Financial Aid Update. . . .I'm not real happy

I recently posted a request asking y'all to pray about my financial aid situation. So far all that I have been told is that rules are rules and "I'm sorry miss Hinshaw but there is simply nothing we can do but I hope this wont hinder you continuing your college education"

Well thats dumb if it weren't going to hinder me in continuing my college education I wouldn't be fighting this tooth and nail!

Sorry guys but I'm a little more than upset right now. We just have to keep praying that something will change. I just got through writing a letter to the chancellor of my school and I thought I would share some of it with y'all so that you could see what I am dealing with and see if you think I have a valid argument.

Dr. Lassiter,
I know that you sent me to Mr. Jones but he was unable to help me. I realize that you are out of the office until Wednesday but I decided to write this letter anyway. I’m sure you know the rules that are in place but just so that there is no confusion I have included some of the rules on dependency status in this e-mail. I hope that by the time you finish reading this you will agree with me that some of these rules need to change. I know that you don’t make the rules but I’m sure you know where to go to make a difference.

Currently the rules state that seven questions must be answered to determine the dependency status of a college student. The seven questions are as follows.

1. Was the student 24 years old on or before December 31st of the most recently completed calendar year?

2. At the beginning of the Award year will the student be enrolled in a Masters or Doctorate program?

3. As of the date the FAFSA is completed is the student married?

4. Does the student have children who receive more than half their support from the student?

5. Does the student have dependents other than his or her spouse or children who live with the student, and who will receive more than half of their support from the student, from the date the FAFSA is completed until the end of the Award Year?

6. Are both of the student's parents deceased, or is/was the student a ward/dependent of the court until the age of 18?

7. Is the student a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces?

If the student answers yes to one or more of the following he or she is considered independent and therefore is not required to present his or her parents tax and income information when applying for financial aid.

There are some conditions which allow financial aid offices to override the dependency status rules. However those rules are never clearly laid out the only thing that is ever stated is that extreme cases will be considered for this. What qualifies as an extreme case?

There are four regulations currently in place that state when dependency status cannot be overridden. They are as follows.

Parents refusing to contribute to the student’s education;
Parents unwilling to provide information on the application or verification;
Parents not claiming the student as a dependent for income tax purposes;
Student demonstrating total self-sufficiency.

I laugh every time I read those four regulations especially the last one. To be independent means to be self sufficient these rules and regulations are very contradictory. It is not right to make a student suffer because parents are not helpful. It is my opinion that if a student can demonstrate self sufficiency he or she should be allowed to be considered an independent. I have not lived with my parents since I was 14 years old. I have seen my dad once in 10 years. I moved out of my mothers house at 14 because there were some things going on that I did not want to be around . Now because of the fact that a year ago she remarried I am losing all of my financial aid because I don’t fall into one of the tidy categories that congress has said makes me an independent. This needs to change. I should not be punished for something I have no control over. I’m attempting to be the first person in my family to graduate college and these guidelines are making things very difficult. I realize that you have rules to follow but there has to be something that can be done. Basically the law says this. . . .
I am old enough to drink, smoke, gamble, have a job, pay my own bills, live in my own house, pay taxes get married and have kids and a whole list of other things but yet I’m still not considered independent from my parents does this seem odd to you? It does to me.

The following comes from the FAFSA website and discusses the difference between a dependent and an independent student.

“In the federal government's eyes, all students are considered primarily responsible for funding their higher education. But the government also recognizes that most parents contribute financially on some level. Parents provide assistance whether they've been saving for years to fund their child's degree or simply provide housing while their children study.
Taking this into account, the federal government applies two different standards for students, one for dependent students and one for independent students. Dependent students are assumed to have parental support while independent students are not. The result: Independent students might qualify for more aid.”

The second to last sentence says “Dependent students are assumed to have parental support while independent students are not” I do not have parental support and I can prove it so shouldn’t I be considered independent?

Please forgive me if this e-mail comes across as rude that is not my intentions. I am simply trying to let people know that there is a problem with our system and something needs to be done to make some changes.

I’m not the type to give up easily Dr. Lassiter and if you tell me rules are rules and there is nothing that can be done I’ll simply go up the ladder until I find someone that will listen to me. I’ve worked too hard to simply walk away from my college education now. I’ve even been in contact with Senator Lincolns office in hopes that maybe they can do something for me.

I guess the whole point of this e-mail is to simply ask you to look into things yourself and see what can be done to change some things.

Thank you for taking the time to read this I hope you don’t see me as rude.

Sincerely
Yvonne Hinshaw

So I'm basically just waiting now hoping that I can make these people realize how contradictory and stupid some of these rules are that they have in place. Just remember to keep this situation in your prayers when you pray.

