disparity

[exit96]

Something has been bothering me for some time, so i want to get it off of my chest. First I will say that i am fortunate and have been throughout the schooling process. I have my LPN and am finishing my final 2 semesters for my RN. What has been eating at me is this: coming in to the college scene i knew i was MINORITY in the nursing field. I thought that maybe it would be my turn to get some assistance, I was told the The Women's Resource Center has funds for men going into nursing because we are non-traditional students. I thought THAT IS GREAT, and ONLY RIGHT. However, I have not received one red cent from the center. Well, no biggie really, I can manage and do what i have to do to get through this. HOWEVER, and what BURNS MY *** is that, apparently all you have to do to get EVERYTHING paid for is:

be a female,

who CHOOSES to get pregnant with her "baby daddy" or whatever you want to call him,

or maybe they are a legitimate couple who chooses to not get married(which doesn't concern me)

Have any of you seen this? I guess it is societies fault once again that this woman had sex, got pregnant, and whoever the guy is MUST HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY AT FAULT, "so here you go young lady, it's all free for you."

I do not even have to be convinced that there are legit cases out there who need help, i am all for it so don't waste your breath or time on that subject. Just another example of a messed up system where the details don't matter, apparently it must be someone elses fault.

So why else does it burn me? because I too have kids to raise, have worked my *** off my whole life, have never sat around without a job and all I get is the cold shoulder!!

So there it is. Just wanted to get it off of my chest. My college experience has been wonderful as a whole, I just think that this situation is discrimination.

off my whole life

[LIG RN]

I know what your saying. My school had other grants available for everyone, but they were 500-1200. All of the high paying ones were for females only. Down the road when I have time and money, I will set up a grant for MALE only applicants.

[chordringer]

Hey bud,

First congrats on doing what you're doing. Second, worry less about others and focus on yourself and your situation. The world is not fair and sometimes that means we experience it firsthand. Keep your chin up and work on your own credentials. You'll pull through. I know I did.

Cheers,

Jason, RN

St. Louis

[That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

Ha. Try being a white kid, with decent but not great grades from a upper middle class family. And I wanted to pay my way through school. No financial aid was offered, no scholarships, nothing. That sucked.

[PghRN30]

Really? I want to know where that free money you are talking about comes from. I'm a single mom and haven't seen it. I do get the state and federal grants, but everyone i know that is an independent student gets those(yes including all the male students i am friends with). And my first semester back to school after i lost my job when was doing prereqs i wasn't even eligable for them because i didn't apply for them in time, so that was 100% out of pocket. I have only seen one scholarship application that was specificly only for single moms, and it was for $500.

There is no special free college program for single moms...are there some scholarships only for single moms....yeah....not many....and not free ride....like $500-1000. Really I think the illution that single moms get to go to school for free is because of young students who would still be considered dependent students, and so not be eligable for the grant money to the extent that independent students are, but having a child does change them from dependent to independent status and they can get the full grant amount, which is enough to pay 100% at a community college. (example....my little sister gets almost nothing in grants because she is a dependent student, so her and my dad have to either pay for it, or take out loans.....I am both older and would be independent by that measure, but am also a single mom). Being an older student or having a family also put you at an independent status so it is not just single moms that get full grants. I know my guy friends in nursing get it too....who are married with kids. The one that is doing the adn at community college, full grant is enough to completely pay for it....the one that is going to school where I am, it isn't, but his wife is a nurse and he is a PCT at a hospital that does tuition rembursment and our school is eligable, so he will get that on top of the grants.

And the single moms i know that already have a degree, but can not find employment with it, can not even get that grant money, and are paying 100% out of pocket

[exit96]

I do apply for the PELL grant and do receive it, and you know the parameters for getting this grant. I am specifically speaking to the Women's Center at my school. There are young (early 20's) females that get the whole shebang paid for. Just seems pretty wrong to me, but there is ALOT of that in our society on all levels; race, sex, nationality etc...

[tothepointeLVN, LVN]

exit96,

I have found in my not so long life (30's) that the harder your work for something the less help your get with doing it. This applies not only to financial aid but to pretty much EVERYTHING

I do feel your pain as only a few months ago I was crying in the financial aid office lamenting the fact that some students got a free ride so they could go over to frat row on thursdays while I was barely making my tuition payments after getting the wrong info about how my federal loans would be allocated ( I thought fall/spring not fa/sp/su )

[cpl_dvldog]

jguy... if you can't find scholarships for single moms you are not looking very hard. Just Google single mother scholarships and thousands come up.

I ran into the same problem. I was an unemployed single dad. I didn't qualify for the Pell Grant at first because I made too much money the year before. It didn't matter my income was reduced to unemployment checks when I applied. I had to pay for school with loans the first two semesters. Then I picked up a $500 acedemic scholarship. WOW! I searced for a long time for grants and scholarships for school. I found many for single moms, different ethnic groups, even for women training for male dominated job fields. But almost nothing for me. When I applied for Medicaid for my son the people at the Medicaid office acted like I was total trash. They had the attitude of, How dare you try to get some assistance?

[2ndyearstudent, CNA]

I found the same thing. I just took blew it off and took my loans out.