10+ School Loan Forgiveness Programs

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1. IHS Loan Repayment Program

  • Deadline: Every 15th of the month

  • Award: Up to $50,000

  • Who Can Apply? American Indian or Alaskan Natives in the health care field with student debt.

  • Details & How to Apply: IHS Loan Repayment Program

Those with American or Alaskan Native indigenous roots in the healthcare industry have a monthly chance to gain some student forgiveness grants in exchange for a 2-year service agreement! Opportunities for these student loan grants come up every month!

2. Army Reserve College Loan Repayment Program

Service men and women in the army may be able to either get their tuition paid or have their loans covered up to $65,000. The Army also has the Federal Perkins Loan Cancellation Program which can potentially cancel 100% of student loans. Speak to your recruiter for the full eligibility requirements and other information on these student loan grants.

3. John R. Justice (JRJ) Program

  • Award: Varies

  • Who Can Apply? Prosecutors, public defendants, and non profit employees providing legal representation to indigent persons and who have student debt.

  • Details & How to Apply: John R. Justice (JRJ) Program

Public defenders, prosecutors, and full-time employees of select non-profit organizations may be able to apply to this program for partial loan forgiveness.

4. Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)

  • Award: Varies

  • Who Can Apply? Those who work full-time for the government or a not-for-profit organization, have Direct loans, and have made 120 consecutively monthly payments towards them

  • Details & How to Apply: Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF)

Government, non-profit workers, military, Americorps volunteers, and Peace Corps volunteers may qualify for student loan grants through the PSLF which is a federal program. It’s important to note that this loan forgiveness program is undergoing some changes, so make sure to keep an eye on the website for any updates.

5. Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program (TLF)

  • Award: Up to $17,500

  • Who Can Apply? Teachers who have worked full-time for 5 years at an eligible school

  • Details & How to Apply: Teacher Loan Forgiveness (TLF)

Teachers may be able to get student loan forgiveness for their Direct or Federal Stafford Loans. Visit the TLE website for more information.

6. Perkins Loan Cancellation

  • Award: Up to 100% of your loan

  • Who Can Apply? Those who have a Federal Perkins Loan and teach full-time at a low-income school or teach certain subjects

  • Details & How to Apply: Perkins Loan Cancellation

This student loan debt forgiveness program pays your loan in increments that take place over a few years. The Perkins Loan Cancellation program is usually spoke about in regards to teachers. However, it also extends to select administrators, healthcare workers, first responders, law enforcement, military, attorneys, and those with disabilities. Visit the website for full details.

7. ND Career Builders Loan Repayment Program

  • Award: Up to $17,000 (a max of $5,667 per year)

  • Who Can Apply? North Dakota residents working in an eligible high-need career field

  • Details & How to Apply: ND Career Builder Loan Repayment Program

North Dakota wants to help residents pay for their education. If you work in a high-need career field, you can apply for the program. You’ll need to secure a private-sector donor. The program will match donations dollar for dollar up to $17,000.

8. The Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP)

  • Deadline: April 12, 2024

  • Award: Up to $25,000 per year

  • Who Can Apply? Veterinarians with student loans who agree to serve in a NIFA-designated veterinarian shortage situation for a period of three years.

  • Details & How to Apply: The Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program

Veterinarians with at least $15,000 in student loans may be able to have their loans repaid by working with a NIFA-designated veterinarian shortage situation. There are many important dates for applicants to be aware of and the timeline is posted on the debt forgiveness program website.

9. US Department of Justice Student Loan Grants – Attorney Student Loan Repayment Program

  • Deadline: April 15, 2024 for new participants & March 31, 2024 for renewals

  • Award: Up to $60,000

  • Who Can Apply? Select DOJ attorneys with student debt of at least $10,000 & who can execute a three-year service agreement

  • Details & How to Apply: Attorney Student Loan Repayment Program

Select attorneys with student loans may be qualified for this student loan repayment program. Applications are accepted around the spring of each year.

