Get An “A” In Financial Aid 101 Simple Tips For Funding Your College Education (NAPSA)—In today’s job market, very few dispute the importance and benefits of higher education. The record number of students enrolling in colleges and universities across the country certainly backs this belief. However, while incoming students get ready to embrace the academic and social rigors of college life, many will have their most difficult test before they even arrive on campus...paying for tuition. The cost of tuition continues to skyrocket. In fact, on average, the cost of college tuition at both public and private universities has doubled over the last 20 years. The news is not all bad though, as the selection of financing options and financial aid packages available to students continues to grow. Before you begin exploring the many different choices, consider these tips from GMAC Bank, which offers private education loans for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education students. • Know your costs. The first step in financing a college education is to get a clear picture of how much it will cost and to begin building an annual budget for each year of college, per student. “You need to look beyond just the tuition of a college or university,” said Debra Scott, director of the education loan program for GMAC Bank. “College expenses also include dorm fees or rent for off-campus apartments, meal plans, the cost of books and other miscellaneous fees, even the cost of traveling home during school breaks.” • Know your options. Today’s students and parents need to be savvy about uncovering programs that can offer financial assistance. While the variety and choice of options might seem confusing, the best starting point is to consider three primary sources: federal assistance, scholarships and private student loans. • Federal Assistance—Begin your financial aid quest by looking into grants and loans offered by the federal government. For example, federal grants such as Pell Grants can range from $100 to $4,000 per year based on level of need and do not require repayment. Federal student loans, such as the well-known Stafford or Perkins loans, are available for undergraduate students, graduate students and for parents of dependent undergraduate students and do require repayment. • Scholarships—Like grants, these are funds used to pay for higher education that do not need to be repaid. Scholarships are offered by a wide range of institutions—from awards offered by your potential college or university to those bestowed by local organizations, corporations and a variety of other sources. Scholar- ships are awarded based on a variety of criteria (not all are based on academic performance or financial need), so be sure to check for further information on eligibility. Leave no stone unturned in your search, as many scholarships go unused each year. • Private Student Loans— Another option is the private student loan. Flexible by nature, these types of loans can cover all or a significant amount of your tuition and other expenses. Private loans can be used to cover any cost associated with attending school, such as tuition, books, computers, travel and living expenses. Typically deferred until after graduation, they can also be used in coordination with other sources of funding. For example, a financial aid package may only cover tuition and board, so a private student loan may be helpful in paying for other education-related expenses. “Students should realize that they are not limited to one type of financial aid,” added Scott. “More and more students are funding their education through a variety of sources including a financial aid mix of private loans in combination with savings, federal loans, grants, or scholarships and parttime jobs.” Arranging financing for college is the first real-life lesson in managing money that many young people will experience. With some thorough research, you could be well on your way to getting an “A” in Financial Aid 101. For more information, visit http://www.ed loans.gmacbank.com. (NAPSA)—When it comes to catching fish, anglers usually know the best fishing holes, the best pole and bait to use. But buying insurance for your fishing boat isn’t so easy. When compared to buying other types of insurance, some of the differences lie in the expensive tackle often found aboard fishing boats, the need to occasionally enter an amateur tournament, or even seek out roadside assistance for a flat trailer tire. Here are four questions anglers should ask when shopping for insurance for their fishing boat: 1. Do you need an “actual cash value” or “agreed value” policy? If you have an insurance claim, actual cash value policies take depreciation into account when getting reimbursed for a loss. For example, if your 12-yearold bass boat is totaled, you will be reimbursed for its actual, present-day market value—not what you paid for it. However, “actual cash value” policies are generally lower in cost. “Agreed value” policies on the other hand are more expensive but pay for repairs or replacement up to the value stated on the policy—except for a few specified items—regardless of the age or condition of the boat or equipment. A partial loss, such as a stolen 10-year-old fish finder, would be replaced “new for old.” 2. Is my fishing gear covered? Fishing gear isn’t “optional” for anglers, so find a fishing boat insurance policy that automatically includes some type of coverage for expensive tackle. 