Hi, all I guess I wanted to post here to see if any one knows of any way I can continue my schooling in my situation that is one hundred percent my fault.
I took a semester of college that I dropped out midway through 7 years ago. My mother passed away midesemester and I was just generally irresponsible and ended up with all Fs. I paid out of pocket for those classes. I finally decided to go back to college after 5 years in the workforce and did a summer semester at my community college. I got all A’s and really enjoyed being back in school and felt much more able to keep up with the work and cope than I did 5 years ago. My financial aid was placed on suspension though because of my previous grades from 5 years ago. I did an appeal and worked with an financial aid counselor and academic advisor to write it and turned in my mom’s death certificate with it and they had told me it had a very good chance of being successful, but the board denied it. 
Unfortunately this means I will have to work full time for at least another year before I can get these courses paid off and enroll again. I feel like I’ve exhausted pretty much all my options. The good news is the college said as long as I am paying on it, they won’t turn it into a credit agency but I’m still just generally bummed about this and really wish there was some way I could keep going. I know it’s my fault, but I just hate that mistakes from seven years ago are screwing me over like this. Does any one know of any thing that might be able to help or have any advice? Is there any other way I can earn at least a couple credits in the mean time? Additionally I found out my husband who is in the marines will be being deployed for a year in Somalia, which means I won’t have as much to keep me busy. I applied for the military spousal scholarship but with my gpa I couldn’t get it.
With my SAP, even after this semester once I can finally go back probably next summer, I will still have to do an appeal and if it gets denied that time I’ll have to do the same thing. Pay it off for another year until I can go back. Which means it will take me two full years to even have enough credits to become a sophomore at this rate.
I’m confused. You say you paid “out of pocket” for classes, but then a few lines later you write “this means I will have to work full time for at least another year before I can get these courses paid off and enroll again.”
So did you or did you not pay for the classes you failed? If not, it’s no surprise the school wants its payment before it allows you to go back. I’m not sure there’s anything you can do besides paying off your debt in order to resume.
Are you saying you didn’t pay for your community college courses in full? If so, why would ANYONE give you additional financial aid until your current bills are settled.
I paid for the classes I failed five years ago. I was still under my parent’s income bracket at the time so didn’t meet pell income guidelines. The ones I enrolled in this semester I haven’t paid for because I was waiting on the decision for the appeal and they told me there would be a really good chance it would be approved. And my income was elegible this time since I am now an independent student.
I know it’s no surprise. I’m not shocked or anything. I was just asking if anyone knows of any other options i might be overlooking for help paying for it, so I don’t have to wait another year to enroll again. Like I said. I got all A’s this semester, it’s just my grades from 5 years ago holding me back.
It sounds like you were given the impression that you would get aid for your second attempt at school, but it makes sense that they wouldn’t give money to people to come to them with a record of Fs. You would have had to take some classes on your own and then apply for aid after you demonstrated some success. I think you will just have to keep working and paying for the past classes. You could take a single class if you wanted to pay for it yourself.
Unfortunately, there are no quick fixes.
You will have to pay for one or two courses out of pocket until you can build your gpa up or show consistency that academically you are capable of sustained successful this time around.
ETA: you must clear your bill and pay off the classes you just took and did not pay for. You will not get additional aid until this is cleared up.
I get that you want to vent that you have never received aid, but you failed to make satisfactory academic progress, so you can’t get aid (if you have dodged the bullet and have not been placed on probation or suspended, than that is good).
People make mistakes, and mess up all of the time. You can recover from this, it will take time and you will have to put in the work.
Yes. I just took my finals yesterday and passed all my classes with A’s, these classes I have not paid for yet. The courses I took five years ago that I failed I did pay for out of pocket completely.
Also, I’ve literally never recieved financial aid in my entire life. I’ve never even got food stamps from the governement. I met with an advisor at this community college and they told me there was a really good chance my appeal would be approved and I would actually for once in my life be elegible for financial aid for college. So I went ahead an enrolled. So I’m not asking for “additional” assistance. It’s the first time I have ever asked for any assistance.
