Paying for college is not easy, so let GovBenefits.gov help you find assistance! There are many Federally funded grants and loans that provide students with the resources and financial aid they need to help them reach their goal of higher education.

Financial assistance to future college students is based on need and/or merit. Depending on your financial situation, you might be eligible for the Federal Pell Grants program, which does not require repayment. There are also several low interest rate loans that are available to cover college tuition and housing. Students can apply for the Stafford Loans for Students program and parents planning to cover their child’s college costs can apply for PLUS Parent Loans. In addition to these loans, top students should look into applying for the Byrd Honors Scholarships, which are government funded scholarships for students who have demonstrated outstanding academic achievement.

You can also get help before you even start applying to college. If you are a high school student planning on taking the Advanced Placement test, the Advanced Placement Test Fee Program is available to help students who do not have the financial resources to cover the cost of the exam.

To find out which of the Department of Education financial assistance programs you may be eligible for, fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). For more resources on college preparation, including how to decide on whether or not to attend college, how to choose a school, as well as how to access to SAT/ACT test preparation and other materials, visit College.gov.

You did the hard work to get to college. Now, let GovBenefits.gov help you find a way to pay for it! Take the customized questionnaire to find a list of education programs and other Federally funded programs that you might be eligible to receive.

Since President Obama declared H1N1 (Swine) flu a national emergency in late October, concerns over H1N1, the vaccine and proper preventative measures have been frequently highlighted in the news. With the heightened national concern, you may be hearing varying and conflicting messages about the flu and what you should do about it. GovBenefits.gov wants to help you separate fact from fiction by connecting you to the most accurate flu information available.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) can provide you with reliable information on H1N1 flu. Check out their H1N1 Flu page for links to guidance on what to do if you are experiencing H1N1 flu symptoms, how to care for a sick person, vaccine updates, treatment methods, prevention tips and more.

You can also track H1N1 Situation Updates from the CDC to learn how heavily your area is being affected and to access suggested additional resources.

Learn more about H1N1 and seasonal flu at Flu.gov. Here, you can use their Flu Vaccine Locator to find available flu shots in your area, watch webcasts and follow related blog updates.

GovBenefits.gov wants to help keep you healthy! Visit our homepage and select “Healthcare” from the Benefits Quick Search for a list of health related programs.

New benefits are here! Below is a highlight of four benefits recently added to GovBenefits.gov. Read on and find out which benefits are right for you.

Are you struggling to afford your health care coverage?

The Health Coverage Tax Credit (HCTC) is administered by the Internal Revenue Service. HCTC is equal to 80 percent of the amount paid by an eligible individual for qualified health coverage as specified in Section 35 of the Internal Revenue Code.

EBSA COBRA Premium Assistance provides eligible applicants with a 65 percent reduction of their COBRA premiums for up to nine months. If eligible, individuals will pay only 35 percent of their COBRA premiums to the plan and the remaining 65 percent will be paid by the employer through a payroll tax credit.

Are you a small or disadvantaged business owner?

The Disadvantage Business Enterprise Bonding Assistance Program - American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (DBE BAP ARRA) allows small and disadvantaged businesses to apply for reimbursement for bonding premiums and fees incurred when competing for, or performing, transportation infrastructure projects funded by ARRA.

Are you the spouse or child of a deceased or disabled Public Safety Officer?

The Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Program: Educational Assistance Benefits (PSOEA) provides financial assistance for higher education to spouses and eligible children of local police, fire and emergency public safety officers who have been killed or permanently disabled in the line of duty.

To determine your eligibility for any of the benefits featured above, select the benefit you are interested in and click the “Determine Eligibility” button on the benefit description page. You can also complete the confidential questionnaire for a comprehensive list of all of the benefits you may be eligible to receive.

Stay tuned for more new benefits in the near future!

The first snowfall came as early as October in some parts of the country this year. While a dusting of snow may make things look festive this holiday season, GovBenefits wants you and your family to be well prepared for the harsher side of winter.

When temperatures go down, energy bills go up. If you need help making payments this year, the government offers a Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) to help families pay for increasing energy and fuel costs. You can also get help to make your home as energy efficient as possible with the Weatherization Assistance Program for Low-Income Persons, resulting in lower energy bills in the future. Check out Ready.gov for tips on preparing your family and home for extreme cold and winter storms.

Winter storms can cause severe damage from ice, strong winds and heavy snow. If you are impacted by a Presidentially declared disaster this winter, visit DisasterAssistance.gov to find and apply for the assistance you may need.

