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Volume 27, June 2014

The College Issue

SOLDIER & FAMILY TOOLKIT 1/34 ARMORED BRIGADE COMBAT TEAM

Free ACT

Prep

Page 6

Education

Benefit

Guide

Page 7

Summer

Camps

Page 8

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The intent of this toolkit is to provide you with available events, deals, resources, and important information. Please take a few minutes to glance at these resources and visit a few sites!

IN THIS ISSUE 3 BEYOND THE YELLOW

RIBBON EVENTS & DEALS

6 ACT PREP

7 EDUCATION BENEFITS

8 YOUTH CAMPS

9 BOOK REVIEW

10 POST 9/11 GI BILL

TRANSFER TIPS

11 HEALTHY MONEY HABITS

13 RESOURCE LINKS

The intent of this toolkit is to provide you with available events, deals, resources, and impor-tant information. Please take a few minutes to glance at these resources and visit a few sites!

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Check out the Beyond the

Yellow Ribbon website and

sign up for exclusive email

updates on monthly local

Beyond the Yellow Ribbon

events and deals.

HOME FRONT EVENTS & DEALS

www.BeyondTheYellowRibbon.org

The Hero of the Game The St. Paul Saints and Hiway Federal Credit Union are teaming

up for the second straight season to honor current and former mili-

tary members during all 50 Saints home games in 2014. The Hero

of the Game promotion allows Saints fans to recognize the men

and women that serve our country. During each Saints home game

the Hero of the Game will stand next to the National Anthem

singer prior to the game and be recognized with an introduction.

Then, during a select inning, the Hero of the Game will be honored

as fans are told who the person is, what branch of the military they

served in, and a little background information. The Hero of the

Game will receive four free tickets to the game in which they are

honored.

If you would like to nominate a military member, past or present,

please send an email to Director of Media Relations/Broadcasting,

Sean Aronson at saronsons@saintsbasebell.com This e-mail ad-

dress is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript en-

abled to view it

9th Annual Ride for the Troops When: June 1, 2014

Where: Westridge Center, Bemidji

About: Join the 9th Annual Ride for the Troops fundraiser in mem-

ory of Ken Donaghue. Start out with a pancake breakfast, followed

by a noon ride, and end with the Hawg lunch.

More Info: Flyer

Trolling for the Troops When: June 5-6, 2014 Applications are due by April 15!

Where: Camp Ripley Fishing locations: Mille Lacs Lake and Mis-

sissippi River

About: All disabled veterans and any recently deployed Service-

members who have served our country through the years, deserve a

day on the lake. If this describes you, here's your opportunity to get

a chance to fish with some of the best anglers in the Midwest!

More Info: Application

LGBT Pride Month When: June 8, 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.

Where: Cedar Street Armory, St. Paul

About: Join the Minnesota National Guard in celebrating Pride

Month as they host OutFront Minnesota, an agency leading

Minnesota toward LGBT equality.

More Info: Flyer

Celebrating 75 Years of the Jewish Community Relations

Council When: June 8, 5 p.m.

Where: Minneapolis Marriott Southwest, Minnetonka

About: The Diversity and Inclusion Office has offered to

sponsor Servicemembers plus one guest to attend the Jewish

Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas'

annual event: Celebrating 75 Years.

More Info: Flyer

Free Drop-In Legal Clinic for Veterans When: June 10, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Where: VA Medical Center, Minneapolis

About: Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans invites you

to participate in a free drop-in legal clinic for veterans. Attor-

neys, MACV staff, County Veterans Service Officers, and

child support officers will be available throughout the day to

assist veterans with questions, legal forms, and counsel.

More Info: Flyer

City of Trails 5K & Rock n'River 10K Trail Run When: June 14, 2014

Where: St. Croix Falls, WI

About: Take the opportunity on National Trails Day to cele-

brate health, wellness, and physical activity with four great

running/hiking events on trails. There's an enjoyable racing

experience for any level of runner or trail enthusiast!

More Info: Flyer Website

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Check out the Beyond the

Yellow Ribbon website and

sign up for exclusive email

updates on monthly local

Beyond the Yellow Ribbon

events and deals.

