Mother Talkers

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  • My kids have done (0 / 0)

    community college for two years.  It really is a very viable option that many, if not most, middleclass families are using here in my neck of the woods.  Ofcourse, tuition at state universities here runs close to $10,000/yr, so the savings are immense.  

    I keep hearing people talk about getting financial aid at higher income levels.  Wish someone would let us in on the secret.  A lot, ofcourse, depends on the college or university and the policies they use in divvying up the pie.  They just keep throwing back at us these ridiculous amounts that we are supposed to be responsible for contributing.  At the community college level, my kids were offered subsidized federal loans...at both universities that they've submitted to, they don't even get that!

    by tjb22 on Sat Apr 26, 2008 at 10:40:04 AM PDT

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    • I don't know the secret (0 / 0)

      but apparently Mick The Tax Guy does.  If he lets me in on it, I'll pass it on.

      I did community college for a year while I was finishing high school, and I loved it. Teachers who loved teaching, small classes.  And I finished U (and got a "real" job) in 3 years as a result of credits I'd earned at CC.

      I've taken CC classes since then and have rarely been disappointed.  And I was able to easily just drop a course that didn't appeal.  They are a great resource for lifelong learning.  And here it's only $20 a unit.  I got a summer school brochure for DS yesterday and they want $260 for a one-quarter high school class, and I would say that's on the lower end of prices for our area.  We could get 3 CC classes for that amount.

      Mama to one son, born 12/93.

      by mamacita on Sat Apr 26, 2008 at 10:48:44 AM PDT

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      • I'm taking ceramics at the CC (0 / 0)

        It's a world class lab - really fabulous.

        That said, I think there's a lot to be said for learning to live on your own in a dorm/college town situation, where you're on your own but a lot of people are looking out for you, and you get to meet a lot of fellow students.

        It shouldn't cost so much to be able to do that, though!

        by shenanigans on Sat Apr 26, 2008 at 10:17:35 PM PDT

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    • Get this (0 / 0)

      My son has lived on his own, in another city, supporting himself for 4 years.  I haven't been able to claim him as a dependant for tax purposes for those same 4 years (even when I helped him money-wise in the early days if being on his own). For financial aid purposes, he's considered dependant (because he's under 24).  He will basically qualify for nothing because of our household income (He only made about 10K last year - he should be entitled to all sorts of assistance).

      boy 9/85, girl 4/98, boy 3/00

      by TeachPeace on Sat Apr 26, 2008 at 05:06:09 PM PDT

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      • that's what I don't get (0 / 0)

        How can they assume the students are getting help?

        Mama to one son, born 12/93.

        by mamacita on Sat Apr 26, 2008 at 05:57:37 PM PDT

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      • This happened to me... (0 / 0)

        I hadn't lived with my parents for two years. I was completely independent. But when it came to financial aid, my step dad's income went on the application. And despite the fact that I had never even lived in the same house as him, and he had never provided for me in anyway...there went the financial aid! I tried to declare myself emancipated...it didn't work, but I can't remember why...it may have been that the time frame wasn't long enough. Maybe you should look into that?

        Mum to DD, born 6/04 and DS, born 4/06, and no more!

        by aussieyank on Sat Apr 26, 2008 at 06:01:22 PM PDT

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        • It's crazy - (0 / 0)

          The US Dept of Ed doesn't recognize emancipation, at all. About the only way to keep your parents out of it (until the academic year you turn 24) is if they are dead, you are a ward of the court, you are in the armed forces or you are married.  

          boy 9/85, girl 4/98, boy 3/00

          by TeachPeace on Sat Apr 26, 2008 at 06:30:38 PM PDT

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          • Even then, if you work (0 / 0)

            enough to pay your own expenses, you're likely to greatly diminish the amount of aid you get.  I posted below about such a case.

            by tjb22 on Sat Apr 26, 2008 at 06:32:24 PM PDT

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          • Sometimes the university financial aid dept (0 / 0)

            is funded well enough to be able to work around those things. I had a couple of friends who got funded that way. One was cut off financially by her parents because they were upset with her. The other lost touch with his parents, and they didn't return the financial aid forms(!).

            by shenanigans on Sat Apr 26, 2008 at 10:19:47 PM PDT

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      • One of my sons' friends graduated (0 / 0)

        from high school last year.  The kid is literally an orphan.  Until graduating, he received a small pension as his father was retired from the military.  He would have enlisted upon graduation, but was turned down due to a heart defect.  He started college in the fall.  At the time, he wasn't working.  He lived off campus and had to come up with room and board.  He took a job at McDonalds to cover his living expense and he lost his financial aid over this.  Working 30 hours a week at McDonalds evidently was too higher earnings for a student.

        by tjb22 on Sat Apr 26, 2008 at 06:03:04 PM PDT

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