Financial aid is a supplement, not a big paycheck. (degrees, literacy, schools)

[bentstrider]

Originally Posted by TurtleCreek80

Well, don't feel bitter at all as it sounds like your friends have signed up for massive loans that will possibly put them in financial hell for the next 20 years. Did you know a $50k loan (abiut what it would take to pay for a 4-year degree wirh room & board in a cheap public university) will be $500/mo for the next 20 years?! If they didn't get the truly free money- scholarships and grants- then you DO NOT have any reason to be envious. Just keep plugging away at your degree!

Only reason I don't know the stats of anyone I graduated high school with is that many of them moved from town and I never see their faces anymore.
I guess that could be somewhat of a good thing?

Anywho, I'm just going to continue doing just that.
Like I was getting at before, the busier I keep myself, the more energized I feel in a certain way.
My mom mentioned to me a fellow student she knew at CSU San Bernardino.
I couldn't recall what he was majoring in, but he was plugging away work and school at a full-time pace.
If that guy could do it, I could find a way to make it work for me.
That and social life is kind of dead any way, so the time must be burned.

[golfgal]

I guess I am not following your train of thought-you are upset because people get aid??

I don't know of a single kid that has graduated from our high school the past few years that HASN'T qualified for some aid/scholarships/etc. EVERYONE that goes to an accredited college is eligible to take out a government backed student loan, no matter what their income level. There are two times, the subsidized and unsubsidized. Everyone is qualified for the unsubsidized loan no matter what their grades/financial status.

[bentstrider]

Originally Posted by golfgal

I guess I am not following your train of thought-you are upset because people get aid??

I don't know of a single kid that has graduated from our high school the past few years that HASN'T qualified for some aid/scholarships/etc. EVERYONE that goes to an accredited college is eligible to take out a government backed student loan, no matter what their income level. There are two times, the subsidized and unsubsidized. Everyone is qualified for the unsubsidized loan no matter what their grades/financial status.

I might just be upset because the wrong people get aid.
If some one has lackluster academic performance, then they should be seen as a risk and should only be able to qualify for the tuition breaks and book assistance.
As far as loans and such go, if someone with questionable grades wants to do that in order to better themselves, that's none of my business then.
Have at it.

I figure the thing that irked me into posting this entire thing in the first place is my personal concern over whether the monetary supplies for educational assistance would eventually dry up due to the obvious debt and economic problems.
And also the fact that some also hound my choice of working through it instead.
That one could be linked to my earlier statement of having qualified for aid and requesting loans before and screwing up academically at the same time years ago.
No longer being able to trust myself in certain areas I'm guessing.

[Chatteress]

Originally Posted by eofelis

I went to a cheap podunk state college as a very non-trad student (30s). I was a hard science major, low-income, single gal.

I applied for every grant and scholarship that I could. I got to know the folks in Financial Aid (the director of FA still remembers my name when he sees me around town). I bugged the profs who were on the scholarship committees and let them know I needed money to help me though school. I worked p/t on campus or as an intern in my field. Kept my GPA way up too (graduated Magna...)

I got enough FREE money every semester to pay my tuition and pay some of my living expenses. I'll say I lived cheap, but I bought a used car and a few nice bicycles while I was in school. I always had a bit of money in savings while I was a student.

Forget the expensive elite schools and go to a cheaper state university or community college and apply to all forms of grants, etc. Exhaust all options, including scholarships, before opting for loans.

[bentstrider]

Originally Posted by Chatteress

Forget the expensive elite schools and go to a cheaper state university or community college and apply to all forms of grants, etc. Exhaust all options, including scholarships, before opting for loans.

That's pretty much the way I'm doing it.
Either some place in New Mexico or Utah where there's quite a few places with low student:teacher ratios(yes, that's a big selling point for my ADD addled brain) and some excellent outdoor recreation.
And I might be able to qualify for grants/scholarships if I pull a complete 180 after about 2-3 years of raising my GPA to an "eye-catching" level.
But nonetheless, the places you mention will allow my working dollar to go a little extra further.
Then there's my second option of saving money via a Roth IRA(don't worry, I read into it and will get further consult from my bank before I go all out on that.)
Just didn't want this thread to end on some type of negative note.

Another big reason I want to get trained/educated in something else aside from what I'm currently doing?
If I ever have kids one of these days, I don't want them thinking daddy's a dumb$#it.

[golfgal]

Originally Posted by Chatteress

Forget the expensive elite schools and go to a cheaper state university or community college and apply to all forms of grants, etc. Exhaust all options, including scholarships, before opting for loans.

Except that those expensive elite schools have more money to give out...At Harvard and other schools, any financial aid that comes in loans is transferred to a Harvard Grant so no kids take loans....if you make under $60K, Harvard costs you nothing, if you make under $180K, Harvard is 10% of your AGI--so $18K at most--which is 4K a year LESS than our state university and $1000/year less than our "cheep" state universities.

[Glucorious]

Originally Posted by golfgal

I guess I am not following your train of thought-you are upset because people get aid??

I don't know of a single kid that has graduated from our high school the past few years that HASN'T qualified for some aid/scholarships/etc. EVERYONE that goes to an accredited college is eligible to take out a government backed student loan, no matter what their income level. There are two times, the subsidized and unsubsidized. Everyone is qualified for the unsubsidized loan no matter what their grades/financial status.

I think only the parents can do it after they have gotten turned down by a lender. Then you have to apply for it. Called something plus loan.

Originally Posted by golfgal

Except that those expensive elite schools have more money to give out...At Harvard and other schools, any financial aid that comes in loans is transferred to a Harvard Grant so no kids take loans....if you make under $60K, Harvard costs you nothing, if you make under $180K, Harvard is 10% of your AGI--so $18K at most--which is 4K a year LESS than our state university and $1000/year less than our "cheep" state universities.

Then Harvard would not have a huge wallet. Either this is false, or they cap it and only even admit a small fraction of students who would qualify for the aid this way. I can't think of anytging else. They need money. And they won't get any when half of the students don't have to pay.

[golfgal]

Originally Posted by StoryFriend

I think only the parents can do it after they have gotten turned down by a lender. Then you have to apply for it. Called something plus loan.




Then Harvard would not have a huge wallet. Either this is false, or they cap it and only even admit a small fraction of students who would qualify for the aid this way. I can't think of anytging else. They need money. And they won't get any when half of the students don't have to pay.

Alumni Donations and a HUGE foundation---feel free to look it up on their website.

[DrEarth]

I know people who are using federal loans to pay for vacations and expensive apartments for themselves.

The school I went to cost $8000 per year, yet some students have over $60,000 worth of debt at the time of their graduation.

Not really my problem, but it will suck for them when they have to start paying that back.

[ChessieMom]

Originally Posted by bentstrider

Not trying to beat a dead horse if I am, but I'm running into too many people who think aid in the form of grants, scholarships, or loans will completely put them through school and be able to live somewhat comfortably.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't a desirable GPA and other feats of academic/social accomplishment a requirement for getting that "full ride" so many speak of.

I don't get your point, frankly. You are upset because you are meeting people that are not knowledgeable in the area of college financial planning?