Says That Before Awarding Federal Student Aid, We May Ask: Fill & Download for Free

To forgive this kind of debt, then act as if you’ve done something great, kind, and just, is like ripping off the band-aid on a still hemorrhaging wound and declare your patient healed.The problems with higher education are many-fold and killing the one thing that is actually forcing the necessary changes is probably a bad idea.First, college is becoming the only ticket to the American dream. As recently highlighted in a speech by Senator Hawley, families with a four year degree now control three quarters of American wealth. This is a 50% increase from just 1989.[1] This is unjust. It clearly says that for the small business owner, the type of individual who just sees a problem and solves it in his community for some profit, a class of individuals who have traditionally been the backbone of the American economy, those doors are now closed to prosperity. Now, for you to prosper you must:1) Go to college2) Get the right degree3) Get a good job with a big companyThis path is safe, but unsustainable. It is also antithetical to American history, where the greatest gains were made by people who broke out to solve problems with nothing but the clothes on their backs and an idea, be that a new way to drill for oil or that this town really needs a grocery story.But then, the college loan happened. You see, at the point in your life when you are most likely to take risks, America’s Millennial generation are saddled with tens of thousands, even a hundred thousand dollars or more in student loan debt. They must get a good job to pay off those loans. However, thanks to other forces working against them, the degrees themselves are respected less than ever before by managers who rightly understand they don’t have the skills that business needs.This is a disaster. Traditionally, we’ve always relied upon the creativity of strong entrepreneurs, not mega billionaires mind you, but the kind of millionaires you see at church on Sunday none the wiser of their success, to help solve the problems in our community. Whether they run the local meat packing plant, are the thrifty plumber, or the woman who turned her side hustle of selling art that transformed into a t-shirt printing business that now hires six local employees, these people traditionally kept America alive through the adaptability and seeking small prosperity where needs could be found. Not to fault any of the large companies, but we weren’t built to service oligarchs like the controllers of Coke, Disney, and Amazon. The modern education system we currently have only caters to these companies and other major blue chips like them, but robs America of the true genius of the people who get a college degree.Next, who is actually affected by these college loans? It isn’t who you think.For perspective, in 2008, the crisis for students holding massive debt on their degrees crashed headlong into a collapsed jobs market, suddenly made people realize how worthless their degrees were. While student debt and the increase in tuition had been steadily increasing for decades, it was only then that people started to treat the situation as a crisis. Economists would be quick to point out that much of this would be explained by simple inflation, what happens when tons of free money is pumped into systems where customers have little incentive to check the price before buying. College loans are part of that metric, but so are the grants offered to poorer students as a ticket to their great fortune.Most people imagine a college graduate and think of some poor person who has had to overcome a life of poverty just to be straddled with debt slavery. Yes, the debt crisis is real, but the victims aren’t quite who you think. Thanks to many needs based grant programs, which reward huge amounts of money on the basis of parental income and with no consideration of merit or how prepared the student is for college, ungodly amounts of money have flowed into the American education system from American tax payers. Grants like the Pell Grant are so lucrative that colleges do whatever it takes to get a person who is financially qualified to get the grant, regardless of whether they are equipped for college or not. The grant is paid into their tuition, helping many to not need to take out expensive loans. It helps ensure that they can go to college, sure, but at what cost?In 2008, the point where the student debt crisis became a real subject of concern for many Americans, the amount available for Federal student grants was allocated at $13,989,305,000. By 2011 it had ballooned to $35,772,935,000, leveling off to today where the expenditures are around $28 billion.[2]Note that while millions railed against exploitative rising tuition rates ever since, they have still continued to go up as the money given via federal government programs increased. For perspective on the significance of these grants to the higher education industry, a back of the napkin estimation of total tuition for all colleges to be around $393.5 billion in 2013[3], meaning that this one grant alone made up somewhere in the neighborhood of 8% of all student tuition. Calculating, however, for just public university tuition of $205.4 billion, the amount paid by Federal grant money comes closer to 15% of student tuition paid to those universities.Note, that’s every year that the US Federal government pays to college students from lower-income families.Because of the way the grants are paid out, however, the grants are actually hurting not only the people who receive the grant, but everyone else, as well. I want to be clear, when the Higher Education Amendments of 1972 were passed, Pell Grants seemed like a great idea to allow students who traditionally didn’t have access to college to get it. Since then, however, seeing the lucrative opportunities for wealth generation at taxpayer expense, schools have been steadily redesigning themselves to take advantage of grants such as these. How? For many, it meant lowering the threshold of entry to millions of students not ready for college, or where the academic rigor required was more than their talents would allow. Everyone should be legally allowed to go college, but not everyone should be admitted because not everyone can pass. But then the next phase in this evolution takes place. The bar is lowered for these students in several ways. First, the actual coursework and load is made easier, such as padding degrees with useless courses that the students don’t want and which don’t help them in their careers, but which are hard to fail. Often these courses are saturated in ideological bias, reflecting the culture of the professors. Second, the actual coursework is made easier so that fewer students drop out. When the schools adapted to being an institution whose job was to cash checks from the federal government, rather than relying on the tuition of scholarships and the donations of highly performing graduates, then they lost the value of the degree.There is a reason that the special forces like the SEALs and Delta have the reputation of never losing. Pictured below is part of Navy SEAL swim training, also called “drown-proofing”. Candidates must swim while bound in loose restraints they could easily break free from, even by accident. If they break the restraints during their swim, they fail the event. Only a small percentage of humanity could even attempt this training, so it serves as one of the many filters to gain entry into the SEALs.Simply put, not everyone