Tuition hikes.

[adorkablex]

:mad:

I swear sometimes I think I'd be better off just getting knocked up and letting the state pay for my college education.

[JKATHERINE]

I hear ya, dear. I've often thought the same about school, buying a house and groceries, etc. lol But, if you can do it all on your own, without help, you'll be really proud of yourself and always able to weather the bad times. :)






***NOTHING against those who legimately receive assistance.***

[freebielover]

I agree, I've thought about it too, but for all the crap we go through to go to and pay for college, the hardworking students will come out on top. Now keep repeating that to yourself before you kill someone. Hey if you kill someone the state will pay for your school too! J/K

[Shann]

I completley understand. I remember when my friend was pregnant and found out that she could have her schooling paid for b/c she was having a baby... nice to know they care about us all. :mad: Think positive though. When you are done, you'll hopefully have a great job w/ good pay and something that makes you happy. :)

[janelle]

I agree with all this advice. You will have a good life and be proud of yourself and we will be proud of you too when you do it on your own. Hang in there, I'm sure you are doing a good job.

[schsa]

The only way to get around it is to apply for as many scholarships as you can. Transfer to a small private school and see how much of a scholarship you can get after your freshman and sophmore years if you have good grades. Don't depend on the state tuition reimbursement or Pell Grants.

There are scholarships out there that require only that you fill out the paperwork. Some require an essay but the money is there. You would be surprised at how much of your tuition and books can be covered by scholarships and not all of them are limited to books and tuition. Sometimes it's just money that you can have to live on.

Don't give up but do go digging.

[momfromTN]

I totally understand your frustration. But hold your ground and don't do that. You will have done it yourself. You will know you were responsible. That is something to be proud of.

[hblueeyes]

I have four boys so they cannot get pregnant but if they get you pregnant will they get free college too? lol

Me :p

[llbriteyes]

Great ideas, schsa. The only thing I would add to, in search of money to go to school, contact your local representative. There are programs out there for grants that anyone can get and don't have to pay back.

I wish you luck. I have a daughter your age in school, and I understand how rough it is.

Linda


The only way to get around it is to apply for as many scholarships as you can. Transfer to a small private school and see how much of a scholarship you can get after your freshman and sophmore years if you have good grades. Don't depend on the state tuition reimbursement or Pell Grants.

There are scholarships out there that require only that you fill out the paperwork. Some require an essay but the money is there. You would be surprised at how much of your tuition and books can be covered by scholarships and not all of them are limited to books and tuition. Sometimes it's just money that you can have to live on.

Don't give up but do go digging.

[tiffya]

I have four boys so they cannot get pregnant but if they get you pregnant will they get free college too? lol

Me :p


ROFLMAO! Too funny!
:D

[adorkablex]

I have four boys so they cannot get pregnant but if they get you pregnant will they get free college too? lol

Me :p

LOL. I doubt it. Double standards and the like.


I wouldn't actually get pregnant just to recieve money for college. I wouldn't get pregnant without having the money to support the child.

Just drives me nuts that there are so many of us that have to pay for our college (parents make too much for government help) but if a girl gets knocked up, she qualifies for assistance and many other things. I understand that it's hard to be a young single mother, but by golly no one made you open your legs.

At the rate it's going, it'll be back to where only the wealthy can afford to go to college. And everyone else will be scrubbing their toilets.

Just have to remind myself that it's worth it.

[llbriteyes]

It's becoming harder and harder NOW. My youngest is a Junior in college. She won a full academic scholarship. It was full until this year when they quit paying for housing, meals, etc. Not only did SHE have to take out a student loan, WE did too!

Its crazy.

Linda



LOL. I doubt it. Double standards and the like.


I wouldn't actually get pregnant just to recieve money for college. I wouldn't get pregnant without having the money to support the child.

Just drives me nuts that there are so many of us that have to pay for our college (parents make too much for government help) but if a girl gets knocked up, she qualifies for assistance and many other things. I understand that it's hard to be a young single mother, but by golly no one made you open your legs.

