Archive for February, 2009

Free Money to Pay Your Bills

Boris Tomson asked:


Free Money to Pay Your Bills

The report on minority enrollment rates is titled “Minorities in Higher Education: Twenty Second Annual Status Report.” Information in the report features completion rates for high school, enrollment at college, “and degree attainment at the bachelor, master and doctoral levels,” the article said.Visit to Apply Today http://available-grant-money.blogspot.com

Between 1993 and 2003, the report said that the nation’s universities and colleges saw total minority enrollment increase “by 50.7 percent to 4.7 million students,” the article said. “Further evidence of this rise is shown in attendance rates from 2006 — where students of color made up 27.8 percent of all students attending college, up 21 percent from 1993.”

Minority Rates Up, But Improvement Needed

Even though the minority enrollment rates are up, the report said “that there is still significant room for improvement,” the article said. The report’s results said that in 2002-04 of those 18-year-old to 24-year-old white high school graduates, 47.3 percent attended college. In contrast, for the same age group, the percentage of African Americans who attended college was 41.1 and 35.2 percent for Hispanics.

Gap Holds Us Back

The article stated that regarding the report, David Ward, president of ACE, said, “As I look at this report I am pleased to see people of color making gains in college enrollment and degree attainment over the 10 years covered in the report, but I am more struck by the gaps that still persist and believe they only hold our nation back politically and economically.”

Some important findings from the report include:



“The high school completion rate for African Americans age 18 to 24 rose two percentage points from 75.6 percent in 1992-94 to 77.8 percent in 2002-04, while the rate for Hispanics showed the largest increase up from 56.6 percent in 1992-94 to 64.4 percent in 2002-04.

College enrollment among African Americans rose by 42.7 percent between 1993 and 2003 to total more than 1.9 million students.

Hispanics accounted for 41 percent of the new minority students over the past 10 years. African Americans accounted for 37 percent of new minority students.

Among students who began college in 1995–96, Asian-American students had the highest rate of attaining a bachelor’s degree (62.3 percent) within six years, followed by white students (58 percent), Hispanics (42 percent) and African Americans (36.4 percent).”Visit to Apply Today http://available-grant-money.blogspot.com



5 Cool Online Ways To Make Money In College

Kevin Ihrig asked:


In College? Then you probably need money. See below for 5 great ideas to make money in college.

The ideas below all work online, without having your own website. Several companies have set up revenue sharing lately, and you can benefit. Without ever learning Java, HTML, or Flash, you can set up your own little kingdom (or queendom!) of money earning sites.

Take a look at these:

1. Studentoffortune.com is a paid research site, where a student can post a question with a bounty, then you can answer and win the bounty. Granted, you don’t actually have a site with this one, but you can still earn by answering questions.

But that’s not all this site does. You can also offer your services as an onine tutor. Are you great at Math? Know anatomy like the back of your hand? Why not earn some money tutoring?

And to go one step further, the site recently added homework bounties - seriously. You can earn a nice bounty for your recently completed homework assignments to go on the site. When other students need some help, they can pay a bounty for access to your homework.

Top earners currently have made over $5000. Maybe you should get some these bounties. And if you find yourself stuck on your Macroeconomics homework, you can pay a bounty to get some help.

2. Treasuretrooper.com lets you fill out surveys that pay or offer free goodies. Survey sites went out of style, but they are back and better than ever.

The site follows a theme of hunting for treasure in the offers you complete, or the products you can sample. You can also play games and earn points to be traded for prizes. Sort of like an online version of skee-ball.

3. Cashcrate.com works similar to Treasuretrooper, but some like it better. Either way, you make money for college.

4. Squidoo.com lets you build a lens (to focus on a topic) for free, then you can add in affiliate links, adsense and so on to earn some money from it. The key here: think broad, and update often.

Being a squid also gives you a chance to publish your blog, if you have one, on your lens. You can also use lenses to channel traffic to your eBay auctions.

