Advice: How do I pay for college?

[Kamikaze]

First, a little background. I will try to make the long story short.

I graduated high school in 2002 and proceeded head-first into a State university in the fall of that year. My first semester does not go well and I voice to my mother that I do not wish to remain at school. She convinces me to stay and she pays all the expenses of that semester. The spring semester does not go well either and I've failed out at this point. A debt of around $5000 plus a $2500 government student loan follows me out of school.

I return to my mother's house. From the summer of 2003 to the beginning of last fall, I work part-time as a delivery driver for a locally-owned restaurant. I don't partake in any community college courses because I had no idea what the heck to do with my life at the time. Over the course of 2004 my interest of Japanese culture and its language grows stronger, to the point where I register for a Japanese language class at my community college for the fall 2004 term. In September I'm informed that my mom is moving to South Carolina so she can continue working for her company.

I'm forced to either go with her or find an apartment with my brother. The latter is chosen. In October we find a place. I still work the same job, and surprisingly it is barely enough to afford my living arrangments. In December I successfully complete my Japanese course and decide to major in it. My mom is gracious enough to pay off my outstanding debt from my first college misadventure, but I am still responsible for the student loan which is down to about $2000 now. I am taking enough classes this semester to be considered a full-time student again. And here I stand.

My mother has bailed me out enough already. Being able to pay for most of the rest of college while being able to afford all of my living expenses on my own will help clear some of the guilt I have. I've calculated that at the most I can gross a little over $15,000 in one year of work, once I can find another 15 hours a week of work. My living expenses are hovering around $800 a month or so. Paying for community college isn't the problem, it's paying for a university when I've got enough credits to transfer.

Since I really have no clue, what options are available to me?

I will be bookmarking this thread, so don't hesitate to ask me any questions.

[ropi]

1. first thing you can do is...

one... depending on your age, you can look at scholarships for returning students. i know this is a rather general answer, but there are specific scholarships focused toward each major. do a general search for them on the www. whatever you do, don't pay for one of those sites or books--you'll get no where with those. also, look at grant sites or scholarship sites for returning students.

if you have been on your own (that is to say own taxes--not claimed by anyone) you can probably qualify for your own student loans without placing your mom into any more debt. i know that you probably do not wish to take out loans, but this is probably one of the best things you can do if you are seeing that you're not going to 'make it' any other way. another thing, depending on your state, you should be eligible for your pell grant (that is to say if you've been 'independent' for a few years) and for a higher education award. again, i don't know how this will work in your state.

you may also want to look into other living options when you choose a school. a friend of mine took a job as a RA his freshman year (he lucked into that) and his housing and food were paid for. As he progressed up the ranks, he got a decent position this year (he's a senior) as a director and he gets a tuition waiver too. i know dorm life is not the best--but if you really want to go and to cut down on expenses, it may be one of your best moves if you seek the route of being in housing.

also, don't underestimate workstudy. it's a drag, sure. but, in the long run you do make contacts with university personnel and believe me..i've seen some work study students advance to managing summer seminar offices and coordinating summer programs, as well as other semester events, just through the contacts that they have made.

if i had an idea of which school and what major focus, i could do a quick peek into what is offered via scholarship. you may also want to post in the higher education forum. there are some grad students and others who work in higher education who may help you with the search. i don't know how much that it's monitored over there, but they may know some ins and outs. and if you want to talk loans or other ways of funding, they may have some ideas.

best,

rob

ah..japanese... i glossed through your post...

here are some quick links i found (some may be university specific):

http://www.colorado.edu/ealld/atj/Bridging/scholarships.html
www4.ncsu.edu/~fljpm/program/pr03.scholarships.html

[JanMichael]

2. Bartend

I was in my thirties when I went back to school; needed a part time job at night, and saw the movie "Cocktail." (no, I am not kidding)

Work either at an Italian Restaurant (NOT a chain--avoid the hell out of chains the minute you get enough experience) because the regulars tip well, and go home by 10:00PM---or in a neighborhood "Cheers" type place.

IF one of the customers starts up about how fabulous GWB is, keep your mouth shut..listen intently for about 12 seconds then say something to the tune of "I am not that familiar with politics, but what do you think about (insert name of sports team here) this week?"

Do not ever give away drinks, unless the owner/manager OK's you to toss a free beer at a good customer---people don't tip on free--and try to get your buddies to go somewhere else so you can concentrate on the little dollar signs sitting at the bar. You are there to make money--I don't give a damn what friends are in the mood for-

If you aren't 21 yet...be a barback---again, try to find a great restaurant, learn the ropes...talk to the customers, and wait to move in as bartender.

Stephanie

[outraged2]

8. Good advice

Restaurants/bars are a good place to make a bit of cash. Bartending/bar-backing is definitely the best way to go, but being a waiter isn't too bad either - even at a chain restaurant in a good location. Most restaurants are flexible and are used to students and people working multiple jobs - especially if you are good.

