatever you do, don't fabricate a degree. We've all seen the news and watched top execs be publicly stoned and dethroned after being "found out" that their big degrees were big lies. Telling lies may seem like the best way to overcome your lack of education, but the consequence of being found out could be detrimental to your future employment opportunities.
Something important to consider: not every employer is looking for education... or will exclude a candidate because of lack of it. Remember: BILL GATES DROPPED OUT OF SCHOOL.
The majority of the time, employers are more interested on your contributions or accomplishments. If your work history is impressive, then you don't have to worry about education because your accomplishments speak for themselves. You will have to portray yourself as successful WITHOUT the degree. Not all self-written resumes do the trick. That is where a resume writing service comes in. At the risk of sounding pitchy, a certified resume writer knows how to bring out your best qualities and focus on what the employer wants to see-- with or without the education.
Remember how hard you've worked to get to where you are today. THAT is what you will sell on your resume... what you did for one company, you can do for theirs. THAT is the bottom line.

Erin Kennedy, CPRW, CERW, BS/HR, is a Certified Professional & Executive Resume Writer/Career Consultant and President of Professional Resume Services, Inc. She is a nationally published writer and contributor of 9+ best-selling career books. She has achieved international recognition following yearly nominations of the prestigious T.O.R.I. (Toast of the Resume Industry) Award. Erin has written thousands of resumes for executives and professionals.

New Channels For Investment Education

Channels for Investment Education - Trends
The desire for wealth has supported the finance and investing industry, creating jobs and wealth for millions of people. With gurus such as Warren Buffet and George Soros leading the way, millions seek out to improve their knowledge in this field, in the hopes of making more money through investing. We recently conducted a survey and found out the top 5 avenues for learning about investing and finance to be:
1) The Internet
2) Books
3) Professional Courses/Seminars
4) Financial Advisors
5) Friends and family
Channels for Investment Education - Websites/Blogs
It is evident most people turn to the internet first in sourcing for information to support their learning. With the advent of websites, blogs, financial news platforms, investors are now spoilt for choice in getting their finance related questions answered. We even read about hedge fund managers programming spiders to crawl blogs and websites to gauge market sentiment, hoping to beat the market through the wisdom of crowds. As the industry is constantly evolving, new financial products bring along new strategies, and the internet is in the best position to provide such time sensitive information. Investors also tend to follow the crowd and often turn to the websites and blogs to see what others are thinking and learning.
Channels for Investment Education - Videos
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. What about videos. A million? With the rise of the YouTube generation, educators have embraced videos as a new channel of teaching the people how to invest. Many of such educators have attracted followers, and built communities surrounding their expertise. Through viewing, sharing, discussing and contributing, online videos are a strong channel for self learning. However, the lack of regulation also breeds many who exploit gullible new investors through various get rich quick schemes. While the internet is the top avenue for video watching, the physical distribution of content still contributes significantly to the market.
Channels for Investment Education - Seminars
Physical seminars are a more structured and intensive channel for investment education, and are often expensive as well. Not every individual is comfortable with self learning, especially when it comes to investing their hard earned money; they want to ensure they are not learning the wrong things. For those who can afford, attending a physical investment seminar provides can provide an added level of assurance. However, physical seminars are constrained by time and space, once again leading trainers to increasingly conduct their training either through live webinars, or recorded seminar videos. The trend is clear: the more people turn to the internet for investment education, the clearer a bridge we will see linking online and offline learning.
Channels for Investment Education - Summary
What you teach today may not work tomorrow. The internet is changing the way we learn (and teach) about investing and finance. Learning material needs to be time-sensitive and adaptive to global markets to stay relevant.

Want to Make Consistent Money Fast? Trade Forex News, Using the Best Signal Service

Forex currency trading has been a hot subject lately. Imagine a business with no employees, no customers, and no inventory; with possibility of reaping great profits every single month. It is only you and your desktop computer, and your favourite office home. Sure, but the secret ingredient of success is missing in the formula.

It is estimated that only 5% of retail Forex traders make money trading the currencies, using profitable currency trading system. It is usually based on deep understanding of fundamental analysis or technical analysis, which is the awareness of the patterns of market reaction on specific economic events. This require the use of trading charts and indicators.

I call this "Forex news trading 101", loosely referring to the process of transmuting substances of no or little value into pure surefire gold. Economy news that people watch on television just to have something to chat with their friends later apparently are not of great value. The very same news disturb currency market, providing possibilities to make money on the market movements and therefore become remarkably tangible. Training and experience is required to interpret news into the trading terms and the final product of such interpretation is called Forex Trading Alert.

High quality Forex trading signals service provide final price projection based on the deviation between prior number, actual number and possible revision combined with support and resistance levels. Timing of the indicator is of crucial importance here as well as the same deviation may have completely different impact on the market. It is advisable to eventually get familiar with these Forex technical terms; however generally you can follow the simplified summary explaining optimal trading strategy for this particular news event including entry and exit points and stop loss limit.

Need For Forex Trading Education

Much like a toddler needs education to arm him to succeed in the world, every trader requires thorough education to stand on his own feet in the forex trade. Trading here is unique to itself; even a veteran stock trader will feel like a kid here. Success can be achieved only after mastering all the tricks and tactics of the forex world.
Money trade in forex is done through a broker. An inept or inexperienced broker could easily mean losing a large hand in the market. Unfortunately, it is often difficult to distinguish between a good and bad broker right away.
Forex Trading Education: The Path to Success
Forex trading is filled with terms like range, rate, bull, etc., which have no real world resemblance in meaning. Trade contracts are written using them. An uneducated trader might very well be signing a document whose full motives are hidden from him. A glossary of around a thousand words is a must for every trader.
Factors such as oil trade, international politics, etc., affect the rise and fall of currencies in the forex market. Trader decisions must reflect such events. Forex news should be precise and contain market relevant information, besides being up to date.
A broker places traps in the trade route of the trader to make as much money as possible. One such trap is Leverage. Lured by odds as high as 400:1, unwary traders have lost millions. Trading should be done only after being completely educated in the world of forex.
Forex Training to Remain in Contention for Success
Technological advancements have brought computers into the forex trading scenario. Automated trading is one such facility. Users no longer need to be math wizards to make their decisions, automation tools do that for the trader. Traders, however, need to be constantly updated on such changes in order to remain in the race for profits.
Even expert brokers need education regarding the changing trends of forex. Online forex has moved the trader away from the trade floor and into their homes. Tools like Metatrader 4 can cater to 10,000 traders at a time, thus allowing brokers to manage more clients. Information regarding such changing environment can heavily benefit any firm