At Issue & In Focus

Free Help with FAFSA May Help You Eliminate D.E.B.T.

Massachusetts FAFSA DAY Sunday, January 27, 2013 @ 1:00 p.m.

In recent years, the cost of education and need for financial aid has increased significantly. Total student loan debt now exceeds $1 trillion, representing more than all credit-card debt combined, and is causing many students and families to struggle financially for years.

As part of the AGO's continuing consumer education efforts, the Office has created an outreach program, Eliminate D.E.B.T (Eliminate Deceptive Education Business Tactics), to help students better understand the costs and choices associated with pursuing a post-secondary education.

It’s important to plan carefully and invest wisely in your educational pursuits to be able to obtain the training you need to be successful in your chosen career field without leaving you in insurmountable debt. Fortunately, there are some essential programs and resources available to assist you in this process.

FAFSA Day Massachusetts is a statewide program that provides free on-site professional guidance and one-on-one assistance to students and families seeking to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to attend college or post-secondary vocational school. The services offered are free and available to students, families and adult-learners entering or continuing study in 2013-2014. Low-income, first-generation students and anyone seeking additional help completing the FAFSA form are especially encouraged to attend. 

FAFSA is the required form for all students seeking federal financial, state and institutional aid for higher education. The 2013-2014 FAFSA form is available at www.fafsa.gov. Financial aid consists of grants, scholarships, loans and Federal Work-Study. While grants and scholarships are free money that does not need to be repaid, loans are money borrowed by the student to help cover education expenses and must be repaid – often with interest. Student loans awarded to FAFSA applicants typically have lower interest rates, better repayment terms and more favorable borrower options than private student or parent loans.

FAFSA Day Massachusetts is being held at 25 locations throughout the state this Sunday, January 27, at 1:00pm, with six additional locations offering assistance on alternative dates and times. Several sites will offer a general presentation about the FAFSA and financial aid resources beginning at 1:00pm. Financial aid counselors will then guide participants through the process of completing and filing a FAFSA online. Most locations will have computer accessibility so that you can complete your FAFSA on site. Many locations will offer assistance in multiple languages. Students and families are encouraged to visit www.FAFSADAY.org to register in advance, view location sites and directions, and obtain more information such as what items to bring in order to complete the FASFA form.

FAFSA Day Massachusetts, which is part of the national College Goal Sunday Program, is a non-profit, volunteer-driven program sponsored by Massachusetts Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (MASFAA), Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority (MEFA), American Student Assistance and USA Funds. The program, now in its ninth year, has assisted over 10,000 students to date. This is a great opportunity to talk to financial aid and higher education professionals about financial aid resources and how to budget appropriately for college and other post-secondary training programs.

Don’t delay in completing your FAFSA! On average, it takes only 23 minutes to complete the FAFSA form, which in turn may save you lots of time and money in the future from having to pay off unnecessary debt you could’ve avoided by completing the FAFSA. Also, be sure to check with each school you’re applying to since schools have varying FAFSA deadlines in accordance with their institutional aid deadlines. It pays to be on time!

For more information about the AGO’s efforts to assist consumers in understanding the costs associated with higher education, visit www.mass.gov/ago/schools. You can also request an educational training at no-cost to your organization by contacting AGOEliminateDEBT@state.ma.us.  

The truth about sex trafficking

The crime of human trafficking is one of the most egregious human rights violations we see today. And it is happening right in our own communities.

Its victims are individuals lured into this country with false promises of legitimate work, only to be forced into the sex industry on arrival. They are domestic runaways being taken in by traffickers and forced to trade sex for a place to sleep. They are also girls being baited into “the life” by a presumed boyfriend who later reveals himself as a pimp. Much like a victim of domestic violence, human trafficking victims are trapped by fear, isolation and brutality at the hands of their traffickers.

An estimated 1 million children worldwide are sexually exploited annually, with the average age of girls forced into the sex trade between the ages of 12 and 14. Within the United States alone, it is estimated that nearly 300,000 children are trafficked for sex every year. The cases involve tremendous violence, such as a recent case where the victim was beaten, forced naked into a cold shower, covered with ice and then made to stand in front of an air conditioner for 30 minutes¹.

