How do you go back to school?

[rudeguy]

I don't understand how to go back to school. Probably because I never attended a single college class in my life. I was going to go to a technical school, but that didn't work out. I then thought about going to a local university, but I couldn't find a way to afford it.

Isn't the average university somewhere near $20k a year? How can you afford to pay for that while going to school? Did most of you rely on your parents to pay for it?

I know there are some state programs out there that can help out, but when I tried to get some information from them they wanted me to go through 3 different interview sessions before they would tell me anything about what is available. These interviews were with 50 or so people who were just going there because the state makes them do it to keep their welfare.

So how do I do go back to school?

 

[sonambulo]

Community College, baby.

Just go to the admissions office of whatever school you're thinking of attending and get some information.

 

[LilPima]

Do you mean stop working and go back to school, or find the time/money to do it at night?

 

[ScottyB]

Take out loans, repay when finished. /Thread

 

[ELopes580]

I just walked in one day and took a seat.

 

[JohnCU]

scholarships/ loans got me through 5 years. i think it averaged out to $11k a year, 20k is excessive

 

[her209]

Live vicariously through your children.

 

[irishScott]

Yeah, I'm 21, in college, and fortunate enough to be getting a full-ride from my parents. I know some people working their way through with loans and such; but they're going to have debt up the arse for years after graduation. I actually kinda feel bad about having so much. I get to save about 90% of my income for post-graduation stuff (car, apartment, etc).

I suppose you could join the ROTC/military and have them pay for it. From the sound of it we''ll be out of Iraq (in any significant sense) by the time you'd get a 4 year degree anyway.

 

[rudeguy]

Originally posted by: LilPima
Do you mean stop working and go back to school, or find the time/money to do it at night?

Yes

 

[clamum]

Go to a community college first, then transfer to a 4-year university. Otherwise you just waste money on the core classes at the university. So star with a community college's Admissions Office.

 

[xSauronx]

Originally posted by: clamum
Go to a community college first, then transfer to a 4-year university. Otherwise you just waste money on the core classes at the university. So star with a community college's Admissions Office.

yep. talk to the financial aid office while youre there. if youre mostly broke and over 25 (iirc, OP is out of work or something, but i may be confusing him with another) you can get a Pell grant, which will cover books, and tuition, and maybe leave you with something after that which you get to keep. naturally, if you dont complete the classes you have to give the money back, and the more hours you sign up for up to 12 (full time) the more you can get from the grant.

other options are state/federal assitance through work programs and such. i got a pell grant, a guy i know got his stuff paid for through some other program, and a girl i go to school with gets books, tuition and some fuel paid for from joblink or something.

talk to a financial aid rep at the school, they should be able to point out a few options you can take advantage of (dont stop at just filling out a FAFSA). if you start now you *might* be able to get something ready for the spring semester and register late. also look into local scholarships. im in a rural area and am attending community college and there are a surprising number of scholarships available for several of the programs.

 

[BoomerD]

I'm "fortunate" in that voc-rehab puts me through school with all costs fully covered.

My community college expenses are $20 per unit (about $240/semester) plus books...which run about $500 per semester.

I've been looking at possibly transferring to Cal-State Stanislaus and the costs would be about $2000/semester plus books and fees.

I'm definitely wishing I'd have listened to my guidance counselors when I first started...I'd have taken more classes that meet the transfer requirements...

Now, after 2-1/2 years at the community college, I MIGHT be able to skip the freshman year at a 4 year college, but that's it...AND I still need to meet their math requirement for entry. (/me is math challenged)

For someone with no "program" to help with the costs, going back to school can be difficult. (I tried it 12 years ago and work got in the way of school...so I quit school)
Financial Aid programs help some, maybe a scholarship to help with costs, otherwise, you're chasing the various grant and loan programs to help pay the costs, PLUS having to work at least part-time.

I don't know how people work full-time and go to school full-time...I couldn't do it.