can be a SEAL. Exclusivity based on excellence ensures the value of understood worth to the individual for being a member of a particular culture. College used to be this same sort of filter — an institution where, if someone had graduated from a four year degree program, it was understood that they were some of the most intellectually capable people in the nation. Colleges and Universities no longer have the reputation of reliably creating scholarly graduates. Instead, college is treated more as a place to make connections than as a challenging rite of passage for America’s educated class.Note, this isn’t all colleges. In the US, we have the strange reputation of having a whole generation holding near worthless degrees, while also having the best colleges in the world. That’s because we have a multitude of colleges, but what I tell young people is that really there are only about a hundred that matter. At any given time, if you go to one of these schools, the degree you earn will be respected anywhere you go. Rather than looking for a job, top firms will have recruiters at the colleges looking for you. They don’t go to just any college, but only the best. For kids with particular careers in mind, I give slightly different advice. I say that then there are only about ten. They need to know those 10 colleges and do whatever it takes to get into all of them. For example, my home-state of Oklahoma has the Oklahoma State University, which has some of the world’s best Agriculture and Petrochemical programs in the world. I tell kids that if they want to work in ag or the oil industry, those schools will have it made. But OSU isn’t one of the greatest Universities in general. They are a long way from competing with a Harvard or Yale. That being the case, a person who wants to be in those industries may actually be better off at OSU than those premiere colleges.This matters because thanks to many of the income seeking behaviors of colleges, most colleges not either the Top 100 or the Top 10 for a particular filed are simply getting worse. While this hurts those seeking grants, those hurt most of all aren’t the people who receive the Pell Grant, but those just wealthy enough not to have it as a right, such as most Middle Class children. They have the hardship of getting a degree, but being forced to pay the whole way for it. When they graduate, however, they discover that, because they went to one of thousands of nameless colleges, the degree they earned isn’t respected by hiring managers.The idea that go to college is a path to security has been shattered through government subsidization of needs based income grants offered by the tens of billions.Next we need to talk about where the money is going.The New York Times made it very clear by detailing how some schools were buying off their students in a never ending fit to fill seats, prioritizing luxuries for students over student education.When Louisiana State University surveyed students in 2009 to find out what they most wanted in their new recreation complex, one feature beat out even massage therapy: a lazy river. [4]And while Louisiana boasts its lazy river, students pictured below watched “Jaws” at a “dive-in movie” at Missouri State’s aquatic center.Party pools and other such extravagant luxuries are becoming the norm across colleges in the United States, primarily among the lesser renown universities. Rather than trying to bring in students on the promise of high earnings after college, the experience of college is what is sold, even though no one in history has had this experience when they went to institutions of higher learning. No, but that isn’t stopping universities like UCF from building a “Recovery Cove” because a lazy river is what is necessary to deal with “anxiety of student life”.While railing against an ever increasing bureaucracy is normally an austerity driven conservative talking point, left leaning news has noted the explosive growth of the “student life” facilitation. For example, the UK’s Guardian reported a 33% increase in the number of managers in higher education from 2005 to 2010[5], Huffington Post noted a “problematic boom” in higher ed administrators [6], and Bloomberg reported that, “For every $1 spent on instruction, $1.82 is spent on non-instructional things such as 'academic support, student services, institutional support, public service' and a catch-all category called 'other,'” according to the National Center for Education Statistics.[7]The number of non-academic administrative and professional employees at U.S. colleges and universities has more than doubled in the last 25 years, vastly outpacing the growth in the number of students or faculty, according to an analysis of federal figures.In all, from 1987 until 2011-12—the most recent academic year for which comparable figures are available—universities and colleges collectively added 517,636 administrators and professional employees…— Huffington PostI just have to comment on this for a second and be straight with readers. I paid for college with the GI Bill. I had to literally be shot at to pay for college. After four years in the Marines and two trips to Iraq, where I was leading teams of Marines by the age of 22, starting college was perhaps the easiest exercise I was ever forced to endure. That was hard. That there exists a movement to give students such overwhelming “therapy” options like a lazy river due to the “stress” of college both disgusts me and makes me lose respect for an entire generation.Yet, this movement continues, where students are treated like fragile snowflakes always on the cusp of annihilation, and one more program, facility, or luxury is what they need to survive this cruel, cruel world… that only seems to exist on the campus itself. This is part of how simply filling seats at colleges is bloating the college bureaucracy. To accommodate the “needs” of more students and give them the “best experience” possible, not only are millions being spent on expensive recreational centers like those above, but also in providing services never before offered as a means to entice students who don’t know better. To keep this growing infrastructure in place, colleges have also grown the number of managers and administration over the school, with far less going to actually improving academic facilities than “student life”.This focus on “student life” has caused other problems with education, first by providing so much that students are coddled and feel entitled to be taken care of at any expense, never understanding that college isn’t actually a place to have an amazing time, but to learn and be challenged as preparation for life. It’s like a four year trip to Disney World with sex, booze, and no rules, while also with free private counselling for an ever growing list of disorders and sources of victimization — which never includes the consequences of all sex and booze.This phenomenon reached a peak where students offended by the nature of their classwork could and often did rise up against their professors for saying things that “triggered” the students. “Triggered” by the way, is a term that has been popularized since the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. It relates to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, where someone who experiences an actual event that placed them in severe trauma (such as nearly being killed in a car accident or surviving a roadside bomb) will experience symptoms of a panic attack around otherwise mundane occurrences which were related to their experience. An