In old times, college education was not given the importance that it deserved. High school graduates used to skip college education altogether. These days the job market is becoming more competitive and students cannot imagine to skip college education and ruin their future.

One of the reasons why students were not serious about education in old times was that they were usually unable to pay for the high college expenses. Even though the student loans are available for everyone, but there is always an uncertainty if they are unable to pay it back. This is a good reason to apply for scholarships.

Scholarships are a great way to pay for your college educational expenses without having to worry about anything. You would not have to get an educational loan, but should wait for your scholarship approval. A lot of scholarship grants and lists are available for students to apply for without any charges. Many government scholarships like FAFSA are available for students. Students can find the application forms and necessary details about attaching documents with the application, is found on the internet or in colleges.

The application should be completed and submitted prior to the submission date announced, as most scholarships are based on first come first serve basis. Many private organizations arrange for scholarships just like the government ones. A qualifying criteria is set up for this type of scholarship. More information about these is found over the internet and in local libraries as usually local businesses arrange for them.

It is important to remember that you may be required to write an essay and send it along with your scholarship application. You should be sure to include your educational plans, your plans about your future and the reason why you think you deserve the scholarship among so many students.

You can learn to write good essays through many books available in the market. You should make sure that your essay should be hand-written and you should write it yourself. Search engines on the internet can also scrutinize your credentials with the criteria to qualify for the scholarship. But always remember that it is a ploy if they ask money for it. Original search engines are free to use. So one should be careful to avoid falling for such a scam.

If you keep these points in your mind, you will find the right scholarships for yourself through websites. Now you can start using this information in obtaining the scholarships for your benefit acquiring the college education that you deserve.

Eligibility The ETR is available to families receiving the Family Tax Benefit Part A (FTB Part A). The FTB Part A is a separate existing tax benefit which is given by the Family Assistance Office as fortnightly payments to families that meet the Income Test. We won’t go into all the rules regarding qualifying for the FTB Part A, but basically families that have a total family income of less than a certain threshold will receive this tax benefit. In the 08-09 year, this limit was $98,514 (for families with under 18 dependants) or $99,962 for families with some dependants over 18. Add $3,796 to the respective limit for each additional child. So basically if your family income was less than this limit, you would be eligible for the FTB Part A, and hence the ETR (whether you currently receive the FTB is irrelevant, your family just needs to be eligible for it).

Additionally, for the purposes of the ETR, any income in the form of youth allowance, disability support or ABSTUDY (there are a few others) do not count to this limit. So if your family income falls under the threshold for the FTB Part A but for those payments in respect of your child, you’re still eligible for the ETR.

Allowable expenses

Generally, all expenses that (in the words of the federal government) “support a child during school and improve quality of education” are allowable. For example:

• Laptops & home computers and associated costs (including repair and running costs of computer equipment and lease costs), home Internet connection and printers and paper
• Education software
• School textbooks and material (including prescribed textbooks, associated learning materials, study guides and stationery)
• Prescribed trade tools