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My "so"'s older brother(aged 29) would like to obtain a bachelors degree. He went to college when he was 18 and dropped out after a year. Since then he's worked in a variety of fields(and has great leadership experience) but was laid off from his job last year and since has struggled trying to find a job, especially without a college degree. The area he's living in also seems to have been hit very badly by the economy so the job situation in his area isn't great at all. My "so" wanted me to look into adult college programs for his brother because I stay at home and have the time. So to give a brief background on my "so's" brother. He is 29. Was in the construction industry as of recent. He currently gets unemployment, and is eligible for one more year of unemployment. He lives in a small town in Illinois. He doesn't have the best credit but no bankruptcy. He doesn't have the money to pay tuition out of pocket(as his savings have run out and his unemployment right now is barely covering rent, living expenses, debt, etc). These are the questions I have:
1) For alot of these "adult" college programs, they say that you don't need an ACT/SAT score and/or other qualifiers that were needed for traditional HS graduates to get into a particular program. What sort of qualifiers do they look for then for a person in their late twenties with work history but that had subpar grades in HS and has not had any schooling and quite a while?
2) What are financing options? Is he eligible for financial aid, since his unemployment may not be enough to pay for his courses?
3) If he were to relocate to a different state(because of the economy) or a different city in his state and wanted to obtain an adult degree in that state/city would he able to get enough financial aid to cover housing? how does that work?
4) Is majoring in Adult majors like "general business" or "leadership"(which are the names of many of these adult college programs) a good idea, or should he try to find out if he can get a more traditional marketable degree like "engineering" etc?
1) For alot of these "adult" college programs, they say that you don't need an ACT/SAT score and/or other qualifiers that were needed for traditional HS graduates to get into a particular program. What sort of qualifiers do they look for then for a person in their late twenties with work history but that had subpar grades in HS and has not had any schooling and quite a while?
2) What are financing options? Is he eligible for financial aid, since his unemployment may not be enough to pay for his courses?
3) If he were to relocate to a different state(because of the economy) or a different city in his state and wanted to obtain an adult degree in that state/city would he able to get enough financial aid to cover housing? how does that work?
4) Is majoring in Adult majors like "general business" or "leadership"(which are the names of many of these adult college programs) a good idea, or should he try to find out if he can get a more traditional marketable degree like "engineering" etc?
Thanks everyone.
He's actually in a pretty good spot. Ten years later, he's likely a lot more mature than he was the first time around and knows what he has to do to succeed.
1) Doubt he will have to retake the SATs if he did it the first time.
2) In many states, unemployment will pay tuition if it is his first degree. Sometimes, they wil pay his tuition AND still give him benefits. So, tell him to look into it and not be half arse about it. Fall semester starts in 1 month.
3) Moving to a dfferent state = out of state tuition + no way that unemployment will cover tuition. Dumb.
4) If he is in the construction field, an engineering degree will be best. Otherwise,he can pick something close to what field he wants to go into.
In terms of housing costs, maybe he can live with little bro and his wifey while he finishes up school. Whaddaya think?
1) For alot of these "adult" college programs, they say that you don't need an ACT/SAT score and/or other qualifiers that were needed for traditional HS graduates to get into a particular program. What sort of qualifiers do they look for then for a person in their late twenties with work history but that had subpar grades in HS and has not had any schooling and quite a while?
The majority of universities drop the SAT/ACT requirement if 3-5 years have passed since the applicant graduated from high school or the applicant has completed at least one year of college. MIT is the only school I can think of that requires SAT/ACT scores from every applicant regardless of how long ago they graduated from high school.
Outside of that, the application process is the same. The SAT/ACT scores are supposed to indicate potential success/ability in college. So, the "qualifier" in this case is the previous college experience.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sunkisses87
2) What are financing options? Is he eligible for financial aid, since his unemployment may not be enough to pay for his courses?
Yes, financing options, financial aid, and any potential scholarships/grants are the same as for any other student.
Keep in mind that by going to school he might lose his unemployment unless he can convince Indiana that he is going to college for "career training". At least that is how it was when I was in Maine a few years ago.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sunkisses87
3) If he were to relocate to a different state(because of the economy) or a different city in his state and wanted to obtain an adult degree in that state/city would he able to get enough financial aid to cover housing? how does that work?