At the rate it's going, it'll be back to where only the wealthy can afford to go to college. And everyone else will be scrubbing their toilets.

Just have to remind myself that it's worth it.

[momfromTN]

I wouldn't actually get pregnant just to recieve money for college. I wouldn't get pregnant without having the money to support the child.

Just drives me nuts that there are so many of us that have to pay for our college (parents make too much for government help) but if a girl gets knocked up, she qualifies for assistance and many other things. I understand that it's hard to be a young single mother, but by golly no one made you open your legs.



Bravo! Thank YOU! It IS frustrating, isn't it? I went through the same thing before we had children and I wanted to go back to college. We were not making much money at all and I applied for help. I was basically told to come back when I had a couple of kids. This was in a classroom during a financial aid meeting. I DID actually comment, "So, if I had a few kids I could get all the financial aid I wanted. Especially if I were SINGLE???" The room went silent. One lady yelled at me. I told her I didn't care and that it was UNFAIR that people got a free ride simply because of having children. Then I told them where to stick their financial aid and walked out.

People, ya'll can flame me if you want to for my commentary. I back it up and I would say it again. It is unfair that some have to struggle and some get a free ride simply for populating the Earth.

[momfromTN]

It's becoming harder and harder NOW. My youngest is a Junior in college. She won a full academic scholarship. It was full until this year when they quit paying for housing, meals, etc. Not only did SHE have to take out a student loan, WE did too!

Its crazy.

Linda


That is TOTALLY unfair that she worked hard to win that scholarship and now they decide to change the way they pay mid-stream. Is there some legal recourse for this? So unfair.

[one_angel]

The college which I graduated from hiked tuition every year. It is a private college, and if I hadn't have knocked myself out in high school getting the best grades and being in so many organizations, etc, then I wouldn't have got the merit-based scholarships that I did. I actually got enough at that college than what it would have taken me to go the university or another state college. I worked, as a work-study, in the Office of Admission, so I had an inside look at how financial planning and all that can really mess someone's award package up...to the point you think you got the wrong paper. My father and I went to visit the Director every year to get my money back to the way it should be. A lot of students/parents either don't care or don't think that they can do anything to get their money back, but you have to fight and push to get fiancial aid and then keep it. My parents, too, made too much for any grants, but then we weren't rich either. We, like a great percentage of families, make enough to be over limits but not rich enough to completely fund a college education. I am very fortunate, as is my husband, so I can't complain too much. The one good thing about Direct Loans and such is that you can set-up different payment plans and when the time of the loan is dues at any time. Right now if the interest is still low, I would lock it in (for those of you who are paying right now). We were able to lock hubby's in at 3.? percent. We consolidated mine when I graduated and at that time 6 percent was a good rate, so mine is locked in for 6 something.

[hblueeyes]

Our income is roughly 23K a year. I have 4 boys, 2 in HS and 2 at private universities. They both have received academic scholarships, get Pell, Il Monetary awards and both were state scholars. Guess what? My kids and my hubby have to take out loans to pay for their educations. The only ones who seem to get a free ride are those that are minorities and on welfare. We figured it out that someone with our family size actually receives more $$$$ and benefits than we earn working. Figure college costs into that factor and it is way disproportionate.

How the schools and government figure that we can pay 1/2 our income to 2 universities and still manage to support ourselves and 2 other kids is beyond me.

Me :p

[llbriteyes]

And whats really wrong is when they take your parents income into the mix to qualify for this or that. Parent's Portion of the bill. lol What a joke. We can't afford to pay that amount. That's just wrong.

Linda

[hblueeyes]

The government says at 19 no freebies unless a pregnant woman or you have a kid, because you are an adult. The law says 18 to sign contracts etc., yet colleges say 22 years old and they must have your parents income. We need some standardization. I say 18. I dont mind helping out but they want way too much.

