Higher Education Advocates

Theresa L Harris aka Scholarship Momma

Welcome to Scholarship Momma® Higher Education Advocates Podcast, where we discuss higher education, financial aid, and scholarship updates, and from time to time, current events as it pertains to higher education. The goal of the podcast is to empower families to make informed decisions when it comes to college.

  1. 04/16/2021

    April is Financial Literacy Month With Michael Benjamin

    April is Financial Literacy Month. Financial literacy is the set of skills and knowledge that allows an individual to make effective decisions and be informed with all of their financial resources. Especially right now that the world is dealing with Coronavirus which had a major impact on our financial goals and financial circumstances.  So, as a guest on my podcast, today we are with Michael Benjamin to teach us about financial literacy. In This Podcast: 02:50 – Introducing Michael Benjamin 08:00 – Michael’s definition of financial literacy 09:10 – Securing a better financial future 12:35 – Struggles with budgeting 16:45 – Strategies to save for families 22:25 – How to talk to your teens in terms of financial tactics 28:00 – Financial suggestions for working teens and teen entrepreneurs 32:10 – How should college students save? 37:20 – Student loans 41:00 – Can a student really borrow a loan? 49:45 – Parents teaching their children about money 53:00 – Credit cards 60:00 – Michael’s tips for families in terms of finances To get the resources mentioned in the podcast, connect with Michael Benjamin on IG @michobenjamin Website:https://michaelobenjamin.com Following me on social media: ▶Website: https://scholarshipmomma.com/ ▶Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamscholarshipmomma ▶Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scholarshipmomma ▶E-mail: info@scholarshipmomma.com

  2. 02/26/2021

    “February 27 is National TRiO Day” Learning about TRiO Programs With Victor Diaz Galindo

    Victor Diaz Galindo is from Sioux City, Iowa. He’s a TRiO alum from the talent search program. He studied linguistics. Now, Victor works at Western Iowa Tech Community College, with TRiO high school students for the Upper Bound program. He helps prepare students from northwest Iowa (rural area) for college thru the financial aid process and they have to meet certain academic rigor requirements. In this episode of Higher Education Advocates Podcast: 05:25 - What is TRiO? 07:25 - Trio started with the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964. 08:44 - Who is eligible for TRiO programs? 09:44 - What services are available for Upper Bound program? 11:25 What other opportunities can students get from TRiO? 11:53 - Theresa narrates her TRiO stories. 14:38  -  How has life changed for you and the students during COVID-19? 16:45 - Tips and advice for the students. 17:31 - If you could put a message on billboards and families, what would that be? 18:41 - Anything else we should know about TRiO programs? 20:50 - Fun fact about Victor 21:34 - February 27 is National TRiO Day, please send an email to your legislator to advocate for TRiO.  #TrioWorks I want to give our listeners an opportunity to give me some topics to discuss. If you have any suggestions, please contact me at info@scholarshipmoma.com. Follow Me on Social Media ▶Website: https://scholarshipmomma.com/ ▶Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamscholarshipmomma ▶Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scholarshipmomma

  3. 02/12/2021

    February is Financial Aid Awareness Month “Financial Aid Chat with Deneene Merchant”

    Deneene Merchant has been in Higher Education for 30 years now with 15 of those years, specifically related to Financial Aid. She spent a lot of time working in pre-college and collegiate programs, just helping students be able to gain access to college and then helping them to find a way to pay. In this episode of Higher Education Advocates Podcast: 03:12 - (FAFSA) Free Application for Federal Student Aid. 03:48 -  FAFSA is available beginning October 1 of each year, Deneene encourages all families to complete that application. 04:28 - REMINDER: The FAFSA is free so please do not pay anyone to complete the FAFSA. 05:00- Go to studentaid.gov to complete the FAFSA. 06:32 - What type of financial aid is available to families who complete the FAFSA? 07:36 -  Explanation of Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans 08:27 - Deneen explains the importance of federal work-study to students. 09:25 - FAFSA is the first step to receiving financial aid 11:45 - What is the maximum amount of financial aid a student can receive? 12:21 - What is the loan amount for first-time students going to college? 13:25 - What is the importance of doing the FAFSA early? 14:18 - Deneene's advice for families when it comes to comparing colleges? 17:38 - Deneene's advice: she encourages families to review award letters and review costs. 19:43 - Why is it important for families to meet financial aid deadlines? and then where can they find the deadlines? What can you find out about these deadlines? 22:09 - Deneene message for families? Contact Deneene at fainfo6752@gmail.com Links Mentioned: https://studentaid.gov/ I want to give our listeners an opportunity to give me some topics to discuss. If you have any suggestions, please contact me at info@scholarshipmoma.com. Follow Me on Social Media ▶Website: https://scholarshipmomma.com/ ▶Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamscholarshipmomma ▶Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scholarshipmomma

  4. 01/15/2021

    “The Real Deal A Family's Guide to College”- With Lisa Lyons”

    Lisa Lyons is a Chicago Native who has over 15 years of professional experience in higher education. Lisa received her Bachelors and Masters from Western Illinois University and completed specialized training in Appreciative Advising. In this episode of Higher Education Advocates Podcast: 04:12 -  What inspired you to write this book? 07:32 - How did Lisa come up with the title of her book? The Real Deal A Family's Guide to College Let’s talk about Chapter 1 08:12 -  (Chapter One) Lisa gives some insights on how to prepare for college. 09:00 -  Reading, Writing, and Math are what I call life skills. 10:06 - How can reading help you? 11:58 - Parent’s play a crucial role as an educator. Let’s talk about Chapter 2 13:56 - (Chapter Two) Talks about the timeline as it pertains to the college process and important information. 14:33 - Why do you need to start the process early in your junior years (August -November)? 15:50 - Go to the fairs, workshops, and tours for college preparation. 21:53 - What you need to know about National decision day? Let’s talk about Chapter 3 22:40 - (Chapter Three) What you need to know about Community College? Let’s talk about Chapter 4 30:00 - (Chapter Four) money, scholarship grants, and those things called loans. 34:02 - The more you apply for scholarships the more opportunities you will have. 36:22 - Important scholarship advice for families. Let’s talk about Chapter 5 39:06 - (Chapter Five) Learn the other options for college (vocational careers). Let’s talk about Chapter 6 46:16 - (Chapter Six) What you need to know about college orientation? 52:23 - Lisa, if you could have a billboard that has a message on there for students, what would that billboard say? Links Mentioned: The Real Deal - A Family’s Guide to College https://www.amazon.com/Lisa-Michelle-Lyons/e/B0895JN4S6 https://www.lisalyons80.com/ lisalyons80@gmail.com I want to give our listeners an opportunity to give me some topics to discuss. If you have any suggestions, please contact me at info@scholarshipmoma.com. Follow Me on Social Media ▶Website: https://scholarshipmomma.com/ ▶Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamscholarshipmomma ▶Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scholarshipmomma

About

Welcome to Scholarship Momma® Higher Education Advocates Podcast, where we discuss higher education, financial aid, and scholarship updates, and from time to time, current events as it pertains to higher education. The goal of the podcast is to empower families to make informed decisions when it comes to college.