Financial Aid and NASFAA

The National Association of Financial Aid Administrators has created a Parent and Student Financial Aid Resource Center. In an effort to provide you with tools that help you manage your finances we thought what better way than to connect you to "free money", right?

The Resource Center provides information and links to assist in finding federal and state aid, as well as, help completing the FAFSA and applying for scholarship money.

There is a wealth of information and video connections through YouTube that NASFAA has provided. In addition to finding money, the Center lists information on college savings plans, student loan repayment, international study and disability services.

Please click here to be connected to this great financial resource.

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Bringing the Olympics Home

With the Olympics on TV maybe you're now interested in hitting the slopes, but you're feeling discouraged since winter sports can get costly! Celebrities often get endorsed just to cover all their expenses, how are you supposed to afford your Olympic aspirations? Running shoes can cost as much as $200, and if you have aspirations to be like Shaun White then be prepared to spend around $600 for a snowboard, boots, bindings and other accessories.

Let money not become an obstacle on your way to the Olympic Gold ... or at least on your way up the bunny hill and keep the following mind:

- Try renting equipment for the sport you are interested in first. This way you will know for sure if you are still interested in and committed to learning the sport.

- Consider purchasing used sports equipment. A good place to start your research is http://www.playitagainsports.com/index.aspx with one of their stores located just a bus ride away in Watertown.

- If you decide to buy equipment make your purchase at the end of the season when items are likely to be on sale. Stores clean out their inventory at the end of every season, so you may snag a great deal. Remember, patience is a virtue!

- Look for discount codes and coupons online. Check out some of the ski coupons we found here:
http://www.liftopia.com/ and http://www.skicoupons.com/.

- Explore sports clubs at Brandeis such as the Alpine Snow Sports Club and the Ice Skating Club. Many of them offer great opportunities at discounted prices for students.

- Don't forget to think about your friends! There is probably someone in your social circle who can let you borrow some of their gear.

Happy Shredding,

Savvy Student

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Vancouver 2010

It is with both honor and prestige that a country is given the opportunity to host the Olympic Games. The nature of the Olympics is to praise the talent and athletic excellency of its participants. Some athletes go, knowing they will yield no medals, but are happy simply to compete. As spectators, we get to watch these athlete's push themselves towards both personal goals and an underlying pressure to represent their country. The implication is both political and monetary for each participant, spectator and host country.

With the Winter Games in effect, we wanted to explore just how much money is invested in bringing the Olympics to the public. From advertising and event tickets to wardrobe and construction costs, how much does it really cost to participate in the Olympics and what are the financial rewards. Can it be measured in Gold, Silver and Bronze?

Here are some fun facts regarding the Winter Olympics:

The total operating budget for Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics is $1.75 billion.

For your interest, click here to see the updated budget for Vancouver:

Tickets for this year's events in B.C. vary in price from $25 up to $1,100 for a seat at last Friday's Opening Ceremony.

The total projected budget for London 2014 is £1.5 billion ($2.3 billion USD).

In 1984, the LA Winter Olympics were privately financed, not publicly supported as they once were, resulting largely in the first commercialization of the Games. It was also in LA that the financial impact of hosting the Olympics was first studied.

The actual value of an Olympic gold medal is approx. $300. Yet, because of the rarity of the medals they can sell for as much as $101,500 as in case of Otylia Jedrzejczak, who auctioned her medal to support Polish Children's Hospital.

According to Wikipedia, the Olympic Movement generates revenue through five major programs including broadcast partnerships and ticketing and licensing programs. From 2001-2004 the Olympic Movement generated more that $4 billion in revenue.

We hope you will stay tuned and cheer for your team this February,

Savvy Student

Sources:
http://www.pages.drexel.edu/~rosenl/sports%20Folder/Economic%20Impact%20of%20Olympics%20PWC.pdf
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_value_of_an_Olympic_gold_medal
http://www.vancouver2010.com/more-2010-information/about-vanoc/business-plan-and-games-budget/

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Frugal Outings: The Date Edition

Looking for something to do with your special someone? Searching for unique first date ideas? Savvy Student is excited to introduce a new series we're calling "Frugal Outings" to help you experience the city on a student budget. We'll also be providing MBTA directions to every location/event with a focus on bus travel whenever possible to help you avoid the expense of the commuter rail.