What can be done to prevent other children and teens from being victimized? A first step is addressing the truth about trafficking. Put simply, human trafficking is the selling of human beings for profit through forced labor, sexual exploitation or involuntary domestic servitude. Experts estimate 27 million people are trafficked worldwide annually, reaping $32 billion in illegal profits which makes it the second-largest and fastest-growing black market in the world.

Human trafficking is a crime that can be difficult to identify and track. The Internet has only exacerbated this problem by taking the sex trade off our streets and into hotel rooms - out of sight of law enforcement and social services. Our computers provide access to a variety of sites that promote prostitution, which make millions of dollars by offering anonymity to traffickers, further facilitating the victimization of children.

That is why I, along with a coalition of legislators, law enforcement, and advocates, including lead sponsors Senator Mark Montigny and House Judiciary Chairman Eugene O’Flaherty, filed the bill “An Act Relative to the Commercial Exploitation of People,” which was signed into law in November 2011 and went into effect in February 2012.  This law makes trafficking a felony, increasing fines for those who buy trafficked labor, and addressing the needs of victims.  Law enforcement has made multiple arrests in the past year, often targeting organizations that bring women from out of state, housing them in deplorable conditions, and profiting by selling them over and over again.  In addition to enforcement action, our office has been working and meeting regularly with other state agencies and nonprofits across the state to prevent this crime when possible and address its aftermath where it has already occurred. 

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¹ Greg Moran, Child sex trafficking, pornography cases up 545%, utsandiego.com, http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/aug/23/child-sex-trafficking-pornography-cases-up-545/ (posted 9:20 p.m., Aug. 23, 2012).

Massachusetts teens speak up about ‘Safe Jobs for Youth’ – Pass it on!

This April and May have been packed with events around making workplaces safer for Massachusetts teens.

• DPH’s Teens at Work project released it’s annual surveillance report on work-related injuries to teens;
• Our community partner, the Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety & Health (MassCOSH), held its annual three-day LEAPS academy to help build leadership skills in youth around workplace health and safety;
• This year marks the 5-year anniversary of child labor reform in Massachusetts.
• And, the Massachusetts Governor proclaimed May 2012 to be Young Worker Safety Month, an important reminder that everyone has a role to play in keeping our youth safe on the job. 

But most exciting, the Massachusetts Youth Employment & Safety Team (YES Team), which includes AGO, and MassCOSH once again teamed together to sponsor the second annual Safe Jobs for Youth Poster Contest. We called on teens from across the state to design posters that stress the importance of safety on the job for young people. 

In addition to being blown away by the amount of creativity and talent here in the Commonwealth, we always learn so much from hearing (and seeing) what teens have to say about this important issue. So we were thrilled to receive 120 contest entries. From those, we took 12 finalist posters on the road to another 70 youth across the state and asked them to help us judge the winners. Judging groups included the JAG Network in Milford, the Brockton Mayor’s Youth Council, LEAD in Holyoke, Design & Visual Communications at Assabet Valley Regional Technical High School, STARs at Cambridge Rindge & Latin, and the MassCOSH Teens Lead at Work (TL@W) Peer Leaders in Boston. An extra special thanks to these groups for participating!

The contest winners were announced at an awards ceremony on April 26, during MassCOSH’s LEAPS academy. We were honored to have State Senator Patricia Jehlen, sponsor to the 2007 Massachusetts child labor reform, join us as the keynote speaker and present the contest winners with their awards.

Photo by MassCOSH: Winners, TL@W organizers and State Senator Jehlen showcase three of the winning posters.

So please, take a moment to see what Massachusetts teens have to say about “Safe Jobs for Youth”:

• Check out the winning posters online;
• Keep your eyes out for the winning poster on MBTA and PVTA public transportation.

And then, especially with the summer jobs season nearly here, help us to spread the word about keeping MA teens safe on the job. As you can see, it’s definitely something to speak out about!

National Slavery and Human Trafficking Awareness Day

Wednesday, January 11^th has been proclaimed as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Awareness Day.

Human trafficking is one of the most egregious human rights violations we see. It is a heinous crime of exploitation that involves forcing people to work for others for profit, whether through traditional types of labor or sexual exploitation.  Victims are men, women, and children from our state, our country, and across the globe.  Experts estimate that world-wide, 27 million people are trafficked annually bringing in $32 billion dollars. It is the fastest growing and second largest black market.

