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Have any of you gone to Community College without applying for financial aid?
You probably had a part-time job...How did you manage it all? Were you able to find a balance between work, school, and leisure time?
My daughters boyfriend attends CC with no financial aid. He works 20 hours a week and limits himself to 3 classes per semester. He averages between 11-13 credits a semester, taking 5 credit math classes (physics major) and general ed classes (usually 3 credits). He is required to work afternoons and Saturdays, but they are flexible as to which days he works and his days off change each semester. He leaves plenty of time to socialize with my daughter, but at times they will do homework together in the evening. IMO if they didn't socialize so much he would be able to take an additional class (but it's not my business.....).
I went to CC and then on to a state university and paid for it all my self.
I worked full time and went to CC full time, through a PACE (Program for Adult College Education)program; I went to school one night a week and every other Saturday (all day). Got my AA in 2.5 years.
At the university, I went 3/4 time by taking 3 night classes every semester. I graduated with my BA after 5 years total in school (including my AA time). I also was pregnant and had a baby during all that.
Then I went back and got a teaching credential and a MA - again, all while working full time.
You can do it. I studied on the train or bus during the commute, during lunch, and a bit after work too. Studied in the living room as they were playing or watching tv, so I was there with them interacting. If we went out for day out, I'd bring my flash cards to study in the car or have my hubby quiz me.
I went to CC and then on to a state university and paid for it all my self.
Me, too. I worked full-time and went to college at night - Community college then state university. Didn't owe a dime when I graduated. The key to me being able to do this was the nearness of the schools to my job (but not to my home) and a boss who let me set my work schedule so I could do a shift that would allow me to get to classes on time in the evening.
I've posted this before. In the community college I could take 3 hour classes once a week. That gave me the weekend for reading and homework. They worked way better with adult learners than the state university. In the state university they had no 3 hour classes for a 3 credit course. You had to go twice a week for one class for 1.5 hours each session. That was very hard because I took two classes per night. If a class was M/W, I had the weekend to do work assigned on Wednesday but zero time to do work assigned on Monday (due Wednesday) because I had classes Tuesday night. The same was true with Tu/TH classes. I had the weekend to do work assigned Thursday but zero time to do work assigned Tuesday (due Thursday) because I had classes Wednesday night.
Not sure what your circumstances are but don't discount a 4 year school without really investigating how the financial aid works at a 4 year college vs a CC. It's very likely that if your income is such, you may, and probably will, spend a lot less at a 4 year school then a CC.
..and to everyone that only looks at price tags, I GET that the price tag is higher, but because it's higher, there is more FA available...
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