5. Hubpages.com has an approach similar to Squidoo, but offers a one time payment for doing serious work on a page, called a flagship hub. You have to meet their guidelines, but then you get $25 for building a resource page.

How Revenue Sharing Works

With Squidoo and Hubpages and others, you can build as many as you want. A couple of others of the saem type: Triond.com and Revver.com, which seems to focus more on video content than the others.

After you have set up a lens or page with one of these services, you promote it. Tell your friends, put in your blog, for instance. You could also buy adwords traffic, or use other ad services.

Then, when visitors come to your page and they like the content, they might click on an affiliate link of yours or an add. You receive a cut of the ad revenue. On Hubpages, you get 60%.

You can find more of these kinds of offers if you look. Making these work will take some solid effort, but getting started doesn’t take anything but time. Then, you can work at it on your own schedule.

You can also try straight blogging with a free blog at google’s blogger.com. You can set up a simple blog and fill it with good stuff like articles, pictures and links. And to make some money, you are allowed to sign up for a free adsense account and put some ads on your blog.

But be careful! Too many ads will get your blog blocked. You can promote your blog with articles like this one, and also on blog some sites that allow free blogs to be listed.

Once you have the skill of building content that earns money, you can duplicate it over and over with new topics and new locations on the web. It only takes effort and you can make money in college, for tuition or books or a nice meal - instead of ramen.

Get started!



How To Find Money For College, And More

Kevin Ihrig asked:


To find money for college, you have choices - loans, grants, the lottery, scholarships, casinos, and your parents huge stash of cash for you to attend the college of your dreams. If you need cash and you are in school, this article has a few good ideas and a serious reminder for you.

Apply for Aid

You have to apply, of course, to get financial aid from the government. You will need to fill out a Free Application for Financial Student Aid, the good old FAFSA form. If you have done this, you likely already have a Student Aid Report (also called a SAR).

The aid report will provide you access - if you qualify - to a Pell grant, and a Stafford or Perkins loan, all based on financial need.

That FAFSA can be a bear to fill out, and mistakes happen. Or, if you filled it out last year and didn’t get any aid, you may think you don’t need to fill it out. I have a reminder for you in case you feel this way.

Students regularly feel the way you do “I didn’t qualify last year, so forget the FAFSA,” but maybe things have changed in your life that would make you eligible? Here I have the short list for eligibility without your parents on the form.

Are you a dependent?

Your birthday is the first possibility. If you turned 22 last year, then you can apply on your own, no parents. Next, if you recently married, even if you now find yourself separated, you can apply alone (or with your spouse) and find money for college. Have you joined the military and completed your initial training? Usually this qualifies as independent and will produce financial aid.

A couple of more obscure ones also qualify you: If you are a ward of the state, were in foster care until you turned 18, or adopted after 16 in some cases.

An idea to think about: If you can’t find enough money for college with money from home and from student aid, look at the school you attend. Are we talking about a very expensive school? That may be part of the problem. Consider a less expensive one, especially if you attend as an out of state student at a state school.

A couple of other obstacles to watch for: have you gone through a divorce recently? This may not be a problem if you are over 22. If under, then you have to look at alimony. If your spouse supports you with substantial payments, you may still not qualify as independent - but on the bright side, you may have plenty of money to get you through your 22nd birthday, and then you can apply on your own.

Likewise for military members in training. Until you complete training, you probably don’t qualify.

In any case, if you find you qualify for money for college, you will need to know how much you need. Seriously, you don’t want to take all the aid you qualify for unless you need it or it is free. Grants, scholarships, handouts, okay. Gifts, even better. But loans can do you in.

In the case of loans, college money can sink you. If you go to an expensive school, or you major in a low paid field, you may find that the degree doesn’t pay the bills. So be careful with loans. You can borrow up to $20,000 in the Stafford program, and another $20,000 in the Grad PLUS program. If you go private, the sky is the limit.