Probably not unless he went to private college and received decent amounts of scholarships. As an out-of-state student, he will be charged non-resident tuition which in some cases is equal to the tuition at a private university. The only difference is that public universities tend to not be as generous with the scholarships.
The Fed. Gov. places limits on the amount of Pell Grants and loans a student can access each academic year. The amount goes up according to year in school, but there is no way a freshman or sophomore would be able get enough financial aid (Federal) to cover COL unless the school is generous with scholarships, can secure an outside scholarship (there are literally 100s of thousands of them out there), or takes out a private loan.
How it works: fill out that FASFA, and a number will be generated called the EFC (expected family contribution). The lower the EFC, the more aid he will be eligible for. The Fed. Gov. will then say that he is eligible for X amount Pell Grant, sub and/or unsub loans. Then, he will get an award letter from the school indicating the exact amounts he will get. Keep in mind that it is ultimately up to the school to decide how much aid he will get, not the Fed. Gov., but, the amount the school gives will not go over the amount the Fed. Gov. has deemed he is eligible for.
He then either accepts all or part of the award and if he is accepting a loan he must complete an on-line "test" that covers questions about the loan process, what is expected of the student (in terms of paying back the loan), the few instances in how the loan can be forgiven, etc. He must pass the test before he can sign the Master Promissory Note.
Some schools will issue a financial hold while they wait for the money to be released, but others will require that tuition be paid in full prior to the start of the semester (or closely there-after) regardless of how much aid is going to come. When the aid comes in, the discrepancy will be refunded to him.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sunkisses87
4) Is majoring in Adult majors like "general business" or "leadership"(which are the names of many of these adult college programs) a good idea, or should he try to find out if he can get a more traditional marketable degree like "engineering" etc?
Thanks everyone.
Generally, "adult" programs are programs that are geared towards an "adult lifestyle". That is, the courses are offered in the evenings, on weekends, or on-line so the adult can continue to work a 9-5 job and/or raise their families. As such, these programs tend to be limited to more professional type of degrees. Specific adult programs usually are more lenient with the admission process, and some universities will bar an "adult" student from taking "traditional" college courses.
Or he could always enroll as a traditional college student.
In my opinion, they are only a good idea if the perspective student has obligations that prevent him or her from attending class during the traditional time (during the morning/early afternoon).
He's actually in a pretty good spot. Ten years later, he's likely a lot more mature than he was the first time around and knows what he has to do to succeed.
1) Doubt he will have to retake the SATs if he did it the first time.
2) In many states, unemployment will pay tuition if it is his first degree. Sometimes, they wil pay his tuition AND still give him benefits. So, tell him to look into it and not be half arse about it. Fall semester starts in 1 month.
3) Moving to a dfferent state = out of state tuition + no way that unemployment will cover tuition. Dumb.
4) If he is in the construction field, an engineering degree will be best. Otherwise,he can pick something close to what field he wants to go into.
In terms of housing costs, maybe he can live with little bro and his wifey while he finishes up school. Whaddaya think?
I don't live in Illinois so he won't be able to live with me. The only other option would be moving in with his parents, because my "so" and his other brother and sisters are scattered around the USA, the ones who do live in Illinois are under age 25 and are living in college housing or at home with parents, and at 29 I doubt he wants to move back in with the parents.
I will look up if Illinois helps unemployed people with college tuition. I don't know, I've read the opposite(that you can lose unemployment for going back to college).
The majority of universities drop the SAT/ACT requirement if 3-5 years have passed since the applicant graduated from high school or the applicant has completed at least one year of college. MIT is the only school I can think of that requires SAT/ACT scores from every applicant regardless of how long ago they graduated from high school.
Outside of that, the application process is the same. The SAT/ACT scores are supposed to indicate potential success/ability in college. So, the "qualifier" in this case is the previous college experience.
Yes, financing options, financial aid, and any potential scholarships/grants are the same as for any other student.
Keep in mind that by going to school he might lose his unemployment unless he can convince Indiana that he is going to college for "career training". At least that is how it was when I was in Maine a few years ago.
