10 The Hampton Roads Messenger


Volume 9 Number 9


Keep Virginia Beautiful Awards $750 Grant to TWP - The Youth Movement


One of 30 Grants in 30 Days Being Distributed this Spring


May 2015


Student Loan Forgiveness and Other Ways the Government Can Help You Repay Your Loans


BY SANDRA VUONG Yes! However, apply


The answer is: there


situation in which you can


are


very specifi c eligibility requirements


for each for loan


Keep Virginia Beautiful is awarding “30 Grants In 30 Days” beginning on Earth Day 2015. TWP-The Youth Movement has been awarded the fi rst grant for $750 in the Community Beautifi cation category. This KVB grant program focuses greater


resources and attention on


organizations and individual localities throughout the Commonwealth and how they are addressing the issues of litter prevention, recycling, waste reduction, beautifi cation and education.


Since 2011, Keep Virginia Beautiful has provided over $90,000 to 120 organizations. Government, non-profi t and service organizations in Virginia were invited to apply for one of thirty grants for $500, $750 or $1,000 in three different categories: Litter


Prevention, Recycling, and


Community Beautifi cation. These grants are made possible by Altria and MeadWestvaco.


"How's it Growing?" is an Center urban


teen gardening program where teens will grow vegetables, herbs and fruit this summer at the Vivian C. Mason Teen


in Norfolk, Virginia.


TWP supports teens as they build the garden and take care of it from start to fi nish. The garden provides a safe space and healthy environment for inner city youth. Young people begin exploring the roll of producers who are


responsible for and capable of


sustaining life, caring for the earth and providing food for themselves and for others. The garden is a small shining star in a neighborhood with a lot of rough edges.


The


Beautiful is to engage and unite Virginians


mission at to


improve our natural


and scenic environment through fi ve impact areas: Litter Prevention, Waste Reduction, Recycling, Beautifi cation, and Environmental Education.


For


more information on KVB, go to www.keepvirginiabeautiful.org.


Get a jump on your competition... Advertise.


Call the Hampton Roads Messenger at 757-575-1863


Scholarship Watch


The Emerging Entrepreneurs Scholarship Virginia.


Application Deadline: June 15, 2015 Apply at: www.mbeempowermentfund.org The Emerging Entrepreneurs Scholarship program


offers non-renewable, merit-based scholarships for emerging entrepreneurs who have demonstrated entre- preneurial talents or accomplishments. The program was established to encourage and promote entrepre- neurship among the youth of the Commonwealth of Virginia, while raising awareness of the critical role that private enterprise and entrepreneurship play in building and supporting our communities.


ELIGIBILITY:


Applicant must be at least 17 years of age at the time of application;


Applicant must be a U.S. citizen and permanent resident of the Commonwealth of Virginia;


Applicant must be a traditional or distance-learn- ing student enrolled in a degree program in Entrepre- neurship on a full-time basis in an accredited college or university located within the Commonwealth of


Applicant must have an overall GPA of 3.0 on 4.0 scale or better. An offi cial transcript is required.


Applicant must submit a complete application, with two letters of recommendation, as follows:


• One letter must be from a secondary or post-secondary faculty member having personal knowledge of the Applicant's achievements and potential.


• One letter must be from a member of the


clergy, local housing authority offi cial, workforce development agency, or state or local small business development agency - such as your local Department of Economic Development or U.S. Small Business Administration, Virginia Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity, or Virginia Small Business Development Center.


Applicant must provide a letter describing his/her entrepreneurial experience, goals, and objectives (No more than two, single spaced pages. Must contain 500 words or more).


Applicant must provide a copy of their photo ID showing their current address.


Students enrolled in on-line or distance-learning programs may be eligible, as long as all other criteria are met.


The EESP Selection Committee will invite fi nalists to give a brief presentation of their qualifi cations.


Keep Virginia


forgiveness or receive help with repayment. Loan forgiveness means that you don’t have to pay back some or all of your loan. You never know what you may be eligible for, so take a look at the options we have listed below. The fi rst two options focus on loan forgiveness programs. The next two options are government programs that may provide based on your service.


Teacher Loan Forgiveness If you teach full-time for fi ve


complete and consecutive academic years in certain


elementary and


secondary schools and educational service agencies that serve low-income families, and meet other qualifi cations, you may be eligible for forgiveness of up to a combined total of $17,500 on certain


federal (PSLF) If you work full-time of your Direct for


a government or not-for-profi t organization you may qualify for forgiveness of the entire remaining balance


Loans


after you’ve made 120 qualifying payments—that is, 10 years of payments. Learn more about PSLF now! To benefi t from PSLF, you should repay your federal student loans under an income-driven repayment plan.


Military Service In acknowledgement


of your


service to our country, there are special benefi ts and repayment options for your student loans available


from student loans.


Get the details about Teacher Loan Forgiveness here.


Public Service Loan Forgiveness


Here’s a question a lot of people may be wondering … Is it really possible to have my federal student loans forgiven or to get help repaying them?


the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Defense, such as interest rate caps under the Servicemembers


Civil Relief Act,


other interest rate relief, and student loan repayment programs. Learn more about federal student loan benefi ts for members of the U.S. armed forces.


AmeriCorps The Segal AmeriCorps Education


Award is a post-service benefi t received by participants who complete a term of national


service in an


approved AmeriCorps program— AmeriCorps VISTA, AmeriCorps NCCC, or AmeriCorps State


and


National. Upon successful completion of the service, members are eligible to receive a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award which can be used to repay qualifi ed student loans.


apply to you, but you need help making


If the options listed above don’t your federal


student loan


payments, contact your loan servicer about the option to switch your repayment plan to lower your monthly payments; consolidate multiple federal student loan into one loan which may result in a lower monthly payment, or apply for deferment or forbearance to temporarily postpone or reduce your payments.


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