This past year, our office worked with legislators to enact a law that makes human trafficking a felony in our state and creates services for victims. The passage of this law has given us some important tools to combat trafficking, but more work needs to be done. To that end, we are beginning the work of our state wide task force made up of government and non-profit agencies to examine and address all aspects of trafficking.

Everyone has something to offer in the fight against human trafficking. Hospital, hotel, and transportation staff are in a unique position to identify victims.  Educators and parents can encourage prevention and internet safety education. Today, everyone can take a moment to learn about the signs and consequences of human trafficking and all that we can do to prevent this exploitation.

To learn more about human trafficking and what you can do, visit the Attorney General’s website.

Our New Design

We’ve worked over the past several years to enhance and expand the Attorney General’s Office website to be an increasingly transparent, helpful resource for the Commonwealth’s residents.  On October 27^th, the Attorney General’s Office launched a fully reorganized and redesigned website. 

If you visit other state government websites, you may notice similar design changes on many other pages that are part of the Mass.gov portal. Throughout this fall and winter, more websites will continue to transition to the new design.  

The Attorney General’s Office used this opportunity to expand and reorganize our existing site content.  Our goal was simple: all changes should make the customer experience simpler and easier. We believe these updates will result in fewer clicks, easier navigation, and will help the public have a clearer understanding of what we do, and how we can help. 

Here are some of the bigger changes:

• Navigation of the site has been reorganized and moved to a row of tabs with dropdowns across the top of the page. 
• We’ve added a left-hand navigation tool on many pages, to help you retrace your steps when searching for content.
• We’ve added a description of the office’s organization, with information about each Bureau and Division across the office.
• Our layout has become more streamlined, with one or two columns on each page instead of three. We hope this makes pages more readable and easier to scan.

We will continue to improve, revise, and enhance the website over the next several months, and we welcome the public’s feedback about the design and navigation.  Please feel free to contact us at Agoweb@state.ma.us with feedback or concerns.  If you experience difficulties accessing or finding a specific page, please feel free to e-mail us at this address and we’ll work to assist. 

Learn About Upcoming Changes to the AGO Website

We’ve worked over the past several years to enhance and expand the Attorney General’s Office website, striving to make information more transparent and accessible at every opportunity. Towards that goal, later this week, the Attorney General’s Office will launch a reorganized and redesigned website. 

If you visit other state government websites, you may notice similar design changes on many other pages that are part of the Mass.gov portal.  The Attorney General’s Office used this opportunity to expand and reorganize our existing site content.  The goal was simple: all changes should make the customer experience simpler, and make more content accessible to the public. We believe these updates will result in fewer clicks, easier navigation, and will help the public have a clearer understanding of what we do and how we can help. 

Once the site launches, we’ll welcome the public’s feedback about the design and navigation.  Please feel free to contact us at agoweb@state.ma.us with feedback or concerns.  If you experience difficulties accessing or finding a specific page, please feel free to e-mail us at this address and we’ll work to assist. 

Stay tuned!

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. This abuse can happen to anyone, regardless of race, sexual orientation, or gender and the effects can impact many aspects of someone’s well-being. The consequences of this violence bring forth concerns for victims with regards to their health, homes, and financial security when they try to leave their abuser.

Help is available. Our office can provide assistance for victims with many of these issues.   For general concerns please contact our Office at (617) 727-2200.

For specific health insurance concerns, the Insurance & Health Care Consumer Helpline is (888) 830-6277

To receive assistance with consumer issues, our Public Inquiry & Assistance Center Hotline number is (617) 727-8400. Operators are available from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Alternatively you may file consumer complaints via email any day at any time by completing our Consumer Complaint form 

For information about our Victim Compensation and Assistance Division please click here or call (617) 727-2200 ext.2160

From September 2010 through August 2011 our Office responded to 206 domestic violence victim compensation claims and provided over $658,410.71 in compensation to victims.

If you or someone you know needs immediate help, please contact SafeLink at 1-877-785-2020. SafeLink is a 24-hour, free and multi-lingual hotline for programs in Massachusetts. An advocate can talk with you about your needs and help you identify appropriate resources.