Probably not unless he went to private college and received decent amounts of scholarships. As an out-of-state student, he will be charged non-resident tuition which in some cases is equal to the tuition at a private university. The only difference is that public universities tend to not be as generous with the scholarships.
The Fed. Gov. places limits on the amount of Pell Grants and loans a student can access each academic year. The amount goes up according to year in school, but there is no way a freshman or sophomore would be able get enough financial aid (Federal) to cover COL unless the school is generous with scholarships, can secure an outside scholarship (there are literally 100s of thousands of them out there), or takes out a private loan.
How it works: fill out that FASFA, and a number will be generated called the EFC (expected family contribution). The lower the EFC, the more aid he will be eligible for. The Fed. Gov. will then say that he is eligible for X amount Pell Grant, sub and/or unsub loans. Then, he will get an award letter from the school indicating the exact amounts he will get. Keep in mind that it is ultimately up to the school to decide how much aid he will get, not the Fed. Gov., but, the amount the school gives will not go over the amount the Fed. Gov. has deemed he is eligible for.
He then either accepts all or part of the award and if he is accepting a loan he must complete an on-line "test" that covers questions about the loan process, what is expected of the student (in terms of paying back the loan), the few instances in how the loan can be forgiven, etc. He must pass the test before he can sign the Master Promissory Note.
Some schools will issue a financial hold while they wait for the money to be released, but others will require that tuition be paid in full prior to the start of the semester (or closely there-after) regardless of how much aid is going to come. When the aid comes in, the discrepancy will be refunded to him.
Generally, "adult" programs are programs that are geared towards an "adult lifestyle". That is, the courses are offered in the evenings, on weekends, or on-line so the adult can continue to work a 9-5 job and/or raise their families. As such, these programs tend to be limited to more professional type of degrees. Specific adult programs usually are more lenient with the admission process, and some universities will bar an "adult" student from taking "traditional" college courses.
Or he could always enroll as a traditional college student.
In my opinion, they are only a good idea if the perspective student has obligations that prevent him or her from attending class during the traditional time (during the morning/early afternoon).
Thanks very informative. And its actually Illinois not Indiana. I am thinking he should move to Chicago and try a school like Depaul, or a chicago suburban college. But he was actually wanting to move out of state.
I don't live in Illinois so he won't be able to live with me. The only other option would be moving in with his parents, because my "so" and his other brother and sisters are scattered around the USA, the ones who do live in Illinois are under age 25 and are living in college housing or at home with parents, and at 29 I doubt he wants to move back in with the parents.
I will look up if Illinois helps unemployed people with college tuition. I don't know, I've read the opposite(that you can lose unemployment for going back to college).
Tell him to move back in with his parents.
Would he rather care what people think or be an additional 50K in debt from housing costs over 4 years.
If I were him I'd be living with my parents now and chipping away my debt instead of barely getting by.
I wanted to thank everyone for the information. In terms of taking out student loans, because of his age would he be qualified to take out "more" than the traditional freshman that is dependent on his/her parents? It's looking like staying with his parents is not really an option, because his parents don't want him staying with them. Until he is able to find a job, he will need help with housing if he moves to the city and out of the town he is currently residing in.
I think you should start with the local community college. That is generally what they specialize in - career-oriented degrees for people of all ages at affordable prices. "Adult" college sounds like for-profit to me, and I would avoid it. Perhaps make an appointment to speak with a counselor at the cc and get some information on options.
I think you should start with the local community college. That is generally what they specialize in - career-oriented degrees for people of all ages at affordable prices. "Adult" college sounds like for-profit to me, and I would avoid it. Perhaps make an appointment to speak with a counselor at the cc and get some information on options.
I agree with marie5v. He should enroll immediately in a local community college. Depending on where he is located there could be more than one option. His goal should be to use it as a stepping stone to a bachelor's degree from a 4-year school. I was picking up a second bachelor's degree to get my teaching certification and I was able to take three classes at a CC and save a lot of money.
If he is serious about a field like engineering, he should start taking math classes immediately. This might quickly tell him that engineering is not the field for him. I'm not high on these leadership degrees. I can't see a degree like that making him more employable. What if he looked at some type of computer related field. It doesn't have to be computer science, but could be something like mgmt. information systems. He could also work on certifications from companies like Microsoft and Cisco. Many community colleges have these classes.
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