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Loveland aquarium

Discounted Deep Sea Discoveries

Loveland Living Planet Aquarium is home to more than four thousand animals from all over the world. Visitors can immerse themselves in various entertaining & educational experiences as they walk through six different habitats:

  • Ocean Explorer – Enjoy being surrounded by sea creatures in the 40-foot underwater tunnel. Here you’ll find grey reef sharks, loggerhead sea turtles, southern stingrays, and the giant Pacific octopus.
  • Expedition: Asia – Take a trip east to learn more about exotic creates on both the land and the sea, including Chinese tree dragons, clouded leopards, Banggai cardinalfish, and Asian small-clawed otters.
  • Penguin Research Station – Penguins are fascinating & adorable, and you can see a group of Gentoo penguins dive off the rocks and watch them swim above and below the surface. You may even get to enjoy feeding time.
  • Discover Utah – From Tremonton to St. George, our state has a beautiful variety of environments and wildlife. In this area you can observe wood ducks, desert tortoises, Bonneville cutthroat trout, and the North American river otter.
  • Journey to South America – A short drive will allow you to explore a tropical rainforest. This habit features such creatures as the electric eel, Linnaeus’ two-toed sloths, green anacondas, and keel-billed Toucans.
  • Deep Sea Land – Most of the oceans remain unexplored, but you can see some very interesting discoveries from the depths, such as the Pacific hagfish, giant isopods, and the Japanese spider crab.

And during the month of February, we have a special offer for our members! You can receive $5 off every regular admission when you use your America First Visa® credit or debit card at the ticket office.

Please note that this offer is subject to availability and current limited-capacity requirements may delay entrance times. However, you can purchase discounted tickets in advance for later use, if you’d like.

Man handing a lady a flower

Don’t Get Fooled by Romance Scams

Falling in love can make you feel as though you’re walking on air, but if a budding relationship is exclusively online, it’s important to keep your feet on the ground. Here are some tips to avoid becoming a romance scam victim.

  • You may be charming and attractive, but scammers will try grooming you by flattering your ego. Be suspicious if things progress too quickly without meeting each other in person.
  • Watch out if your new friend starts making financial requests. He or she may play with your heartstrings and say there are medical expenses to pay or ask you for travel expenses for a date. Don’t do it.
  • Never send cash, cashier’s checks, gift cards or wired funds to unverified individuals. It’s almost impossible to get that money back.
  • Resist the temptation to send expensive gifts to your virtual boyfriend or girlfriend. Save that for when and if you meet in person. Even then, don’t spend more than you can afford.
  • Private information, such as your account number or PIN isn’t to be shared with anyone but joint account owners.
  • Don’t provide your address, credit card numbers or Social Security number to someone you’re talking to on a dating site or in a chat room.
  • Resist any effort to connect to your account to an online friend’s, even if they claim they’ll only make deposits.

In short, a healthy amount of skepticism can keep you safe whenever you start seeing—or chatting with—a new love interest.

college

How to Pay for College Even When You Think You Can’t

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the average annual cost of college tuition, fees, room & board is between $16,000 and $42,000. If those numbers make your head spin, you’re not alone. Whether you’re trying to pay for college yourself, or you’re looking to fund your child’s education, here are some resources that can help ease the financial burden.

Scholarships

Thankfully, there are ways to make a university education more affordable. Some scholarships will cover your entire tuition, as well as books & housing, whereas others will only award you a few hundred dollars. Keep an eye on the deadlines and apply for as many as possible, because you can get more than one.

Academic and athletic scholarships are probably the most common, but you can also gain funds based on your ethnic background, hobbies, military service, or an essay you wrote. They can also be unusual, such as the TCI Scholarship Award given to students above a certain height, and the Chick and Sophie Major Memorial Duck Calling Contest, which has awarded more than $73,000 in scholarships since it began in 1974.

Contact the school’s financial aid office to discuss what’s available and how to apply. You can also find options online, but beware of scammers who will ask you to pay for consideration or ask for too much personal information.

Grants

Federal and state grants are financial aid distributed by the government. They’re available for almost anyone in need and generally do not need to be repaid. There are four federal types:

  • Pell Grants – awarded to undergraduates in financial need
  • Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG) – created for undergraduate students having exceptional financial need
  • Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) – given to students who intend to teach at schools with low-income families
  • Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants – for students whose parents or guardians died during military service

Apply at https://fafsa.ed.gov/ to see what assistance you qualify to receive.

Coverdell Education Savings

America First offers Coverdell education accounts, which are savings accounts specifically designated for your kids’ education. You can deposit up to $2,000 per year and automatic transfers make setting aside the money easy. Even $10 monthly will quickly add up and make a difference in your child’s future.

Get involved

It pays to get involved with school organization and activities. Many student government officers receive tuition discounts. You can also qualify for stipends at many universities by creating college clubs. Additionally, on-campus jobs will sometimes include a tuition portion in addition to a paycheck.

No matter what you decide to study, higher education is costly. However, it doesn’t have to mean financial ruin. By saving money, applying for scholarships & grants, and getting involved on campus, you’ll find that paying for college can more affordable.