[Kamikaze]

3. Kickitty kick kick kick.

[dean_dem]

4. My advice....

Having been there before:

First off, if you decide to go back soon, prepare for the major headache that is Financial Aid. It will make Admissions look like a picnic. The best thing to do is while you are preparing your financial aid application, be aware of all the deadlines, all the paperwork you have to submit, etc. That will include tax returns, and sometimes a W-2. You have to be really vigilant on this, because the Financial Aid people are not going to keep track of it for you, the only time you will find out something is wrong is when school starts and your loans haven't arrived.

Somebody mentioned applying for loans yourself now that you are no longer living with your parents. I had the same experience, and you can't do that. According to the Financial Aid laws, you are considered a dependent until you are 24, get married, join the army, or your parents die, whichever comes first. That means that you have to include your parents' tax information with your application package every year, and get them to sign the application with you. This is totally different than taxes, I had been filing as an independent on my tax returns and living on my own since I was 19, but when I started college I still had to get mommy to sign my application every year.

The downside to that is that they factor in your parents' income even if your parents do not contribute a damn dime (and mine didn't either- but I was going to do it on my own too). That will usually mean you will get more loans than grants initially, but it does get better. When you turn 24, you will be classified as an independent, and with your income you should get a pretty nice Pell Grant (if Smirky doesn't cut the program like he says he is going to). That should ease your debt burden around the end of your college term.

Work-study in my opinion is not worth it for someone in your situation. Work-study seems to be more for people who need something to do after their parents set them up in a dorm. The pay is terrible, believe me. If you already have a job, you're better off sticking with it or finding a better-paying job on your own. Plus if you get into work-study that is just more b.s. from the financial aid office you will have to deal with, and the less you have to see those people the better.

So Financial aid and loans are probably your best bet at this point. All that will be available from the school. Just remember that although it is a major headache initially, just stay on top of it and it will get better. It took me a couple of semesters to get the routine down, but now I don't even sweat it.

[Kamikaze]

6. 24?

I turn 24 on December 22, 2007. If I leave my community college after the spring 2006 term, then I may only get a Pell Grant for about a semester or two. Maybe I should stick around here for an extra year. At least that way I can continue to repair and build my credit.

Of course, getting a scholarship might change all that. Or if my mom insists on helping me, as bad as I might feel about it, I will probably not refuse.

[trof]

5. Try these Japanese-American organizations:

Some Japanese-American organizations offer scholarships for students just like you. I worked for a Japanese corp. for 10 years.

JAPAN AMERICA SOCIETY OF CHICAGO (Jan 99)
c/o RICHARD P. SOTER
225 W. WACKER DRIVE, #2250
CHICAGO, IL 60606

[phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]
Fosters U.S. Japanese understanding through art, literature, culture and business affairs.
Index terms: Japanese; Asian


JAPANESE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF CHICAGO (Jan 98)
c/o TED UCHIMOTO
5515 N. FRANCISCO
CHICAGO, IL 60625

[phone]
Fax: [phone]
Promotes Japanese Culture to the city and people of Chicago.
Index terms: Japanese; Asian


JAPANESE AMERICAN CITIZENS LEAGUE (Jan 99)
MIDWEST OFFICE
c/o WILLIAM YOSHINO
5415 N. CLARK
CHICAGO, IL 60640

[phone]
Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]
Japanese American ethnic group; promotes human relations and civil rights.
Index terms: Japanese; Asian


JAPANESE AMERICAN SERVICE COMMITTEE (Feb 98)
c/o JEAN M. FUJIU
4427 N. CLARK
CHICAGO, IL 60640

[phone]
Fax: [phone]
Nonprofit service agency helps the elderly; provides adult day care, nutrition, casework counseling; skilled care nursing. Also provides cultural programs.
Index terms: Japanese; senior citizens; Asian; social service


JAPANESE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF CHICAGO (Jan 98)
401 N. MICHIGAN AVENUE, SUITE 3145
CHICAGO, IL 60611

[phone]
[phone]
Index terms: Japanese; chambers of commerce


JAPANESE MUTUAL AID SOCIETY OF CHICAGO (Jan 98)
c/o GEORGE IZUI
1740 W. BALMORAL
CHICAGO, IL 60640

[phone]
[phone]
Ethnic organization.
Index terms: Japanese; Asian

[Kamikaze]

7. Would my ethnicity matter to these organizaitons?

My being caucasian and all.

[trof]

9. It's actually a plus.

They are generally very pleased when a westerner shows an interest in their culture. Most of the ones I knew longed for acceptance by us round eyes.

You might also check with some of the Japanese multi-national corporations for work study programs. They got the bucks. Some of the outfits I listed could maybe point you in the right direction.

[Damien]

10. paid tuition

You can find a lot of jobs on campus that pay/waive your tuition (I'm "working" at mine right now, so you can guess how challenging many of them are). If your going as an undergrad to a university, run for their student govt. If you hang around DU, you're obviously politically-minded, so it's a natural. Most jobs involving student level admin pay at least a lot of your tuition (if not all), and often students don't want them. If that's not the route you want, look around that area anyway. As someone else mentioned, you can make the contacts to find you positions that pay everything (and often even a montly stipend). Having graduated (currently a grad student), I learned on-campus stuff is the way to go: it's way easier and usually has much more flexable hours.

Also, if you are returning, you can usually redefer (if that's the word for defering again) you outstanding loans until you leave college again.