First Mondays @ City of Cambridge (CAC) Gallery: The first Monday evening of every month, the CAC offers "multisensory receptions featuring live performances, food, and community" free of charge. Hop on the 70/70A bus from Main Street in Waltham (there are stops in front of Hannaford and the Waltham commuter rail stop), get off at Central Square, and walk down Mass. Ave. in the direction of Harvard until you reach Inman St. Make a right onto Inman and walk for three blocks. (Total cost = $2.50)

Open Mic @ the Cantab Lounge, 738 Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge, (617) 354-2685: Every Wednesday the Cantab Lounge hosts a spoken word poetry open mic and features a poet of local or national recognition. The cover charge is $3, and you can take the 70 bus to Central Square (the lounge is right on Mass. Ave.). (Total cost = $5.50)

Bring your date to some of the following restaurants in Waltham, Cambridge, and Boston for cheap and delicious eats:

Taqueria Mexico: 24 Charles St. in Waltham, (781) 893-2205
Take the Bran Van to Main and Moody and take a right at Charles St. to enjoy some cheap and authentic Mexican food.

Punjabi Dhaba: 225 Hampshire St. in Cambridge, (617) 547-8272
Inman Square is home to a host of bars, restaurants, and shopping and perhaps most importantly, one of the best values in Indian cuisine in the Boston area. Punjabi Dhaba, a small but cozy eatery modeled after roadside stands in India, serves enormous platters of food for less than $10 per person. Not particularly starving? Split a plate with your date and walk out satisfied for less than $6 each. To get to Inman, walk down Prospect St. when you get off of the 70 bus in Central Square and after a ten minute walk, you'll find yourself on Cambridge St. Make a left, cross the street, and walk a bit further and you'll see Punjabi Dhaba on your right.

Le's: 36 JFK St. in Cambridge, (617) 864-4100
Le's specializes in Pho, a Vietnamese noodle soup dish. Soups and sandwiches will run you around $9 per person (including tax and tip). You can check out reviews here. You can walk to Harvard from Central Square by continuing down Mass. Ave., hopping on the 1 bus, or taking the red line.

Let us know if you use any of these ideas and we'll post your reviews on the blog. If you have any suggestions for cheap events or restaurants in the Greater Boston area, leave us a comment and we'll update next time with your suggestions.

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Groundhog Day Blues?

Punxutawney Phil saw his shadow...Six more weeks of Winter.

We just hate to be little "Debbie Downer's" here at Savvy Student, so instead of fixating on the bad news, let's refocus on the upcoming winter break. Now, is as good of an opportunity as any to visit friends. Hopefully, you have friends in warmer areas than Massachusetts, but you can also take advantage of the skiing and snowboarding Vermont, Maine and New Hampshire have to offer, if your friends are just North of here. Unfortunately, traveling inside the U.S. can be quite costly. After reviewing many websites it seems clear that $89 is the going rate just for bus tickets to Vermont.

So, with winter, spring and summer breaks just around the corner, we want to know if it's really possible to travel on a budget, a college student budget? Below we have listed some tips to get you planning for your dream destination with some ideas on ways to save:

1. If traveling by air, consider booking a weekday flight, Monday through Thursday. The flight prices for weekend travel are significantly more expensive, so if you can avoid it you will be saving money.

2. Book in advance! The earlier the cheaper.

3. Book online! Travel agencies will charge additional fees for using their services. AirfareWatchdog.com, Expedia.com and Travelocity.com are good places to begin your research.

4. Sign up for a frequent flier card online. It is free and you will start collecting reward points with your first trip. The trick is to chose the airline company you travel most with. Miles and More is a good one if you plan on visiting Europe.

5. Studentuniverse.com and smartertravel.com have deals on trips for specifically college students.

6. International Study Abroad Programs: Studying abroad gives you the opportunity to travel to a foreign country while earning college credit.

7. If you do not mind sharing a bathroom and want to meet more young travelers from around the world consider staying in a hostel. Hostelworld.com has proven to be a good source that also provides up to date reviews by previous visitors.

8. Feeling even more adventurous? Couchsurfing.com is an opportunity to have a completely free couch to sleep on and a bunch of stories to tell to your friends later. All you need to do is register on their website.

9. Consider purchasing an ISIC (International Student Identity Card) card. For an initial investment of about $20 you will be able to receive discounts all around the world. It is one of the most popular student discount cards that can also serve as an ID.

10. And last, but not least, you can always use credit cards with rewards programs to earn air miles. Individual airlines offer their own credit cards too, but please be aware of the interest rates, surcharges, daily rates and annual fee's before applying. Also, credit is universally accepted which works well when abroad. If you must withdraw cash during your trip consider taking out a larger sum of money to minimize your loss do to ATM fee's.

Happy Trails!

Savvy Student

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