example would be a dog barking before a bomb going off, then the brain writes in that dogs barking are related to bombs, so hearing a dog “triggers” someone with PTSD. It’s actually the brain of a trauma patient working too well, being hyper sensitive to perceived threat to try to keep them safe. That actual information about the disease was so miss-communicated in the early days after the wars began, where anything surrounding PTSD and veterans simply looks like men in uniform being sad.Real PTSD is nothing at all like that. It’s just a simple picture to illicit sympathy without understanding. So-called “Social Justice Warriors” on college campuses, however, have stolen the language of the disease to support that their feelings of victimization upon dealing with uncomfortable subjects or people whom they disagree. For them, being “triggered” simply means being forced to deal with ideas and feelings that are unpleasant, conflict with their preconceived notions of the world, or make them feel conflicted or even convicted by their failure to measure up to their own supposed moral standards. That’s exactly what college is meant to do, to give people a better understanding of the world and give them the right mindset to deal with that in a way that benefits everyone. Now, however, we have a spoiled and tyrannical student body, bolstered by an army of ideologically minded administrators that can both be used to attack not just the curriculum, but visiting speakers, and even each other.What I mean by the last part is a phenomenon that is entirely owed to the growing power of the campus administration. As the administrations grew, so did their biases. This I outlined in much greater detail in another answer, but let it serve to say that the overwhelming bias in many of these institutions is enough to dangerously use their power to irreparably hurt their own student’s lives. Such is the power to enact sweeping punishments on students based on pure accusation with no basis in reality, but deeply rooted in political or ideological agendas. Few better examples exist than the “college rape epidemic” which resulted in many students being wrongly “convicted” in kangaroo courts of college tribunals.Perhaps this was because enough people read The Atlantic, which chose last week to run a three-part series by Emily Yoffe on the sexual-assault policies in question. The series demonstrated exhaustively what anyone paying close attention already knew: The legal and administrative response to campus rape over the past five years has been a kind of judicial and bureaucratic madness, a cautionary tale about how swiftly moral outrage and political pressure can lead to kangaroo courts and star chambers, in which bias and bad science create an unshakable presumption of guilt for the accused. [8]Most famous of these was the case of the Duke Lacrosse team scandal beginning in 2006. It was one of the earliest cases where an accusation without proof (and later proved false) smeared the reputation of students with the wrong identity by campus mobs. In spite of the boys’ vindication, the Duke case seemed to inspire copy cat accusations across a campus culture obsessed with “rape-culture”.This ruined the lives of many innocent young men and happened at the behest of mobs of virtue signaling students led by their ideologically minded professors. It was made possible, however, through a bloated campus administration system with the power to kick students based on the “optics” of the case, as deemed by the university’s legal, HR, and marketing teams.So yeah, that’s kind of a problem.Next, we need to talk about the loans themselves. Did you know that college loan debt is one of the only kinds of personal debt that can’t be removed via bankruptcy?That’s insane. I understand why, but it’s still insane.College kids are generally in an age of life where they are not particularly adept at making extremely responsible life decisions. Taking out these kinds of loans is, by nature, a very risky endeavor for a lending institution, traditionally speaking. Frankly, I think that few of us suffer from the delusion that there weren’t many young graduates who abused bankruptcy to get a free education, filing bankruptcy after an expensive education process. One might look to doctors, who would be greatly benefited from such a shystie move. If I was making doctor pay, I would be happy to live in a nice apartment for seven years after graduation, as I save up for an amazing home, free from the burdens of debt the rest of my fellow graduates must endure. Why start life off $200,000 grand in the hole with interest? There is a very good reason that the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act extended to education loans — people exist who abuse the system.Lending also isn’t a right you are owed. With government based loans, such as those provided either directly through the Department of Education, or indirectly through companies like Sallie Mae, the idolized notion is that paying back your loan frees up money for the next person. Forgiving that doesn’t just mean the money goes away. It creates a liability for the taxpayers who did pay for the education in the first place, and who may have zero interest in creating another young holder of a Gender Studies degree with no functional utility to the nation. At the very least, ensuring that the student is forced to pay, ensures that the taxpayer isn’t left footing the bill for degrees that frankly, aren’t an investment into our collective future. However, a more honest look is to look at these loans as business. For private lending, giving money must come with interest to pay for the lending institution’s own overhead, as well as grow to service others. People who default on their loans spell disaster for lending institutions, making it so that no one has access to them when the bank itself goes under. This is particularly true, when they default en masse. This is what happened in 2008 beginning with real estate, but these institutions are free to grant these loans to anyone when they know that the person is on the ropes to pay it off.Look, I’ve tried to be fair to both sides. It seems pretty clear that a few people abused the system and ruined it for everyone, but it also seems clear this idea to prevent bankruptcy is simply erecting a dam which is getting ready to burst.Bankruptcy must be an option to escape this debt, at least, for future students. For lending institutions who made deals with the understanding that bankruptcy wasn’t an option, then they should be protected. If you agreed to it, then that debt is yours, but in the future, people who take out student loans should maintain the right to bankruptcy.What does that do for lending institutions?It forces them to treat students who petition for such loans to compete for them again, and more importantly, it forces the banks to really look at who they are saddling with this kind of debt.“Oh, you’re the valedictorian of a class of 350 kids, was active in STEM advanced courses, competed and won in local robot races, and want to study Robotics and Engineering at a reputable university? You bet we’ll loan you the money, Miss Surething.”vs.