10. National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Programs & Student Loan Grants

  • Deadline: May 9, 2024

  • Award: Up to $75,000 (or $105,000 with award enhancements)

  • Who Can Apply? Select, full-time physicians, nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, physician assistants, counselors, social workers, psychologists, and therapists

  • Details & How to Apply: NHSC Loan Repayment Program 2024

The NHSA has three different loan repayment programs to help out healthcare workers and this year there is a $5,000 enhancement for those proficient in the Spanish language. The NHSA has a general loan repayment program, a substance use disorder workforce loan repayment program, and a rural community loan repayment program. Visit their website to see which one of these student loan grants fits you best. In exchange for the loan repayment, you’ll be expected to give a 2 or 3-year commitment to an NHSC care site.

10. National Institutes of Health (NIH) Loan Repayment Programs & Student Loan Grants

  • Deadline: November 17, 2024 (application window opens September 1st)

  • Award: Up to $50,000

  • Who Can Apply? Health professionals into biomedical or biobehavioral research careers with student debt. Click the link below for full eligibility rules.

  • Details & How to Apply: National Institutes of Health (NIH) Loan Repayment Programs

Have your student loans reimbursed in exchange for a 2-year research commitment. Your loans must be equal to or more than 20% of your institutional base salary at the time of the award.

11. Charles Cheesman’s Student Debt Reduction Scholarship

For this application, write about your life goals and what you will do with the money you save from this grant.

12. Maine Alfond Leaders Student Debt Reduction Program

  • Deadline: On hiatus for 2024 – check back next year!

  • Award: Up to $60,000

  • Who Can Apply? Grads who live and work in Maine in a STEM-designated occupation at a Maine-based employer.

  • Details & How to Apply: Maine Alfond Leaders Student Debt Reduction Program

Make sure you look into those state exemptions! Those who live in Maine may be qualified to receive student loan reimbursement.

13. New York State Young Farmers Loan Forgiveness Incentive Program

New York state residents who are farmers can have their student debt reimbursed by following the official instructions. The deadline has passed but you can ask to be sent an email update should the application window open in the future.

14. NYS Child Welfare Worker Student Loan Forgiveness Incentive Program

This is another state/career-based student loan debt forgiveness program you can apply to if you fit the qualifications. The deadline has passed but you can ask to be sent an email update should the application window open in the future.

15. Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program

  • Deadline: Closed for 2024 – check back soon!

  • Award: Up to 85% of the student loan balance

  • Who Can Apply? Select nurses who work full-time in a high-need area or at an accredited school of nursing

  • Details & How to Apply: Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program

Registered nurses (RNs), advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), and nurse faculty (NF) may be eligible to receive up to 85% of student loan reimbursement!

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9 Items To Pack In An ER To Go Bag

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There is nothing worse than rushing off to the ER with your child with just your purse or wallet. I’ve put together a great list of items to keep in a bag in your car.

1. Phone charger. Nothing worse than sitting with your sick child relaying messages to worried partners or family only to have your phone die. Also hospitals are boring (if you’re lucky) & you’ll need to scroll or you’ll lose your mind.

2. Bring snacks. And a water bottle for yourself too.

3. Pack extra kid’s clothes. Hospitals tend to be cold. If your emergency happens at a time when your kid is in a diaper, they are going to be miserable.

4. Small blanket. Good if the room is cold or as a comfort item.

5. Small toiletry kit. Depending on items you use a lot, bring a toothbrush, shampoo, contact solution, & no rinse body soap. If your child is admitted, this is a lifesaver.

6. Ipad or Kindle. Pack an extra charger too.

7. A picture book. Optional obviously but its a nice touch when your kid is scared or has to spend the night there.

8. KN95 masks. You’re probably better off with a well fitting KN95.

9. List of medications. They’ll ask and you’d be surprised how many things like dosage fly out of your brain in an emergency.