Me

[freebielover]

I agree with all the above posters. It kills me my parents haven't paid for a dime of my college or anything else for me, yet they figure in their income with financial aid. Then when I get my financial aid info from the state, my SCHOOL reviews my application and they have the right to cut my aid! Its a mess, I went to the office last year and gave them he** until they gave me all my money. I'm always tempted to check a box other than caucasian on the application forms and see what happens lol. I wish college was free for kids who deserved it and tried hard. It is in most other countries. Really tells ya where your nations priorities lie. Good luck OP! You're probably more serious about your classes than you would be if you got a free ride. It'll work out.

[hblueeyes]

My son and us pay about 5500 a year for a school that costs over $56K to attend and this does not cover books and supplies. It is pretty much a free ride and he takes his classes very seriously but he also does have fun.

My problem is that our government gives BILLIONS away every year to Egypt so they recognize Isreal, to Isreal to fight the Palestinians, they are currently building Moscs in Moroco, the list is endless. Yet we have high unemployment, citizens with no healthcare, lack of affordable housing, and states going broke trying to meet the demands of illegal aliens, etc.,

When is it enough?

Me :p

[muherd]

I was going to say something but I think I'll just back right out of this thread and keep my mouth shut.

[nosanity05]

Here in Fl, we have a program called Bright Futures. Its based on academic achievement. Any child who has an accumulated GPA of 3.0 gets 75% of their tuition paid, and 3.5 or better, its 100%. This applies to any state funded university, such as Florida State University, University of Fl, University of Miami, etc. Of course housing is not included, but, hey, just the tuition is a huge help. I noticed someone had written that it seems the only ones who get a free ride are welfare recipients and minorities. Just as an FYI....my daughter is hispanic and my son caucasion. My hispanic daughter is held to the same standards as my caucasion son, as it should be. For Pell and federal aid, our income counts the same way for her, as it does for him. So, you can't generalize.

[hblueeyes]

Bright Futures sounds like a wonderful program. Mine would have had 100% paid for except they both chose private institutions. My oldest goes to a terrific university were more than 50% are from other countries, mostly asian but sfrica and well, just all over. The ones my sons knows have their governments paying for it and some have high government jobs waiting when they graduate. It is a fabulous school so it is well worth the price. But many states, including mine put minorities first. I did not mean to imply all receive a free ride because of it just that here it is vastly disproportionate. Other states have the same thing where most (not all) minorities rule. I stand by what I said where we are there are those receiving welfare and other programs, receive more than we earn working and yet they get it free and we must pay or borrow about half of our income to education. It is not right and it is not fair.

me

[briansgirl]

Man I completely understand! I got my scholarships taken away for next year cuz DH made more $$ in '04 than '03. I think the equation they use for "student contribution" is completely crazy! They say I should be able to contribute $10,000 next year, yeah right! In who's dreams?? LOL. Hang in there, so many of us understand what you are going through.

Sarah

[tiffya]

I understand your pain! My husbands scholarship got taken away last fall because our school is trying to get rid of "non-traditional" students.....aka..........married people, single parents, older students etc. Our new school president is a world class jackA! Both my husband and I are in school and it is really hard to make ends meet!

[nosanity05]

The saddest part is that there IS a lot of grant and scholarship money available, but, it takes a masters degree to find it all...lol I just wish there was one centralized app you could fill out that covered the majority of all scholarships. For instance.....my son is a combination of LD and Gifted. Until last year, I had NO clue that Fl Vocational Rehab division of Labor and Unemployment could pay for 100% of his tuition, books, and school fees. One of his counselors mentioned it in passing to me one day. I had the school arrange a meeting with them, and YUP! They are paying for his college education. He must attend community college for 2 years, then transfer to a 4 year, but, thats what he was planning to do anyway. His GPA was too low for Bright Futures, so, its really a blessing. This is a nationwide program, so, anyone who has an ESE student, you might want to look into it. In some states, they will even pay for a private university.