“Oh, you graduated 400th in a class of 350? Well golly, that’s impressive in its own way. And you’re interested in studying Performing Arts degree because learning to dance has always been one of your life goals. Neat. And a minor in Communist Theory? Well, good for you, Comrade, but have you heard of GoFundMe?”When you place the risk on banks and other lenders, you ensure that only those loans which have a high likelihood of being repaid are awarded. This opens many doors, but just as important, closes the door to many paths of suffering. Will this reduce the amount of funds currently being given out to pay for expensive degrees? Yes, it absolutely will, but like any good economist will tell you, that will also reverse the trend in increasing student tuition everywhere. At the same time, colleges will again have the reputation of only churning quality students pulling quality degrees and really question the need of a lazy river for therapy purposes. We’re seeing the paths of suffering taking place right now, where people who took on expensive loans to pay for degrees that are worthless from colleges no one respects are overcome by debt they can’t pay. Most of those kids should have never received their loans in the first place.But what do we need to solve this problem? It isn’t to forgive the debt. That’s the opposite of what we need.The explosive rise in student tuition is explained very simply by the runaway effects of cheap money at the onset being funneled into schools where people stopped questioning how much it was going to cost. Whether it was owed to Pell Grants or to student loans, inflation in education has created a system where the costs of admittance are higher than the reward for many, if not most degrees. But at least they can contemplate this unpleasant reality as they float down the lazy river at the rec center.Forgiving this debt, and the many bad decisions that went into it, will only ensure that the same bad decisions continue. Not just that, but seeing others get bailed out is the first step on believing that you have a right to something, and when you believe that a luxury college student life experience is your right and that the consequences will certainly be forgiven, you really don’t make wise decisions. Forgiving the debt will only contribute to the growth of tuition more as people take on wilder loans and campuses respond by increasing tuition to match.Lastly, forgiving this debt is repulsively unjust.If literally everyone who went to college had this same shared experience with these loans, then it would make sense that something would need to be done about it. But everyone doesn’t have this experience. For example, me. I paid for college with the Montgomery Post 9/11 GI Bill. It paid my whole way through. To earn that degree, I had to first give four years of my life in service to the country, with the understanding that I may get shot at (which I was) and may even die having never felt a shred of that benefit. When people talk about forgiving their debts, I ask why? Why is it justice for millions such as myself to earn their education, and to take that seriously, when others get to expect it be given to them as a right after they picked degrees they would never be able to use?Where’s the justice in that?Others, such as my wife, worked their way through college. We worked together to pay her debt so that we wouldn’t be saddled with expensive loans as our marriage kicked off. What about the millions of people who both work and go to school, just so that they don’t sell off their future for decades? Where is the justice for them when kids floating down the lazy river get a bail out?Or how about that family that, whether they like it or not, are going to be paying the taxes one way or another for this “forgiveness”? Now they, no matter their income level, are going to be splitting the bill to cover some $1.3 trillion in bad student loan debt? That money could have gone to providing infrastructure, better schooling, or could have simply not been taken away from them. That way, they could do what they wanted to, or needed to, with it. Instead, the taxpayer must give from their family to pay for the lifestyle of people who aren’t their kids. It’s only a little bit when you split it across all Americans. Yes, but it’s something that the people who ultimately paid for it don’t get anything back from. There is a word for people who are forced to give money and receive nothing in return for it — robbery. Forgiving this debt, at least as it has been done in the past, is robbing from American tax payers.No, the cold hard honest truth is that there needs to be pain. This is what is needed, what wise cultures do… they allow themselves to feel pain that they deserve — the kind of pain that echoes.The students who took on bad debt to pay for bad degrees need to feel pain. throughout generations. I don’t want them to suffer more than anyone else out of spite, but they need to be a lesson to their younger siblings and to their children of the extreme importance of picking the right college, the right degree, and in only the most extreme of situations… the right student loan, or maybe even question going to college at all and exploring other options.The colleges also need to feel pain. The policies that caused this inflationary wave of energy need to be cut off. Those colleges that built their campuses around providing luxuries unnecessary for student learning and achievement need to suffer for exploiting their students. Future students need to see the presence of a lazy river as a sure sign that this college is only out to milk them for decades of labor and avoid that institution like the plague. Colleges need to stop with the nonsense bloating of their administration and the unnecessary and expensive luxuries being doled out to ensnare kids into joining — particularly the poorest among them paying for college via tax payer funded grants.There also needs to be pain on the lending institutions who, for years, have been handing out loans irresponsibly to people who couldn’t afford them because their degrees didn’t match the current needs of the nation… or anyone. Sometimes this is the government, sometimes the colleges themselves, and sometimes private lending institutions. Perhaps all three need to hurt. Because lenders were backed by laws built with reasonable intentions in mind, it was presumed that the lenders didn’t need to do the necessary thing for their customers of not providing a loan they know can’t be paid off. Instead, they didn’t even ask this question, just fulfilling the wishes of anyone who filled out the necessary paperwork. Now tens of thousands of kids are suffering because people who had all the tools to predict this outcome had no incentive to simply say, “no.”Pain. That’s what’s needed for the future. To reform the practices that led to colleges getting out of control, there needs to be real pain that people feel in such a way that changes to the systemic processes are demanded. A quick fix won’t do it. It will just transfer the pain to people who are the last to deserve it, while signalling to everyone else that they are now free to engage in even more financially devastating behavior because literally no one is being held accountable.But pain, and fear of pain, will lead to better decisions. Fear of pain will be what forces future students to make better choices. Fear of pain will be what forces lenders to lend to more reliable students. Fear of pain is what will force colleges to lower tuition rates.Pain — pain and fear. That’s what we as a nation need to suffer because of the failure we’ve dug ourselves into it, and dealing with that pain and suffering like adults is our one and only opportunity to learn from the experience and not pass on more suffering to future generations.Relaxed. Researched. Respectful. - War ElephantFootnotes[1] Senator Josh Hawley’s Speech at the 6th Annual American Principles Project Gala[2] Funding Status -- Federal Pell Grant Program[3] Richardson Kilis's answer to What is the total amount spent per year on university tuition in the United States?[4] Making a Splash on Campus [5] The irresistible rise of academic bureaucracy[6] 'It's A Lie. It's A Lie. It's A Lie'[7] As Tuition Increases, So Do College Bureaucracies[8] Opinion | Liberalism and the Campus Rape Tribunals