Don’t do it. You don’t need a new car during school. Get a used one, or learn the bus system - you’ll be glad you did later, when the bill comes due. Share an apartment or live at home. And worst of all, stay away from credit cards. They have got to be the worst student loan you can get.

Want a luxury that will serve you well in the future? Take a semester abroad or at sea. You’ll see the world before you have the responsibilities that prevent that kind of travel. Or get your graduate degree from a school in Europe. That kind of experience you’ll remember for the rest of your life. I rarely find anyone who regrets they found money for a semester of college abroad.

I had the chance to travel in Europe as a high school student, and in Mexico and Ecuador during my college years. The memories are priceless and add perspective every time I think of them.

Be sure to know your options, and spend the college money you find well.



How To Find Free Grant Money For College

Gregg Hall asked:


Picking a college or university can be hard to do. If you are worried about paying once you get there, that can make the decision even harder. If you made it through economics, you understand there is no free lunch. In this case, there is no free money. However, you can find money that is freer than most for your college career.

Loans are often what come to mind first when thinking about paying for education. Loans can come with large pay off amounts, and can be confusing as to what loan is best for you. Grants, on the other hand can be a little simpler and more “free”.

First, grant money does not need to be paid back. Grant money is awarded to whoever needs a grant the most, and whose application came in first. Generally grants are awarded to you, not applied for. The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is used by higher education to judge monetary need. Plan to spend a fair amount of time completing the FAFSA. The form is available on the Internet and in hard copy. Complete one form in pencil first as practice for either mode of application you chose. You will also need to include a copy of the tax return from the year previous. Each school may have additional forms you need to fill out for financial information.

Four different grants are commonly awarded: Federal Pell, Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity, State and Institutional. The Federal Pell grant program is the largest of the four. A college receives a set amount of this grant money to distribute among those students who most need financial aid. Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity grants are similar to the Pell grants, but have a set aid range of $100 to $4,000. The students who need the aid the most receive these awards.

State grants are dependent upon the state your college is in. In many state grants, you receive the grant with the agreement to work in your field for a certain amount of time after graduation. For example, a new teacher must teach at a low income school for two years or she must repay the grant.

Lastly, institutional grants are offered when no more federal or state assistance is available. These grants are provided directly from the college and can be used for encouragement with a highly desired student applicant.

If you are not chosen to receive a grant, or you do not think you are likely to be chosen for a grant, look into scholarships and loans. Though a very small percentage of financial aid comes from scholarships, thousands exist for all different amounts of money. Check consistently throughout the year, every year, for opportunities. Your college likely has a scholarship database, but you can also try online searches through specialized companies. A few good free resources exist, but many scholarship finders require a fee.

Talk with a financial aid representative from your school concerning loans. He will know which loans will work best for your situation.



Kevin Ihrig asked:


A financial aid search can take you through several programs, and confuse the best of us. The programs below offer some help to get you through college. Take a minute and read through it. These programs just refer to free money for college, or nearly free.

One term you may want to learn is FAFSA. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, is a form you fill out to determine if you qualify for federal grants or loans. Many states also use it for their programs. Let’s get into programs so you can find some money.

1. Government grants, the main grant you can get from the federal government being the Pell grant. Others include the Federal Supplemental Equal Opportunity Grant or FSEOG for cases of extreme need. The Academic Competitiveness Grant or ACG, for the first two years of college for students with great academics and little money. The National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent or SMART Grant, applies to the last 2 years of a 4-year degree, in a technical field. Math, engineering, chemistry, biology and many other majors would all fit if you apply for this grant program. You must fill out a FAFSA for all federal grant programs.

2. State grant programs: nearly every state has a grant program to offer more aid to their residents. You can find these through the state website, usually the department of higher education. Most of these require a FAFSA to determine need.