10. Little toys for the kiddos. Hospitals, especially ERs, can take a long time.

5 Ways To Create a Stress Free Life

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Living with a ton of stress can be debilitating. It can hurt your mental health, physical health, and it can definitely cause a strain on your relationships. No matter who you are or what you do, you could probably find effective ways to reduce the stress in your life. If this sounds interesting to you, here are 5 ways to curate a stress-free life:

Create a general schedule for your day

When you are trying to curate a stress-free life, creating a general schedule for your day is a great place to start. Sometimes, if you do not have a general understanding of what is on your docket for the day, it can add stress to your plate, especially if you forget to do things (or forget a meeting, or a deadline) and you have to race to finish it before the end of the day or race to make it to a meeting without being too late. With a schedule, you go into each day knowing (mostly, at least) what to expect, what you need to do, and how you can best run each day, so that you are productive while also being as stress-free as possible. In your schedule, you should write down everything that you need to do that day (a to-do list, any meetings, etc.).


Add in self-care to that schedule

Once you get your general schedule written down, like meetings and work deadlines, go throughout your schedule and add in self-care. Depending on who you are and what you do on a daily basis, this will look very different from the person sitting next to you, but factoring in self-care and adding it to your daily schedule will make it easy to take care of yourself throughout the day, instead of forgetting to eat lunch, not having time to work out, or being too exhausting to do your nightly wind-down routine at the end of the day. However you want to add self-care works, but a few ideas that you could add in are: walking or doing a workout during your lunch break, having a nutritious breakfast while sitting outside (soaking in Vitamin D) before you leave in the morning, dry brushing before your shower, and taking 30 minutes to wind down with a book and a warm bath at night. Obviously, these are just ideas, so take what you need and figure out a time that you can add it into your daily schedule. 


Don’t overschedule your weekends

Overscheduling a weekend is a sure way to add stress into your life, but when you leave most (or part) of your weekend open, it gives you an opportunity to rest, recharge, de-stress, and prepare for another busy week that is around the corner. If you want to curate a stress-free life, do not overschedule your weekend. That is an essential tip that you need to make sure you are doing! 

Get stress support from experts

If you are struggling with stress and cannot figure out a plan that works for you, consider getting stress support from experts. This could mean going in for a massage, getting chiropractic, considering acupuncture, hiring a personal trainer, or going to Pure Hypnosis | Sean Wheeler. Sean is a top Atlanta hypnotist that uses proven methods to solve your problems permanently. He can help with fears and phobias, relationship issues, weight loss, and so much more. If you are struggling with anxiety, stress, and more, reach out to see how he can help! 

Focus on nutrition 

Last but not least, focus on nutrition. This means: taking care of yourself in the form of eating healthy foods, getting enough water, and maybe considering extra supplements to aid in stress reduction. For example, adaptogens can help with stress, as can magnesium, and a lot of people are very deficient in magnesium. Find what works for you and just make sure to add it in and stick with it.


Holiday Stock-up For Breezie and Pookie @ Petsmart

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This Christmas, besides having fun stockings for Pookie and Breezie, we are surprising them with a big pack of their favorite Friskies wet cat food.

We stopped by Petsmart® last weekend and stocked up on the 32 pack of Friskies. It is an awesome money-saver to buy 24+ cans, instead of individual cans. The new low prices at Petsmart include the entire stock of Friskies and Fancy Feast, excluding Medleys. We stocked up on Turkey and Cheese, Chicken Dinner in Gravy, and more. Pookie loves the Chicken Dinner in Gravy. Breezie loves the Turkey and Cheese. Friskies has been our go to brand ever since the cats were kittens!

Stocking up especially this time of year is a good idea, as we live in Ohio with some bad winters! During the busy holiday season, having a stockpile of cat food, Tidy Cats litter, along with toys for them is a money and time saver. They love when I come home with a new toy for them.

When we got home, Pookie immediately recognized the Friskies logo on the box and started rubbing his head against my leg. He knew it was treat time, he is a smart cat!

So be sure to stop by Petsmart for great deals on cat food, litter, toys and more!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of PetSmart. The opinions and text are all mine.

