Financial Aid Options for Second Bachelor's Degree?

Paying for College
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<p>Gnome, you mentioned a “web development degree” as an option. I’d be cautious about that path unless you have a strong interest and demonstrated aptitude in that field. Many people working in that general area do so without degrees or certifications, and a strong portfolio of real projects is a key factor in getting hired. </p>

<p>While degree and certification programs can be a good way to add additional skills and round out one’s resume, I’d never recommend that someone dive into a technology program just because the field had good employment prospects. I’ve hired many tech people, and the most successful ones are those for who do the same stuff for fun when they aren’t working. (Yep, there are lots of folks who think building websites, troubleshooting networks, etc. is recreation.) Conversely, I’ve interviewed many career-changers who, attracted by high salaries and strong employer demand, took expensive classes and earned certifications, but who had no passion and no intuitive feel for the technology - they didn’t get hired.</p>

<p>Gnome, you’ve got a completed degree - that will be a plus going forward, regardless of your eventual field of work. Keep trying to get your foot in the door somewhere and finding out what kind of work you enjoy. Good luck!</p>

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<p>Roger is absolutely right. Unless you walk into some hospitals, nursing homes, scanning centers…some health care venues that I am using as an example as I have personally seen kids do this, and see where the job openings are and find a short term certificate program that can pretty much clinch a job that requires a specific skill, it is generally not worth it to look for a second degree, put the time and money into it. You have to have those antennas specifically honed as to what is quickly paydirt. Learning to use some of the machinery for nuclear medicine, medical billing, are some examples of training with pretty quick turnaround in finanancial results.</p>

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<p>From a BS Psychology:</p>

<p>Yes, an undergrad in psych isn’t a big career boost is it? I think they caution students that you’re not going to progress in psych without grad school, but many with a ‘passion’ just don’t want to hear it. I didn’t necessarily have a passion for psych, I started as an education major, but when I changed majors psych was the one I could change to without adding substantial time to my degree, so that’s what I wound up with. In the early 90s, in a ‘good’ economy, I sent out well over 100 resumes when I graduated - to office positions, to insurance companies, to counselling positions…I got 2 interviews…and 0 job offers. I did get accepted into a Master’s program in computer science and to this day (20+ years later) I still often say the ONLY thing my psych degree did for me was get me into grad school.</p>

<p>An undergrad in psych is really just a liberal arts degree, you really aren’t specifically qualified for any jobs in the field of psycology, so the degree just gives you the ability to look for administrative jobs and entry level business jobs… there are some psych related jobs such as a case worker for a foster care agency or the government or a supervisor in a group home but those are EXTREMELY low paying jobs with LITTLE chance of career advancement - think $9-11/hour, you can make ALMOST as much working for Wal-mart.</p>

<p>In one of your posts you said a grad degree WOULD NOT be cheaper than a 2nd undergrad… that is not necessarily an accurate statement. In grad school you can qualify for aid if your grades were exceptional and you have great recommendations, you can also work with a prof as a TA or do paid research that you wouldn’t qualify for as an undergrad. Also a Master’s degree is only 2 years and a 2nd undergrad could be longer depending on how different the requirements are from your first degree.</p>

<p>You’ve been asked your interests. You mentioned web design - from working in IT for 20+ years now, I can guarantee they don’t care if you have a degree for 90+% of the positions. Some IT jobs want as Associate’s degree and you can do that part time while you’re working even a food service job if that’s all you can find. Other’s are more concerned with professional certifications and those you can self study for by buying a used book on eBay and paying $100-200 for the test. If you’d like specific suggestions for tests/resources PM me. If you want an IT job, look for an ENTRY level job in an area like tech support that doesn’t require a degree and then focus on networking and getting additional training/certifications. My early jobs were all obtained through temp agencies - agencies like Kelly Temps have technical divisions that just staff tech jobs and often do temp to hire positions. Once again ENTRY level jobs won’t pay much, but it’s a foot in the door.</p>

<p>Are you interested in working with kids? Look into an organization like Teach for America. Many states have untraditional paths into teaching if you don’t have a teaching license. If you teach for a couple years, then you can work on a Master’s part time in school counselling if that’s an interest.</p>