Before I begin, we need to understand this mission and not stereotype it with some superstitious groups which are notorious nowadays for their unethical activities.The Sant Nirankari Mission also known as Universal Brotherhood Mission with a motto of Oneness, is an all embracing spiritual movement(neither a new religion nor a sect of an existing religion, but an all-embracing spiritual movement dedicated to human welfare), cutting across all divisions of caste, color, and creed. The Mission seeks to reveal God realization, also known as Nirankar, to all human beings irrespective of their religious faith, sect, or community they're born with and thus liberate them from the shackles of ignorance, superstition, ritualism, and dogmatism in the name of devotion to God.​( Sant Nirankari Mission logo)The realization of God not only maintains balance between spirituality and materialism in day to day life, but also takes a person to the cherished achievement of brotherhood of mankind which leads to peaceful coexistence. The meditation here is to feel the existence of God in everyone and everywhere.Read this The Times of India (newspaper) article: Practical Spirituality and Sant Nirankari Mission - The Times of India​​The founder of the Sant Nirankari Mission, Baba Buta singh ji had spiritual leaning from the very childhood and had developed a special aptitude for reciting Gurbani.​(Baba Buta Singh ji, The founder of Sant Nirankari Mission)On a day in 1913, while he was singing at a congregation. With tears in his eyes, he sang:Mohan ghar aavo, haun karon jodariya (O Lord, come home, I humbly entreat.).Those sitting in the congregation were enjoying the delightful recitation. One of them, Bhai Sahib Kahan Singh Ji, who was also listening to Baba Buta Singh Ji with rapt attention.After the program, he could not resist approaching Baba Buta Ji. He asked him politely, "Bhai Buta Singh Ji, where is your Mohan (Lord) whom you want to meet?" and added hastily, “First know Him, otherwise your calling Him will have no effect."These words had a piercing effect on the young Buta Singh Ji. He clearly understood that the realization of formeless one is necassary for the enlightment of soul.Baba Buta Singh Ji and his esteemed wife had a very simple life. Being a staunch devotee of God, Baba Buta Singh Ji would not like to think of worldly requirements beyond what was necessary for 'present'.The Sant Nirankari Mission had its formal beginning on May 25, 1929, the day when Baba Avtar Singh Ji joined him in taking the spiritual light to as many people as possible.The orthodox elements of the time did resist them but indirectly served to make the Mission known to more and more people.Baba Buta Singh breathed his last in 1943.After him, Baba Avtar singh ji took this responsibilty to serve the manking with self-realization.​(Baba Avtar Singh Ji)He preached the divine message during the period from 1943 to 1962. He was all out for the uplift of mankind through dissemination of the divine word. He faced opposition from different fronts in carrying out his missionary obligations, but he remained moulded and welded to the Truth. He appeased the flood of opposition with his deep spirit of humility and love. He possessed wonderful skill to convince his critics, provided they chose to listen to himTo give an organisational outfit to the expanding Mission, Baba Avtar Singh Ji founded Sant Nirankari Mandal in 1948 and got it registered with Headquarters at Delhi. Sant Nirankari Sewa Dal also came into being in 1956 with Chacha Pratap Singh as its Head.On December 3, 1962, while addressing a gathering of devotees at Paharganj in Delhi, Baba Avtar Singh Ji declared that hereafter they should address Gurbachan Singh Ji as Satguru, the True Master. On November 5, 1963, the entire Nirankari world saw the Satguru already manifested in him when they assembled in Delhi for the 16th Annual Nirankari Sant Samagam.​(Baba Gurubachan Singh Ji)Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji was one of those great souls who lived and died for the noble cause of human unity through spiritual awakening. Throughout, he endeavored to transform the demoniac face of human society and inculcate the spirit of peaceful co-existence, love and harmony. He was pained to find people quarrelling and suffering because of hatred generated by ignorance, blind faith and superstition.With the passage of time, the fast growing number of devotees needed some organizational reforms and Babaji took many decisions to strong the base of mission. He also felt the need to spread the mission outside of India as well. Despite having very limited resources, he took up the initiative and went onto many foreign visits with his wife Kulwant Kaur Ji, also called as Rajmata ji by saints.​(during the UK visit)Nirankari Rajmata Kulwant Kaur Ji was born on January 1, 1931 in Kaimalpur (now Pakistan). However, she was brought up in a spiritual environment. She loved to visit Gurudwara and listen to Gurbani. She received Brahm Gyan (God-knowledge) from Baba Avtar Singh Ji when she was just 8 year old and followed the enlightened path. In April 1947 she was married to Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji.​(Mata Kulwant Kaur Ji)Ever since her marriage, she served Baba Avtar Singh Ji more as her spiritual master, Satguru rather than her father-in-law. With full spirit of faith and devotion, she became an example for other devotees.Devotees of the Mission started addressing her lovingly as Nirankari Rajmata Ji. She dovetailed her responsibilities at home in such a way that they never came in the way of her assisting Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji in promoting the spiritual message of the Mission. Here also she treated Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji as Satguru first and her spouse later.Quite predictably, the voice of truth first raised by Baba Buta Singh Ji and Baba Avtar Singh Ji and now spread by Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji was resisted by the orthodox. Violent attacks were also reported from several centers.The worst in the chain was the attack on the Baisakhi Samagam in Amritsar on April 13, 1978. Baba Gurbachan Ji was scheduled to address the Samagam. But before he arrived, about 200 fanatics attacked the congregation. The police opened fire. Eighteen precious lives were lost. The incident was followed by a court case. Several Nirankari saints remained in judicial custody for about two years before they were acquitted honourably.When the judge asked Babaji,''aapke kitne mare?"(how many were yours among the dead). He responded politely,''vo sare mere hi the"(they all belonged to me).The case was declared to be false and fabricated by the court. The court passed severe strictures against the then Government of Punjab for filing a totally false case against Nirankaris. The court held fanatics responsible for brutal attack on peaceful Nirankari congregation.While the case was on, Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji did not sit back due to the turmoil. He declared that Truth always had to face such opposition and the greatest quality of the saints is that they do not feel frustrated realising that the Truth is on their side and it must triumph in the long run. There was, therefore, no let up in the activities of the Mission.