5 ways to save more time in your daily life

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We talk a lot about saving money here and I truly think it is so important. However, is saving time or money more important? Honestly, I believe that depends on you, the individual. Money is required to buy all of the necessities (and wants!) in life. Heat, food, and the clothes on your back. How can you do any of that without money? But there is the argument of “you can always make more money, but you can never make more time.”

I don’t know the answer. Time is, of course, important, but so is money. Saving money is easy because you can really create a game plan that works for just about any situation. Have credit card debt? Pay it off. Have a savings account? Invest money into it. While there are a lot of moving pieces, it is all relatively straightforward and easy to work around. Time is different. For whatever reason, it seems harder to save time because everyone is so busy nowadays. So, that’s what I want to talk about today - ways to save more time in your daily life so that you can really live your life to the fullest.

Meal prep and create a meal calendar

On the weekend, lay out your week and figure out what meals you need. Do you have meals already planned out of the house, do you have leftovers? Is there meat that needs to be cooked within the next few days? Try to think of it all and then create a meal calendar each week. Some people do this monthly, but personally, I feel like that is a pretty big undertaking, so 1 or 2 weeks at a time, is a little more manageable (but you find out what works best for you specifically). After creating your meal calendar for the week (or month), write down what you need from the store, to create your grocery list. Then, ask everyone else in the house if there is anything they need from the store. This way, hopefully, you will be able to cover everything in one trip and not have to go back to the store 2-3+ times in one week. This will save time and some money, too. After you get your grocery shopping done, prep whatever you can and make sure you organize your fridge and pantry so that you don’t have to weed through it every single time you take out a meal or a snack. All of these above tips will save you so much time and effort throughout the week - especially if you meal prep ahead of time! 

Reduce screen time

It is so easy to be sucked in by that TV show that is playing in the background, or your text messages, but screen time truly sucks away a lot of our time and doesn’t give you much back (long-term, at least). Reduce screen time, if possible. Instead of watching TV while you fold laundry, turn on an audiobook instead, or play your favorite music. This way, you are still getting some entertainment, but you aren’t distracted by a screen that will cause you to pause to watch while you are getting your list done.

Say “no” when needed

For some reason, it has become very hard to say “no” over the past few years, but I believe that it’s essential. When you have too much on your plate, when you don’t want to devote your time to something else, or when you just want to focus on your family and home, say “no” to parties and people that will take your time away from what you want to be doing, or what you need to be doing. This is an important lesson to learn!

Accept help, when it is needed

When you need help, do not be afraid to accept it. My friend, Alex, posted a questionnaire on her Instagram the other day asking moms if they had little to no help most of the time, or a lot of help, in general. Over 85% of moms voted that they had little to no help. It is really hard asking for and accepting help, but I believe that it is also essential. There are many ways that you can get help. Help can come in the form of family, paid workers, or even other businesses.

Don’t worry about what you cannot control

Easier said than done, right? But, there are ways to make sure that you don’t even have a reason to worry. For starters, if you are worried about your business or home, figure out a way to protect it. Cameras can help give peace of mind, but sometimes even then, they need a little more protection, which is why Criterion Technology offers injection molding optics. They have over 20 years of experience when it comes to protecting cameras with their protection domes, so this is a sure way to rest easy knowing that your space is protected.

At the end of the day, time is money, so when you are saving time, you’re also saving money. Hopefully, these 5 ways to save more time in your daily life will help you live life to the fullest each day.

50+ College Care Kit Ideas

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50+ College Care Kit Ideas

Are you putting together a care package? I have a lot of great ideas to share with you today.

First, in the kit shown above, this is the health/beauty kit. It includes Crest, Secret, Pantene and more, all packaged in a carry tote, which all students need! You’ll want to customize your health/beauty kit to your student’s favorite products.

And here is the second kit I made, which features dorm and school supplies, packaged in a laundry basket, another college student must-have! It includes reusable tumblers, sheet set, school supplies like pencils, pens, paper, and much more.

SWEETS KIT:

Your homemade cookies or the bakery, a care package isn’t complete without a sweet treat. Pack items tightly in a plastic container (fill in extra space with clean paper towels) and then wrap with bubble wrap. Boxed.com is also great for sending must-have snacks and more.

