Another Fin. Aid question...

BigT · Jul 29, 2008

They will not lower your pell grants or state aid if you obtain student loans. In fact you might get part of your student loans subsidized, which means that the gov will pay your interest for you while you are in school. It all depends how your particular financial numbers came out. Best thing to do is contact your financial aid dept. and they can give you the details for your particular case..

T

kgle · Jul 31, 2008

Nope! Just as she said :) I had grants for the summer and also took out a loan and they didn't lower my federal grants I received. You are to use the money for any educational related expense, so it wouldn't be fair if they were just applying it towards tuition!

I know how you feel though...I am going from paying $400 a month for daycare to $560 a month for daycare My daycare provider just gave me her two weeks notice. Loan money is going to be helping me get by this semester!!

Innurse78 · Jul 31, 2008

I don't know how you guys do it!

560 a month for daycare!! Holy cow!

There should be a new bill passed by this state that allows people to input their financial needs while attending school and have it ALL subzidized by the state. Lord knows they can afford it and so many miss the opportunity to go to school because of it!

The school deciding how much you get for this and that, to eat or not to eat..........thats just not right. How do they know what needs we all have to attend school? Everyone is different.

Blows my mind.

Ok, I'm done ranting :)

But maybe this does need to be brought up in the State Legislature.

Its so different here than Canada ( where I am from)

In Canada, we get our school paid for if we have kids, lower than normal income etc.

Good luck girls! I admire you for going for it thoughout your hardships! It will SO be worth it in the end. :)

-Brenda

kgle · Jul 31, 2008

Blah yeah it sucks...that's what I get for working full time and going to school! I REALLY wish I could afford to quit work and go to school full time, but I know its impossible!

mkmm47 · Aug 1, 2008

I will be full time in school and still have to work. Car payments, insurance, etc still go on. I will have to move in with somebody though to help cut they housing expense!

kgle · Aug 1, 2008

Yeah I am trying to find a roommate to see if I can afford to move out! I don't know if I can though...

obicurn · Aug 1, 2008

I've been selling my furniture and old textbooks and things of that nature on craigslist just so I can get school supplies and clothes for my kids. Not having a whole lot of luck yet but every little bit helps. I just keep telling myself "Two more years..."

This won't last forever, but right now it really sucks. My oldest outgrows his clothes sooooo fast and I can't afford to buy new. He's ten and in the last year he has shot up to 5' tall and is in a 7 shoe. Geez! The middle two get his hand-me-downs but my oldest and my little girl need new stuff constantly.

It's hard sometimes to remember this when you are in a dire financial situation but I have to remember all the time. No matter how bad it is, it could always be a whole lot worse and there are plenty of people out there that are far worse off than me.

I have been at rock bottom literally starving myself at times so my kids had enough to eat. Thank God we're not there anymore but it was a very humbling experience and it makes me thankful for the things that I do have now. School is my saving grace and all this financial difficulty.....it -will- pass. Just as soon as I have that degree in my hand that I have worked soooooo hard for for so long. This financial aid stuff, loans, the waiting, etc.....just another hurdle to jump.

wishNhopeNdreamN · Aug 1, 2008

I guess this might sound weird, but at this time I am thankful that I have 4 kids still at home to support. It allows me to work full time and also get federal and state money.

I might get flamed for saying it, but it is one of the reasons I chose to go back to school. If I had no kids at home, I wouldn't be able to go to school for lack of funds.

obicurn · Aug 1, 2008

There are definitely perks when you are in a bad spot financially. I'm the same way. If I wasn't raising 4 kids by myself, there's no way I would qualify for any of the aid I am getting.

That's why the aid is there though. People like us that raise our kids and strive to be better are what these programs were meant for. Unfortunately, there are tons of people out there that want a hand out instead of a hand up and the people that really have a need for the help sometimes can't get anything.

kgle · Aug 1, 2008

Ya know, I get so sick and tired of people putting me down because I basically go to school for free. They say "Man I should have a kid so I can get free education". Well you know what? That money that could be going towards education goes toward raising my son on my own... Someone always has something to complain about, but I will take my grant money and better myself so my son can see that hard work pays off in the end.

mkmm47 · Aug 1, 2008

Do not ever feel bad about getting financial aid. Think of it this way. You have worked for many years...or will in the future. Part of the taxes you pay will repay that aid. I am 55 and going through school now because I am tired of living paycheck to paycheck. I have supported two children on my own for many years and still am. The ONLY thing I ever complained about was when grown people that were able to work and were on social security for stupid reasons. THEY supposedly cannot work, but can go to bars and drink every night, sleep till whenever, and run around and socialize all day. I am at work EVERY day helping to support them too. They are not trying to help themselves. It is about time I got a refund on all my taxes.