The unemployment rate in the U.S. is the highest it has been in 25 years. Almost one out of ten people, according to the Department of Labor, is out of a job. Also, the recession is causing companies to decrease hiring – even implementing hiring freezes in some cases. What does this mean? It means that it is a highly competitive job market out there and an education is even more necessary than ever for getting a job.
President Obama has expressed his commitment to education, saying that it is “the single best bet” that we can make for our individual success, as well as for the success of our country. He has also pointed out that college graduates make 80 percent more than those who just have a high school diploma. This commitment is part of the reason that the administration unveiled a new Web site earlier this year to help those who are unemployed research their educational opportunities.
Opportunity.gov
The new web site – www.opportunity.gov – brings together resources from the Department of Labor and the Department of Education. It is an extremely well-organized site that provides information on financial aid options and career choices.
The section on financial assistance includes many links to pages, such as the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and a site that explains the new Income Based Repayment Plan for people who have student loans.
Another section of the site lists Department of Labor tools. These resources are invaluable for people who are exploring their career options. The Skills Profiler allows you to find jobs that match your current skill-set and the Re-Employment Portal provides information on transferable skills. Also, the Occupational Outlook Handbook is great for researching different careers because it gives you information about how much you might expect to earn in and what education is necessary for a particular profession.
Lastly, the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) section answers some pertinent questions about financial aid and unemployment. Here you will find information on the Pell Grant and other federal sources of financial aid.
Check out the site – you may find that you have more education opportunities than you originally thought!
June 9, 2010
I am interested in getting financial aid to go back to school. Is this site from the US Government different that private student loans?
July 14, 2010
Thank you so much for this website. I have actually started making some progrress in my quest for financial aid.
July 29, 2010
What a great help to get the government website. I am going to use it and work on getting financial aid. I have been unemployed for a year and need to go to school.
August 4, 2010
I have been doing a lot of reasearch looking for financial aid. I am more confused now that before I started. I am going to utilized to financial aid officer at my college.
September 1, 2010
Thanks for ths website. I hope it makes this process a little easier. I have been trying to get financial aid for college for quite a while with no luck. Maybe this will be the magic bullet.
November 20, 2010
I have been on this sight and it really is very helpful. I am making progress in getting my financial aid for college. Thanks for this sight.
March 7, 2011
The site is still up and is full of information. Thank you so much, this is exactly the help I needed.