Sampradaya Sun article - continuing education

[Guest guest]

Dandavats all,

 

This is in regards to an article in the Sampradaya Sun written by someone who stated that now they cannot get a college education because they

never registered for the draft and thus can't receive federal financial aid.

 

The person shared their frustration with "the establishment" and the powers that be, feeling very sad that a building was not purchased so he could have a place to live for five years. He also expressed frustrations with working at a $5 an hour job selling leather goods.

 

I wanted to share some leads that may prove helpful not only to that person

but anyone in a similar situation, in a brainstorming mode only.

 

I. COLLEGE EDUCATION:

 

1.HAWAII COMMUNITY COLLEGE

UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII AT HILO

 

Four devotees that I know, three disciples of ACBSP, received full scholarships to either Hawaii Community College and/or the University fo Hawaii at Hilo.

 

The scholarship they received was a NON-NEED BASED State scholarship. Of course, the devotees needed the money, but if you apply for a non-need based scholarship, the you don't have to go through all of the rigmarole of filling out a FAFSA and dealing with the federal forms at the Financial Aid office.

 

At the community college level it was called the Dean's scholarship, at the four year college level it was first called the Pacific-Asian Scholarship and then the Chancellor's Scholarship.

 

The person making the decision if you get money or not is the Chancellor or the Dean, and they can do whatever they want. They are looking for someone excelling in: academics, achievement, and community service.

 

So for a devotee that scholarship is a cinch. If you apply yourself diligently

the academics are covered. If you learned Sanskrit as a little kid then that

is an achievement.

 

If you started a newsletter on a shoe-string budget that led to something good like reunion of disenfranchised kids then that is community service. If you learned devotional service by scrubbing toilets as a child then that is "a history of selfless, lifelong community service" since Temples are 501 c 3 non-profit charitable organizations and you were not paid for your labor.

 

 

 

2. PALOMAR COMMUNITY COLLEGE

SAN DIEGO

Another college that is very cheap is Palomar Community College in San Diego.

It is only $45 per credit for CA residents.

 

 

3. THE NEW COLLEGE OF CALIFORNIA

SAN FRANCISCO - OAKLAND- SANTA ROSA

 

A fully accredited college that accepts LIFE EXPERIENCE as credits [up to

30 or 60 credits, I forget which] plus lets you do credit by exam on top of that [CLEP - up to 30 credits] is The New College of California [or New School of California, sorry I forget the exact name].

 

That is the most cool college in the world. You can design your entire curriculum to be mostly independent study projects. You can take your

core classes like science and math in ONE class that meets once a month.

 

The foreign language offered is Irish language, Irish culture, Irish history, and Irish music. You look at the alumni and the President of the Board of Directors

received "Hero of the Planet" award from Time magazine for her innovative program to rehabillitate prisoners in San Mateo County using organic gardening. It has the lowest recidivism level of any prison in the county.

 

The girl who began that program is a graduate of the New College of California

and sits on the Board of Directors. You check out the alumni and it is almost all people in the helping professions who just needed a piece of paper to validate and make legitimate their years of community work and activism.

 

It was started by a college professor on his front yard in Sausalito in the 1970s, so all the kids who "fell through the cracks" of "the system" could

have a place to go to school. Very oriented to alternatives to "the system".

 

 

II. WHERE TO LIVE

The author mentioned he felt sad a building was not purchased for him. Here is something that several people I know did, after years of sleeping in their cars, in parks, or at the airport terminal.

 

On the Big Island of Hawaii in the local paper they sell up to three acres of land for $50 down and $50 a month. Can you afford that? An acre of land

is 5000 sq ft. A nice studio in a luxury condo is 500 sq ft.

 

So if you got ten friends together, you could each chip in $5 and have the down payment, then each pay $5 a month for rent. Can you afford that?

Then you do what half of the people do in Puna to start out in life and you get a pallet for the floor and a piece of plastic for your ceiling.

 

You get water from a rain barrel. You just stick a bucket under the plastic and

collect the rain. Or you get water from the County water faucets along Hwy 11 in Keaau and Mt View for the Puna people

 

So there is water, shelter, for $5 a month. No how about food? If you check out the Hawaii Island Journal [online] then it tells about all of the free food

programs for the homeless and indigent on the Big Island, such as in Keaau

 

there is a non-profit community gardens project where they are teaching the local people how to eat a vegetarian diet and they have a veg soup kitchen daily [free cooked organic healthy meals daily]. So there is your food voucher for one hot cooked meal a day.

 

When you move onto your property you can plant food such as sweet potatos and comfrey which grow like weeds and are very nutritious. To flavor your rainwater you can grow mint and lemongrass which require no talent to grow.

 

 

III. MENTAL HEALTH

 

Every community college and college has a mental health outreach clinic for free help with that, past traumas, drug and alcohol addictions etc.

 

 

IV. PART-TIME JOBS

 

DOMESTIC AND NANNY

Out in the boonies you can probably get odd jobs. Or put a sign up at the health food store saying you are seeking a caretaking position, can do odd jobs, and list your specialty areas: such as babysitting, personal assistant, typing, proof-reading, gardening, cooking/ chef, house-cleaning, etc.

 

In larger cities there are agencies such as nanny and domestic. Almost any

task people did in ISKCON falls under the category of nanny and domestic:

cooking, cleaning, gardening, personal assistant, typing, proof-reading, translating, butler, chauffeur. The very wealthy don't place ads in the paper but look to these types of agencies to hire their employees for them.

 

TEACHING, TUTORING, SKILLS TRAINERS

In ISKCON people also spent a great deal of time educating others. In the secular world this is a type of community worker called a teacher or a tutor. If you live near a college or a city then tutoring is an extremely easy way to make money if you can speak standard English and you can write an essay.

 

The United States is filled with immigrants with lots and lots of money who want their children to have a better life. They are willing to pay top dollar for their kids to have every competitive advantage in the world.

 

OPTIONAL - So if you can go to the thrift store and get a suit or some attire that makes you look like a professional person then you will have the right look to appeal to immigrants, as most professional teachers in other countries wear a suit. Just carry your suit in a shopping bag if you have to at first and then change clothes in a gas station.

 

Tutoring "mills" pay $5 - $7.50 an hour, but some private companies pay $10 - $15 and hour to start. If you can get your own clients [put up an ad, run a free ad, make flyers] then you can charge $20 - $45 an hour. All anyone is

looking for is a person who can speak English and write English well. Most tutors are college students not college graduates.

 

There are also jobs as assistants to special ed kids, called "skills trainers".

These jobs pay about $15 - $25 an hour. They are usually advertised in the paper. You are like a big brother or big sister to a special ed kid and get paid

to follow them around everywhere and help them get a grip on life.

 

 

SUMMARY

Well those are just some ideas.

 

One last thing is if possible, if you can refrain from taking drugs, engaging in promiscuous sex, and/or drinking, then that increases your chance of being prosperous, as all of these activities open the lower chakras below the muladhara.

 

All of these activities impair your judgement and makes you more vulnerable to become easily misled by others, causing you to create even more unpleasant kukarmas for yourself.

 

A possible alternative to drug and alcohol use is any form of exercise, such as walking, running, swimming, riding a bicycle, and gardening. Most places have parks and community pools which are free.

 

These are all some ideas that have helped devotee and non-devotee friends who were once desperately struggling and homeless, given in a brainstorming mode. Perhaps other people know of other ideas. If anyone wishes to pass this info on to the author of that article or any other devotee or nice person you know who is having a hard time in life feel free.