Getting Help for Telephone Service

With the rise of cell phones and pay-for-minutes plans, in which you don't need a land line telephone contract to have service, the need for programs to give low-income people help paying for their phone service is not acute. But it's out there, in all 50 states.

The Universal Service Administrative Company, a not for profit agency, was set up by the federal government to help the poor with their phone accounts, among other things. The low income program is divided into two parts: Link Up, which helps with the initial start-up costs, and Lifeline, which helps with ongoing phone bills. Note that these only help with expenses for bare-bones, local telephone accounts. To find out if you qualify, see the page that links to federal qualifications and qualifications within each state and tribal land. Within each state, you will find out about qualifications for that state and how to apply for service within each phone company. A page also describes the program in Spanish.

New Opportunity for Freddie Mac Mortgage Holders

If you hold a mortgage owned or guaranteed by Freddie Mac, but have been unable to refinance because you owe more than the house is worth, help may be on the way. Freddie Mac will now allow refinancing up to 125% of the home's value. This could be helpful if your area has had a downward shift in values in the last few years.

How do you know if your home mortgage is owned or guaranteed by Freddie Mac? Ask the mortgage servicer--those people you send the mortgage to each month-- or fill out this online form to find out.

Watch Out for CARS Scams

The new Cash for Clunkers program, in which owners of low-mileage cars can trade in those models for more efficient ones--and get money towards the new car (details here), has already attracted scam artists. According to MSNBC, people are told at various scam sites that they, the car buyers, have to register for the program. No, it's the car dealer, not the buyer, who has to register. You just have to show up at a registered dealer with your gas guzzler. See the details at the FAQ site.

New Stuff for Animal Care.

I was alerted to another site on animal care resources, the Pet Financial Aid Organization. They have regional and national resources not only for pet care, but regional spay/neuter programs.

Yet Another Free Way to Track Down (Medical) Scholarship Money

Nothing cheers me up like finding new free ways to find money. If you are a medical researcher, medical student, or a student involved or interested in the medical, dental, or paramedical fields, try the Scangrants website. It's a free website created by Samaritan Health Services that lists grants in medicine and related fields (but only non-federal sources).

It's a wondrous grab-bag of money for institutions for research and programs, but also for individuals. If you go to their search page, you can search by key word, but also by category (including scholarships or fellowships). And, you can search by "audience," by which they mean potential applicants. In this quixotic listing, you will find "blind person," with a grant for organizations that help the blind, but also "nursing students," with grants for both scholarship and research. So check it out as a potential source of scholarship money in this fields.

Get an ARC Loan For Your Business--While You Can

The federal Small Business Administration has announced rollout of the much-awaited ARC (America's Recovery Capital) loans. What's ARC? These are loans for struggling (but still viable) for-profit businesses to get through the though economic period. They are no-interest 12-month deferred payment loans to pay either the interest or principle on previous loans. The maximum size is $35,000, and they are NOT for new businesses, only existing businesses that are deemed viable by the SBA. For more details, see the FAQ.

The money is there until September 30, 2010, or until the money runs out, whichever comes first. Since the amount of money is pretty limited, though, I'm betting on "whenever the money runs out." If you are possibly eligible, call 866-947-8081 or check the web sites above for more information.

Marjorie Asturias, I Love You!

Picking through Google while looking for more free money nonsense, I found instead this testimony from Texas freelance writer Marjorie Asturias. Apparently, she does different assignments, including grants research and writing, and was asked to research some grant possibilities for a young businessman. She had the integrity to tell him upfront that his chances were slim, but he was hopeful, so she went ahead. The results were pretty much what you think. Nada cash.

I have met so many library patrons who did not hook up with people of integrity, and who got ripped off in three or four figures. These are often terribly poor people who borrowed whatever they could from their families, and handed it over to people who found nothing for them. Sometimes, the scammers had the nerve to then ask for over $1000 to WRITE the proposals to "prospects" which I could tell in an instant would not give them grant money, because they did not qualify for the programs. From what I can tell, MSNBC, a few other media outlets, and local small business centers seem to have taken the lead in telling people about these scams. Thanks for kicking in your voice, Ms. Asturias.