But the reason I was needing assistance was to settle my current bills for the classes I just took and finished yesterday. I wouldn’t need assistance if I didn’t have the current bills.
Again, I know it’s my fault for failing those courses five years ago, I was just asking if there’s anyone else that’s been in this situation that knows of something I can do to continue my schooling. I realize it’s pretty hopeless, but I see scholarships for felons and stuff.
Thank you, Sybie719 and CheddarCheeseMN. I was thinking this was probably the case. I’ve been searching all over the internet for anything that might be able to help but it’s really seeming pretty hopeless. Ugh. I was given the impression that it would be paid for but I knew there was a chance it wouldn’t. But I guess, at least I got one semester done with A’s. I would’ve had to do it and pay eventually if I want a degree. It’s just going to take longer than I was hoping for having to pay bills inbetween.
You took the current set of courses with no way to fund them…unless you got aid.
Your school SAP policy likely is that you can’t receive aid until you prove yourself…and fund the courses to do so. You were hoping for funding for the courses you needed to overcome your lack of SAP. That’s not how it works in most cases.
This is a community college. How much do you owe for the one semester of study you just completed?
How many credits did you just take at the Community College?
$3300 is how much I owe I’m planning on paying $400/month and then also whatever I get back in taxes in January. I was told I might at least be able to get the college tax credit. I I took 14 hours. Which now puts my gpa at 1.8 and my passing rate at 60%. It needs to bee a 2.0 and 67% for aid next semester.
I would’ve started paying sooner but they kept telling me to wait until I hear back from the appeal, which I didn’t hear back from until 4 days ago. But then I at least could’ve had $1000 or so paid off and maybe been able to make it back for the spring semester.
Is this a public school? Or a private or for-profit?
It’s a public school.
Most colleges won’t even allow you to attend classes unless your bill is paid in full by a certain date…and that is LONG before final exams.
Your best bet is to contact the school and work out a payment plan with them. Maybe work full time…and pick up a part time job to pay the college debt. Then resume your studies and do the appeal again.
I’m betting your appeal will be granted once you have a two term success record. Folks do make mistakes…and rebound.
Good luck to you!
Even if your income is low enough to qualify for a federal Pell Grant you still have to meet the SAP requirements to receive it. Those are federal regs and the community college can’t override them. I think you’ll have to pay for courses out of pocket until you’ve passed enough to qualify for aid. Is the college asking you to pay for the last semester in full before they let you take any more classes or can you enroll while you’re on a payment plan?
It’s so difficult to move forward when shackled by mistakes you made years ago when you were so young. I made a few mistakes myself as a teenager that I finally had to just own and fix… its certainly possible but no one makes it easy, that’s for sure.
I don’t think you have any choice but to work your tail off fall and maybe spring and pay for these classes ASAP but afterward, you might consider going to the community college part-time. Maybe taking a class or two online… easier to keep up with financially without loosing full semesters due to having to raise the funds.
Have you looked into any work that might help pay for future classes? I know nothing about the Starbucks program but something like that might be useful.
It’s really great you are trying again and kudos for the fantastic grades. You keep trying and you will get past it.
I’m surprised that the school would encourage you to take 14 credits not knowing how the finances would play out.
Check and see if the school has a good veteran’s resource center. (I know, your H is still active duty, and you’re “just” the spouse, but a good veteran’s resource center will help you). See if they can help you figure out what income streams are available at your school. There are probably many ways to get help, but you haven’t hit on the person who wants to dig a little and do the legwork with you. Note I said “with” you, not “for” you. 
Also, if you don’t mind my asking, is there a way you can work with a financial planner on base to get your finances in order? Community college is usually not all that expensive, so maybe with some financial planning help, you can rearrange the other pieces of your budget and figure it out. I work with recently discharged military students, and I know that they OFTEN regret not taking advantage of all the resources that were available to them, esp. the financial ones. There may be resources available to you that you don’t know about. There are lots of people who will want to help a student in your position–that’s the main reason most people choose to work at CCs! Persist. Don’t give up on school. You got this.
You can work and save money, pay for one class at a time until you meet SAP again. You can take some online classes.