3. Scholarships: the subject of scholarships fills pages and pages of books. Why? Because everyone is different, and most only give an award to 1 to 5 people. Essentially, you get a scholarship for demonstrating talent or skill in a certain area, such as music, academic achievement (grades), sports, and so on. Once you have a scholarship, you may be able to renew it. You can find hundreds of scholarships from every organization you can think of, some right in your own neighborhood. Be careful of consultants that offer to find you a scholarship if you’ll pay them. Usually a FAFSA isn’t part of this, but could be if you are applying for a state or federal scholarship.

In the section below I cover a few programs that you have probably heard of. These programs offer great help, but may require you to plan ahead. Again, just free money for college or nearly free programs here again in this section.

4. HOPE scholarship and Lifetime Learning tax credits actually aren’t a scholarship - sorry. These are tax credit programs. You can use tuition and fees from your family members that you support (think dependents) as tax credits when figuring your taxes. HOPE only applies to the first two years. The Lifetime Learning tax credit you can use over and over again. It phases out as your income goes up. Not financial aid like a grant, where someone gives you a check, but may it apply to you. Talk to a tax pro for more in this one. (Also, several states have scholarship programs named HOPE. Those are different programs than this one.)

5. Tuition waiver programs usually come from states, and offer certain groups either free or greatly reduced tuition. Typically applies to state schools, but some programs include private colleges and universities. As financial aid goes, free tuition is good.

6. Loan forgiveness programs offer to pay your loans in exchange for your work in a specific field. For example, work as a school teacher and you can get some of your loans paid or forgiven. This program also goes by the name tuition forgiveness. Note that this doesn’t happen until you go to school, graduate, and get a job that offers this type of aid. Still, borrow and someone else pays it back is a nice package.

7. Tuition Assistance programs or Tuition Reimbursement may sound familiar if you have a job. Many companies offer a program like this to employees, and generally few ever apply to use it. I have worked for a company that offered reimbursement, where you pay, take the class, then fill out a form and get some or all of your money back. And I have also worked for a company that paid the tuition up front for me. Both programs can offset much of the tuition for your schooling. No FAFSA involved.

Several options to choose from, and you can do all of them if you want. Searching for financial aid doesn’t have to be hard. Keep looking, and you’ll find a way.



Kevin Ihrig asked:


Time to stash the cash! For right now, let’s say you have just been accepted to the college of your choice or soon will be, or you have just completed a year and need to save money for your next year of school.

Time for basic budgeting and semi-serious choices, like pasta or steak.

First, College tuition and fees

Not a surprise, right? You have to cover these first to even go to college. The school you attend will dictate here - and you may want to choose again. Unless you have huge aspirations or nearly unlimited cash, you don’t really need to go to an Ivy League, top tier school. The next level can cost much less and provide the same great education. Total up what you need in savings money to meet this one.

Next, your apartment and the basics, like cable and internet

Big expense, of course. During college one of my friends would always pay all of here rent at one time for the whole school year. Then, she didn’t have to worry about rent problems. She had an individual lease - no one else to rely on or split rent with. It’s a good idea, if you can do it.

Also in this category of basics you should have an estimate of your utilities, like gas, light, phone, water if necessary, cable, internet, and cell phone. Many students just go with a family cell phone plan with tons of minutes, and skip the house phone. And you could use the free internet at school.

Ask a few people in the area of your school about the other expenses and you’ll have a good idea what you need. Add it to the previous category and keep going.

Third, Grant money and Loans:

Will you qualify for grants? Will you take out a student loan? If so, this can offset tons of the money you need to save for college. I used some of these, and it worked great for me. Be careful not to overborrow - debt can be a killer later on. Also, if you plan to work, try to limit it to 20 hours a week if you are taking a full load. Subtract these items from your savings list and keep reading.

Fourth: Wheels

Two suggestions: public transportation and good shoes, or a bike. Next: a sugardaddy with a car. Okay, maybe that’s a bad suggestion. But having a car at college can actually be a liability because of parking, gas, maintenance, and did I mention parking? Many colleges don’t have much parking. Avoid this one if you can by buying a bus pass regularly. Add the price of enough bus passes to get you through the year and we’re nearly done.

