Internet Essentials Progam from Comcast

Comcast Corp. this week launched Internet Essentials, which it calls “an ambitious and comprehensive broadband adoption experiment”—providing monthly Internet access for $9.95 for qualifying families.

According to a release, it’s the first program to address three of the primary barriers to broadband adoption that research has identified:

1. A lack of understanding of how the Internet is relevant and useful

2. The cost of a home computer, and

3. The cost of Internet service.

Available to low-income families in the Pittsburgh area with children who are eligible to receive free lunches under the National School Lunch Program, the goal of Internet Essentials is to help close the digital divide and ensure more Americans benefit from all the Internet has to offer, the release indicated.

Interested? Here’s what you need to know:

Service Details:

Internet Essentials participants will receive:

• Residential Internet service for $9.95 a month;

• No price increases, no activation fees, or equipment rental fees;

• A voucher to purchase a low-cost computer for $149.99 + tax; and

• Access to free digital literacy training in print, online or in person.

Additional benefits include a 30-day money-back guarantee and a complementary Norton Security Suite—$160 value—for comprehensive online security protection.

Eligibility:

A household is eligible to participate in the Internet Essentials program if it meets all of the following criteria:

• Is located where Comcast offers Internet service;

• Has at least one child eligible to receive a free school lunch under the NSLP;

• Has not subscribed to Comcast Internet service within the last 90 days; and

• Does not have an overdue Comcast bill or unreturned equipment.

Comcast will sign up eligible families in the program for at least three years, through the end of the 2013-14 school year. Any household that qualifies during this three-year period will remain eligible for Internet Essentials provided the household still qualifies for the program until that child graduates from high school.

For general information about Internet Essentials, please visit www.internetessentials.com. Parents looking to enroll in the program can call 1-855-846-8376 or, for Spanish, 1-855-765-6995.

Student Aid Deadline

The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) is reminding students and families that the application filing deadline for the Pennsylvania State Grant Program is May 1. This deadline applies to all new applicants who plan to enroll in an undergraduate baccalaureate degree program, a college transfer program at two-year public or junior colleges, and all renewal applicants.

To determine eligibility for a need-based State Grant, families must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Applicants can access the FAFSA online at either PHEAA.org/FAFSA or fafsa.gov. Completing the FAFSA online saves time and helps eliminate errors.

In addition to the FAFSA, applicants must complete a Pennsylvania State Grant Form (SGF) which can be accessed directly from the FAFSA on the Web by following the click-through on the FAFSA confirmation page. The SGF collects additional data elements not requested on the federal application and is only required for first-time State Grant applicants.

Students who have already submitted their FAFSA but have not submitted their SGF will be invited by email to visit Account Access through the Secure Sign-in at PHEAA.org to complete their State Grant Form.

The Pennsylvania State Grant Program is administered by PHEAA at no cost to taxpayers, allowing every appropriated dollar to go directly to students. Approximately 185,000 awards were disbursed to students for the 2010-11 academic year.

Students who are first-time applicants planning to enroll in a business, trade or technical school, a hospital school of nursing, or a terminal (non-transferable two-year degree) program at a community, junior or four-year college have until August 1 to file their FAFSA to determine eligibility for a State Grant award.

Students and families with questions about the FAFSA or the State Grant Program can also call toll-free at 800-692-7392.

PHEAA Online Applications

The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) is reminding students and families that the 2011-12 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is now available online at PHEAA.org/FAFSA or fafsa.ed.gov.

Completing the FAFSA online helps eliminate errors and offers a quicker processing time. Since most families complete their FAFSA online, the federal government will no longer provide paper FAFSAs. Families have the choice of completing and submitting the form electronically or printing the form and sending it to the U.S. Department of Education via traditional mail. To submit the form electronically, the student and a parent must request a PIN (personal identification number) at pin.ed.gov. They should receive their PIN in about 3 days via email. The PIN acts as their electronic signatures.

The FAFSA determines eligibility for federal grants, the need-based Pennsylvania State Grant, many scholarships, reduced-cost federal student loans, work-study programs, and many school-based student aid programs. It is the most important step that students and families should take when looking for assistance in paying for higher education.

In addition to the FAFSA, first time applicants for a Pennsylvania State Grant are required to submit a State Grant Form (SGF) which contains data elements not included on the FAFSA. Beginning in late January, students will be able to link directly to the SGF from the FAFSA on the Web, providing applicants a “one-stop-shop” for both federal and state aid.

Since schools have different financial aid deadlines, it is recommended that families complete and submit the FAFSA to the federal government before their earliest financial aid deadline. The Pennsylvania State Grant deadline is May 1 for all renewal applicants and first-time applicants in degree and transfer programs but it is recommended that families not wait to complete and submit their FAFSA. Estimated federal income tax information can be used if the family’s actual tax form hasn’t been completed yet.

Help is available for families who have questions or may be having difficulty completing the FAFSA. Frequently asked questions, overviews, as well as links to preparation worksheets as well as the online application, are located at PHEAA.org/FAFSA.

For the latest financial aid information and helpful tips, upcoming deadlines and free financial aid workshops join PHEAA on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pheaa.aid.

Scholarships to Study Architecture

Syracuse University in upstate New York has 10 full scholarships for African-American men and women interested in studying architecture. Mark Robbins, Dean of Syracuse University's School of Architecture, is desperately seeking young men and women of color interested in pursuing this five-year professional degree. The dean says he is deeply committed to bringing diversity to his field and has scholarship money set aside to fully cover education costs for 10 black students. Contact: Mark Robbins, Dean, School of Architecture, at 315-443-2256.

Internships at The Bulletin

Are you an undergraduate or graduate student who likes to write? Do you enjoy talking to people about their jobs, their businesses, their volunteer activities, their interests? Are you curious about what makes a neighborhood tick? If so, why not apply for an internship at The Bulletin, the community newspaper of Pittsburgh's East End?

The Bulletin has been published since 1975 by the Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation (BGC) to:

* Disseminate information about the events, decisions, actions, and projects that affect, or will affect, life in Garfield, Bloomfield, Friendship, Lawrenceville, and East Liberty

* Serve as a resource on services and activities of potential benefit to individuals or families in the area

* Offer an opportunity to express opinions and exchange ideas

* Act as a conduit for information on BGC-related programs, events, and projects to the broader community

Circulation: 20,000 monthly (16,600 mailed; 3,300 dropped; 100 for internal use)

Size: 11 x 17 tabloid, 16-20 pages

Intern duties:

* Responsible for two or three articles (news or features) per issue – research, interviewing, writing – approved by and under direction of the editor. This is your chance to add significantly to your writing portfolio by amassing a variety of bylined clips from an established community newspaper.

* Assist editor with digital photography, photo editing, and page layout.

* Assist with copy editing, proofreading, and other editorial and administrative tasks.

Intern qualifications:

* Strong research, writing, communication, and grammar skills

* Interest in local and community issues; familiarity with East End a plus

* Ability to meet deadlines; good follow-through

* Some newspaper, newsletter, or magazine experience helpful, but not required

* Ability to work 6 to 10 hours a week

* Preferred majors: journalism/communications, English, political science, history, any interdisciplinary studies; but all will be considered

Bulletin internships are unpaid, course-credit only, and are available in the fall and spring terms. To apply, contact:

Paula Martinac, Editor: Bulletin@bloomfield-garfield.org -or- 412-441-6915