My wife is considering going after a degree online and still work.

Dead3ye

Platinum Member
Sep 21, 2000
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She is in a dead end job and is extremely bored to death. She'll sit there for hours and do absolutely nothing. It's driving her nuts and I can't blame her. She has decided (along with me) that pursuing a degree online would be a great option and she could do most of it work. Her boss does not have problem with this since he knows she sits there twiddling her thumbs.

I have read up on online colleges and can determine which ones are accredited and the ones that are just diploma mills. I guess when she decides exactly what she wants to pursue is when we'll figure out which one.

What I don't know is where to look for financial information, particularly grants, (federal or state). I am a veteran, although I'm not sure that it will benefit her. I was born and raised in PA and still live here and have two children 9 and 10 and own my home.

I figured since the majority of you are college students, you might be able to help. Can anybody point me to some places where I can start? I tried, but there is so much bullsh!t information I'm tired of sorting through it. It's been 20 years since I graduated college and things have changed a lot since then.

Yeah, I'm an old fart.

TIA
 

yllus

Elite Member & Lifer
Aug 20, 2000
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This is only semi-related, but MIT's OpenCourseWare is a neat way to access 1550 of MIT's class materials. They don't offer a degree through that system AFAIK, but it'd be one way she could find out what she's interested in.
 

JS80

Lifer
Oct 24, 2005
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Originally posted by: yllus
This is only semi-related, but MIT's OpenCourseWare is a neat way to access 1550 of MIT's class materials. They don't offer a degree through that system AFAIK, but it'd be one way she could find out what she's interested in.

ROFL!!!
 

OS

Lifer
Oct 11, 1999
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I don't think you get grants (free money) anymore when you work, I work and go to grad school myself. Grants are largely based on you or your parents income, so if you have a paycheck you probably won't get anything. You can probably still get student loans though.

If you find out there is still free money for school for people who work, post that up. :D

 

BigJ

Lifer
Nov 18, 2001
21,330
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Try collegeconfidential.com and their message boards. They've got a bunch of information about financial stuff along with information about online colleges.

You could also try checking out local colleges that offer online courses/degrees, or even national universities that offer online degrees.
 

NuAlphaMan

Senior member
Aug 30, 2006
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which ever school she decides to go to, they can provide you with a lot of financial aid information. Remember Google is your friend.
 

Grant

Member
Oct 9, 1999
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as indicated above, each school should be able to provide you with the financial aid information. You should be able to check out their websites.

http://www.aiuonline.edu/financial_aid/

This is one online school and their financial aid section on their website. The best thing to do is if you contact a couple of schools and see what they say.

Also does your wifes work have any programs to help with schooling? Some companies have programs that will pay for their schooling or other benefits.

 

ITJunkie

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Apr 17, 2003
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Might I suggest checking with your local community college? I did most of my AA degree online at a local community college and they have a wealth of resources at your disposal for grants, etc.
 

Dead3ye

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Sep 21, 2000
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Originally posted by: Grant
as indicated above, each school should be able to provide you with the financial aid information. You should be able to check out their websites.

http://www.aiuonline.edu/financial_aid/

This is one online school and their financial aid section on their website. The best thing to do is if you contact a couple of schools and see what they say.

Also does your wifes work have any programs to help with schooling? Some companies have programs that will pay for their schooling or other benefits.

She did contact some schools (AIU was one) and they flooded the mailbox and voicemail constantly with information only relevent to how good their school was over the rest. She was overwhelmed. I think I can help her pick the right school, I'm looking more for info on financial aid.

Where she works, it's her and her boss, nobody else. That's why she's going bonkers and wants more, but to get that she's going to need a degree.

Originally posted by: ITJunkie
Might I suggest checking with your local community college? I did most of my AA degree online at a local community college and they have a wealth of resources at your disposal for grants, etc.

That would be the first thing I do if we had one in my area. Thats why we're looking at the online idea. The closest one is over 60 miles away. Funny thing is there is a commitee that's trying to get on here in my county to serve it and the surrounding counties, but to my disbelief, there are morons who are opposed to it saying it would do nothing but raise our taxes. The current county commissioners are some of them.
 

chrisms

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Mar 9, 2003
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Many state universities offer distance learning programs. That would lower her tuition significantly and also give her a degree from a normal sounding institution.
 

ITJunkie

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Originally posted by: Dead3ye

That would be the first thing I do if we had one in my area. Thats why we're looking at the online idea. The closest one is over 60 miles away. Funny thing is there is a commitee that's trying to get on here in my county to serve it and the surrounding counties, but to my disbelief, there are morons who are opposed to it saying it would do nothing but raise our taxes. The current county commissioners are some of them.
Don't let it stop you. I know in some of my classes I had classmates that were in other states, east of the mountains, etc. That's the beauty of doing it online. :D

^What Chrisms said^