Fifth: Sustenance

Not just food. Clothes, concerts, movies, plays, you know, all that stuff. This one can be a tough one. Try to avoid expensive food, and expensive concerts! To estimate this, look at what you eat now, and what entertainment you want. Total it up for a week or two and multiply accordingly to get a month, semester and school year of what money to save. Add it on to the total. Just one to go!

Sixth: Textbooks

Can’t leave these out! You can spend hundreds on new books, but you don’t need to. You can get used books online and from friends. You can sell books back, and you can even skip the book in some cases. It takes some work, but you can reduce this expense if you don’t have the money saved for it. Buying new, you can expect to spend $350 to $600 per semester if attending full time. Add it on for your final total.

You’re done! Is it a big number? You might not like it, but at least you know. And once you know what you need, you can work toward it. You still have possible donations from your parents, or any money you can save from a job while at school.

Keep trying. Saving money for college shouldn’t keep you from your goal.



Finding Free Money As A College Student

Mark Maiewski asked:


During high school your parents encouraged you to stop by the guidance department to find scholarship opportunities to pay for college. They also asked you to participate in extra curricular activities and volunteer opportunities. They highly encouraged you to keep your grades up and get to know your teachers. Then they, mom especially, tried to help you keep lists and mementos of the things you did.

Participating in the above list gave you the qualities needed to earn scholarships while in high school, free money to use to attend college.

Now that you are attending college, you may think that all the free money opportunities have disappeared and you must pay everything else out of pocket or with student loans.

The opportunities have not disappeared; just the name and location have changed. Free money for college students can be found on the national scholarship search engines. They are also found in department offices, career guidance offices, Honors program bulletin boards, and emails sent by the colleges and universities.

The free money is not just called scholarships either. It can be called teaching assistant, research assistant, mentorships, fellowships, and summer intern work. Each of these opportunities offers you the chance to earn money for school.

For example: IGSP/NSF Summer Fellowships Explorations in the Genomes Sciences A National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates Program Site, a 10 week Summer Fellowship program, includes the following: The Summer Fellowships in Genome Sciences and Policy are open to current Freshman and Sophomore students from 4-year colleges and universities having successfully completed (or currently enrolled in) at least one biological sciences course. Student participants will be housed in Duke University residence facilities, most likely in Central Campus, for the duration of the program. In addition to housing, students will receive a stipend of $4,250.

Most money at this level is designed to specifically benefit certain majors. Because of this restriction, the scholarship opportunities are listed in the department offices or emailed to students registered for a specific major.

I hope your student is not registered as undeclared because scholarships are not offered for that major. Even if the student changes his or her major later, pick one that is interesting now.

Your job is to ask questions and discover where these offers are hiding. like treasure hunting.

You cannot find all the treasure by yourself. You need to enlist the help of other treasure hunters. Create relationships with teachers, even if you are a freshman. Even in a class of hundreds, you can schedule an appointment with the professor and introduce yourself. Schedule a second appointment (or more) for class work help.

A certain freshman needed recommendations for an application. She had followed the program and met with her Biology professor (300 students in the class) and her Chemistry professor (300 students in the class). She wondered who to ask to write the recommendations. She was shocked to find that both teachers remembered her. She was told that so few students in the large classes make the time to meet the professors that any student, especially freshman, who makes the effort is remembered.

Make friends with the department chair if you can, but mostly make friends with their assistant. She sees all the stuff that is posted and sent to the professors in the department. Rather than you rummaging through all the papers, she can just tell you the new stuff and the good stuff.

Join the Honors program if you can. Most scholarship, internship, and teaching assistant opportunities come through the Honors program if not through the departments.

Find out who is in charge of guiding students through national scholarship applications. This person has EXPERIENCE and TRAINING to help you craft an awesome application. Use this resource.