More Poetry. . .

This is a poem that I wrote a few years ago that I thought y'all might enjoy.

I Don't Know Much About Heaven

I don't know what pure gold looks like I've never seen it before

I don't know how big the pearly gates are I've never taken heavens tour

I don't know how wide the crystal river is nor how far it's waters flow

I don't know much about heaven But there is one think I know

I want to go to heaven but not just for the beauty of the place

I want to finally meet My savior face to face

I don't know what songs the heavenly choir will sing

I only want to go to see the king of kings

I don't know what we will eat at the banquet spread

For my eyes will only be feasting on the one at the tables head

Sure I'm looking forward to walking on streets of gold

But only if they lead me to the thronerooms threshhold

I want to bow before him and look upon his face

As I hold his nail scarred hands and thank him for his grace

I don't know much about heaven but there is one thing I know

If Jesus isn't there then friend I don't want to go

I hope that y'all enjoy it!

Happy Anniversary Mom and Jerry!

Today is my mom and her hushand Jerry's first anniversary and I just wanted to say Happy Anniversary. I love you both to pieces! I took a couple pictures of them today. I'll post them in the morning and you can see how much moms hair has grown in the past year it's amazing.

Please Pray. . . .

I have a prayer request for you all. I found out today that I am losing almost $5000 in financial aid per semester to go to school. This is all because my mother recently got married. The thing is I haven't lived with my mom for over 6 years and she does not support me. I'm very upset about this but I know that God can work miracles and take care of everything please pray with me.

Music. . . .A Universal Language

For those of you who don't know or haven't figured it out yet, I love music. It is a passion of mine and I like all kinds of music. I love to sing. . .In my opinion nothing can make a situation seem better like a song can. In light of that I thought I would share with you all some of my favorite quotes and sayings about music and singing. Hope you enjoy :)

A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song - -Maya Angelou

Music is the greatest communication in the world. Even if people don't understand the language that you're singing in, they still know good music when they hear it. --Lou Rawls

For me, singing sad songs often has a way of healing a situation. It gets the hurt out in the open into the light, out of the darkness. --Reba McEntire (This is so true to me I love sad songs)

A painter paints pictures on canvas. But musicians paint their pictures on silence --Not sure who said this I'll have to look it up.

Take a music bath once or twice a week for a few seasons. You will find it is to the soul what a water bath is to the body. --Oliver Wendell Holmes (I think).

Music has been my playmate, my lover, and my crying towel. --Buffy Sainte-Marie (I found this one surfing the web and I fell in love with it. . .lol I have no clue who Buffy Sainte-Marie is.)

Hope you enjoy the quotes. Remember that if you sing your way through life things will always seem brighter. That is what I like so much about that first quote from Maya Angelou. A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer it sings because it has a song. You may not always have the answers to lifes problems but you always have a song to sing. It reminds me of Paul and Silas in prison. At midnight they prayed and sang praises unto God. The didn't have the answer to their problems but they still had a song in there hearts and everything turned out in the end.

Until next time. . . .Crank up the music and enjoy life.

Poetry

The following is a poem that I wrote several months ago on Easter Sunday after hearing Bro. Anthony a young preacher in our church, preach a message entitled you can't silence the blood. I stole the title from my former pastor Bro. Allard. I remember him preaching a message several years ago entitled Hush The Blood is Speaking and it was the perfect title for my poem. Hope that y'all enjoy and remember that I ALWAYS except love in the form of comments ;)

Hush The Blood Is Speaking

I heard it calling and beckoning me
Let me cover you child and set you free
Instead of listening I turned up the music of life
I was happy where I was to heed the voice would bring strife

What is this you ask that is speaking to me?
It’s the blood that is flowing from Calvary
I watch as it trickles from the cross to the ground.
I turn to run and get away from the sound

I don’t need you I cry I’m fine this way
But the blood continued calling everyday
You need this my child you can’t live without blood
Let life flow through you from the crimson flood

I tried to talk louder to drown the noise out
But the blood cried louder it began to shout
You can’t silence me no matter how strong your will
The louder you get I’ll get louder still

Just hush when the blood is speaking and let it work in you
For the blood will be your strength in everything you do
Without my blood you will spiritually die
Just let me cover you I heard the blood cry

I finally stopped running I had become so weak
I heard a voice whisper I have the strength that you seek
I turned to look and there was the blood
I knew I couldn’t outrun Calvary’s flood

I cried out cover me with the blood so strong
Let it cover every sin every wrong
I’m tired of running and tired of seeking
I heard a voice say hush when the blood is speaking

I hope that in some way this poem touches someone out there. I want to use the talent that God has given me to touch someone elses life.

A few pictures as promised

Here are a couple of pictures of singing in old town like I promised. Read the blog just before the silly goat story one.

