T2LDD,

When you enter college, in order to get financial aid, you will declare a major. That's one of the deals. You do NOT have to get an AA at all - that is not a requirement, so don't worry about that whatsoever. Shoot for the 4 year long term, unless the thing you want is an AA in a particular field in which you plan to work that requires a certification. Otherwise, just start in the community college working with the four year degree in mind. That way, you do not waste time or money on classes that do not go towards the long term goal.

When you choose a major, choose something that is in the general area you might think you're interested in. Majors can be changed - it doesn't mean you are locked in forever, and the reality is you probably will change your major twice before you graduate. That is the average for incoming freshman. The reason for this is that many kids coming into university have an idea of what they want to do, but when they are exposed to more information in other fields, their interests are broadened and they also gain much more confidence in their own abilities - and this leads them in directions they never expected for themselves. Plus, many are also exposed to new people and ideas for the first time in their lives, and find themselves sent into new fields of exploration for careers. Enter with a general idea, remain flexible, and don't be surprised where your education takes you. I sure didn't expect do be doing what I do - not at all!

Fill out your FAFSA online. Do it this month = do not put it off. It is free. You can have the information for financial aid sent to all of the local colleges you are considering, so do that when you fill out the forms. If you are in high school, ask your counselor for help if you need it.

Apply for scholarships in all areas. There are different types available, so don't think narrowly. Some are based on grades, and go to the highest performers in the high schools and colleges. Those are the types that most think about - but there are MANY OTHERS!!! Apply for local scholarships at your high school if you are a senior. Apply at the university or community college through the financial aid office for their local scholarships, because the schools themselves offer more scholarships than you could possibly believe. I received most of my money from the university I attended - and went to graduate school without owing any money, with one year paid for by the department I attended, and NO OBLIGATIONS TO WORK FOR THEM AT ALL.

Apply to local charity organizations. My second year of graduate school was paid for by the National Business Women's Association. Yes, they offer scholarships, and they paid my tuition. I was not, and am not, a member. Their purpose is to assist young women in going to college - and they assisted me. Apply, and see if they will help you.

Apply to other organizations - some ask for an essay. Some ask nothing but to listen to your needs or your personal story. With one sheet of paper at the financial aid office at my university, I received ALL OF MY TUITION for graduate school, for two years straight. Just apply, you never know. My oldest daughter has done the same thing.


There are work-study programs, which do not require you to pay back anything. These are jobs which are on campus, work around your class schedule, and are based on your financial aid award and need. There are campus-based jobs, which are not need-based, but can fund you in a VERY NICE way. My youngest daughter applied for the job of Resident Advisor. And she did this job for two years - it came with FREE ROOM AND BOARD, on campus. She was in charge of the dorm, and received a stipend of $150 on top of the free room and board as well. Because she was a music major, she competed to join a singing group that was a public-relations group for the college, which brought her a semester award of $1000. This meant that her tuition came down a total of $2000 a year, free room and board, plus she had an income of $150 a month right away. The singing thing gave her class credit, too, and they paid for the class on top of it.

Another semester, she got a part time job working 10 hrs. a week at the computer dept. across from her dorm. When she was off duty as RA, she was on duty at the computer dept. It was a perfect set-up, and the bosses were great for scheduling her.

Be creative, look for opportunities like that.


She also took online courses, mixed in with on campus courses. When she walked on campus as a freshman, she actually had 15 credit hours before one foot set on the ground.

Think ahead!

SB

Great ideas, SB.

And especially keep in mind just to go to school and take the basics. Many people don't end up being what they started out to be. My sis first got a teaching certificate, then a Master's in Biology, and then went to law school at Harvard.

I started out as an English major, then became a plumber, then an Engineering tech, then a construction manager.

You will find out your ideas change.

As I said, my sis is an attorney, makes good money and loves it, but she does KILLER hours, and she is a partner. She often works 20 hours a day. In other words, she has no life outside of work.

Hi T2LDD

Schoolbus has given you great information about getting $ for college. Most community colleges have what they call a "transfer" degree which is an Associates Degree that prepares you to transfer to a state university. The best place to start is with a financial aid advisor and an academic advisor from the college. The financial aid advisor's job is to help you find a way to pay for college.

You will need to submit the FAFSA-Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Go to the www.fafsa.ed.gov. There are some other sites that have tried to copy it (fafsa.com etc) but they are fakes. They require a fee for completing the Free Application.
The fafsa is the form that allows the government to give out Pell grants (a federal grant) and states use it for their own types of grants. Plus, there may be other sources of funding that the college has that will be available once the fafsa is in.

