I am getting ready to quit my job in December and go to nursing school. Currently I make too much money to receive pell grants, but I talked to the school today and they said that as long as I can bring in proof that I am unemployed they can go in and put it some extraordinary circumstances and I will be eligible for financial aid.
My husband will not be working, maybe part time as he finishes up flight training. We have saved for the time when we can quit to pursue school and we will be ok until he gets done.
My question is because i am married with no children, however, we will be unemployed... do you think i will still receivea full pell grant? I am definately going to need the money for scrubs, books, etc.
Next... loans... I am sure it will come to this and I would rather take out loans for my education than be stressed out about money, I know we will be able to pay them back when we are done.
If my school is paid for by scholarships and pell grants, can i still apply for a stafford loan for other expenses or do they only go by tuition needs from the school? Or do they just give you the maximum amount that you can take per year? I am a little confused on this whole ordeal... as you can tell I am new at the financial aid and loans!
Any tips you can give me would be sooooo appreciated.
I couldn't agree more. Why not work during school instead of having the taxpayers (myself included) support you? If you DON'T work, then please consider loans instead.
I couldn't disagree more. The reason the government invests in people's education is because it pays off for the society to have more educated people. I'm not talking about some fuzzy,hand-wavy, ideological version of paying off....the numbers add up. The more people who earn higher salaries, the larger the taxbase. That's not even taking into account that you'll be helping to address the nursing shortage once you're licensed.
Get as much aid as you can and work as little as you can. You'll be less stressed and retain more. If the powers that be say you are eligible for a Pell or any other kind of grant, take it, study hard and be a great nurse.
I agree with the previous poster. You've probably paid quite a bit in already, and you'll just pay in more when you finish nursing school. Do what you need to do to finish school now, and you will more than make up for your grants in the future. We'll all be better off as a result.
TFAM ... dont feel bad at all about getting assistance getting through school, for some of us that is the only way we will ever be able to go to college! I have one more idea for you, check with your local community services office ask about a program called WIA. It may not be able to help you ( as I dont know your personal financial situation I am in no place to judge , neither is anyone else on these boards )but it is worth a shot . If you do qualify , you get money for tuition , books , uniforms, and supplies and even gas allowance...and you get to keep any grants or scholarships you are awarded to help with living expenses. I just met with my local WIA person and she told me so many great things that are going to make it so much easier for my husband and myself to be in school at the same time this FALL and up til I graduate in 2010!
Keep your chin up TFAM and DO NOT let someone elses negativity about receiving assistance put you off...that was totally uncalled for , you are clearly trying to better your life and prepare yourself for a productive career an that is much better and totally different than those who leech off of government funding because they are to sorry to get a job~
I guess I don't see how you would qualify for a Pell grant. Aren't those for people suffering financial hardships, like single parents? If it is your choice to not work during school, why would that qualify you for grants instead of you getting loans?
I have a friend who chooses not to work b/c she and her husband have 3 children. And she doesn't pay a dime for school and usually has enough money left over from her pell grant to pay for gas for the semester.....after she's paid for all her school expenses (including books and such).
So I don't think it has to do with the choice of not working, but more on financial need. I can speak from experience and say you won't qualify for such federal programs if you have a previous bachelors degree!
You may be able to qualify for Pell grant, under the circumstances that you suggested. You may also qualify for stafford loan but it may be hard due to not having employment during your time in college. You may want to think about academic scholarships they may prove to help you as well.
As for the comments about pell grant and supporting her during her school, she did say that she saved for the time that she and her husband would be without employment. To her defense..for the time she was working she was a taxpayer and also contributed to those that qualified for the Pell Grant. She is entitled to reap the benefits of the Pell grant if they so choose. Its not just for single parents but for those that are financially in need for the supplement. I think its irrelevant whether or not she is working.. there are many that go into the program on unemployment and decide to quit their jobs.
I think its irrelevant whether or not she is working.. there are many that go into the program on unemployment and decide to quit their jobs.
And you think this would be ok? These grants are not unlimited. What if a single Mother working for $8 an hour at Walmart can't go to nursing school because someone that could have afforded to finance their own education but didn't want to work used up the funds? IMO deciding to quit working while in nursing school is only an option if you can afford it.
I'm sorry...I guess I missed the part where anybody in here was the one put in charge of deciding who is and is not deserving of these federal programs! Who are any of you to decide that a single working mother is more deserving than anybody else? So if a woman decides to have a baby, whether it be in or out of wedlock, she is automatically more deserving? What about the woman who decided to wait to have a baby until she's completed her education?
Get off your narrow-minded judgmental soapboxes, you guys are opening up a can of worms that should be left for politicians in Washington.....not nursing students!
Before this thread tumbles into a heated back and forth, let's remember the original questions was "Do you think I will get a full Pell Grant?" Of course it is impossible to determine that, until the OP does what the school's FA office had suggested.
Currently I make too much money to receive pell grants, but I talked to the school today and they said that as long as I can bring in proof that I am unemployed they can go in and put it some extraordinary circumstances and I will be eligible for financial aid.
I think I may be confused on this point, however. If you file a FAFSA in the spring of the same year you will be starting a program in fall, you have to report your previous calendar year income. I'm not sure how quitting your job now will assist you unless you are talking about a program you aren't going to start until 2009.
Also per a website featuring a Pell Grant FAQ: "Students with a total family income up to $50,000 may be eligible for Pell Grants, though most Pell funding goes to students with a total family income below $20,000. It is important to note that the average student award is significantly less than the award maximum. In the 2008 academic year, it is estimated that the average Pell Grant award will be $2,770."
So depending on the cost/type of program (ADN/BSN/MSN) you will most definitely need a combination of savings and loans to make up the remainder of tuition/books/supplies and living expenses.
How do you know that she isnt working at Walmart making $8 and hour??? It doesn't take much NOT to qualify. Because her dh is not working, this MAY put them in financial hardship if she had to pay for it all out of pocket.
Trust me... Im a family of 6 and I dont get a FULL pell grant. We just barely live on what my hubsand makes and we supplement the Pell Grant with academic scholarships to get me through and we still use my dh's income to buy books.
I would rather have someone use what is rightfully theirs (is a taxpayer) use the grants and become the best nurse she can be.
CuriousMe
2,642 Posts
I couldn't disagree more. The reason the government invests in people's education is because it pays off for the society to have more educated people. I'm not talking about some fuzzy,hand-wavy, ideological version of paying off....the numbers add up. The more people who earn higher salaries, the larger the taxbase. That's not even taking into account that you'll be helping to address the nursing shortage once you're licensed.
Get as much aid as you can and work as little as you can. You'll be less stressed and retain more. If the powers that be say you are eligible for a Pell or any other kind of grant, take it, study hard and be a great nurse.
Peace,
Cathie