Idea Girl Media recommends the #collegecash Tweetchat to learn more about finding financial aid for college tuition

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I can hear parents far and wide sigh and shrug…

“Twitter??!!  Really???…”

Yes, Twitter.

In the past year or so, Twitter has done a lot to make their interface more user-friendly.

A Versatile Bird

A whole lot can happen in the fast-moving 140 character spaces on Twitter!

1) You might find others with similar interests to your own.

2) You can engage in fun conversation and/or build business relationships.

3) Business owners can use it for marketing and/or customer service.

4) Try the Search function to listen to conversation on virtually any topic at any given moment.

5) Governments and nonprofits have used it to alert and advise during times of crisis.

6) Connect with location-based services apps on your smart phone to let your friends know where you are.

7) Tweetchats – Twitter conversations on specific topics with like-minded people.  Usually there is a #hashtag to signal the topic, and this may or may not be at an assigned day and time.

Useful stuff, right?

So far, I’ve used Twitter for all of the above.

Lucky #7

Tweetchats – I attend 3 to 4 per week discussing social media and specific social networks.

When I saw a Twitter friend mention the #collegecash tweetchat, I was quick to tune in, as I have a high school senior and need to pay attention to all signals helping me find sources of financial aid for college.

It was just so lucky that I attended the first session because:

  • People with kids already in college shared their insight.
  • Some asked questions I might not have thought of.
  • An informative host – Jodi Okun of College Financial Aid Advisors.

Jodi talked about her processes in helping parents hurdle the tedious and sometimes difficult steps of getting all the forms and applications where they need to go.

Honestly, I learned more from Jodi in 45 minutes than I had from high school guidance counselors in years…

Deadlines, website resources, and more — look below!

In An Eggshell

Here are my curated tweets from the first #collegecash tweetchat:

http://storify.com/kerijaehnig/collegecash

Jodi knows her stuff!  Her last most recent blog posts include:

  • 8 Reasons To Go To College
  • Sending Kids To College
  • Tips To Cut College Costs

Basically, those interested in participating hop on Twitter at 10pm EST on Thursdays for an hour.

There is a specific topic set each week.  Jodi will answer pre-set questions for about 45 minutes, and then the discussion is opened up for Q & A.

People from all walks of life various backgrounds attend, so you will learn insight from them as well.

And, you will probably see me there!

So…

Can Twitter Help Parents Find Financial Aid For College?

Are you a parent of a high schooler, struggling to figure things out after unemployment and the economic downturn?

Are you a parent trying to gain all the information you can to give your kids the very best?

Then your answer is:

Yes – if you hop in and go right to the informational source!

Did the curated tweet story offer you helpful details?

What questions do you have about twitter, #collegecash, and tweetchats?

Please tell me in the comment box below! 🙂