Below are direct links to programs on GovBenefits.gov that can help you and your family get through the worst that winter can bring. A full listing of related programs can be found by selecting “Energy Assistance,” “Disaster Relief” and “Housing” on the Browse by Category page. Stay safe and warm this holiday season!

• Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program
• Weatherization Assistance Program for Low-Income Persons
• Rural Housing: Housing Repair Loans and Grants
• Disaster Unemployment Assistance

Ready or not, April 15th is just around the corner. Let GovBenefits.gov help you prepare for the upcoming tax season. Each year taxpayers overlook important tax benefits and deductions to which they may be entitled. Given the financial challenges many individuals and families are currently facing, it’s important to take advantage of any available deductions, credits or other assistance programs.

As you prepare for tax season, GovBenefits.gov offers these useful tips:

1. Get Organized: Gather all of your documents and categorize your receipts for wages, mortgage information, medical expenses, charitable donations, investments, and so on.
2. Stay Informed: Make sure you’re aware of changing tax program information by visiting the IRS’ Highlights page to learn about updates and new programs.
3. Submit Your Return Online: There are a number of electronic options available to help you submit your tax return online. Visit The Electronic IRS page to browse the many available options.
4. Take Advantage of Free Services: There are many free resources and tools available to you. For instance, you may be eligible to receive free tax preparation assistance if you are low income, elderly, disabled or part of a military family. Contact your local IRS office for more information.

For more information, go to the GovBenefits.gov homepage, select “Tax Assistance” from the Benefits Quick Search menu and click “Go” for tax-related programs, including information about various tax credits and taxpayer assistance programs. Visit www.irs.gov for further details and resources from the IRS.

GovBenefits.gov is committed to keeping citizens updated on all government benefit and assistance programs. Ongoing outreach activities include participating in events, sending mailings to key citizen groups and working with the media. Check out the following activities.

Link to GovBenefits.gov! GovBenefits.gov is making it easier for citizens to access benefit information. Does your organization have a website? If so, then consider adding our site to your list of resources. For complete linking instructions, visit the Link to GovBenefits.gov page.

Email Subscription Service Usage Visitors to GovBenefits.gov can now make sure they receive the latest information on specific programs of interest. Click on “Subscribe to Updates” on the homepage and check the programs you want to follow. More than 200,000 subscribers are getting the latest benefit and assistance updates. Since October 2008, more than 12 million emails have been sent notifying subscribers that content of interest was updated on the site.

Connecting with the GovBenefits.gov Connection Over 48,000 citizens are reading this eNewsletter along with you! This readership reflects a growing interest in using GovBenefits.gov as the go-to resource for benefit and assistance information.

Reaching Out Are you interested in receiving GovBenefits.gov brochures for your community center, organization or association? Send an email to GovBenefits.gov with your name, address and the amount of Spanish and/or English posters and brochures you would like to receive.

Various publications recently spotlighted GovBenefits.gov as a valuable resource for citizens. To read the full story, click on the article titles below.

7 Ways to Find Unclaimed Money
Woman’s Day – Crystal Tate
If you’ve been affected by a disaster or disability, need help with child care or health care, or require tax or living assistance, you may be eligible for financial assistance from the government. Go to GovBenefits.gov and search for specific benefits or take a questionnaire to find out which program(s) you may qualify for. Read more...

How to Raise Cash in a Flash
Douglas Dispatch (Douglas, Arizona) – Sara Noel
...look for local services, such as food banks, government-assistance programs (www.govbenefits.gov) or home-energy assistance (www.liheap.org/index.html). Contact your local community-action center or social services for emergency help, too. Read more...

Help for the Homeless
The Paramus Post (Paramus, New Jersey) – Mel Fabrikant
There are links to information on health care for the homeless, institutionalization, advocacy groups, reports on homeless outreach, and even links to other websites like the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, disabilityinfo.gov, govbenefits.gov, and HUD. Read more...

Learn how to use GovBenefits.gov to find the benefits you’re looking for – or even a program you didn’t know existed!

GovBenefits.gov offers many tools to help you get started on your search for available resources. If you have an idea of what you may be interested in but would like to learn more about what’s available, try the Benefits Quick Search. Browse specific categories of benefit and assistance programs, highlight one category or hold down the CTRL key on your keyboard to select multiple categories. Click Go and let GovBenefits.gov do the work!