<p>I’d recommend not spending the money just to pay for a 2nd undergrad, especially if you dont’ have a particular passion. Get a job in the corporate world. ANY job, work in a mailroom, work as a receptionist answering phones, take ANY job available, because in the corporate world they will pay for you to go to school if they see it as related to their business. You can then go back for an IT degree or a business degree or even a law degree if you have a part time program nearby. True most businesses won’t pay for a MS in Psych, but without a PhD it wouldn’t help much anyway.</p>

<p>My Ex has a friend with a Master’s in social work that works as a bicycle messenger and selling newspapers because he can make more money that way. It’s almost sad.</p>

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<p>There isn’t much out there in terms of grants for terminal master’s programs. Those who want a PHD can get stipends but the job outlook for post graduates is very dim as there are not enough jobs for all who take that route.</p>

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<p>I have a BA in psychology and work in HR. It is a path you would need to either start early on (get HR internships and possibly get hired through the company), or work in a different position with a company and make a lateral move into HR once your foot is in the door (which is how I did it). If you can nab an administrative position, that may be your opening to other opportunities.</p>

<p>What about temporary employment agencies? In my area there are a lot with full-time HR and office positions available. If that is in demand in your area it can help you build a resume in that field and gain experience in various industries. </p>

<p>You’re right though, that it’s best to know someone from within. That means you need to start networking. Get on LinkedIn if you aren’t already. Reach out to professionals in fields you’re interested in and chat with them about the profession, what they’re looking for in the people they hire, etc. If you have an interview and don’t feel it went well, or feel you’re too underqualified (or they tell you that you are), ask them for honest feedback on what areas you can improve in. I’ve done this once when the HR manager told me I was essentially too young, and thus “not ready” for the position. I then moved the conversation to gaining feedback on how I should go about gaining more experience outside of my current position. </p>

<p>Make sure you have a sharp, results-oriented resume. Too many people just list the functions they perform, but not the results they’ve achieved. I have only about 1.5 years experience in HR and I’ve landed quite a few interviews for corporate positions and jobs that I was certainly underqualified for (but didn’t necessarily know it from the job description). I got those interviews due to my resume. Maybe you’ve only been working in retail and restaurants, but you can pinpoint achievements that are desirable in other fields - such as training new co-workers, exceeding sales goals, receiving a lot of great customer feedback - whatever will look good for the position you’re applying for.</p>

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<p>You might consider one of these programs which would give you some work experience and allow you to pay off your existing loans.</p>

<p>[Kiss</a> Those Student Loans Goodbye - Businessweek](<a href=“Bloomberg - Are you a robot?”>Bloomberg - Are you a robot?)</p>

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<p>CC is cheap and if you find a good one, you can get very workable skills out of it.</p>

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<p>gnomechomsky22,
So sorry you are suffering. My oldest daughter did get two bachelors degrees in 5 years. She got her BA from a private college in Hospital PR with pre-med courses to transfer to a state university/medical school for a BS in Nuclear Medicine. She went for 12 months/45 hours a week for that BS. She received 0 financial aid. We paid the tuition and she and her husband paid for everything else. As other posters have said, it is sometimes difficult to find employment in health care. Though she is now employed full time, I use to joke that she had two degrees and three jobs, and told that joke for 2 years.</p>

<p>Some skills that helped her get her foot in the door and also pay bills were her certifications in Phlebotomy and a CNA. Both were easy to get and paid much better than minimum wage. She got them as a college sophomore on weekends and during the summer. Please consider either, as they cost under $500 and will open a few more doors in the meantime.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

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<p>As far as I know there isn’t any financial aid for second BA’s or BS’s. </p>

<p>Now for the cc certificates and such. I have three certificates from a cc that are doing me no good. Two are in computer science and is in project management. </p>

<p>My BA is in Communication and it has not done me much good. I have not gotten a MA, because many employers feel that MA’s cost them more money. </p>

<p>It is a messed up place to be. You are not the only one in this boat. </p>

<p>Do not acquire more debt unless someone will put into writing that they will hire you and pay you X amount when you bring them a degree in whatever it is they need to hire you. </p>

<p>I am not so sure that relocating to offer a new market you BA degree will get you very far. There are many grads in whatever place you would relocate to that have the same degree that you do. Companies no longer training new employees are one of the reasons that you are having a hard time finding a job.</p>

