Friends since childhood, Matt and Charlie promised each other they would enlist together in the same branch of the military, after they graduated from high school, and take advantage of the federal government’s GI Bill program. Charlie was especially excited about enlisting since both his father and grandfather had served in the military and he would be the third generation in his family enlisting.

​Your birth certificate is one of your most important personal documents. Many of us have no idea where it is, however. Replacement copies are available from government agencies, but obtaining one can be a real hassle.

​Unfortunately, without a copy of your birth certificate, there are a lot of things you’ll be unable to do. You need your birth certificate for a variety of government interactions, such as getting a driver’s license, obtaining a passport, getting a marriage license, joining the military, or obtaining Social Security Benefits.

Ethan had put off applying for colleges until the last minute. He knew he could have started applying in his junior year of high school, but, for one reason or another, he just never made the time. He was busy playing sports, keeping up with homework assignments, studying for tests, and fitting in time to spend with his friends.

Then, over the summer—to be quite honest—Ethan was enjoying what would essentially be his last summer vacation before he graduated, and he knew he would be heading off to college and spending his summers working from then on. Now that school had almost started, his best friend Charlie told him he needed to get his college applications submitted now as the deadlines were fast approaching.