Discover your nearest post office, the overnight fees, and the nicest postal clerk. One student finished an application the day before it was due. She had to overnight the package. She arrived at the post office minutes before the last overnight shipment was to leave. The nice postal clerk helped her fill out the overnight forms and asked the driver to wait three minutes as she ran the package out to the loading dock.

Learn to make cookies and brownies and write thank you notes. Sending thank you notes and delivering treats to all those that help you in this process lets the helpers know you appreciated their involvement. It also leads to continued help.

Check back each semester. New scholarships are continually added. A freshman at a small private college found three new scholarships posted in the financial aid office. Her friends told her not to waste her time: all students were eligible, so why would an underclassman earn the money? Apparently most students felt this way as the student won 2 of the 3 awards. Last year this student had scholarship income totalling over $20,000 for the year.

Colleges and universities may offer their own research opportunities. One university offers grant money starting in the sophomore year for independent research projects. The student designs a research project and submits the proposal. A committee chooses the projects and assigns up to $1100 per semester to fund the project. These projects do not have to be large or involved, just set up in the proper format with reporting features built in. (Think of your science fair or statistics projects - could any of these work?)

Interested students receive a list of possible projects on which to write proposals. Any money not spent on the project is kept by the student.

If you truly want to find free money, with a little investigation on your part, you CAN find additional free money during college. The same rules apply: grades and GPA, awards and honors, extra-curricular and community involvement, essays and deadlines.



Penny Hastings asked:

College recruitment of student-athletes started in the 1880s as college football began its transition from an extracurricular activity to a highly commercialized sport. Prior to the turn of the century, compensation for collegiate athletes usually took the form of employment, free lodging (often at the home of a coach or supporter), meals, gifts and other special favors. Primarily funded by a school’s alumni and fraternities, incentives were offered to entice players to choose a particular school and to perform at the highest level possible. Most of the time, the promise of compensation was verbal, with players being assured they would be well taken care of, according to authors Penny Hastings and Todd Caven in the book, “How To Win A Sports Scholarship.”

The popularity of college football grew quickly and a new industry—college stadium construction—was born. Many institutions around the country built gigantic structures to house the fast-growing sport. These stadia, in turn, created pressure for colleges to attract large crowds to justify their enormous cost. As a result, winning became increasingly important. Along with garnering prestige for a college, winning helped to generate money. College administrators quickly realized that game attendance was markedly influenced by the quality of play and that greater numbers of enthusiastic fans brought in more dollars.

This created a heavy demand for each year’s available athletic talent, not only for football, but also for other sports, including track, rowing and baseball—sports that were also growing in popularity among spectators. With so many colleges looking to expand their appeal to potential students and donors, competition for gifted athletes increased, resulting in greater financial rewards being offered to student-athletes in an effort to win their favor. The modern age of college athletic recruiting had begun.

Although throughout the history of collegiate sports there have numerous calls for a return to purely amateur sports, they have largely been unsuccessful. In 1952 the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) legalized the use of athletic scholarships for the purpose of attracting qualified student-athletes. Other athletic associations were established and they, along with the NCAA, began to regulate national college athletic standards. These associations and school administrators have instituted rules and regulations to help protect the student-athlete from exploitation, as well as to clearly define how much compensation can be given and in what manner.

Today, more than $1.2 billion is awarded in athletic scholarships yearly in American colleges and universities to both men and women. For many student-athletes, sports are their entry into college and the only way they can afford an education. For more information go to www.winaportscholarship.com

Nick Sanders asked:

After successful completion of your school life, your next aim is to successfully get admission into a reputable College or University. Even after completion of your Bachelor degree, the aim is the same for carrying out your higher studies. This is the most important decision of your life, as your professional career fully depends on this decision of choosing a college or university.

You are bound to be in a dilemma when you think of choosing a university or college from the United States of America. However, the following section covers various problems that you can face while selecting a college or university in America, and is followed by 5 important tips to overcome these.

