June 2018 Free Money News

Happy June! It’s deja vu all over again with the NBA championship games upon us. Once again it’s the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors battling it out on the court for the fourth year in a row! Some people think that’s not good for the NBA. But hey — those are the two best teams and fans want to see excellence. More power to these two great teams.

Not into basketball? Summer is coming and there are loads of blockbuster movies ready to be released. Ocean 8 has an amazing lineup of stars that will are hard to resist; Sorry to Bother You looks very intriguing. And 55-year-old Tom Cruise will show he’s still got it in Fallout.

Of course summer means kids are out of school. Do you have a a child who’s looking at colleges — or heading to college this fall? Summer can be a great opportunity for him or her to earn some money! Even if it’s a job that seems pretty simple or menial can have benefits like learning about managing finances, working with a team, and gaining some practical skills. We outline job opportunities this summer for kids 12 and up in this month’s Free Money Highlights. We also share important updates about getting help paying for college plus a source of childcare help you may not know about:

Did you know that the investments that venture capitalists invest in new businesses is at an all time high? That’s a great sign for the business economy, but it might not help you - especially if you’re in a minority. Blacks and other minorities still find it harder to get start-up capital than others do. And while minority businesses are 29% of all businesses firms today, that number still lags behind their percentage of the total population. The Minority Business Development Agency is working to change all that with numerous programs to support this fastest growing part of our population. See their website for help with your dream, and also see our latest update to Black Business Resources for more assistance and inspiration, including an upcoming event sponsored by the Black Chambers of Commerce.

If you are a homeowner we hope you have checked out the great gift offered by the Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP). Especially if you are “under water” on your mortgage, this could be a lifesaver. And it doesn’t matter if you have been turned down before! The requirements have been reduced and Fannie Mae wants to help you even if you have little or no equity in your home. The deadline has been extended but this won’t last forever, so take a look. And beware of scams — see our latest update to Assistance for HARP Eligibility for a heads up about a recent warning from the government.

Looking for help finding an affordable place to rent? We provide some valuable tips in Assistance for Rent. Our latest update highlights an important source of help you might not but aware of so take a look…

Home Repair Help is also a great source of information about finding assistance to pay for much needed repairs to your home. Some new information could help you improve the likelihood that you can get a loan for your project. See Home Repair Help for that and more.

School is out for the summer but this can be a great time for teachers to be on the lookout for grants. Grants for Teachers provides some useful leads. Our latest update features an opportunity for those involved in research and technology — and could land you a 3D printer for your classroom.!

Pell Grants are the best example we’ve ever seen of “free money.” Not only do they never have to be paid back, but you also don’t have to compete for them with essays or good grades. You just have to have a low enough income to qualify! There are some other eligibility requirements of course, but this is a true gift you should apply for. Take our super fast and easy “Quick Six Quiz” in Qualify for a Pell Grant to see if you could be eligible to receive a Pell Grant. Plus find out more about using Pell Grants year round and lean how some top notch colleges and universities are using Pell Grants to find and recruit lower income students…

For students and teachers: have you checked out our review of Travel Grants? Whether you are studying for a travel career, want to spend a school year abroad, are interested in the State Department’s Critical Language Program or other travel-related topics, there are opportunities for you to get grants and/or other financial assistance to achieve your dream. Learn more about Travel Grants.

If you want to help your kid or kids get a summer job to earn some extra spending money or to save to help pay for college, here are some useful ideas (found in Mamiverse) for those 12 years old and up:

• Babysitting is an obvious choice and can be pretty profitable if you’re good at it. Did you know the Red Cross offers and online course in babysitting? Check it out on their website to help your child be a more qualified sitter.
• Offer to do yard work for a neighbor. Especially if neighbors are elderly, they might be happy to hire you and help you out at the same time.
• Are you really good in school? You might be great at helping out other kids with some tutoring in your strong subjects.
• See if there is a nearby camp where you can get a job helping out at the camp — and have some fun there yourself! Check out the American Camp Association for current listings.
• Get your folks to do a yard sale and help them organize and staff it. Maybe they’ll let you keep some (or all!) of the money earned. Plus they get to clear out some clutter.
• Are you great with crafts? It might be a long shot but maybe this summer is a good time to learn more about Etsy and how you can sell your creations online!
• If you’re a high school student and love the outdoors, check out the National Park Service because they hire lots of young people every sumer.
• Do you love working - or playing - on the phone or computer? You mcould earn some bucks this summer teaching other people about it, particularly older people. For many of them things that are simple to you could be very mysterious to them. And they would probably be happy to pay you for some help.

Assistance for Child Care is always a big topic. Did you know that your state can be your best resource for getting financial aid for this expensive area? See our latest and update to Assistance for Child Care and find out the best way to search for programs available in your state.

Grants for Widows with Children covers lots of helpful information for those in this situation. There are public and private sources of help and support groups. One item many are not aware of has to do with recognizing the physical symptoms of grief and how to cope with them. Most importantly: go easy on yourself. Discover more in Grants for Widows with Children.

Ever tried using the government’s website where it lists all current grant opportunities? There are thousands of them and there’s lots of government-speak, so it can be very frustrating. We put together a review that explains why the site may not be what you’re looking for: grants.gov Is Not For You. Check out our May update to discover what you can and can’t probably find on this massive website.

Grants to Pay Bills has been updated with a new section about an internet platform where you can request — and possibly receive — financial help for a personal need. It’s not a government site and it’s not a guarantee — but it might be worth a try. Take a look at the May 2018 update to Grants to Pay Bills.

If you’ve heard about treasures you might find in unclaimed money held by your state, you know that there are $billions being held and some of it could be in your name. Apparently you should be extra sure to search if you own or have owned mutual funds, because they might be moved to state ownership even if you’ve just gone for a certain period without having any transactions. Find out more about that and about how to do your own free, thorough searches in Find Unclaimed Money.

Enjoy your summer — and Go Warriors!