The key to being set up for a good life, as far as we can see it, is the acquiring of a decent education which gives one the tools needed to enter the world and be a productive citizen that knows their rights and responsibilities. By taking pride in your education you can set yourself up for untold gains in life. Of course after high school ends some of us are not fortunate enough to be awarded the opportunity to go to college. For some of us family responsibilities make it impossible, and for others the problem is simply not enough funding. I was caught in the latter position and had to work and save for five years after high school in order to afford a college education. It can be done but it requires dedication and knowledge of the different financial aid opportunities available to help defray some or all of the costs. Below you will find some links that I have found helpful and others that could be of use to you:

http://www.funbrain.com/ Funbrain is a sight dedicated to making learning fun for children. On this site you will find interactive and fun ways of learning math and reading as well as resources for teachers and parents.

http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/students/index.html The Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies provides leadership in education at the Smithsonian and produces a variety of programs, services, and resources for the education and museum communities. On this site you find information on all sorts of aspects of our world. This link takes you to the student’s portion of the website but there is information here for the student in all of us.

http://www.kbears.com/ Kbears was developed by parents, teachers, and educators and is a “fun learning” website for all ages.

http://www.surfnetkids.com/ This site is one educator’s vision of an educational world wide web for kids. While you are there, she encourages you to browse the kid’s sites, free kid’s games, and view the inspirational Light an Educational Fire video. She has put together large lists containing links to other educational websites.

http://www.finaid.org/ FinAid was established in the fall of 1994 as a public service. This award-winning site has grown into the most comprehensive source of student financial aid information, advice and tools -- on or off the web. Access to FinAid is free for all users and there is no charge to link to the site.

http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/ Federal Student Aid, an office of the U.S. Department of Education, ensures that all eligible individuals can benefit from federally funded or federally guaranteed financial assistance for education beyond high school. We consistently champion the promise of postsecondary education to all Americans—and its value to our society. This is the site where you must fill out your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (hence FAFSA).

http://www.thehighschoolgraduate.com/index.html The High School Graduate is a resource for graduating high school students who need help finding education resources, such as information about careers and career training programs, applying to colleges and universities, evaluating vocational schools, choosing a degree or career path, and other issues relating to higher (post-secondary) education.

http://education.yahoo.com/ This page on Yahoo is a great help in finding resources, links, articles, and performing searches on all aspects of education.  

http://fastweb.com/ FastWeb is a scholarship search service and helps students make the decisions that shape their lives: choosing a college, paying for college, and finding jobs and internships. And it's all free.