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Student Resource Center
Students should know how the federal government operates, how laws are made, and what the federal government does. Below you will find information about our government broken down by grade level.
There is also a list of resources for parents and teachers, details about the annual Congressional Art Competition and helpful information about financial aid for high school and college students.
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Resources for Students
- Kids In the House
- White House Kids
- America's Library
- Ben's Guide to U.S. Government for Kids (U.S. Government Printing Office)
- U.S. Census Bureau Fact Finder Kids Page
- Park Smart (National Park Service)
- National Agricultural Library: Kid's Science Page
- FBI Kids Page
- FEMA For Kids (Federal Emergency Management Agency)
- CIA Kids Page
- DOT Civil Rights for Kids and Youth
- IHS Kids Page (U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development – Indian Health Services)
- NCES Kids Zone (National Center for Education Statistics, part of the U.S. Department of Education)
- U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's Kids Pages
- Veteran Affairs Kids Page
- EPA Drinking Water & Ground Water Kids' Stuff
Resources for Students in Kindergarten through Sixth Grade
- Ben's Guide to U.S. Government for Kids: Kindergarten-2nd Grade (U.S. Government Printing Office)
- Ben's Guide to U.S. Government for Kids: 3rd-5th Grade (U.S. Government Printing Office)
- CIA Kids Page (Kindergarten-5th Grade)
- EPA Drinking Water and Ground Water Kids' Stuff (Kindergarten-3rd Grade)
- EPA Drinking Water and Ground Water Kids' Stuff (4th-8th Grade)
- FBI Kids Page (Kindergarten-5th Grade)
- U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's Kids Pages (Kindergarten-6th Grade)
- Veteran Affairs Kids Page (Kindergarten-5th Grade)
Resources for Students in Sixth through 12th Grade
- Ben's Guide to U.S. Government for Kids: 6-8th Grade (U.S. Government Printing Office)
- Ben's Guide to U.S. Government for Kids: 9-12th Grade (U.S. Government Printing Office)
- CIA Kids Page (6th-12th Grade)
- EPA Drinking Water & Ground Water Kids' Stuff (4th-8th Grade)
- EPA Drinking Water & Ground Water Kids' Stuff (9th-12 Grade)
- FBI Youth (6th-12th Grade)
- U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's Kids Pages (6-12 Grade)
- Veteran Affairs Kids Page (6th-12th Grade)
Resources for Parents and Teachers
- Ben's Guide to U.S. Government for Kids: Parents and Teachers (U.S. Government Printing Office)
- CIA Parents and Teachers Pages
- EPA Drinking Water & Ground Water Kids' Stuff
- FEMA For Kids Resources For Parents and Teachers (Federal Emergency Management Agency)
- Kids in the House Information For Parents and Teachers
- U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's Kids Pages
- Veteran Affairs Kids Teachers' Page
Congressional Art Competition
Each year, congressional offices may participate in the Congressional Art Competition, “An Artistic Discovery.” This nationwide competition provides an excellent opportunity to showcase the talent of high school students and acknowledge our nation's gifted young adults. Since the competition was created in 1982, high school students from across the nation have been able to participate in expressing their creativity artistically.
The first-place winners from last year's successful competition currently hang in the tunnel between the U.S. Capitol and the Cannon House Office Building in Washington, D.C. We also recognize the second- and third-place winners. The second-place winner’s work hangs in our Washington, D.C., office; the third-place winner’s work hangs in our Hazleton District Office. We invite each high school student who lives in the 11th Congressional District to compete. If you are unsure if you live in the 11th Congressional District, please click here and enter your home ZIP code. For more information about this year's competition, please contact my Hazleton District Office at (570) 751-0050.
You may also visit the competition's Web site here.
Financial Aid Information
Obtaining financial aid for your college education can be a daunting process. The Congressional Research Service prepared this guide for Members of Congress. It can help you locate and apply for financial aid. Updated January 2010.
- The Basics: Getting Started
- Student Aid and Where It Comes From
- Targeted Aid for Specific Groups
- Repaying Your Loans
The Basics: Getting Started
- Start gathering information early.
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Free information is readily available from:
- High school counselors
- College and carreer school financial aid offices
- Student Aid on the Web from the U.S. Department of Education
- Other web sites (search terms such as "student financial aid" OR "student financial assistance")
- Ask questions. Counselors may know if you have exceptional circumstances that affect your eligibility.