 

[xSauronx]

Originally posted by: BoomerD

I don't know how people work full-time and go to school full-time...I couldn't do it.

i had 13 hours this semester and work ~30 hours a week, sometimes more (and i have 17 hours next semester). i lucked out with easy-ish jobs, so i do a lot of homework on the clock.

honestly, i got married at 18 (got gf pregnant) and started working full-time and always made the excuse that because i didnt know what i wanted to do and i was busy, i couldnt go to school.

i could have taken even just one night class each semester. and had an AS to transfer with by the time i was divorced, and instead of starting in a community college, i could have started at a university somewhere. hindsight; bah!

 

[rudeguy]

Thanks for the replies.

I am over 25 (I'm 30...FUCK!) and kind of out of work. I am on short term disability from my current employer. I can stretch out the STD for another 3 months if I want. My problem seems to be that there are a ton of state funded programs for people that are out of work. I could get terminated from my current job and have a lot more opportunities available to me for grants and such, but I don't know how I would eat?!?!

It sounds like I need to just go through the stupid interview process thing and then also talk to a counselor at the local CC, right? Maybe talking to someone who handles this kind of thing for a living would be able to give me some hard information.

Thanks again!

 

[TallBill]

I'm 26 and a sophomore in college. But because of my military service I have free school and I get paid $1500 a month tax free. I work 2 part time jobs but no more then 25 hours a week.

Look into an adult program with your Community College to at least get an associates there.

 

[nerp]

It's called financial aid. You don't have to pay up front. Sure, you have debt when you're done and have to start making payments, but unless you have piles of money, you should be able to use financial aid. The idea is that the degree will help you obtain better employment which will make paying off the loans easier.

 

[Sasiki]

My wife is a senior and does 1 or 2 classes per semester. Her class in January will be $700 + books. If she were to take an additional class, it would be around $500 since the miscellaneous fees would already be paid. Each credit hour at the University of South Alabama costs $147 for an in state student. If you were to take 3 classes, that's 12 or 13 hours. Tuition cost of $1800. Add another $550 for fees. Total tuition cost for 2 semesters would be about $5300 including books. Just go to the college's website that you want to attend, print out an admissions form, fill it out and mail it in. They'll let you know if you've been accepted. After that, you can register for classes. And you're done.

Or just call the Admissions office for your college of choice. They'll tell you what you need to know. You can also go to the college's website and find out how much tuition and fees are.

 

[eve]

well i am going through Ashford University Online they help me with all the financial paperwork. It just goes on a loan but my work reimburses me 40%................ you'd be best to find a job that will pay part or all tuition expenses, lol

 

[sjwaste]

I'm 26, work full time, and take 11 credits at night currently. Have been doing so for a few years now, and graduate this May. I'm an evening law student.

I'll put it to you this way -- it's doable, but try not to think about the next day too much. The requisite is that you have a job that has predictable hours, or a company that will be flexible with you, preferably both. My day job is in consulting, which is normally a grind, but I currently am staffed to a project that supports what I'm doing.

Just be ready to have most days be fairly long, and if you have family obligations, make sure they know and understand that you can't be around as much as you were before. The money part works best for me by taking out loans for tuition and paying everything else out of pocket.

 

[zinfamous]

Originally posted by: rudeguy
I don't understand how to go back to school. Probably because I never attended a single college class in my life. I was going to go to a technical school, but that didn't work out. I then thought about going to a local university, but I couldn't find a way to afford it.

Isn't the average university somewhere near $20k a year? How can you afford to pay for that while going to school? Did most of you rely on your parents to pay for it?

I know there are some state programs out there that can help out, but when I tried to get some information from them they wanted me to go through 3 different interview sessions before they would tell me anything about what is available. These interviews were with 50 or so people who were just going there because the state makes them do it to keep their welfare.

So how do I do go back to school?

If you're already working, start by taking a night course or two. pay by course, not too expensive. Depending on where you're employed, there might even be an employee incentive that would pay some percentage of course tuition.

after a semester or two of night courses, and you feel that you really are capable of dealing with classes again, then consider enrolling full-time. Apply for loans, or work part time, go to school part-time.

