Do you have dreams of penning the next great novel, play, or poem? Many of us think about it, but don’t get beyond the daydreaming stage. One of the things that might be holding us back is being too busy working and earning a living, to take time to get started. But what if there were government grants for you, available while you do your writing? Wouldn’t it be great if you didn’t have to be a starving artist?

The latest, greatest idea for making a college education affordable sounds simple enough — students can attend school for free.

But there’s a catch.

In return for free tuition, students have to agree to pay a fixed percentage of their future income for a specified number of years to a special fund that would pay other students’ college bills.

A version of the pay-it-forward tuition plan was introduced recently in the Michigan Legislature and is awaiting action. More than 20 states are looking at some version of the plan, although most are simply looking at studying it, while the Michigan bill would set up a pilot program.

Women entrepreneurs are an important part of the economy, and the number of women business owners has been steadily increasing annually. See the most prevalent cities for women in business.

Congratulations–you got a grant! Now is it a one-time grant, or is it renewable? And if it’s renewable, what do you have to do to receive the next round of funding? Each allotment of grant money has its own set of conditions. One of these addresses what happens when the funding period has elapsed. One of the possibilities is that it may be one-time funding, and that you aren’t eligible to reapply in future funding cycles.

We’ve all heard about how having a college or university education can be intellectually fulfilling and, in most cases, helps you increase your lifetime earnings. Certain degrees, such as medicine or engineering, are considered to be tickets to a middle to upper-middle class economic bracket. Other degrees, such as art degree or some liberal arts studies have less of a solid connection between the degree and future earning power,

Robocalls from automated calling systems are illegal in the U.S. unless the recipient agrees to receive the calls. But telephone spammers are using caller ID spoofing technology and other means to skirt current methods of blocking automated calls. Through government grants, incentives are being offered for technology that will help stay a step ahead of the bad guys.

I get a lot of questions about government grant proposals, and I’ve reviewed a fair number of them. I’ve seen some instances where people want to make a grand political statement as part of their government grant request or making the basis of their funding request kind of a pushback against some public policy that they don’t agree with.

What does microfinance lending have to do with the small entrepreneur, the independent contractor, or self-employed? It turns out, plenty.

Have you ever heard of microfinance? You might have, especially insofar as the developing world goes. Traditionally, microfinance has occurred in third-world countries where, say, a farmer gets a $100 loan to buy some cows so as to become self- sufficient. That’s microfinance.

Here’s John Kelly of The Washington Post, in his own words, relating his experience with being offered $9,200 out of the blue, “for being a good citizen.”

Isn’t it nice that even though dozens of federal agencies were shut down, the U.S. Government Grants Department was able to stay open?

That’s who called me last week with the welcome news that I was going to be paid $9,200 — tax-free — simply for being a good citizen.

30 College Scholarships for Veterans and Their Families

One of the most impactful ways veterans can keep serving their country is by starting a business. It allows them to channel their talents, support their families, build their communities, and put their fellow veterans to work. One out of every 10 American businesses today is owned by a veteran, and 5.8 million Americans owe their job to a veteran. Among the most patriotic things any American can do is hire a veteran.

One form of business funding is a guaranteed loan. Some people may misunderstand what the word “guaranteed” means in this context, though. It does not mean that there is a guarantee that the loan will be made, no matter what. What the word “guarantee” means here is that the loan is backed by government funding so that the lending institution will be fully or partially reimbursed if the loan is not repaid.

This article is about avoiding scholarship scams, but what makes it special is that it was researched and compiled by high school students, who are themselves in the target demographic for scholarship scamsters. It originally appeared in The Mash, a weekly publication distributed to Chicagoland high schools.

For many of us, our smartphones and tablets are enjoyable diversions and even an integral part of our work and leisure lives. But they’re even more than that to some persons with disabilities. They’ve helped take the place of other forms of assistive technology. In case you’re not familiar with assistive technology, it consists of devices

There are many great reasons to volunteer. If you’re in the United States, there’s a central resource where you can check for opportunities to serve others. It’s www.serve.gov, which is the United We Serve website. The idea is that Americans can individually help the economic recovery and do their part to restore unity in the country.

Most of us want to live in the kind of world where other people have the same good character traits as we do. We expect honesty, mutual respect, and ethics. There are lots of people who live up to these standards, but some who will fall short. Especially in business and real estate dealings, it’s smart to have cordial, professional working relationships, but to also protect your own interests at the same time.

You probably know that a good strategy for maximizing your education funding and minimizing your student loan debt, is to pursue as many funding sources as possible. For American students, one very good source of government grants for education is an oldie, but a goodie: the Pell Grant.
The Pell Grant has been around since 1972 and has helped a huge number of students, from the Disco Era

Foreword from Chris Johnson: On a personal note, I want to mention that I have a student, Jonghun L. in Connecticut, who received this same grant and used it properly. He operates a martial arts school in Connecticut and has put his funding to good use, helping at-risk kids.

A Forsyth County, Georgia woman will spend time in federal prison after being convicted of submitting fake government grant applications worth $600,000.