​​​(Despite the various turmoil, he kept the voice alive of mission)The opposition, however, did not end with the historic Karnal verdict in the Amritsar case, acquitting all the accused Nirankaris, including Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji, honourably. The fanatics made Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji personally the target of their violence. They made an attempt on his life first in Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh and then near Durg in Madhya Pradesh.Ultimately, Baba Ji fell to their bullets in Delhi on April 24, 1980. Every peace-loving person lamented and condemned the senseless act of the fanatics as an attack on love and peace by the forces of hatred and violence. “An Apostle of God's glory, a Messiah of human unity and a true social reformer, had fallen prey to religious intolerance", commented newspapers. It was another blot on human history, said the intellectuals. And the peace-loving humanists felt that humanism had been ravaged.​​(Antim-Yatra)Mere condemnation of the brutal act would, however, not suffice. The entire Nirankari world was in dismay. Their sense of tolerance as also the patience was under severe stress. It was only for the successor of Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji, His son Baba Hardev Singh Ji came to their rescue. He put aside his own worldly sentiments usual for a son on the tragic demise of his father and consoled every follower of the Mission to face the tragedy boldly and without any feeling of vengeance.He famously said,"rakt naliyo me nahi, nadiyo me behna chahiye".(Human blood should flow in the veins, and not in the drains.)​(Hardev singh in 1980)Young Hardev had lost not only the Satguru but his beloved father also. This was the moment when forbearance, patience and tolerance of every follower of the Mission were under severe stress and a grave test. The very future of the Mission stood challenged.Immediately after the funeral of the mortal remains of Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji at the electric crematorium in Delhi on 27th April, 1980, Hardev was greeted and hailed as the Head of the Mission. When Baba Hardev Singh Ji took over the spiritual command of the Mission, Her Holiness Nirankari Rajmata Kulwant Kaur Ji bowed as a humble devotee even though his mother in worldly relationship. And she showed the same faith and devotion towards Baba Ji till her last breath.Baba Hardev Singh Ji, who was known for his calm nature, addressed the devotees and said "Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji's martyrdom is the will of God. Perceptions differ from people to people. The ignorant say that it may lead to bloodshed but the devotees believe that being a supreme sacrifice, it shall usher in peace and harmony".​(Addressing the congregation for first time)"They tried to bury us, but they did not know that we are seeds.""Imbibing such lofty ideals, we should continue to spread the Mission with a greater zeal." Baba Hardev Singh Ji ruled out even the remotest thought of vengeance saying that 'it would go contrary to what Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji lived and sacrificed his life for'.Followers remained non-violent even in the face of serious provocations from fanatics and extremists. And when the day came in 1981, Baba Ji ordained it to be experiential as Manav Ekta Divas (Human Unity Day) and not as Martyrdom Day etc.In order to translate his commitment of peace, love and universal brotherhood into action, Baba Hardev Singh Ji lost no time and undertook extensive tours within the country and abroad.Baba Ji’s tours abroad also took him to almost every part of the world. He was welcomed and received by large number of people as ‘apostle of peace and Universal Brotherhood.’ People from different states and countries would assemble at one center and listen to His Holiness. Besides Indians, many others took interest in Baba Ji’s teachings and felt highly impressed.‘Humanity must not be divided’​​​​​​​​The Mission is continuously serving its purpose under the guidance and blessings of Baba Hardev singh ji and Mata Savinder Kaur ji.SNM has currently over 786 centers(Branches) across the world.​Baba Ji was invited in the 27-Nation European Parliament in Strasbourg on September 26, 2007 where he also met its President. Here also the Mission’s focus on human unity, religious harmony, love, peace and truth found deep appreciation.​​(@European Parliament)Sant Nirankari Mission has been awarded with the Mahatama Gandhi Sewa Medal by the Gandhi Global Family for its commitment towards community services.GGF presents Mahatma Gandhi Seva Medal to Sant Nirankari Mission:​Both, Babaji and Mataji has been awarded as the Ambassador for peace by Universal peace Federation.​​Rev. Rajmata Kulwant Kaur was awarded as Dharma Ratna by World religious organisation.​Rev. Nirankari Rajmata Ji merged into the eternal abode on 29 August, 2014. She would always be a guiding star for every devotee.Rajmata Kulwant Kaur dies at 84Unless, our actions get dedicated to service of creation, the mission remains unaccomplished. Know GOD and then Serve GOD through service unto HIS creation(humanity).​The mission is continuously giving its service to mankind in every possible way. Oneness of mankind, peace and tolerance are the values which mission believes in and serving the purpose in various ways possible.We should believe in working for cause and not applause. - Baba Hardev Singh JiBlood donationBaba Hardev Singh Ji started the program in 1986 after Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji's martyrdom as a tribute to him and many other individuals who sacrificed their lives to uphold ideals of truth, peace, tolerance, and non-violence. Thus spoke Baba Hardev Singh Ji, "Human blood should flow in the veins, and not in the drains". Nearly 1400 camps have been held since 1986 with over 291,000 units of blood collected. There are more than 200 camps planned for 2008. Now every year more than 36,000 blood units are donated by Sant Nirankari Mission's volunteers.Page on tribuneindia.com(Nirankari Baba inaugurates blood donation camps), Nirankari Satsangh organises blood donation camp, ‘Donate blood', Blood donation clinic, Blood donation camp, Blood donation camps.​​This invaluable contribution has been recognized at almost every national and international forum on blood donation, including the renowned Indian Red Cross Society.​(Mata savinder kaur ji donating blood)SNM has received the award of excellence in blood donation by govt. of India.​By Indian Red Cross Society, Karnataka​Certificate of appreciation for Blood donations in Southern California.​In Tracy.​In UAE.