HOME FRONT EVENTS & DEALS

www.BeyondTheYellowRibbon.org

6th Annual Red Bull Military Appreciation Day When: June 15, 2014

Where: Central Park, North Branch

About: This event is a community based military support festival filled with

many fun, family friendly activities. There will be a military vehicle and

memorabilia displays, car show, silent auction, kids activities, food, military

and veteran support orgainzations, and much more.

More Info: Flyer

Salute to Service Women - Golf Classic When: June 17, 2014

Where: Prestwick Golf Club, Woodbury

About: Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans (MACV) is hosting Salute

to Service Women, a golf tournament to remember, recognize, and honor the

service of our women veterans. Golf outing proceeds will go to MACV, a

nonprofit social service organization that helps veterans and families through-

out the State of Minnesota.

More Info: Brochure Flyer

Free Drop-In Legal Clinic for Veterans When: June 19, 2014, Anoka County Government Center Flyer

When: June 24, St. Cloud VA HCS Flyer

When: June 26, Fillmore County Office Building, Preston Flyer

About: Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans invites you to participate

in a free drop-in legal clinic for veterans. Attorneys, MACV staff, County

Veterans Service Officers, and child support officers will be available

throughout the day to assist veterans with questions, legal forms, and counsel.

The Minnesota Military Teen Panel Presents: "Ohana" -

2014 MN Military Teen Summit When: June 22 to 24, 2014

Where: Metro Area Hotel

About: Calling all military teens to come and be a part of Ohana!! Ohana

means family and family means nobody gets left behind, just like you! Come

and listen to a national speaker, participate in leadership workshops and a ser-

vice project and have fun connecting with other teens whose family members

are in the military.

More Info: Flyer Registration

Hugo Hamburger Night When: June 25, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Where: Hugo American Legion

About: Yellow Ribbon Volunteers will be serv-

ing up hamburgers and french fries at the Hugo

American Legion every fourth Wednesday of the

month.

More Info: Flyer

What We Stand For - LakesJam When: June 26 to 28, 2014

Where: Brainerd, MN

About: LakesJam is hosting "What We Stand

For" as a way to say thanks to Servicemembers

and their families and friends. Receive 40% off

tickets at their website using the promo code on

the flyer. A portion of the proceeds will be do-

nated to the Gold Star Family Weekend this Au-

gust 2014 at Camp Ripley. Saturday night at the

concert will include a special salute to the troops

featuring Bret Michaels.

More Info: Flyer Website

6th Annual Red Bull Motorcycle Run When: June 28, 2014

Where: North Branch American Legion Post 85

About: Citizens Supporting Our Armed Forces is

hosting the 6th Annual Red Bull Motorcycle

Run. There will be a breakfast buffet, silent auc-

tion, and refreshments available after the ride.

Proceeds will be used to support shipping care

packages to deployed troops.

More Info: Flyer

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Check out the Beyond the

Yellow Ribbon website and

sign up for exclusive email

updates on monthly local

Beyond the Yellow Ribbon

events and deals.

HOME FRONT EVENTS & DEALS

www.BeyondTheYellowRibbon.org

Freedom 5K When: July 4, 8 a.m. Registration 8:30 a.m. Start Time

Where: Fairmont National Guard Armory

About: Run, bike, or walk in the 2nd Annual Fundraiser Event for

the Martin County Beyond the Yellow Ribbon. Gather the family

together and take a trip around Lake Sisseton on the 4th of July.

This event is free for military families.

More Info: Flyer

MN DEED Veterans Career Fair When: July 9, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Where: Earle Brown Heritage Center, Brooklyn Center

About: The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic

Development are hosting a veteran's career fair. This free event

will have employers with current job openings, college representa-

tives, service providers who can assist with your employment-

related needs, and much more.

More Info: Website

Operation Welcome Home When: July 11 to 13, 2014 (Military Families Retreat)

Where: Ironwood Springs Christian Ranch, Stewartville

About: Operation Welcome Home offers several faith-based re-

treats to provide encouragement, hope, and inspiration to veterans

and their spouses and families.