<p>I agree with the networking thing. Join whatever professional organization that is in a field that you would like to work in and go to the meetings. </p>

<p>Read Napoleon Hill he has some good steps to take to keep a person on target and working towards a goal. Some of his stuff sounds kooky, but there are some things that you need to hear so you can bloom now.</p>

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<p>Thanks for all of the input. I understand Roger, I was just considering it as an option. I am interested in web development and have been teaching myself some programming languages on the side: I just started learning C and python. I am hoping to move onto some other languages after I master those. I recently spoke with a friend of mine who just graduated with a degree in web development. He just got hired with a really great company in the area. I realize that you need a passion to show through at any interview; without it you will not find employment. </p>

<p>jrcsmom, how did you get into CS with a psychology degree? Did you have to go back and take pre-reqs? I am interested in obtaining a degree outside psych, but I am not eligible for most master’s programs without taking pre-req coursework. Psychology is just extremely competitive. My grades are not competitive. I started out in Engineering, did very poorly and have an overall GPA around a 3.0. With my grad classes this semester, it will be higher but I have no publications. I have 2 years of research experience and I am currently volunteering in a lab. I don’t have strong letters of recommendation (I did poorly in my engineering coursework and I was only a psych major for a year and a half before I graduated so I didn’t have time to make strong connections with professors). I would love to go to grad school but I don’t have an application competitive enough to land an RA or TA position. I apply to every administrative or corporate position I can find but I rarely hear back. </p>

<p>NovaLynnx, I would love to work in HR. I have applied to several HR internships with some companies nearby but most say my application is not competitive because they want business or HR majors. I have been trying to tweak my resume with the advice of the career center, but I haven’t been getting much feedback there that actually helps in the job search. Instead, I am trying to make my resume and cover letters more competitive by reading job hunting books and researching online. I tried going to a recruiting company but it was a disaster. They refused to match my skill set to any postions. They rushed me to interview for this shady payday loan consolidation company. After researching the company online and going to the interview, I clearly knew this company was bad news. They wanted me to sell debt consolidation packages, but there were so many consumer complaints and the postion was full commission, no benefits. The temp agency would work if I could find placement after a temp job. I had one lined up and ready to go, the interview went well, I had the paperwork done, but I guess the employer ended up not needing to fill the postion (an employee was planning on taking a leave but ended up not doing so).</p>

<p>The only interviews I have been getting are for other serving jobs. I want to leave my current job because I hate serving so much. I have even tried branching out to other areas in hospitality but most front desk hotel postions require experience. Hospitality is huge in my area, but there are so many grads in hospitality (there is a whole separate college dedicated to it at my school) with recent and extensive internship experience. My application is not competitive, even with my degree and serving experience. I wish I could take an unpaid internship to gain more experience, but my parents house is in foreclosure and they cannot afford to support me. They couldn’t help out with my college tuition which is why I have so many loans and had to work two jobs as a server in undergrad. </p>

<p>Tankeryanker, sorry to hear you are having a rough time too. I will definitely check out Napoleon Hill.</p>

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<p>Mom of a psych major who went for a second bachelor degree- 14 month accelerated bachelor’s degree in nursing . After the first degree kiddo worked as an aid in psych day treatment center which helped w getting a job as a new RN. The job market for a new grad RN who truly wants to work in psych (and has exp w this population) is significantly better than a new grad looking to work on a medical or surgical unit in a hospital. </p>

<p>There are psych jobs out there for a person with a BA. Look for mental health worker in pediatric day treatment or residential programs. Check out early intervention home visitor, or class room aid. If you cannot break in to this field, apply for a summer Job at a special needs camp like the Paul Neuman Camps or other summer residential programs for kids,with special needs. This will also help you figure out if you want to work in psych and will demonstrate to employers that you have the skills. </p>

<p>There are accelerated BSNs without long wait lists - Drexel offers a 9 month accelerated BSN called ACE, with a high acceptance rate, need a 3.0 undergrad and certain undergrad classes. See the all nurses website for more info. Intense program and not everyone makes it through but you would likely be accepted.</p>

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<p>Regarding going from BS Psych to Master’s program in CompSci -</p>

