My Student Loan Help Idea

I couldn't really sleep last night, so I started thinking about my student loan help/relief idea. Like I said in a prior post, it would be a non-profit organization. I would like to set up some kind of tutoring facility. We would tutor kids from 6th-7th grade to 12th grade, plus have writing help for college kids. Maybe even some kind of study help (I think having tutoring on college subjects would be too big of an area...at least to begin with.) There could be English as a Second Language program, maybe even some basic Spanish. I would also like classes/seminars for people of all ages to learn more about basic finance, time management, goal setting, etc. Most programs would have to cost something, but I would like to keep it at the lower end of the average if possible, maybe even have some kind of program to reduce costs (either for financial reasons, or the participant volunteers time at the facility). We would offer some free courses (with a minimum donation of $1 or something). Also, I would like to have student loan counselors. People that help kids decipher student loans before, during, and after college. Find ways to help people manage payments. I don't know anything about how business works, especially non-profit stuff, but I imagine it's possible to get some federal/government grants to at least help you begin the business. Obviously we would need paid full-time employees, and I would definitely want to have health care available to them, but I think a lot of work may get done by volunteers or college students who can use it as work study, internship, or as a part-time job. They wouldn't get paid a whole lot, but enough for some spending or saving. I also thought it would be neat to have different fundraisers. We could organize walks, sales from those different catalog programs, an online donation center, straight donations, etc. I would want to work closely with other non-profits in the community in order to strengthen our forces and show community spirit. I was even thinking of having items in vending machines (at the facility) cost a little more (maybe 10-25 cents more) that would be part of the overall donations. Like I said, I have no idea how this works. I need to do some serious research, and this idea probably wouldn't become a reality for a few years. However, I really like this idea and am looking forward to learning more about business and to see if this is even feasible. It would have to start out small, but I think an ultimate goal would be to have $500,000+ available to give away annually for student loan relief and smaller percentage of that total for regular scholarships. Regular scholarships would be handed out like most scholarships...it would be based on school performance, financial need, and a personal essay. The student loan relief would be handled differently, but some kind of measures would have to be in place. We would handle any kind of schooling (undergrad, graduate, technical, law, medical, etc.) For the employees I would also like some kind of special program for themselves or their loved ones where they can get funds for education (tuition assistance, special college savings fund, etc.). Our mission statement would include the idea that education is vital, and everyone who wants the chance to go to college deserves it, without being put off by financial factors.

So It Begins...

I want to do this. I want to have a blog and learn all about blogging. I want a forum for my ideas and see if there is a pattern to all the crazy thoughts in my head. I want this to help me organize my thoughts. I wake up some days with so much running through my head and have no idea where to start. Sometimes I never really do. And feeling overwhelmed when you're unemployed just doesn't make sense to me. I can be stressed, but not overwhelmed.

I've been applying to jobs like crazy...there is nothing out there, not really. I'm hoping February is my lucky month. Let's cross our fingers. I did my taxes today. I'm getting a nice amount back, and that should keep me afloat another month. I need to register my car in April and that's going to cost a pretty penny because Nevada bases your registration costs on the value of your car. Now, it'll be less than last year, but probably still about $300. I need to send the forbearance paperwork to my student loan providers, plus the paperwork for the student loan repayment plan the Navy does (which is a huge reason I decided to join). I've promised the universe that once I have a grip on this financial mess I'm in, I will work as hard as possible to get out of and stay out of debt.

I really want to have enough money and ambition to one day start a non-profit organization that helps college grads in situations like my own. It would be "scholarships" for those who already graduated, and they don't have to be in graduate school, to help with the costs of student loans. Entry level pay, in my experience, can pay for most bills, but it doesn't allow you to pay any extra on principle or to save any decent amount (like enough for 3 months of pay in case you lose your job). I admit I could've been smarter with my money. I could've been more frugal. But, to tell you the truth, I've beat myself up over that for the past 3 months and it hasn't fixed any of my financial problems. So, anyway, I would one day like to be able to help those in the same situation I'm in now. Education is important, and no one should ever feel their education wasn't worth it because of loan issues.