More Info: Flyer

Wounded Warrior Project When: July 12, 7 p.m.

Where: St. Thomas Ice Arena, Mendota Heights

About: Help Minnesota's local military by supporting the

Wounded Warrior Project with a game of hockey.

More Info: Flyer

Tween Overnight - Sleeping With the Wolves When: July 12-13, 2014

Where: International Wolf Center, Ely

About: Military youth ages 9-13 can discover the resilience of

wolves through hands on programs and teambuilding activities.

More Info: Flyer

The 17th Annual Bataan Memorial March When: July 12, 9 a.m. Where: Brainerd Armory

About: The 1st Battalion, 194th Armor Regiment (CAB) is

proudly hosting the 17th Annual Bataan Memorial March.

This event serves to commemorate all the individuals that

endured the Bataan Death March in April 1942.

More Info: Registration

Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity - Military Veteran

Exploration Session When: July 16, 12:15 p.m. or 2:15 p.m.

Where: RSVP for location

About: Have you ever dreamed of owning a home, but the

costs seem too high? Well here is your chance for affordable

homeownership! Join the Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity

for an all military veteran exploration session to learn more.

More Info: Flyer

Women's Equality Day

When: July 20, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Where: Hanger Conference Center, Little Falls

About: Servicemembers, families, friends, community

members, business agencies, organizations, and everyone

else is invited to attend. This event will begin with a discus-

sion on how far MN women have come in achieving equal-

ity and end with an interactive seminar focused on helping

women overcome fear and build confidence.

More Info: Flyer

Jesus Christ Superstar When: July 31, 8 p.m. Discount offer expires July 17, 2014

Where: Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul

About: Jesus Christ Superstar, the global phenomenon that

has wowed audiences for over 40 years, is reimagined for

the 21st century as an arena rock spectacular. With over 50

cast and musicians on stage this is one arena show that can't

be missed! Save up to $14.50 on select seating to this amaz-

ing show.

More Info: Website

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MN VETERANS EDUCATION BENEFITS

CLICK BELOW FOR EMBEDDED PDF OR GO TO

WWW.MYMILITARYEDUCATION.ORG

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MILITARY YOUTH CAMPS

This is only a portion of the wonderful

opportunities that are offered to our

youth!

Be sure to check out www.beyondtheyellowribbon.org/youth-camps

Contact Laura 651-268-8695 or

Moriah 651-268-8378

For any questions about

Youth Programs and Camps!

Camp Gratitude A weeklong, rustic camping experience for military fami-lies with children between ages 5-11 who have experi-enced deployment in the past three years. The 2012 Camp Gratitude event will be held at the Veterans Camp Ground on Big Marine Lake. Because of increased popularity of the camp in recent years, it's recommended applications be submitted early. Dates: June 20 to 27, 2014.

Tween Overnights Military youth ages 9-13 can spend the night at the Minnesota Zoo and other fantastic locations to network with other military teens and learn how animals are resilient. Dates: July 12-13, Sleeping with the Wolves, International Wolf Center, Ely Aug. 22-23, Minnesota Zoo, Apple Valley Camp Onomia Extended weekend is a gift to families who have a parent serving in the armed services for our country. It is a tremendous opportunity for support and family fun on a weekend which celebrates our national heritage. Combined with prayer and worship in the Christian community that Onomia provides, this is a weekend you will come back for year after year. No cost for this weekend, donations accepted as you are able. Dates: July 2-5, 2014 Defending the Blue Line Youth Hockey Camps Nearly a dozen camps, located throughout the nation, are available for free or at a discount for military youth. The camps are one of many ways Defending the Blue Line ensures that children of Service-members are afforded every opportunity to participate in the game of hockey. Check the website for dates: http://www.defendingtheblueline.org/programs/camps/

Project New Hope Weekend retreat for veterans and their families to help them face the challenge of transition from war to civilian life. Choose from four different retreat locations in Minnesota, each nestled among wood-lands, lakes, wetlands and wide-open spaces. Check the website for dates: http://www.projectnewhope.net/locations/USA/Minnesota/location_minnesota.aspx

