Latest news with #AbuAhmad
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
FAFSA deadline: $3.7B ‘left on the table' because students don't apply
The Brief It's time for graduating high school students to fill out their FAFSA or Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Every year, thousands of dollars goes unclaimed because students do not fill out the FAFSA. Find out how simple it is to apply – and see whether the student in your life can benefit. MILWAUKEE - June 30th marks the deadline for federal financial aid (FAFSA) applications. It's a free, quick way to potentially unlock funds to put toward college. But a staggering amount of FAFSA money goes unclaimed year after year. Why you should care When he sat down to write a college financial aid essay, 18-year-old Abu Ahmad didn't have to look far for inspiration. He was born in Malaysia and at 6 years old, Ahmad came to the United States with his mother. "I used my mom's story of how she fled her country," he said, typing on his laptop. "My mother and relatives being stuck and endangered by the Rohingya genocide is what influenced my personal story to want to learn more about this topic." Ahmad worked hard but admits he struggled learning English as a second language. When he started classes at MPS's Bradley Tech high school, Ahmad's persistence really started to pay off. "Now I'm a senior," Ahmad said. "A 4.0 GPA [with a] full scholarship and full tuition to Marquette [University]. Nobody is going to give you the money – but the money is there to get. You have to go and get the money." FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android As of April, Ahmed had already received six scholarships totaling more than $100,000. But it turns out a lot of students nationwide aren't taking advantage. What we know "In 2021 alone, there was $3.7 billion in Pell grant money left on the table because students didn't complete the FAFSA," said Jennifer Andreas, Senior Money Path Manager with the group SecureFutures. Andreas is also a Wisconsin Coalition on Student Debt board member. "That's a lot of college education right there that could have been paid for." SecureFutures has met with almost all college-bound Bradley Tech Juniors and Seniors to help them fill out the FAFSA form. "What do those letters mean?" explained Andreas. "It's the Free Application for Student Aid – the first step for students who think they are college-bound to look at how am I going to pay for school." Andreas says the FAFSA only takes about 20 minutes to complete. "Students can put up to 20 potential schools that they are looking at. That application gets sent to those schools. If they student gets admitted, then they will receive a financial aid award letter which will notify them of federal grants, work study and scholarships that come directly from the school," Andreas said. Andreas says currently, only 46% of high school seniors nationwide have completed the FAFSA. In Wisconsin, the number drops to about 39%. Dig deeper According to Forbes, Wisconsinites carry $30,777 dollars in federal student loan debt. That's slightly under Forbes' national average of just over $35,000. "There are so many merit-based scholarships out there – that's what is going to help offset those students' loans," said Andreas. The FAFSA typically opens in October of a student's senior year of high school. This year's deadline is June 30. Andreas encourages all students to fill out the form – regardless of their family's financial circumstances. You never know which financial aid package might be offered… and every dollar helps. What they're saying "You'll never know unless you try," said Ahmad. "There are certain scholarships I applied for that are hard to get but I waited it out." Ahmad plans to pursue a Mechanical Engineering degree at Marquette. He one day hopes to work for an engineering company making a six-figure salary. "It is possible to achieve the American Dream as a refugee and immigrant," he said. "We grew up with my mom always reminding us that – she did her part in bringing us here." SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News More than anything, Ahmad just wants to make his mom proud. "Hopefully help my mom pay off the house mortgage and by the will of God, I'll be able to buy my mom a new car too," Ahmad said. The Source The information in this post was provided by Milwaukee Public Schools and SecureFutures.
Jordan Times
17-04-2025
- Politics
- Jordan Times
Missile threats and the cultivation of hatred toward the Jordanian state
Jordan's historical experience with illegal arms, security disorder, and politicized factions exploiting the Palestinian cause is neither new nor forgotten. These memories remain vivid within the country's leadership and sovereign institutions, shaping a firm stance against any group that threatens national unity and stability under the guise of ideological or revolutionary rhetoric. The Kingdom has learned that slogans—whether religious, leftist, or right-wing—often mask more troubling agendas. While some movements may claim concern for Jordan's security, their actions frequently tell a different story. Just as corruption in public administration can hide behind talk of reform and patriotism, so too can extremist elements disguise hostility to the state beneath nationalist language. Expressions of loyalty lose meaning when accompanied by acts of provocation—be it through inflammatory protests, anti-state chants, or the display of foreign militia flags. Allegiance cannot be credible when individuals pledge loyalty to non-Jordanian figures, effectively rejecting national institutions and claiming alternative authorities. Furthermore, disdain for Jordan's institutions—its army, its martyrs, and its security apparatus—exposes a deeper alienation. For some, even acknowledging the country during national celebrations such as Independence Day becomes an act of political discomfort. This disconnect is not merely symbolic; it manifests in dangerous and organized efforts. The discovery of missile manufacturing and weapons storage facilities cannot be dismissed as isolated incidents. These developments reflect long-term ideological conditioning and deliberate coordination with external actors. Such activities are not spontaneous nor the result of youthful recklessness—they are the product of institutionalized strategies that aim to alienate members from Jordanian identity and loyalty. The case of "Abu Ahmad," mentioned in connection with a recently uncovered sabotage cell, exemplifies this threat. Those supporting him were once critical of earlier militant experiences with Jordan, yet now walk the same path they once condemned. Their shift underscores a broader pattern: ideological betrayal and a return to destabilizing behaviour. Jordan, however, has a long memory. Its response is not based on rhetoric, but on tangible actions. The state remains resolute in confronting any entity—regardless of its political orientation—that seeks to undermine its sovereignty or disrupt public order.