- Keep copies of all your forms and correspondence: You must reapply for aid each year.
- To parents of students: Save money long before your child attends college.
- Basic overviews:
- Beware of scholarship scams; don't pay for free information!
Student Aid and Where it Comes From
Basic assistance categories:
- Financial need-based: Remember that students and their parents are responsible for paying what they can – financial aid is a supplement, not a substitute, for family resources.
- Non need-based: Factors include academic excellence, ethnic background, or organization membership. Corporations may also offer assistance to employees and children.
- Provides nearly 70% of student aid under loans, grants and work/study programs
- Available to all need-based applicants. Some loans and competitive scholarships exist for non need-based applicants.
- Free information from the U.S. Department of Education:
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Loans are the most common form of federal aid and must be repaid when you graduate or leave college.
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Stafford Loans (FFELs) and Direct Loans include:
- Federal Family Education Loans (FFELs) from private lenders, such as banks and credit unions, guaranteed by the federal government.
- Federal PLUS Loans, which are non need-based parental loans.
- Perkins Loans through participating schools for the most needy undergraduates
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Stafford Loans (FFELs) and Direct Loans include:
- Scholarships and grants are mostly need-based and require no repayment:
- Other grants, scholarships and fellowships that are mostly at the graduate level and can be found in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA), under terms such as "Student or Trainee" or "Graduate Student."
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"Congressional" scholarhips:
- Named for Member of Congress or other prominent individuals (like Byrd Honors Scholarships and Fulbright fellowships)
- Merit-based and highly competitive
- Members of Congress do not play a role in selecting the recipients
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Work study programs allow you to earn money while in school:
- The Federal Work Study Program for college campus jobs
- Student Educational Employment for jobs with the federal government
- If you have questions not covered by the Department of Education's Web site, call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-433-3243.
States offer residents a variety of scholarships, loans and tuition exemptions.
- Check with the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA).
- Consider prepaid tuition and college savings ("Section 529" plans) on the College Savings Plans Network
- Search the Internet via browser using terms such as “student financial aid” or “assistance” AND “Pennsylvania”
Colleges and universities provide some 20 percent of aid, most need-based. Check the university Web sites and the institutions’ financial aid office when you apply for admission.
Private foundations, corporations and organizations offer scholarships or grants:
Targeted Aid for Special Groups
- African-American students: For Students: Scholarships
- Disabled students: Financial Aid for Students with Disabilities
- Foreign students: Financial Aid for International Students
- Hispanic-American Students: Scholarships
- Law school students: Financial Aid for Law School
- Medical students: Financing Your Medical Education
- Native Americans: American Indian College Fund
- Study abroad (for U.S. and non-U.S. citizens): International Financial Aid
- Veterans: Education Benefits
Interested in public service?
Federal assistance programs seek to encourage people to work in geographic areas or professions where there’s a particular need (such as doctors in underserved areas); encourage underrepresented groups to enter a particular profession; and provide aid in exchange for services provided (such as military service).
- AmeriCorps Education Award: Volunteers who complete one year of service receive an education award for current higher education expenses or to repay student loans.
- Army Tuition Assistance: Additional benefits for Army personnel.
- Bureau of Health Professions: Scholarships and loans to needy health professions students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
- e-Scholar: Scholarships, grants, fellowships, internships, and cooperative education with federal agencies.
- Indian Health Service: Scholarships for American Indian/Alaskan Native health profession students and loan repayment for persons working in IHS facilities.
- Military Service Academies
- Nursing Scholarships: Offered in exchange for two years of service in areas with critical nursing shortages.
- Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC): For students who want to be commissioned as officers after graduating from college.
K-12 Education Aid
No direct federal assistance exists for private K-12 education. Check with individual schools.
- Coverdell Education Savings Accounts for elementary, secondary, and higher education expenses.
Repaying Your Loans
After college, the federal government has ways to help you repay your loans.
- Eligibility depends upon the type of loan, when it was made, and whether it’s in default. Check with your loan officer to find out if you qualify.
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- Loan Consolidation lets you combine your federal loans into a single loan with one monthly payment.
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Sometimes loans may be canceled in exchange for public service:
- Teachers: Cancellation/Deferment Options
- Health professions: National Health Service Corps
- Law school graduates: State Loan Repayment/Forgiveness Program
In order for our office to be able to assist you with these issues, please fill out our help with a federal agency form and mail it to one of our district offices.