I think the best thing to do after several years out is to slowly get back into it and make sure you're of right frame of mind to succeed. Not that classes are that difficult, just a different discipline from full-time regular work.

I'm ~7 years post-undergrad, currently applying for graduate program (and not the first time, heh). I've taken extra courses here and there over the previous years, and you really do need to re-train yourself to handle it. The worst mistake you can make would be to jump in full-bore, find out after 1 semester or a year that you hate it, waste a shit-load of money, and jeopardize whatever job you left to go back to school.

GL.

 

[zinfamous]

Originally posted by: clamum
Go to a community college first, then transfer to a 4-year university. Otherwise you just waste money on the core classes at the university. So star with a community college's Admissions Office.

this is a very good idea. Be sure though that if you have a particular University and program in mind, that they will accept the community college transfer credit. Most are pretty good about it, but it depends on the University and the specific CC courses that you take based on the program you apply to at the University.

 

[xSauronx]

Originally posted by: rudeguy
Thanks for the replies.

I am over 25 (I'm 30...FUCK!) and kind of out of work. I am on short term disability from my current employer. I can stretch out the STD for another 3 months if I want. My problem seems to be that there are a ton of state funded programs for people that are out of work. I could get terminated from my current job and have a lot more opportunities available to me for grants and such, but I don't know how I would eat?!?!

It sounds like I need to just go through the stupid interview process thing and then also talk to a counselor at the local CC, right? Maybe talking to someone who handles this kind of thing for a living would be able to give me some hard information.

Thanks again!

yep. hell, take a night/online classes and get some stuff out of the way. and depending on the CC and the courses you take, you may be able to test out of the classes. here you can do that, and you still get the credit (and have to pay the tuition) but you save time on going to the class. i expect in the fall i will test out of a class. i really probably could have tested out of 2 already but i wasnt made aware i could do that :-/ would have saved me lots of time last spring!

 

[rudeguy]

Originally posted by: xSauronx

Originally posted by: rudeguy
Thanks for the replies.

I am over 25 (I'm 30...FUCK!) and kind of out of work. I am on short term disability from my current employer. I can stretch out the STD for another 3 months if I want. My problem seems to be that there are a ton of state funded programs for people that are out of work. I could get terminated from my current job and have a lot more opportunities available to me for grants and such, but I don't know how I would eat?!?!

It sounds like I need to just go through the stupid interview process thing and then also talk to a counselor at the local CC, right? Maybe talking to someone who handles this kind of thing for a living would be able to give me some hard information.

Thanks again!

yep. hell, take a night/online classes and get some stuff out of the way. and depending on the CC and the courses you take, you may be able to test out of the classes. here you can do that, and you still get the credit (and have to pay the tuition) but you save time on going to the class. i expect in the fall i will test out of a class. i really probably could have tested out of 2 already but i wasnt made aware i could do that :-/ would have saved me lots of time last spring!

That's another thing I was thinking about. I was required by a former employer to take college level math and English classes. I tested out of those though. Would those tests still be on my record?

 

[classy]

Originally posted by: sonambulo
Community College, baby.

Just go to the admissions office of whatever school you're thinking of attending and get some information.

 

[PrinceofWands]

Originally posted by: rudeguy
I don't understand how to go back to school. Probably because I never attended a single college class in my life. I was going to go to a technical school, but that didn't work out. I then thought about going to a local university, but I couldn't find a way to afford it.

Isn't the average university somewhere near $20k a year? How can you afford to pay for that while going to school? Did most of you rely on your parents to pay for it?

I know there are some state programs out there that can help out, but when I tried to get some information from them they wanted me to go through 3 different interview sessions before they would tell me anything about what is available. These interviews were with 50 or so people who were just going there because the state makes them do it to keep their welfare.

So how do I do go back to school?

Not at all that expensive, unless you go to a private school. State college here is about 6k a year. 7 if you include books, parking, etc. Community college might only be 2k a year, depending on your area. There's also a TON of scholarships, grants, and other assistance and they're easy to sign up for. It's not hard at all.

Easiest way is to go in and speak with a counselor at the college.