ENJOY!

The great escape

You're trapped in a well with a goat and a slinky. Describe how you will escape. So I'm pretty much just going to make this up. I got this as a random question today in my profile. So instead of just telling you how I escape I thought perhaps you might like to know the whole story of how I am talented enough to actually fall into a well.

I'm walking through a field by a house and somehow I have fallen into a well. This is partly because I am half blind and partly because I'm incredibly talented and only I could manage to fall into a well that has a stone wall built around it.

I land with a thud and I hear a noise it's some kind of animal. I reach into my pocket and pull out my trusty cell phone with the really bright back light so I can see what is in here with me. BILLY! There you are I exclaim. See the goat had dissappeared a few days before apparently the goat and I have a lot in common. . .oh boy this is getting scary.

Now I know your thinking you have a cell phone so why not call for help? Well like any good story the obvious means of escape never works out quite right and so I have no cell phone service down in the well. According to my service provider they are working very hard to expand their coverage area though!

I notice that on the goats horn thingy ma bob a slinky is stuck. Wait a minute! didn't I just throw that slinky away a few days ago? Hmmm Billy must have been playing in the garbage again.

This slinky is one of those mega huge slinkys that stretches for like a mile. Ok maybe I'm exagerating a little bit but you get the point right? It's also one of those metal ones that are really strong. The only problem is the slinky is majorly twisted.

I unhook the slinky from the goats horn and begin the tedious task of unraveling it. It takes me what seems like hours. Doesn't my family miss me I think to myself. It's got to be getting close to supper time because my stomach is making very loud noises and I think it's scaring the poor goat.

FINALLY I get the slinky unraveled. Then I hook it to the goats horn again. The goat still had his rope attached to his neck so I secured the goat to the wall of the well. Yes there was a place for that. It's a story ok? I can put whatever I want in my well. If I would have been thinking straight I would have included a well stocked mini fridge then maybe I wouldn't be so hungry. I grab the slinky and I hurl it towards the top of well hoping it will catch somewhere near the top. No such luck it comes crashing down and whacks me in the head. I try again and again. Finally on about my 5th try it gets caught on something near the top. I begin to pray that it will stay. I hop on top of the goat and then begin to climb up the slinky like it's a rope. At one point I think the slinky is going to break but apparently it's extra heavy duty metal so it doesn't. I slowly make my way to the top calling on Jesus the whole time. Really I don't think I've ever been so spiritual.

After I make it to the top. . I get some friends and we rescue billy. It was only then that it occured to me. Wait a minute I was just in a well but. . . .I'm not WET! Realizing that the well had been dried up for a while we boarded up the well so we wouldn't have this problem anymore.

Yeah yeah yeah I know it's a corny story but I had fun writing it and really can you think of anything more productive for me to be doing at the moment? Wait a minute don't answer that question please.

Hope y'all enjoy my silliness!

Love y'all

Singing in Old Town

I got to sing today with my mom in old town for Arts Alive. It was a lot of fun. We sang Can I Get A Witness and In Time On Time Every Time together. I love singing with my mom. I really just love singing period. But singing with mom is extra special. We have gotten to do so several times this summer which is really awesome. Today was kinda sad though because it's the last time I will get to sing with her before I go home. :( I'll try and add a picture of us just as soon as I get it. Sis Frost is suppose to be e-mailing it to me. :)

Love y'all

God Said it. . .I believe it. So Why Are We Constantly Looking For an Explanation?

"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void: and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Sport of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God SAID, Let there be light: and there was light." Genesis 1:1-3

This is very familiar scripture right? I knew you would think so :)

I was recently having a conversation with someone who thought that the Big Bang Theory is how God created the earth. I don't have time to explain the theory so for those of you who don't know what it is check out this website if you're really interested. http://www.big-bang-theory.com/ . He said that this had to be how God did it otherwise why would God have rested on the 7th day. To him there would be no need to rest if all he did was speak it into existence. I of course do not agree with him. For one thing if the Big Bang Theory were true it would have taken much longer than seven days for the earth to be created. According to the Big Bang Theory it took a long time for the earth to become an inhabitable place. As for why God rested I think he was just taking a day to enjoy his handy work I mean when you do something good don't you like to take a minute to step back and admire your work? I know I do. Now perhaps that is vain of me but I don't think so.

Now on to the whole point of this blog. The Bible says that God said this or God said that and it was so. Why is it that people even those of us that are christians have a hard time excepting the fact that God just spoke it into existence? So many times even without realizing we are doing it we look for ways to explain how God did it. It's simple really there is so much power in Gods words that something has to happen when he speaks. Think about the story of the disciples and Jesus out on the sea. It didn't take him a long time to calm the waves he simply spoke and the waves obeyed him. We need to stop trying to explain God and simply accept the powerfullness of his voice.