10th Anniversary of 9/11: National Day of Service and Remembrance

Each year, on or around the anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks, thousands of Americans support charitable causes, volunteer and engage in other acts of compassion to remember and honor the 9/11 victims and survivors. We also honor all who rose in service in response to the attacks, including first responders, recovery workers, volunteers, public safety personnel, members of the military, and all of their families.

To honor this anniversary, you can consider participating in the National Day of Service and Remembrance  by organizing a service activity to pay tribute to the victims and heroes of 9/11 – and to keep alive the spirit of unity and compassion that followed the attacks.

You can find volunteer opportunities and do-it-yourself project ideas by visiting www.serve.gov, the website created by the Corporation for National and Community Service and which features more than 250,000 volunteer opportunities available throughout the year. 

The Massachusetts 9/11 Fund has also compiled a list of planned commemorations, service projects, and community events open to the public, happening on September 11th and throughout the fall season.  For additional guidance, you can also refer to the 9/11 Tribute Guide provided by the My Good Deed & HandsOn Network 2011. The guide helps activity organizers include appropriate forms of remembrance (such as a suggested moment of silence) when implementing 9/11 Tribute charitable service activities.

The Attorney General’s Office encourages generous and wise charitable giving at this special time.  To check on a charitable organization’s registration with our office, or learn more about savvy charitable giving, please visit our Non-Profit Organizations and Public Charities Division online.

Assisting Massachusetts Consumers

Some residents calling into the Attorney General’s Consumer Hotline Monday were initially surprised to learn that the familiar voice on the other end of the phone was their Attorney General, Martha Coakley.  AG Coakley spent an hour on the hotline for consumers Monday morning in order to hear personally from Massachusetts residents recovering from tropical storm Irene. She also spoke to consumers who felt that they were the victim of fraud, deception or unfair business practices and were interested in filing a complaint with the Attorney General’s Office.

The Consumer Hotline receives over 5,000 calls and over 3,000 emails and letters each month.  It can be reached at 617-727-8400 and is staffed weekdays with trained mediation specialists who can:

• answer questions and provide information; and/or
• offer referrals to appropriate organizations or government agencies for help; and/or
• provide information on the Attorney General’s consumer complaint and mediation services.

 

In the Attorney General’s Office (AGO), every consumer matters. If you could benefit from consumer information or mediation services, contact us. Last year alone, our mediators and Local Consumer Programs funded by our office were able to recover $4 million through informal mediation directly back to Massachusetts consumers.

To learn more, visit http://www.mass.gov/ago/complaints.

June is Internet Safety Month: Internet Safety Tips for Kids

The internet is a great resource for communicating with friends and family, finding information and having fun. It is also important to stay safe when online via a computer, cell phone or gaming system.  Keep these safety tips in mind when you are online, and share them with a young person who may benefit from them.

Online Safety
Unfortunately, kids have been tricked online by people who pretend to be something that they're not.  Some kids have found themselves in dangerous situations when they agreed to meet the mysterious online "friend" in person.  To protect yourself online, never give out personal information, remember that people online may not be who they say they are, and do not meet with anyone or have them visit you without talking to your parents first.  Always talk to your parents or another trusted adult if you are contacted by a stranger or you encounter anything online that makes you feel uncomfortable or scared.

Text Messages
It is also important to think before you text. Once you send a text message or a photo, even to a friend, you can’t take it back and you never know who might forward it.  Prevent embarrassing moments by thinking twice before you send or text anything that you might regret.

Cyber Bullying
Cyber Bullying may include sending hurtful, hateful, derogatory, harassing or threatening messages to others, spreading rumors, or sending personal or embarrassing information about or pictures of others – all with the intention of intimidating, frightening, ridiculing, or harming someone else.  If you are being bullied online, the best way to handle it is don’t reply or forward the message and ignore, block, or “unfriend” whoever is bullying you online. Tell a parent or trusted adult if you are being bullied online.

Keep Your Privacy
To protect your privacy, check with your parents before you create any personal profile because that information could be used for reasons you might not like.  Choose a screen name or email account name that isn't your real name and don’t share your passwords with anyone except your parents. Never reply to any email that asks for your personal information. Some emails may look official, as if it was sent by your Internet provider, but it's actually a trick to get your personal info.

For more information, visit the Cyber Crime and Internet Safety portion of our website.
 
For more cyber safety tips for kids of all ages, visit http://www.nsteens.org/.