​Social reformsThe Mission advises its followers to observe maximum austerity in marriages and other social functions. Thus, it counsels them to avoid unnecessary show of dowry and other materialistic displays.In these social functions the Mission asks its members to instead spare whatever they can, and utilize the saved resources for the common good of humanity.Mass Marriages, where hundreds of couples may get married at the same time in a common, simple function, occur multiples times annually.In addition to the aforementioned progressive policy, inter-caste marriages are also encouraged. In fact Nirankari's do not recognize caste in their social relations. Instead, what they value is spiritual enlightenment and devotion to Nirankar (God).100 couples to marry at Nirankari Sant Samagam of Maharashtra in Navi Mumbai | Latest News & Updates at Daily News & Analysis , 139 couples tie knot in mass wedding organized by Nirankari Sant Samagam - The Times of India, Mass wedding of 15 couples held, 47 couples tie knot at mass wedding​Compassionate aidContinuing with the Sant Nirankari Mission's philosophy of offering selfless service to humankind is its aid in case of natural disasters or other calamities. After heavy flooding caused a loss of human lives and damage to shelter and property during August and September 2007 in Bihar, Orissa, Nepal, and Himachal Pradesh the Mission voluntary teams (Sewa Dal) came forward to help the most hard-hit and inaccessible areas.They offered food, clothing, temporary shelters, and subsequent monetary assistance to those hardest hit to reestablish them selves after the disaster.Similarly, the Mission set up a Relief Camp for Tsunami victims at Port Blair of the Andaman Islands. The camp was highly appreciated by the local government, functioning jointly for more than a year.The two organized proper and respectful disposal of the dead, medicines and actions to prevent the spread of disease, and also services in reconstruction and development of the Tsunami affected areas. Over the years the Mission has offered aid to victims of earth quakes, land-slides, cloud bursts, and other natural disasters.As a measure of charity and relief to needy sections of society, monetary and medical help is provided to the Handicapped, Poor, Widowed, Aged and other extremely needy cases. Monetary assistance is given on a monthly basis to many such compassionate cases.​​​​EducationThe Department of Higher Education, Sant Nirankari Mandal is running one Post Graduate College titled Nirankari Baba Gurbachan Singh Memorial Degree College at Sohna, Distt. Gurgaon (Haryana) and two Senior Secondary Schools in Delhi – one each in Paharganj and Sant Nirankari Colony.In addition, the Department of Education Public Schools, Sant Nirankari Mandal is running nine English Medium Public Schools – six in Delhi at Sant Nirankari Colony, Avtar Enclave, Tilak Nagar, Paharganj, Malviya Nagar and Govind Puri and one each in Faridabad (Haryana), Ludhiana (Punjab) and Durgapur (West Bengal)The Education Department of the Sant Nirankari Mandal is running a scholarship scheme under which the meritorious students of the schools and colleges run by the Mandal are given scholarships.This scheme benefits the proficient and the needy students in academic, technical and professional fields.​​​​​Women empowermentTo encourage women's empowerment the Mission operates 72 tailoring and embroidery training centers in different parts of India. The courses give women, who oftentimes have few marketable skills, a method to obtain employment or create their own income.This economic empowerment has many positive consequences, often leading to increased social capital for women. Otherwise the skill training may serve as a resource within the family.Another initiative the Mission supports is primary education to illiterate women, provided under a special program, 'Project Upkar’. Villages having population of Tribals and Gypsies are the main target under this project.​​HOSPITALS, DISPENSARIES and MOBILE HEALTH CARETo reach out to people in remote and inaccessible locations, the foundation has been organizing many primary health check-up camps in various parts of the country. Many free eye camps have also been organized in the same course of action, benefiting many underprivileged sections of the society.With the first dispensary set up in early 1950’s, we have come a long way to build many more such havens of health and healing. With many Allopathic and Ayurvedic Dispensaries, path labs and health care centers, where consultation, treatment and medicines are made available free of cost or at very nominal costs, our contributions have made a considerable difference. We also plan to set up a 500 bed Super Specialty Hospital in the Nirankari Complex, on a land of about ten acres, where quality health services shall be provided.Health check-up at Tihar​​​​Environment safety intiativesNirankari Mission to carry out cleaning in city, Sant Nirankari members on city clean-up drive, Cleanliness drive​​​​​Awareness programs:Run for Oneness which was organised in delhi.Run for oneness draws 17,000 participants in New DelhiThe Union Home Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh being presented a bouquet of flowers by Sant Hardev Singh, at the “Run for Oneness”, organised by Nirankari Foundation, in New Delhi on October 26, 2014. | Rajnath Singh​​Longest Human Chain in World:Longest human chain in Mumbai - The Times of India​​Inter-faith Harmony conclave:Active participation in spiritual conclave to promote the message of universal brotherhood.​I've been very blessed to be associated with Sant Nirankari Mission since my childhood. It'd be tough to Imagine a life journey without it.Though I've tried my best to point out almost everything in the answer but I have to accept that I'm not even able to cover 10% of the words and deeds of mission.Lets hold the hands together to make the ONENESS a reality. Oneness - A Road-map to Peace.​(Baba Hardev Singh ji, 2013)Baba hardev singh ji merged into this almighty god on May 13, 2016. The mission was headed by Mata Savinder Hardev ji from then to July, 2018.(Mata Savinder Hardev ji)The mission is now headed by Mata Sudiksha Savinder Hardev ji.(Mata Sudiksha Savinder Hardev ji)We look forward for her guidance to bring in peace and brotherhood in this world.

1. OVERSPENDING AND OVERDRAFTING CHECKING ACCOUNTS.When students land at college, they suddenly find themselves surrounded by friends who either have more money, or aren’t prone to making — how shall we say it? — the “most financially savvy” decisions. Going out with friends, random shopping sprees, those last-minute Spring Break plans — they can sap students’ checking account quicker than you can shout, “Road Trip!”WHAT COLLEGE STUDENTS AND PARENTS CAN DO:Create a budget. Before leaving for school, students and parents should create a process for setting limits and tracking every dollar that goes in and out. Budgeting is a great habit to start now, and students will need it anyway when they get into the “real world.”Start a "Value Checking" account. Check for specialized accounts that might be ideal for students traveling far away for school. For example, Security National Bank offers a "Value Checking" option that reimburses ATM withdrawal fees.Connect parents to student accounts. One great feature of online banking is the ability to connect a guardian to a dependent’s bank account, where they can monitor spending activity. Whether a student likes it or not, adult supervision is a great way to keep them accountable for their spending habits (plus, it’s a great way for a parent to stay connected without seeming like they’re “hovering”). Parents can also set up automatic monthly deposits from their own account into a student’s account, if needed.Download mobile banking. College students have Apps for just about everything else — so make sure their ability to check funds, pay bills and deposit checks is just one tap away, too. The SNB Mobile App is a quick, convenient and secure way for a student to track their finances.Use the “People Pay” service. When a student’s in a pinch, loved ones might need to send money