<p>As an undergrad I always had a strong interest in Computer Science, but had grown up with EVERYONE telling me what a great teacher I would be and the thought of majoring in Computer Science didn’t occur to me as a female more than 20 years ago and then when I knew I wanted to switch out of education, it would have taken far to much additional course work to switch to Computer Science, But I knew that’s where my interest was and took A LOT of Computer Science courses my senior year (close to a minor). Also I got a BS not a BA in Psych, so my undergrad had a significant amount of math/science requirements. When I was accepted into the MS program I only had a couple prereqs left to complete. </p>

<p>(Although I never completed that degree because my son was born not long after that). The entry level IT positions I got after graduation had no degree requirement and very few of my co-workers had a degree. Now even 20 years later, although I eventually returned for my MBA, the majority of my co-workers don’t have more than an associate’s degree. If you’re interested in IT, getting an Associate’s from a community college is definitely the way to go and many community college IT courses prepare for professional certifications in the courses, which is what most IT hiring managers look for. If you’re interested in web design - 1 way to get a foot in the door is to volunteer to design websites for local organizations or small businesses and then you have live websites addresses you can put on your resume. Also I have a close friend that does a significant amount of webdesign and can say the BIG thing in web development right now is being able to design sites that will work on tablets and phones just as well as they work on standard systems or to be able to modify current sites to work on other platforms.</p>

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<p>Given your lack of experience in the fields that interest you, you may need to get your foot in the door by starting out very small. A few years ago I worked as a sales associate in a department store. I left to relocate for college, and after graduating I saw they were hiring for the supervisor position of the department I used to work in. I got the position and managed the apparel department for a few months. Then HR opened and I moved over into that position. It all started as a part-time hourly sales associate. </p>

<p>I realize you aren’t interested in waiting years for it to pay off, but you really need to do something <em>now</em> to start building different experiences and skill sets. Even if you decide to go back to school, try volunteering someplace that will give you some desirable skills for the positions you’ll be seeking. And don’t feel bad if you end up in a very entry-level, very part-time position - do your best to absolutely excel at it and it will be noticed. </p>

<p>In the meantime, have you considered ways of making residual income? Through self-publishing (if you like to write), or creating a blog and advertising/sponsoring things. You could review local restaurants since you know the business. Think outside the box - look for things at local garage/yard sales that may be worth more if sold on ebay (lots of people just looking to get rid of junk, not knowing what it’s really worth). And keep applying to the jobs you really want - sometimes it just takes having the right connection with the right interviewers at the right time.</p>

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<p>History major here who was headed to Law school or to get a Ph.D when I said “I just don’t know!” I had applied and was accepted to Law school and a Ph.D program but ended up moving back home. After 6 months of searching for a job (this was early 90’s) I accepted one at a large companies call center working in customer service. Hated it! But it gave me time to think and after 1 year paid educational expenses for any advanced (beyond HS) degree. It took a little while because working F/T I was a student P/T. Hated my job and the pay but it gave me my advanced degree and at least some people and problem solving skills.</p>

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<p>daffymom, thank you for your insights. I have been applying as a psych tech and a research assistant at every local hospital. I will look into those positions you mentioned as well. Thank you for the tip about Drexel. I will look into that.</p>

<p>jrcsmom, I actually do have a BS in psych as well. I also majored in Engineering, switched to Bio (w/a psych minor), that was how I still graduated on time despite changing my major drastically. Thank you for the tips on how to break into the industry. I have a heavy load of math and science courses. My “science” GPA isn’t the greatest, but I did manage to pass them. I am really good with biology, physics and chemistry brought my grades down.</p>

<p>NovaLynnx, thank you. I am willing to work at entry level jobs; I am definitely looking for any opportunities I can to get my foot in the door. Thank you for your advice. I never considered blogging or ebay but I will look into that. </p>

<p>redeye41, thanks for sharing your experience. If I could find a full time job willing to pay for schooling I would take it, but those are hard to come by.</p>

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<p>You could join the military. I think they allow you to forgive part of your student loans with each year of service plus you get paid a salary. or maybe the Army reserves
it’s part time unless you get called up and I think you can get some money for school.</p>

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<p>Thank you MichiganGeorgia. I have actually thought about it. I’m not sure I’m really cut out for it though. I am looking into it as an option.</p>