Frustration about Scholarships!!

ARmickie · May 10, 2004

I wish I could tell you how to do it, but I can't. To be honest, I'm in the same position right now. We thought that we could consolidate big bills and save some money each month - and that works - on paper. We did all of this last month, and just as luck would have it, all the insurance comes due this month :uhoh21: . I just spent the last hour opening bills, balancing checkbooks and ended in tears with the sad realization that there is no way we'll be able to make it if I go to school. I was able to get a Pell grant this year, but considering we just got married and next year it will be based on his income and I doubt I'll get it. Like your situation, he doesn't make much money either, and our kids are small as well. The financial aid package I have right now will be enough to cover most of my school expenses, but it's not going to be of much help when we can't pay the bills. So, like you, I sit at my keyboard right now in tears dreading to have to put my education on hold once more.. and knowing deep down that if I don't do it now, I never will.. it will always be something..

dianacs · May 10, 2004

You CAN get unsubsidized Stafford Loans which are not need-based. (I see that the OP is Canadian, however).

Trauma Columnist · May 10, 2004

I did the loan thing for my LPN, ADN and now BSN and MSN. It isn't the best, but you don't start repaying until AFTER graduation which is a huge plus. Plus - you can look around for hospitals after you graduate that have school loan repayment options. I was fortunate in that regard and got $2500 repaid that way (and that was after I had been an RN for over two years!) Take care - don't give up!

ARmickie · May 10, 2004

I did the loan thing for my LPN, ADN and now BSN and MSN. It isn't the best, but you don't start repaying until AFTER graduation which is a huge plus. Plus - you can look around for hospitals after you graduate that have school loan repayment options. I was fortunate in that regard and got $2500 repaid that way (and that was after I had been an RN for over two years!) Take care - don't give up!

I've been looking up everything I can find about loans and such since my last post. My question is this: I have been accepted into a CC and will be able to start this summer. I have taken all the tests and such for admittance into the LPN program, and I honestly believe I have a very good shot at it. When I first applied to the school, I did it so that I could take two years of gen ed and then transfer elsewhere to go after the BSN and RN license. After my admissions tests, the school suggested I go the LPN route instead. I thought about it, and I decided that maybe that's what I should do.. after all, if things got really tough financially, I could go to work as a LPN for a while. But, I don't know that it's what I should do now. I mean, my DH really doesn't want to take out any loans (but I'll break his arm if I have to), considering we just consolidated our bills so that we'd have some extra money. I just got really down today b/c I opened up yet more big bills ... :uhoh3: I don't know if I should just forget about the LPN thing and go for the BSN right off the bat or what. What I do know is that for the first few years, anyway, I'm going to have to go to the CC, as it is definitely cheaper.. and I have a scholarship there that will pay half my tuition as long as I keep a 3.0. I'm not worried about the school expenses as much as the living expenses. And, I just don't know which way would end up getting us deeper into debt..

manna, BSN, RN · May 10, 2004

Thank goodness for fin aid, is all I can say (or I wouldn't be able to have afforded school these past few years)... I'm very fortunate in that it looks like I'll only end up taking out $4,000/year in loans for the next 2 years (the other $11K is in grants and scholarships). Possibly less (still waiting to hear from a state sponsored scholarship, pending a legislative decision)

Sorry I don't have much advice, I know absolutely nothing about the Canadian educational system.

#1rnstudent · May 11, 2004

Welcome to post-secondary education in Ontario! Also, if you already have a degree and are even more broke then you don't qualify for millenium scholarships. Not one. Go talk to the financial aid office at the school. If they cannot help you out then you can talk to the bank about getting a student loan. Good luck.

Sigh. My husband makes too much so I wont be granted OSAP or a federal loan. I've been researching scholarships, and it seems that I am getting excluded from them all in some way or another. I looked into "Mature Student" scholarships and found for 90% of them you have to be over the age of 30 to be eligible! Or, you have to qualify for OSAP in order to qualify for them. (doesnt make much sense because many of them say if you get OSAP you automatically are disqualified for other scholarships )
Then, I get excluded because I am not a high school student! I have to wait until i'm entering 2nd year before I can apply for certain awards. My grades are excellent, but thats not even helping!
I'm so frustrated!!! I need help in 1st year!! And seriously, my husband doesnt make THAT much (and we have 2 kids under 7 to boot!! They dont even consider that part!!)
Sigh. I just dont know what to do! We thought we'd be ok for first year (we knew i'd have to work some) but now I'm petrified that I'll have to turn down an acceptance because we wont be able to afford for me to go
What can I do? I plan to apply for everything anyway, but my gut is telling me it'll just be a huge waste of my time.
Any ideas on how I can raise some money?
Thanks

trent · May 11, 2004

I'm also in Ontario and OSAP sucks! It never works out that the people who really need it get it.

If you still have problems after you talk to your school's financial aid dept, or even before that, take a long shot and write your MPP. You can also try writing letter to the editor of your local newspaper. If no-one knows you're having problems, no-one can help!

You can also appeal OSAP's decision - the process for that is outlined on their web page (I think).

Good luck with school. I know you'll make it work out!