Do single mothers go to college for free with fafsa & welfare? (CPA, degree)
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THIS IS NOT A SINGLE MOM BASH. I WAS RAISED BY A WIDOW. PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING.
An old friend of mine got knocked up by her boyfriend and she is all exited now because she is going to quit her job and be a stay at home mom to go to college for free. We are in our early 20s & commuter students.
She told me because she will be a single mother that financial aid from the government and probably other government benefits will pay for her college education 100%. She said the government is almost encouraging her to not work & quit her job because it will pay for all of her schooling to be a nurse.
At first I was happy for her but as a person who is familiar with taxes I'm pissed now. Do dead beat single mom hood rats really get to go to college on my tax dollars while I'm using condoms, working, paying out the butt in taxes, and living the way a "good" person should?
We grew up in a good neighborhood I can't believe she is proud to ride the system.
No she won't.
Fafsa only pays a certain amount...4,000 a semester(the pell grant)
She still has to get a loan like everyone else.
You bring up a good point....when I was trying to get into college,I couldn't.
My mom didn't have any income,plus she didn't want to fill out the fafsa,and I ,at 18,couldn't claim I was independent.
The stupid feds couldn't believe that someone 18 was independent. Dummies. Would have had to wait until I was 24.
However,if you were a single mom,or married to someone over 24,you could claim independent.
Goverment: 18,with no kids=not independent
18,with a kid=independent.
No she won't. Fafsa only pays a certain amount...4,000 a semester(the pell grant)
She still has to get a loan like everyone else.
You bring up a good point....when I was trying to get into college,I couldn't.
My mom didn't have any income,plus she didn't want to fill out the fafsa,and I ,at 18,couldn't claim I was independent.
The stupid feds couldn't believe that someone 18 was independent. Dummies. Would have had to wait until I was 24.
However,if you were a single mom,or married to someone over 24,you could claim independent.
Goverment: 18,with no kids=not independent
18,with a kid=independent.
No she won't.
Fafsa only pays a certain amount...4,000 a semester(the pell grant)
She still has to get a loan like everyone else.
You bring up a good point....when I was trying to get into college,I couldn't.
My mom didn't have any income,plus she didn't want to fill out the fafsa,and I ,at 18,couldn't claim I was independent.
The stupid feds couldn't believe that someone 18 was independent. Dummies. Would have had to wait until I was 24.
However,if you were a single mom,or married to someone over 24,you could claim independent.
Goverment: 18,with no kids=not independent
18,with a kid=independent.
The stupidity
Not true at all.
If she is going to a community college, a Pell grant pays $5,550 per award year if she qualifies financially, there are also other grants that many people qualify for on top of the Pell grant.
Any monies that are left over after they take out fees for tuition & books...etc...is yours to do with as you wish.
A single, unemployed Mother would most likely qualify to go to college completely free.
And why be pissed that someone is trying to better themselves anyway OP?
It's possible that she could go on to be very successful and pay it forward in the future.
And no, you do not have to repay federal grants or any other grants.
I don't think your friend has done the math. Who'll pay her rent (or does she live with her parents)? Who'll pay for the baby's needs, and for the mom's clothes and other living expenses? Food stamps really don't cover grocery needs. I've never heard of an arrangement like your friend thinks she has (this isn't Sweden). I've only heard of single moms having to work their way through school, juggling a full-time job with a full courseload.
In any case, if your "hood rat" friend does get a college degree, let's hope it improves her job and pay prospects after she graduates. Best of luck to the baby.
How much financial aid a person get varies on several factors including the state they live in. In NJ, a person with the most need can get grants equaling over $17,000 (FAFSA+HESAA). This is enough to cover tuition plus some at schools like Rutgers, NJIT, and other state schools.
I can see that working at a low cost community college.
Me too. I thought nursing was more expensive even at the community colleges.
Quote:
Originally Posted by NC~Mom
Not true at all.
If she is going to a community college, a Pell grant pays $5,550 per award year if she qualifies financially, there are also other grants that many people qualify for on top of the Pell grant.
Any monies that are left over after they take out fees for tuition & books...etc...is yours to do with as you wish.
A single, unemployed Mother would most likely qualify to go to college completely free.
And why be pissed that someone is trying to better themselves anyway OP?
It's possible that she could go on to be very successful and pay it forward in the future.
And no, you do not have to repay federal grants or any other grants.
Not pissed about that. I'm pissed about:
1. People who are proud of living off of the government (taxpayer dollars). She was almost gloating.
2. I prepared tax returns for a lot of people this year and now have a broader understanding of how taxes go down from working at a CPA firm.
3. People who milk the government and behave like hood rats are kept by the government while hardworking people foot the bill.
I have always been a staunch liberal but my business education and tax experience is making me change my mind. I think I'm much more conservative (at least financially) than I thought.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth
I don't think your friend has done the math. Who'll pay her rent (or does she live with her parents)? Who'll pay for the baby's needs, and for the mom's clothes and other living expenses? Food stamps really don't cover grocery needs. I've never heard of an arrangement like your friend thinks she has (this isn't Sweden). I've only heard of single moms having to work their way through school, juggling a full-time job with a full courseload.
In any case, if your "hood rat" friend does get a college degree, let's hope it improves her job and pay prospects after she graduates. Best of luck to the baby.
She will be moving in with her boyfriend, the babies father. He has a low paying but steady job. They have been dating on and off for less than a year. He already has a daughter from another woman. I'm pretty sure they have only truly been dating for 6 months and broke up around the holidays because he had other women in the picture. His "ex" was always calling and texting him.
OP - does it bother you to know that taxpayers are supporting a portion of every public university in the country. Even students that pay 100% of their tuition are getting a helping hand from the taxpayers. They are public colleges for a reason. Tuition is kept lower because the taxpayers pay taxes for the public colleges.
Bravo for everyone that is going to college no matter who pays for it. She is smart to major in nursing. She'll be on her way to a lifelong career in a few short years. She's taking advantage of living with the baby daddy so she can go to school and avoid having to pay her living expenses. It's great that the baby will have both parents living at home.
OP, I understand your frustration. I can understand taxpayer supported loans (although, I'm still against them). Taxpayer supported grants are absurd.
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