Here are the tips for you to select the right college or university in America:

Put a limit on your search – The US consists of more than 2,000 reputable colleges or universities, so you are required to put a limit on your searches, as it might place you in a dilemma on which institute to join. It also increases your chances of gaining admission, and moreover, saves a lot of your precious time. To start your search you will have to decide on the climatic conditions, preference of location, reputation and cost. Finally, after deciding on all these parameters, you have to search out the top ten universities or colleges that meet all your requirements. Limit the search to ten universities or colleges to increase your chances of admission. By limiting the search to ten institutes, you are going to make it easier for yourself to gain admission by eliminating any confusion.

Consider Cost – By cost I mean the sum of tuition fees, cost of living and other miscellaneous expenses. Most institutes in the United States are very expensive and the cost of living is also considered very high in most of the cities. If you are considering winning a scholarship or taking out a loan, then let me inform you that most of the scholarships and loan offers are offered only for the citizens of the United States. Moreover, if you are planning on taking a part time job, your plans are of no use. There are many different restrictions in employing non American citizens in the United States. All you should consider is the money in your hand and that which you can take with you.

Consider Institutes with large numbers of foreign students – Try to find the institutes that have large numbers of foreign students from your priority list of ten institutes. When institutes have a large number of foreign students, it will make you a bit more comfortable. Moreover, it can give you a sense of assurance that international students can easily adjust to the environment of these institutes.

Visit the campus – Once you have selected the institute, I recommend that you visit the institute at least once. Visiting the institute gives you a feel of the environment, and moreover, it helps you to prepare mentally to adjust to the environment.

Prepare for the Entrance Tests – Most institutes in the United States conduct an entrance test. Your biggest chance of getting admission will rely on how well you do on these examinations. Prepare well for these entrance tests. And finally, have your documents arranged in an orderly manner.

These were the tips to be followed prior to accepting an American institute. Follow these to step into a good institute and realize all your dreams.

Naveen Marasinghe asked:

To feel the magic of Swedish culture and history in the heart of the United States, the best place to visit is the American Swedish Institute in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Located on the east side of I 35 west and housed in the magnificent Turnblad mansion, the American Swedish Institute is the brainchild of Swedish immigrant newspaperman Swan J Turnblad which was launched in 1929. It is a fascinating museum, astounding mansion and a significant cultural centre which is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

This 33 room manor house depicts a fusion of Swedish and American cultures. The elegantly designed house reveals the best of 20th century Swedish architecture. It is beatified with carved stone, a grand two storey hall, painted plaster sculptures, intricate woodwork, sculpted ceilings and unique porcelain tile stoves.

Among the many diverse exhibits on display at the American Swedish Institute are fine Swedish glass, important information on folk music, textiles and other decorative arts.

A popular display at this museum is the exhibit on Radiant Knits. The Bohus Tradition demonstrates the history of Swedish Bohus knitting styles and techniques. It displays some original and beautifully knit costumes knitted according to the Bohus style. The Bohus couture garments are on display from January 23rd to March 29th, 2009. This is the first time that the costumes are displayed in the United States ever since the 1964 World’s Fair that took place in New York.

Reflected Splendor is a mesmerizing display of Nordic Art Glass and its Regional Influence. It features over 200 pieces of fine art glass selected from the permanent glass collection of the museum that boasts more than 1,200 pieces. The exhibits are stunning masterpieces of 13 skilled Swedish artists and 21 renowned glass artists from the United States.

The American Swedish Institute is an outstanding place of learning since it offers Swedish educational programmes for adults, youths, families and even provides scholarships. Visitors can enjoy group tours with loads of fun and activity.

To enjoy an extraordinary Swedish experience, visitors can explore this spectacular Turnblad mansion that dates back to nearly 100 years. This is made much more convenient with the many diverse Minneapolis accommodation options located within easy reach. The wide range of Minneapolis hotels is renowned for offering guests with top class service along with modern facilities.

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