There's a song that I believe says. . If God Said it I belive it and that's all that faith demands. (Don't kill me if I have the words wrong please).

So actually I guess you could say I do believe the big bang theory. . . .God said it and BANG it happend :)

Until next time.

My Life as A College Student

I absolutely LOVE campus life! I use to think I would hate it but it has been one of the best times of my life! I have made so many good friends since moving into Royer Hall. Now that I'm an RA I get to meet even more of the lovely ladies that live in Royer with me. The group picture is of all of the RA's and the GA that live in Royer. JJ the one sitting down graduated this spring and we sure are going to miss her :( We have a fun girl named sarah taking her place and she seems like she will be a great addition to the Res Life staff. The other picture is of me and my buddie Lo Lo. She was my roommate last fall before I got the RA job and moved into a private room. I LOVE YOU LO LO! Can't wait to see you when I get back this fall. Anyway I just thought I would share some of my on campus experiences with y'all. The pictures at the bottom of the page are just random events around campus from last year.

Random Questions for My Random Blog. . .How Perfect!

So I was filling out my profile and I noticed that at the bottom it has a random question to answer. I love it! The questions are so weird and half the time they don't make sense but I think they make great blog ideas. I think I'm going to start answering them in my blog when I have nothing else to write about.

Twenty-two Days and Counting

So I live in AR but I've been in California for the summer. I got here on May 14th. It is hard to believe that it is already July the 18th and I only have 22 days left before I have to go back. It's been so much fun. There are a few things I would change about the summer but overall it's been a really good summer. I know 22 days sounds like a lot of time but really its not. In one way I'm looking forward to going back to AR and getting back to school but I'll also be very sad to leave. I grew up here and even though I've never felt like I fit or belong here it will always be home. It's not a bad thing that I don't fit I'm certainly not complaining. I fit just right in Arkansas I'm a country girl at heart and I think I always have been. California is a good place to visit. People are always asking me if I'll ever move back and sometimes I'll tell them what I think they want to hear and that maybe someday when I finish school I'll move back but in reality I don't think I'll ever live in California again (sorry Mom). I doubt I stay in Arkansas forever either though. I have a rambling soul and I like new and adventerous things. I love the adventure of living in a new place and meeting new people. I hate constantly doing the same thing over and over again. I like to sit in a different spot everytime I go to church and I never drive to wal-mart the same way twice in a row. People tell me that someday I'll have to learn how to settle in one place but I sure hope not because that would bore me to death. I can't wait until I finish my degree at UAM because that means a new school and new people for me. Really I don't know how I got on this subject I started out just writing about the fact that I don't have much time left to spend with my mom this summer. Oh well it sounds good anyway. Back to the original topic. I fly out of here on Aug 9th and then I move back into the dorms on Aug 12th. Ugh, that means it's back to plastic mattresses, raunchy food, and community showers. . . sounds appealing I know. Thankfully I'll have a week and half or so before it's back to classes at ungodly hours and professors who think it's funny to assign a 5-10 page research paper the first day of class. I think that all professors are required to take some sort of oath saying they will torment their students until the day they graduate. . no really I do. Ok thats enough randomness for now I'm off to find something to eat and sweet talk mom into taking me to the mall or something like that.

YAY! A Real Blog!!!

Woohoo I'm actually going to start writing a real blog! I've done the myspace and facebook blog thing for a while now but that's not the same. I've attempted to do a blog several times before and it has failed. As you can see I've been a member of blogspot since November of 2006 but I'm just now getting my first post up in July of 2007. I probably wont post everyday but I'll write at least once a week. I hope that all my friends will link to me and read all my random little thoughts. Who knows you might actually learn something! Ok now for a question. I need one of you experienced bloggers to tell me how the devil I post pictures on this web site. I am a fairly intelligent person but I can't seem to figure it out. Your help would be oh so very much appreciated.

I don't know exactly what all I will write here probably a little bit of everything. I thought about posting some of the things I've written as far as poetry goes. Yes I love to write poetry. I'll also talk a lot about music on here. Music is my passion. I am always on the look out for some cool new song that I can sing or maybe use in one of my drama pieces that I love to do. I don't just limit my musical tastes to one genre either. I love everything from smooth jazz to opera to Southern Gospel and yes I even like some soft rock. I am a little strange but I also like the sounds of some of the celtic music. I am very eclectic in my music tastes. Anyway I'm sure most of you reading this know me so I'm not going to do the whole tell you all about myself routine. Check out my profile if you really want to know.

Thats all for now! Remember don't do anything I wouldn't do and if you do don't name it after me!