I’m trying to go back to school, but the whole thing is overwhelming and I can’t afford loans. I’ve applied for a few scholarships and the Pell Grant, but I know there’s more out there.
My therapist mentioned a grant for housing while I attend school, but I don’t have more details. Anyone else been in this situation or have tips on financial aid that could help me?
I’d really appreciate any advice. Thanks so much!
Try your local community college and stay at home. The one near me costs about $3,000 per year. There are lots of associate degrees in fields like healthcare that lead to really good jobs. Some even offer bachelor’s degrees too.
My area has a program called Career Source, maybe your area has something similar? They help with paying for high-demand careers.
Biggest tip I have is to make sure the school is accredited. Private for-profit schools can be way more expensive. Community colleges are your best bet for affordable education.
I went back to school when my youngest was only 6 months old. I worked full-time, and I was also broke as hell, so I know the struggle.
I filed for FAFSA, and since I qualified for the Pell Grant, that helped me a lot. I started at a community college. I didn’t have financial aid at first (long story), but I stuck to online courses to work around my kids and job. I studied hard and got straight A’s, and I used payment plans to pay for my classes.
Before the semester ended, I applied for a general scholarship at my school, and I got one that covered the rest of my time there. I’m almost done with my associate’s degree, and haven’t had to pay much beyond my first semester.
Because I kept getting good grades, I was invited to join Phi Theta Kappa. It didn’t require anything from me, but now I have access to scholarships that are exclusive to the club.
I also got grants from my school, which led to me getting a refund. My biggest refund was $1,900. It felt like getting paid to go to school.
I’m about to transfer to finish my degree, and my school offers transfer scholarships. High-performing students like me get $1,000.
I was also given the chance to join an Honors Contract, which lets me graduate as a scholar from my school. This looks great for future scholarships.
I’ll be using loans, grants, and scholarships to pay for my next two years, but I’ve already saved a lot by doing my first two years at community college. It’s way cheaper, so my debt will be a lot lower.
Honestly, scholarship websites haven’t been too helpful to me.
Hope this long-winded post helps. Haha.
@Jude
I’ll add to that. My son just graduated high school last year, and he’s following a similar path. He’s getting the full Pell Grant, which is around $7,400. His tuition at community college is just under that amount, but he’s living on campus, so his total cost for the year is $13,000 (that’s tuition, books, fees, food plan, and dorm). He’s going to finish his associate’s there and transfer to a university (all his credits will transfer; we checked). He’ll get a $4,000 transfer scholarship and automatic acceptance as long as he keeps a 3.0 GPA. He also won a scholarship at his community college and plans to apply every year.
If you go to a community college with a transfer agreement with a university, it can save you a lot of money. The agreement makes sure your credits will transfer.
Another tip for finding scholarships is to look into professional organizations. They often offer scholarships to members and even provide mentorship. Fewer people apply for those, so it can be less competitive.