Fed Financial

Re: Financial aid for school- I am a single mom, I want to go back to school.?

Is it humanly possible to get enough grants and loans to actually support my son and self and maybe work part time? I have no help whatsoever, no family, no nothing. I just have a hard time believing that it could work. Anyone out there doing it for real? I need assurance. Someone saying yes you can do it.

Public Comments

1. Yes, it's definitely possible. You should probably get grants pretty easily, and then will be offered loans, so you could pick the amount that you want to borrow (I'm assuming you are in the US). You will probably want to consider taking out mostly subsidized loans, as they don't draw interest until you graduate. Unsubsidized loans will draw interest while you are still in school. What do you want to major in? Nursing is a good field for someone in your position, as you can make really good money with a relatively short time in college. Information technology or X-ray technician are also good choices. I would recommend starting at a community college or junior college, as they tend to be cheaper. The cheaper the school, the more of your loan/ grant money you get to keep for yourself. Ask for the counseling department and set an appointment- it won't hurt to just talk. They can give you a much better idea of what you're getting yourself into. They'll probably tell you to start by applying for the school and filling out a FAFSA (link below if you want to get started on that). The FAFSA is a free application for government financial aid. Believe me, I teach college and have seen plenty of single moms pull it off, my sister being one of them. Feel free to contact me if you have any more questions. You can do this! Good luck to you!
2. It is possible. It may not be easy, but will be well worth it. This is a good book about the different types of fin aid avaiable. You want to be SURE you apply asap. This is if you wanted to start in the fall.... yes it seems early, but really its not. Good luck.
3. Then go, you can do anything you put effort to do. majority of the time I have seen if someone does something positve then positive things start happening to them. A mind is a terrible thing to waste. I have 6 kids and continuously worry about things, but nothing comes to a dreamer but a dream therefore I must crawl before I walk. It's tough but you can handle it .
4. The people I've talked to make it sound absolutely impossible without going in debt with loans. The grants I've seen don't help much. However beware of the community colleges - and tiny ones - check their tuition prices - a lot of times they are quadruple what you would pay at a state college. Plus at a state college you can take a few classes at a time and at different times of the day and evening. Sometimes your job will pay for some of the classes if you maintain a "B" average. I wish you all of the best!!!!!!! You can do it a little at a time I'm sure! Study up before you take your SAT's and entrance tests - you can sometimes CLEP out of earliest classes. I found a good book for math - called "Mastering General Mathematics" by Martin McDonough, I was surprized by how much I had forgotten - but I got up to speed quickly.