In my state, high school students who qualify (are juniors, have a certain gpa, and pass the placement test) can take classe at the local community college for free. They just have to pay for their books. It's called Running Start.

Even home school kids can do this if they register with the local high school. (You have to be enrolled in a public school for the college to get the $ for Running Start kids). I don't know if you have that in your state, but the high school counselor would know.

Keep us informed-

Lots of GREAT information here.

Working at the bookstore will be a good way to find out all the ins and outs. Maybe she can get a discount, as books are so expensive.

My son is going to Skagit Valley, and the books for a class about fish cost $350.

I live in the same valley as SVC!

One thing I told my students (I taught at Everett CC part-time) was to get the ISBN number for their textbooks from the cards that are posted in the bookstore a week or so before class started, and then check out Amazon.com's used textbook section or go to half.com and type in the same information.

The ISBN # will be for the newest edition of the book so students are sure to find it cheaper.

He got some of his books on Half.com, but lots of them were very specific like the Watersheds of the Northern PNW and we couldn't find them anywhere.

I think some textbooks are a rip-off. There was one English short story book where he had to have edition 6. It was paperback and cost $67. Edition 5 was on half.com for $2., but it had one story missing that edition 6 had. Like I say, a rip-off.

I was thinking if T2L's daughter can work in the bookstore, maybe she can get some deals.

I have been working my way through college and there have been a lot of great ideas thrown out there.

Get the ISBN numbers and buy used for sure.

FASFA will need to be completed as soon as you can after taxes are done...but you can start on it now. That means that it is best to have taxes done as early as possible and not wait until the last minute.

Good for you, Rusty. It will pay the rest of your life. I've got 2 sons in college, and even community college isn't that cheap, because there are still all the living expenses.

I decided I needed more from life the day D7 was born.

90 hours here, if i could go full bore I would be done in a year.

I guess one of the not so bad things about all of what has happened to me is that I get to read a lot of books that deal in the "psychology" of relationships. It has been really cool, like wayward thinking going all along a script and all. Just like reading about any mental disease.

One day when I am done and ready to become a counselor, I might even consider marriage counseling now. Something that I had never really even considered before now. At least they make good $$$. lol

Good for you Rusty. It will pay off.

And I agree with you believer-text book costs seem to be a racket. Every time a "new" edition comes out, it costs even more. I like the time one of my former students came to show me here college English text (which was written by the instructor).

One of the "chapters" was only three paragraphs long. :RollieEyes:

I hope you DO think about MC, Rusty, and I hope that T2L's daughter does too. MC in this country is AWFUL.

When you fill out the FASFA, they will send you a list of all the grants/loans you qualify for and you decide what to do from there.

Financial Aid knows that lots of students still live with their parents, so it's based on their income AND circumstances. For my OS, it is based only on my income as the head of household. His dad's income doesn't factor into the fafsa. He's on an Army ROTC scholarship, so he doesn't need much extra to help out, but the little bit he does get helps with is housing expenses.

My BIL was laid-off a few months back, and the financial aid office at my neice's college (Northwestern-where she got a scholarship, but it didn't cover 1/4 of the expenses) has now adjusted her scholarship/grant status based on his current lack of income.

My extra DD26 (she's a family friend who came to live with us when her mom died when she was 19) let her college's financial aid office know what had happened, and they covered all her housing for the following year through a grant that was set up by some alumni. I was sooo thrilled-not just because it's my alma mater-but because she got to go back to her school "family" after losing her mom.

As far as your current financial situation, the financial aid advisors know this stuff the best.

Also, check out fastweb.com. It's a free scholarship search. You have to be willing to click through a few ads when you sign in each time, but that's how they keep it free. You will put in all kinds of information, such as if any of your family were part of a union, or landed with the Mayflower etc. Believe it or not, there are scholarships for all kinds of things.

About your job, if you are a good worker who learns fast and is willing to work hard, you will be on their "short list" for those they want to keep.

You will have to put in and see. And it is due by 3/9 for this school year. You will have to put your parents income in, and stuff from their tax return. But nothing ventured, nothing gained.

The big expense of going to college is the living expenses. Check with your community college on the costs to go.

I do hope your job lasts, but it still counts as experience.

I have a feeling you will do very well at school. All it takes is being interested, showing up and studying.

Both of my sons have straight A's, and believe me, they barely got through highschool.

While I may be wrong, unless they file their taxes married filing seperately you will not get anything. If they file the other seperately, you just might qualify for everything.

There are still scholarships, though.