Win Free Zumba DVDs!

October 25th, 2009

As part of the three-page feature on Zumba creator Beto Perez, Reader’s Digest is offering a sweepstakes to win one of 50 free Zumba DVDs! (FYI: Registration opened October 5, 2009 and the contest runs through November 30, 2009.)

Click here to enter the Reader’s Digest Zumba DVD Sweepstakes.

Click here for the Reader’s Digest Zumba DVD Sweepstakes Rules.

Good luck!

FREE Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

April 24th, 2009

I consider myself to be a fairly intelligent person, but today, I feel very foolish.

Today, I filled out the free FAFSA application at www.fafsa.ed.gov to apply for federal student aid so that I can take some classes this summer.

But first, I paid $79.99 for a third-party service to file my free federal student aid application for me.

I typed “FAFSA” into Google and clicked on FAFSA.com, the top result and a Sponsored Link.

I completed the form and was surprised when my credit card number was required to submit my application. I had to pay $79.99 to apply for student loans? I thought it was strange, but I haven’t applied for student loans in almost 10 years. In the end, I decided it must be legit. I put in my credit card number and hit submit.

That’s when I knew I had just paid $79.99 to Student Financial Aid Services Inc. to file my FAFSA form for me. I was using a third-party service NOT affiliated with the Department of Education.

I blame no one but myself. FAFSA stands for FREE Application for Federal Student Aid. I paid to file an application with FREE right in the name! The statement “We are not affiliated with the Dept. of Education” on the fake FAFSA site actually links to the REAL FAFSA site: www.fafsa.ed.gov.

Please don’t be a fool like me and pay to fill out your FAFSA.

Beware this fake FAFSA site.