TOY KIT:

Pack up fun Silly Putty, a Slinky, water guns, or cards, and they’ll be showing the whole dorm their loot.

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  • Your gift card will be emailed to you.

AMAZON PRIME:

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GIFT CARD KIT:

Send gift cards to stores and restaurants in a care package or email. Choose big-box retailers like Target or Walmart, coffee or chains like Starbucks, Chipotle, Subway, and Panera, and local establishments like the college bookstore.

SNACK KIT:

Consider snacks, like granola bars, microwave popcorn, and hot chocolate mixes, as well as more substantial mini-meals — such as instant oatmeal and soup — for rushed mornings and missed dining hall dinners. Mints and gum are always welcome in a care package too. Boxed.com is also great for sending must-have snacks and more.

HOLIDAY KIT:

Festive accessories are surprisingly welcome and uplifting for a kid away from home for the first time; this care package idea is also nice to send in anticipation of your kid coming home for the holidays. Keep items small, like a desktop Christmas tree, a mini-menorah, and Easter baskets or Halloween pumpkins filled with candy. Seasonally themed lights, like orange for Halloween or green for St. Patrick’s Day, are also fun.

GROCERIES DELIVERED:

Get them stocked up with this Instacart deal!

This is a super easy way to get $45 in FREE groceries.

Instacart has just come to my town and I’m so excited to try it out!InstaCart is, it is a service that delivers you groceries from local stores.

How it works: Instacart lets you shop from local grocery stores online, then sends a personal shopper to pick up and deliver your order to you the same day. … After that, it starts at $3.99 for two hour delivery and $5.99 for one hour delivery when you spend $35 or more.

So when you are pressed for time, super busy or just don’t feel like going to the store, Instacart is a life-saver!

GET WELL/ FIRST AID KIT:

Make a mini first-aid care package by filling a tin with:

Items include:

  1. Band-aids

  2. Antibiotic ointment

  3. Advil

  4. Gas X {dorm food makes this one essential}

  5. Benadryl

  6. Milk of magnesia

  7. Thermometer

  8. Instant ice pack

  9. Pepto

  10. Throat losenges

  11. Cold medicine

  12. Q-Tips

  13. Nail clippers

  14. Hydrogen Peroxide

  15. An ace bandage

  16. Cotton balls

  17. Small pair scissors

  18. Small pair of tweezers

CLEANING KIT:

Dorms need to be clean. Pack some multi-surface spray, paper towels, dusting cloths, and electronics cleaner, and throw in a bottle of air freshener for good measure.

Plus, here are more ideas!

  • Gift Cards- Free $10 gift card, your choice!

  • Magazines

  • Holiday decorations

  • Quarters for laundromats, bus fare, and vending machines (or add to their laundry swipe card)

  • Instant oatmeal, granola bars, dried fruit

  • Vitamins

  • Razors

  • Body lotion

  • Toothpaste

  • Dental floss

  • Anti-bacterial wipes

  • Hand sanitizer

  • Facial tissues

  • Mac n Cheese

  • Free Hulu trial

  • Scotch tape and scissors

  • Over-the-counter cold medicine and pain reliever

  • Recipes for favorite dishes

  • Free $10 to try out @IbottaApp nice deal! Save $$ on your grocery bill → http://buff.ly/2rrwxlz

  • Band-aids

  • Ointment

  • Extra cell phone charger

  • Soap

  • Ramen noodles

  • Gum

  • Vinyl wall decals for decoration

  • Pillowcases

  • A memento from each family member

  • Digital picture frame with photos from home

  • Movie gift certificates

  • Air fresheners

  • Pre-paid credit card

  • Pens

  • Highlighters

  • Post-it notes

  • Pre-paid calling cards

  • Headphones

  • Refrigerator magnets

  • Cork board and thumbtacks

  • Slippers

  • Socks

  • Underwear

  • Screen cleaner for laptop and cell phone