Dear Help for the Disabled:

If I've written you before, please forgive me. My name is David R. King, was born 8-27-51 and I'm partially disabled with Crohns disease. I want to go to a school in China to teach English as a second language to people in foreign countries. There are thousands of jobs out there for TEFL Certified teachers all over the world and hundreds in China. I have been accepted to TEFL International China school in Zhuhai, China from 12-26-05 to 1-20-06. I want to attend this college course and after graduation, I want to move to Guangzhou, China to marry my fiancé, work, live together as husband and wife. I want to stay in China for 6-12 months or more to teach English in Guangzhou, China depending on the contracts I can get. My fiancé, HuiJun Li, whom I've written to for 3.5 years lives there and we met in August 2003 for two weeks and fell in love. For me to go to school to learn how to teach English as a second language, a TEFL Certificate is a worldwide acceptance of a qualified teacher and many job opportunities.
Right now, I've had Crohns disease for 20 years and had surgery three years ago and been in the hospital two other times in 2003 and 2004 with bowel obstructions. With my Crohns disease, no one will hire me in this country because to them, I'm a bad health risk. In China, I want to be judged on if I can do the job rather than here where I'm already judged as a bad health risk no matter if I can do the job or not. I've been looking for work since February but with my sick days in the last three years, no one will hire me. Also, my doctor said I can only work 28 hours a week. With the TEFL Certificate, I can do that in other countries and they would be glad to have me unlike here in the U.S. With my current situation, can you help me with a loan for the TEFL teaching course. To check if I'm really registered in the school, their number is 1-800-432-2762 and the cost of the course is $1,590.00 with room and board. I feel this is my last chance to get my dignity back after working at a hospital for 16 years and because of my illness, they've abandoned me. Can you help me with a grant or loan for going to this school? davidking1@msn.com 1-503-393-0313

Sincerely, David R. King

Hello,

My name is Sherri. Im a employed with the state of Georgia as a Social Worker. Will I qualify for a direct studnet loan cancellation.

Thanks,
Sher ri

Hello -- My name is Mo. I once attended an online university for 3 quarters and then I recieved a letter notifying me that my Stafford Student Loan had defaulted. There is suppose to be a grace period of 260 days after graduation before students are required to begin paying back loans, however, in my situation this was not the case. I was a student when this occured and was quite literally "KICKED OUT" of school with only a year to go. Now I am being hounded and threatened by Sallie Mae to pay for my student loans or suffer the consequences. And when I call the Department of Education and/or Ombudsman I don't even get a supporting comment, instead I only hear from them the same words, "You owe the money you borrowed."
This is a real burden to me now and I am seeking to work it out. Can anyone give me some direction? Thank you very much.

I am a professional therapist and educator and I have been invited to go to China to help teach addiction therapy skills to health professionals there to reduce HIV as well as overall use of heroin and alcohol consumption. There is no funding available because it is a communist country. I am a small private practitioner and I already don't make enough to make a salary of my own yet. So I won't be making any "vacation" or time off pay if I go and volunteer. What kind of grants are available for me?

Dr. Sharon Freeman