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I wish I had read this book when I was in high school. It would have saved me so much pain and heart ache. Zac grew up with parents that constantly had money problems. Determined that he never wanted to be that way he started working and saving for college at a young age. At 20, he was a regular writer in the financial advice community and published this book. The best part of this book is that he does not believe in the scholarship fairy that many guidance counselors claim to exist. The pages are crammed with examples and numbers without anecdotes, so some people may find the book difficult to get through. He outlines all of the expenses associ-ated with college choices and how using financial aid awards as part of determin-ing the cost of a school is deceiving and can actually increase the cost of the school the following year. The biggest things he stresses are hard work and sacrifice. The book will be a rude awakening for people that are look-ing for a solution that does not require these two factors. The book was written in 2010, so some of the statistics are outdated. If you plan to buy it, it may be worth making sure you are getting the most recent edition. I highly recommend this book to anyone thinking about going to college or help-ing someone pay for college. It will be life changing.

BOOK REVIEW

Take-aways 1. Choose a college in your budget. 2. Don’t take out student loans. 3. Work, work, work. 4. Carefully weigh all of the expenses of your options. 5. Learn how the financial aid system works. 6. Beware of predatory financial aid representatives. 7. Don’t fall for the nine myths of college.

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Your spouse has to apply for the GI Bill first – get ap-

proved – then transfer credits to you.

Don’t procrastinate – get your spouse’s application submitted as soon as possible, there will be a wait for each of your applications to get approved!

If you need to contact the VA, use the website rather than the toll free number because it goes to an actual case worker and not just a call center representative. https://gibill.custhelp.com/app/home

The VA tuition payments may come in more than one disbursement. Your college will certify your classes at the beginning of the semester - but if some of your classes don’t actually start until mid-semester your classes won’t get paid for until the class actually starts. You will still be responsible for those tuition costs at the beginning of the semester so have an-other source of funds to cover the expense until the VA payment reimburses you – I used financial aid in combination with the GI Bill to avoid out of pocket costs.

Don’t assume that the GI Bill will cover 100% of your college expenses as the VA uses a formula based on active duty time for your spouse to determine what percentage of eligibility he/she and in turn you qualify for. (For example I am approved for 70% of my costs to be covered)

Added bonus – once approved you should get a BAH payment, though the amount can vary per month depending on the amount of days you are in classes and If they are online or in person, it is not the same as active duty BAH where it’s a set amount each moth Note: classes taken in person generally qualify for a larger BAH payment compared to taking all online classes (I chose to take at least one class a month in person to meet this requirement)

Book stipends are separate – I advise not using your college bookstore and use Amazon or other online used book seller

The biggest thing I learned was to keep all correspon-dence and verify all of the information the VA sends you regarding information they have about you or your spouse! They originally said I was not qualified because of incorrect information they had in their system – don’t give up!!

The best thing that I had working in my favor is that the VA representative for my school was incredibly knowledgeable in transferring the GI Bill being that he is a Veteran himself and also transferred credits to his wife. I can’t tell you how helpful that has been in this process!

I don’t want to mislead you to make you think the process was always easy, it could be frustrating

at times but worth it, good luck!

Post 9-11/GI Bill Transfer —

Helpful Info

by Janel Lane

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In the spring of 2001, guidance counselors corralled parents and students into my high school auditorium like cattle and gave the following message. Your child will fail at life if they do not get a four-year college degree. In fact, there is a short-age of college educated job applicants right now and it doesn’t matter what area your degree is in or how deeply into debt you go, there will be a high paying job for your child when they graduate and employers will be willing to cross-train them if their degree does not match the position. If they do not get this college degree, they will be desolate and their life will resemble a Charles Dickens or Victor Hugo novel. These were not the exact words of the guidance counselors, but for the parents in the room without a university degree, that was the message they received. Many of them entered the labor market during tough times of the late seventies and early eighties. They didn’t want to see their children start off the same way and they were determined to see that they had a better life. No one in that room could have predicted the labor market these students would be entering after college could be nearly as challenging, or that this generation would be entering it crippled by student loan debt. That night was the starting point of my college journey and I still find my path to a degree embarrassing. It is a trail of bad choices influenced by well-meaning, broke, and unhappy adults. It is yet another example of how I learned not to take financial advice from broke people or career advice from peo-ple that hate their jobs. I started my journey at a well-known brand name for-profit technical college. These types of schools are regularly under investigation and considered predatory by many. Three months, $10k+ later, I left after re-alizing that it wasn’t for me. The next stop on my journey was the small private faith-based college my friends were at. I wanted to go there, but my parents didn’t agree with that path. Their message was money is what makes people happy, so go where the money is. I took one class at the private college that semester com-bined with online classes at my local technical college to-wards my two year degree. That was year one of the seven years and seven colleges it took me to get my bachelor’s de-gree in a field that is basically useless.