3. What about tournament coverage? If you’d like to try your hand at a local tournament, make sure the policy provides the liability coverage required. Look for a policy that offers some type of reimbursement for your entry fee if trailering troubles or other covered losses prevent you from getting to the starting line. 4. What’s the fine print on towing services? Like an “auto club,” some fishing boat insurance policies include roadside and onthe-water towing. The problem is that when you need a flat tire fixed or a tow back to the launch ramp, it counts against you as an insurance claim. Find an insurance program that offers these valuable services but doesn’t require you to file an insurance claim or leave you on your own to find them. BoatU.S. Angler, from the nation’s largest association of recreational boaters, for example, offers insurance policies specifically designed to meet the needs of today’s boating anglers. This includes actual cash value and agreed value policies, coverage for fishing gear as well as for accidents with noninsured boaters, and liability, medical and full salvage coverage. Also provided is roadside trailer and tow vehicle assistance, and on-the-water towing with TowBoatU.S. and Vessel Assist, North America’s largest fleet. To learn more, visit Boat USAngler.com. Anglers are invited to enter a “Get Hooked On Safety” photo contest. Details can be found by going t o h t t p : / / w w w. b o a t u s a n g l e r. com/photo_contest2.asp. (NAPSA)—Alzheimer’s disease currently affects approximately 5.1 million Americans. 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To learn more, visit www.beerservesamerica.org. *** To improve the odds of breastfeeding success, moms need support from family and friends, a trustworthy lactation consultant, and a high-quality breastpump. For more information about breastfeeding and breastpumping, log on to www.medela.com. *** A new informational Web site from Shutterfly, Summer Memories (www.SummerMemories.com), gives visitors a fun and engaging way to identify the celebrations and everyday outings that will become this year’s summer-defining moments. *** Often, the key to finding the right used car for a new driver is doing your homework. You can purchase unlimited Carfax Vehicle History Reports for 30 days by entering the vehicle identification number (VIN) of any used car at www.carfax.com. *** Urological health is usually discussed in relation to adults, yet it is extremely important to monitor in children as well. For information about testicular injury, visit http://www.urologyhealth.org/pedi atric/. You can avoid fishing for trouble by knowing the right questions to ask when buying boat insurance. Female Doctors Help Improve Country’s Health Care Prognosis (NAPSA)—One remedy for the ailing American health care system may be to recruit more women doctors. A Johns Hopkins University study found that women physicians tend to spend more time with patients, communicate more effectively with sick people and involve patients in their own care more often than do male doctors. “The most important consequence of the difference is what it inspires in patients responding back to the doctor,” says Dr. Debra Roter, a public health specialist at Johns Hopkins. “They are more forthcoming, they talk about sensitive topics and the physician gains more information. The medical dialogue is two-way.” But that improved dialogue isn’t just reserved for the examination room. Not only are female physicians more likely to work in teams than male physicians— which often results in improved quality of care—but they also tend to more frequently treat at-risk communities, according to a recent UPI account. Fortunately, the number of women doctors has risen steadily since 1975, nearly tripling from 9 to 25 percent of the workforce. Additionally, about half of all medical students are now women. However, experts caution that the small number of women in medical school leadership positions could cause those numbers to take a turn for the worse. Only 11 percent of U.S. medical schools are led by female deans and just 10 percent of depart- ments are chaired by women, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges. To help reverse that trend, medical schools such as Ross University School of Medicine in Dominica have worked to diversify their leadership. With the recent hiring of Dr. Mary Coleman as dean of the medical school, Ross brought to 50 percent the number Women in Medicine While women have made many strides in the medical field, they still have far to go. 50% Percent of women medical students 25% Percent of women doctors in the workforce 11% Percent of U.S. medical schools led by women deans 10% 0% Percent of medical school departments chaired by women of female deans at its campus. Indeed, the school boasts a higher percentage of overall female faculty members (37.3 percent) than the U.S. medical school average of 32 percent, as well as a higher percentage of female department chairs and associate deans. “We’re very proud to be an international leader in diversity, setting an example not just for medical schools but for our students by demonstrating that there is no position in medicine that’s unrealistic for them to strive for,” says Dr. Tom Shepherd, president of Ross University. The school provides medical and veterinary education, offering both a doctor of medicine and doctor of veterinary degree program. Students spend their first four semesters of training in Dominica, their fifth semester in Miami, and five subsequent semesters in clinical clerkships at associated teaching hospitals across the U.S. Like graduates of other medical schools, the university’s graduates are eligible to practice medicine in the U.S. upon successfully completing required licensing exams. But do women department heads, faculty and chairs have the same impact on students as female doctors have on patients? If the careers of Ross graduates are an indication, the answer is yes. “The majority of our graduates already secure residencies prior to graduation with some of the most prestigious teaching hospitals and leading medical centers in the U.S.,” says Dr. Nancy Perri, vice president of academic affairs at the university and a member of the medical school’s first graduating class in 1982. “A significant number of our alumni have gone on to achieve positions as chief residents, earn academic posts at U.S. medical schools, become board-certified specialists and be recognized researchers and practitioners.” For more information, visit www.rossu.edu. 4