Jordan Times
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Jordan Times
Missile threats and the cultivation of hatred toward the
Jordan's historical experience with illegal arms, security disorder, and politicized factions exploiting the Palestinian cause is neither new nor forgotten. These memories remain vivid within the country's leadership and sovereign institutions, shaping a firm stance against any group that threatens national unity and stability under the guise of ideological or revolutionary rhetoric. The Kingdom has learned that slogans—whether religious, leftist, or right-wing—often mask more troubling agendas. While some movements may claim concern for Jordan's security, their actions frequently tell a different story. Just as corruption in public administration can hide behind talk of reform and patriotism, so too can extremist elements disguise hostility to the state beneath nationalist language. Expressions of loyalty lose meaning when accompanied by acts of provocation—be it through inflammatory protests, anti-state chants, or the display of foreign militia flags. Allegiance cannot be credible when individuals pledge loyalty to non-Jordanian figures, effectively rejecting national institutions and claiming alternative authorities. Furthermore, disdain for Jordan's institutions—its army, its martyrs, and its security apparatus—exposes a deeper alienation. For some, even acknowledging the country during national celebrations such as Independence Day becomes an act of political discomfort. This disconnect is not merely symbolic; it manifests in dangerous and organized efforts. The discovery of missile manufacturing and weapons storage facilities cannot be dismissed as isolated incidents. These developments reflect long-term ideological conditioning and deliberate coordination with external actors. Such activities are not spontaneous nor the result of youthful recklessness—they are the product of institutionalized strategies that aim to alienate members from Jordanian identity and loyalty. The case of "Abu Ahmad," mentioned in connection with a recently uncovered sabotage cell, exemplifies this threat. Those supporting him were once critical of earlier militant experiences with Jordan, yet now walk the same path they once condemned. Their shift underscores a broader pattern: ideological betrayal and a return to destabilizing behaviour. Jordan, however, has a long memory. Its response is not based on rhetoric, but on tangible actions. The state remains resolute in confronting any entity—regardless of its political orientation—that seeks to undermine its sovereignty or disrupt public order.
Al Jazeera
02-03-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Syria's White Helmets continue to help people in devastated Aleppo
Aleppo, Syria – Abu Ahmad flashes his phone's torch onto an explosive he found in the basement of a building that used to be a regime military outpost housing soldiers, tanks and ammunition during the Syrian war. Now Abu Ahmad commands a base for the Syria Civil Defence, or White Helmets, in the building. The volunteers in the White Helmets worked tirelessly throughout the war and in the aftermath of the 2023 earthquakes to save people under rubble and get them emergency assistance. They moved into the building a little more than a month after an opposition offensive led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) took Aleppo on November 30 and went on to topple Bashar al-Assad eight days later. Remnants of the former regime littered the place, Abu Ahmad said, with discarded military uniforms, tank shells and soldiers' personal belongings tossed aside as people fled the outpost. Pro-regime graffiti remains. One message reads: 'With our soul, with our blood, we'll sacrifice for you, Bashar.' 'Bashar' has been crossed out with a red X. The work continues In the aftermath of 13 years of war, there's lots for the White Helmets to do. They are clearing rubble, demining buildings and searching for mass graves – traces of a battle that strangled the city between 2012 and 2016, led to the regime retaking opposition-held areas of Aleppo and made it one of Syria's cities most devastated by the war. Abu Ahmad, who was among the first White Helmets volunteers in 2013, has seen it all. As Russia pounded Aleppo from the air, the White Helmets pulled people from the rubble at great risk to themselves. Russia used 'double taps' bombing, waiting for rescue workers to arrive after an initial attack and then striking again to target the first responders. 'I lost five people close to me because of this Russian strategy,' Abu Ahmad recalled. 'But the worst were the helicopters dropping barrel bombs.' Before the battles in Aleppo, the building had been used as a fire station, and the regime had brought those firefighters back in 2016 after retaking the city to share space with the military. Now Abu Ahmad wants to integrate the fire crews into the White Helmets' work despite their past service to al-Assad. 'We forgive them for what they did,' he said. 'What matters now is working together to rebuild the city.'
