Financial Aid....WIA contacts

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I don't remember which thread I saw it on, but there was recently a discussion about WIA contacts. I found a listing of all the contacts from different states. I'm sure it will be helpful to someone.

http://www.doleta.gov/usworkforce/statecon.cfm

Thanks for the new update

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Specializes in ER, ICU, Medsurg.

Does anyone have any updates for this? I don't. When I went to the first appt. they told us that they send paperwork to our respective schools for all our financial aid information. Once they receive the information on what scholarships and aid we are getting they can figure out what they will pay. They also told us to NOT buy our books until we hear from them as they cannot go back and reimubrse us. The problem is, I am up for a scholarship that will not be awarded next week and school starts on August 18th. Seems like they are cutting it a bit close. (My school also is a little last-minute doing things). The man at WIA also told us not to call them that as soon as he gets everything they need they will be in touch :eek: and that it usually cuts pretty close.

Guess I'm just panicing a bit that I will walk into first day of class with no books etc., and was wondering if anyone was actually set-up and ready to roll with WIA yet?

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

Nothing from ours yet.

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Specializes in EMS~ ALS.../...Bartending ~ Psych :).

went for a meeting with wia people today... they gave me a voucher for $129.00 for shoes and a stethoscope. has to be pruchased at a local retailer. i was happy for that, but really wanted money towards tuition, so i wouldn't have to get the salliemae loan. so, when i asked about that they told me that grant and loan money for "my" school (local vo-tech) wouldn't be realeased to the school until april of next year. (i start next week, they get my pell and my salliemae, in april). so now i have to bring them weekly attendance logs (can be turned in once a month) and a copy of my grades from now until december and that they may be able to qualify me for a scholarship for $1200-$2000. and i could have my loan reduced by that much. my loan is for $3500., so still it will help, and i don't want to sound ungratful, but i was really hoping that they would cover what pell didn't, and perhaps help with gas.

i honestly get the feeling that had me going to nursing school, been their "idea" that i would have gotten more help from them, but since i went in asking for help with something that i was already planning on doing with or without them, that they didn't feel the need to really assist me at all, but they gave me a little something to keep me from bugging them. lol

oh well, i'm honestly not complaining, just weird some can have the world handed to them, for doing nothing, and others can work their butts off and still struggle, and noone cares if they sink or swim:banghead:

i know once i'm in the position where i can help someone, i'm gonna help them!:saint:

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Specializes in progressive care telemetry.

I can tell you from my experience, my WIA always paid my tuition bill late and they also paid the late fee. My WIA rep said that she contacts the school and lets them know who is going thru WIA so the school would knew what people were going to have their bills paid late.

After every term was over I'd fax a copy of my grade report so they would continue my fundnig.

She did tell me that books were done thru a voucher program and they did not reimburse if you bought them yourself. I always just got mine thru half.com or amazon used cause I wanted my WIA funding money to stretch out as much as possible, plus I hated going ot my first couple classes without my books in hand cause the vouchers were always late as well.

But like someone said, it's free money so it being a pain in the rear it sorta worth it. :)

Good luck to everyone!

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Specializes in ER, ICU, Medsurg.

Well, I went to the final WIA meeting. There were about 10 of us from my school and they are paying full tuition on all of us. WOO HOOO. However, he also said that it is always paid late and that the school will end up taking our tuition out of our Pell first and then when they receive the check from WIA our Pell will be reimbursed.

Then,, he had a surprise. They are also going to pay approximately $7 a day stipend. He has been saying this whole time that they don't do that because he never knows whether they will have the funds or not.

We got a copy of our "account", which is what is being allowed for each student and there is an extra $550. He said that is our stipend that will pay gas/food etc., for each day we go (attendance sheets to be turned in). HOWEVER, he also said that if anyone of us are carpooling......like I know Judie and Stacey are (me).....only one of you will be able to claim the stipend.

That kinda seems backhanded to me. The money has been allotted for all of us already. He also said that if we get caught "double claiming" we could be pulled from the program.

Anyway, its free money, and I can't complain. that $7 was just icing on the cake. Judie and I are going to be splitting the stipend per month so we'll each get about 70 a month. So its all good. Just kinda weasley the way that all went down.

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Specializes in CVICU, CPCU, Cath Lab/IR.

Pharm girl-

That is awesome. I won't know what they are going to do for me until November because they said that they only cover 18 months of a program here, no the 20 that we are in it for. So hopefully I will be as happy as you are.

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I'm guessing I'm not getting anything....I haven't heard back from them...maybe I'll e-mail them and see if I get a response back....there are so many in this area applying.....over 600

Congrats to those who got help

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Just a quick question, I hope it hasn't been answered already, sorry if it has :)

Do you have to be accepted to a program before you can apply for WIA? I am trying to get into a class either at the hospital in Oct. or a tech school in Jan. Just want to know if I am wasting my time trying to get it started ahead of time.

Thanks!

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Specializes in progressive care telemetry.
Just a quick question, I hope it hasn't been answered already, sorry if it has :)

Do you have to be accepted to a program before you can apply for WIA? I am trying to get into a class either at the hospital in Oct. or a tech school in Jan. Just want to know if I am wasting my time trying to get it started ahead of time.

Thanks!

No. One of the services that our local WIA provides is guidance in selecting a career. My husband just had an appt. with a WIA rep for help in changing careers and he has not even applied anywhere yet. I had not been accepted to my program yet when WIA began paying for my prereqs.

HTH! Good luck!

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Specializes in ER, ICU, Medsurg.

With my WIA program, you do need to be accepted into a program first. They were not able to help me with any of my pre-reqs but once I was accepted and started the program they paid full tuition. Guess it just varies by county or state or something

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Thanks for the quick replys!, I have one more question about this program, there are 2 LPN programs in my area, one at the technical college, and the other is through the local hospital, would the WIA cover the cost of the hospital program? Or does anyone know how hard it is to get the hospital scholarship? I didn't qualify for any financial aid, my husband is in the military and on the application we had to report all his extra stuff like housing allowance ect. so on paper it looks like we make a lot more, but I am going to have to pay for child care while going to school and it's not like there will be any more income coming in while doing it. Anyone have any suggestions on any of this?

Thanks!

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