Help/Advice

[Cheswick2.0]

As some of you know I am back in college and should graduate with a teaching degree in june 2004. I am attending a small private college for a variety of reasons. The first is that it is where I attended 25 years ago and they took my credits so that I have been able to get this degree in 3 years. The other reason is that they have a weekender program so that I can work while going full time.

Problem, due to a glitch in filing my FAFSA (it was filed but didn't go through untill after deadline) I am at this time inelligible for Pa State grants though I am getting other forms of financial aid. This is leaving me 3000 short a semester. I am also student teaching this semester and next and unable to work because of that. I am not eligible for unemployment right now (I thought I would be eligible) and so not only am I short on tuition, but I am without income to pay rent etc.....

Question: Does anyone know of any resources for single women with low (very low)income who are trying to get a degree and thus a living income? I'll beg anyone at this point..rich foundation, anyone! If I drop out now, my loans become due anyway and I have no way to pay them.

PS.... due to the precariousness of my income the last 2 years while in school and having no medical insurance (temp jobs and unemployment) I have ruined my credit. I can not apply for a regular bank loan and I rent so I have no home equity.

Any advice appreciated

[Rowdyboy]

1. Let me throw out an idea

Go to your state employment service (labor dept whatever). Ask for information about WIA (Workforce Investment Act). All 50 states have it, but different states interpret it differently. It's supposed to help adults in your situation get training for employment. I have no idea if it will cover college courses in your state but it is possible.

Good luck! I admire your dedication and enjoy your posts. Hope it works out for you...Steve

[Cheswick2.0]

2. Steve Thanks

I will do that. I am working in between student teaching (for instance I will be finished this semester student teaching nov 27)but the 9 weeks per semester I can not work are killing me.

Thank you for the idea.

[Metatron]

4. Also

Since you will have some time between student teaching positions, you might want to think about substitute teaching. December and January are normally very busy times for substitute teachers.

Good luck Cheswick!

[Metatron]

3. What about Work-Study?

You might want to talk to a financial aid advisor and see if you are eligible for a work-study position on campus. Many times these positions have flexible schedules, so you could try and squeeze it in to your busy schedule.

Also, I recently discovered that you may fill out a professional judgement appeal to try and increase the amount of federal student loan money that you receive in a particular semester. (In fact, I have my fingers crossed hoping that my appeal is approved soon!)

Finally, your financial aid office should be able to guide you to online resources for grants from foundations, corporations, etc. If they are clueless, let me know, and I will get the information from my university for you.

[Cheswick2.0]

5. I am going to talk to finacial aid today

I get the idea they are clueless. They know my situation but have provided no useful information. I am going to try again though.

Professional judgement appeal, I will have to write that down and take it to them.

Thanks

[Heddi]

10. Sympathize with you re: clueless Financial Aid

I'm in school right now trying to become an RN (registered Nurse).

I've been to college before, I've gotten financial aid before, and I swear I know more than these people do about the filing process.


I started school in Winter 2003 (First week of January). Filled out my FASFA months ahead of time, and was told I'd get about $860 Fin. Aid (all loans) to cover part of tuition, and that when I registered, the fin. aid would be 'on the books' and I wouldn't have to pya for registration.

yeah.
right.
not.

Go to register, and whaddya know! There's no fin. aid on 'the books'. So I go to the Fin. Aid office

"oh. they're behind on cutting checks. Just pay your tution out of pocket, adn we'll cut a check for you in 2 weeks"

yeah.
right.
not.

As I said---I started school in JANUARY.

Know when I FINALLY got my financial aid check for Winter Quarter? APRIL---AFTER winter quarter had ended!! Already into SPRING quarter and I'm JUST getting refunded for Winter quarter.

---

At my old school, I had filled out my FASFA, and needed to talk to the Fin. Aid councelor about it, but it was impossible to get her b/c she was the only councelor for 1000 students!!! So I put all my paperwork in an envelope, put it in her office mailbox with a very large note attached to it "PLEASE CALL ME AT XXX-XXXX IF THERE'S ANYTHING IN HERE I HAVE TO MAIL OFF INSTEAD OF GIVING TO YOU" (it was one of my first times doing Fin. Aid).

So days and weeks go by, and I hear nothing from the woman, so I figure that everything is where it's supposed to be.

The deadline for Fin. Aid for the next quarter passes, and I go to the Fin. Aid office to check how much fin. aid i would be getting.

They inform me that my application wasn't handed in, and I missed the deadline! :-/

So I go to the councelor's office, and had to make an appt. to see her in a MONTH!!! Finally see her, and sitting in her 'in box' is the envelope I'd left in her mailbox MONTHS before, with the note still on top---she informs me she doesn't really go through her mail, and didn't know what was in the envelope. Come to find out, what I had thought I was supposed to turn into her office was supposed to be mailed out....and because she never even LOOKED at the contents of the envelope, I was SOL with regards to fin. aid for that quarter

SO---because of her....retardedness, I was FUCKED for an entire quarter's worth of financial aid, and I had to drop out of school.

You'd think these people would have to go through some kind of training or something :-/

Right now, at the school I'm at now, there's about 5 people working in the office, and when you ask a question, depending on who you ask, you're gonna get 5 different answers.

I find that in order to find out the RIGHT thing to do, i have to literally ask EVERY PERSON IN THE OFFICE the same question, then I figure out which answer came up the 'most' and go with that solution to my problem.

[Rowdyboy]

6. Another idea for December and January is

retail sales. Christmas shopping opens a lot of temp jobs that could get you through a tough spot.

The reason I mentioned WIA is that you "might" be able to get help funding your education through it. (fingers crossed)

Wish you so much luck!

[Lydia Leftcoast]

7. Christmas retail sales or

if there's a nationally distrubuted catalogue sales company in your town, they hire extra help for Christmas, too. (In Portland, Norm Thompson and Hanna Anderson hired temps for the Christmas rush.)

[Cheswick2.0]

8. we have a penneys catelogue sales office

that would be a good option and one I might be able to take advantage some evenings even before then.

[Corgigal]

9. Another nice program

that I want my daughter to look into is Americorp. They have a website and while you have to work for a few months they do give you either some money to pay off some of your loan OR you can save it up to continue your training. You also get medical and dental and all that.

Got to hurry though, the Repubs are trying to kill it.