instantly — and they can do it by using the online/mobile banking “People Pay” feature. It’s quicker and more convenient than trying to wire money from a physical banking location.2. MISUSING CREDIT CARDSAccording to Student Monitor Financial Services, nearly one-third of credit-using college students admit being late on credit card payments at least once, and more than 60% admit to charging a purchase without having the funds to pay the bill (Sallie Mae and Ipsos, 2016). This type of behavior can lead to a student piling up thousands of dollars of debt and serious credit damage — all without their parents even knowing! Which brings us to an important life lesson: Credit is a good thing if you build it responsibly, but it can be a disaster if you don’t.WHAT COLLEGE STUDENTS AND PARENTS CAN DO:Think twice about every credit card offer. During the first few months of school, students are bombarded by credit card offerings that seem like great deals but usually lead to higher rates — from department store “savings” opportunities at the checkout line, to physical cards that come through campus mail, to credit card reps who actually set up informational booths on campus. A student should NEVER apply for one of these cards without first discussing with a parent or guardian.Understand consequences of bad credit. Parents should make sure a student knows that credit cards aren’t “free money,” and misusing them can cause serious damage to their credit —making it more difficult to make a big purchase in the future (like a new car or home). Not to mention, penalties and interest can lead to huge amounts of credit card debt — and students already have enough debt to worry about!Come up with a student loan payment plan. The American Bank Association says more than 70 percent of college graduates begin their career owing more than $37,000 in student loans (American Bank Association) — and it’s vital that college graduates have a plan for paying this off. Setting up a private appointment with a Financial Aid advisor at the institution can help.3. GETTING THE WRONG PART-TIME JOB.While working retail or fast-food might mean a little extra spending money for today, it won’t mean nearly as much to future employers in a college student's chosen career field. Once you get to college, the time has come to pad a résumé — not just a paycheck. What if I told you there were ways to do both?WHAT COLLEGE STUDENTS AND PARENTS CAN DO:Make money as a tutor. For successful students, check out tutoring services at local a local high school or within the college’s academic success center. Many parents will pay upward of $15/hour for a good tutor, and it looks great on a résumé.Are you bilingual? Put it to use. Local health care providers, social work agencies and even private companies, for that matter, are always looking for bilingual employees — particularly Spanish speakers — to help communicate with patients and/or customers. They’re usually willing to pay well for it, too. Plus — it’s another great résumé booster!Leverage new skills into an internship. Nothing looks as good on a résumé as an actual internship in a college student’s field of study. Students should ask academic advisors and professors for internship opportunities, since educators often times have connections with alumni and other professionals in the field. Sometimes, internships can result in a paycheck and class credit at the same time!See if you’re eligible for a “Work Study” position. The federal work study program subsidizes the paychecks of college students who work in qualifying part-time, typically on-campus jobs (everything from campus services to peer mentors to academic assistants). The best part? You don’t even have to leave campus — and many times these opportunities offer chances to study/do homework while still on the job. Make sure you file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to become eligible for work study, and attend any on-campus job-fairs —because schools may award Work Study aid on a first-come, first-serve basis.BONUS TIP: Whatever job you get, “Direct Deposit” is the most convenient way to put your paycheck into your checking account. At Security National Bank, we take Direct Deposit from any employer, anywhere in the country. Contact us for more information.4. BEING VICTIMIZED BY FRAUD OR IDENTITY THEFT.According to the Federal Trade Commission, in 2017 reports of student loan fraud surged more than 120 percent from a year earlier. Identity theft is the fastest-growing crime in the U.S., and college students are particularly vulnerable because of close living quarters, shared devices and increased activity on social media.WHAT COLLEGE STUDENTS AND PARENTS CAN DO:Don’t use public wi-fi on mobile devices. Connecting to unsecured public wi-fi opens your device — and your information — to anyone near you.Be savvy on social media. Be cautious of sharing information on Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat or whatever other type of social media App is trending. Fraudsters can mine social media posts for info that could help them get past account security questions on financial sites.Be wary of skimming devices. ATMs and Gas Pumps are common places for thieves to steal your card information, through special skimming devices. Learn how to detect skimmers to prevent your card from being compromised.Shred documents (and sign up for eStatements). Signing up for eStatements is a safer way to track your account, especially for college students who are living away from home or sharing living space with roommates. When a student does receive important documents through the mail, they should be sure sure to shred any statements, credit card offers or prescription drug labels. Don’t just toss them into the waste basket!Be wary of “phishing” emails. These are fake emails, disguised to look like they came from a friend, professor or favorite store, trying to get you to click on a fake offer or link. If you do click, you risk downloading malware or a virus, or compromising all of the personal information on your device. If a student suspects they have clicked on a rogue link, they should contact the college's IT Department right away.Do not carry around a social security card. And always keep wallet, driver’s license and ID cards in a safe place.5. STOPPING THE SCHOLARSHIP SEARCHEvery year, hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of scholarships are up for grabs around the country, targeted toward students who are already in college! As long as a student is enrolled, they should NEVER stop applying.WHAT COLLEGE STUDENTS AND PARENTS CAN DO:Keep in touch with a financial aid officer. When it comes to finding scholarships, Financial Aid Officers are the most connected people on a college campus. They’re always willing to keep students posted on scholarships, grants and other forms of financial aid that might be available.Use online scholarship sites. Whether you use FastWeb, or a similar site recommended by the college's financial aid department, there are dozens of places for you to browse for scholarship opportunities across the Web.Ask employers if they help with college tuition. You might be surprised how many employers are willing to help support a college intern who shows potential — especially if they see themselves hiring that student into a full-time position after graduation. It never hurts to ask!Submit a FAFSA every year. Any student looking for financial aid is required to file a Free Application For Federal Student Aid, every single year. Don’t put it off!