HEALTHY MONEY HABITS

STUDENT LOANS CRISTY HOUSE –NORTHERN MN FRSA

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The details of how I got to the graduation stage for my bachelor’s degree aren’t important. The realization that I had wasted nearly $100,000, and now had $50,000+ in student loan debt to conquer in my young marriage is. I whole-heartedly believe a college educa-tion in a useful field is important, but using student loans to accom-plish it in my situation was very harmful and nearly broke up my marriage. After graduating, I learned another lesson. Employers don’t care what school your degree is from, they just want to know you are qualified for the position. I left college with my primary skills being test taking and term paper writing. I was scared, overwhelmed, and behind on bills. To make ends meet, I took a job stocking shelves overnight. I found out that many of the people I worked with had college degrees as well. “Where are my guidance counsel-ors now?” I often wondered at 2 am. I was in a sea of over-educated debt-burdened graduates struggling to make ends meet. I learned many difficult lessons along my journey. Pausing my edu-cation and waiting until I was eligible for my husband’s education benefits would have saved a lot of heartache. Taking some person-ality assessments to find out how I was wired and what I would be good at would have spared me many false starts. Personal finance education combined with a healthy dose of self-discipline would have been helpful too. Learning contentment, not possessions, is the key to happiness is still a lesson I struggle with today. Eventually, my husband and I took some personal finance classes and were able to tackle our debt. We paid off two car loans, 9? credit cards and 14? student loans. At the end of the summer, we hope to have our very last student loan paid off. It has taken a lot of hard work and determination. We have a written monthly budget. We save for expenses and we say “no” to a lot of things that we want. We listed our debts from smallest to largest and paid them off one at a time. Now there is just one left, and then we will be tackling our mortgage!!! We are already teaching our kids about money and next month’s toolkit will be full of money strategies for families. If you want to take personal finance classes in your local commu-nity, call the State Chaplain’s Office and they will give you more in-formation, 651-282-4287.

HEALTHY MONEY HABITS

STUDENT LOANS CRISTY HOUSE –NORTHERN MN FRSA

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RESOURCE LINKS ARMY / NATIONAL GUARD minnesotanationalguard.com armyonesource.com militaryonesource.mil CHILDREN ADAPT: cehd.umn.edu/fsos/adapt operationwearehere.com mnchildcare.org ausa.org/family mdva.state.mn.us/child guardfamilyyouth.org militarykids.org DISCOUNTS beyondtheyellowribbon.org military.com/discounts/category EDUCATION education4military.com gibill.va.gov militaryonesource.mil militarychild.org EMPLOYMENT esgr.org mn.gov/deed FMLA: dol.gov/whd/fmla HEALTH / MENTAL HEALTH tricare.mil militarymentalhealth.org Counseling 24/7: militaryonesource.mil MARRIAGE AND RELATIONSHIPS Marriage Retreats: strongbonds.org militaryonesource.mil PARENTS OF SOLDIERS bluestarmoms.org operationwearehere.com/Parents.html PET CARE dogsondeployment.org netpets.org guardianangelsforsoldierspet.org SPOUSES & SIGNIFICANT OTHERS militarysos.com spousebuzz.com milspouse.com msccn.org nationalmilitaryspousenetwork.org STRESS MANAGEMENT militaryonesource.mil defense.gov/specials/stressawareness

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