Help for non-traditional student

Parents Forum
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<p>I don't know if I can do anything for this person but I wonder if anyone has any suggestions for him.</p>

<p>He's 22 years old and is working full time as a manager in a department store. He's trying to go to school almost full time, taking classes at two different community colleges and a university, because that was the cheapest way to pay for school. I think that this is the first semester he has gone to college in any form.</p>

<p>He was the valedictorian of his HS, scored a 35 on his ACT and a AP scholar. He was involved in his HS, xc, tennis, secretary of his senior class. I don't know very much of his family situation but starting with his senior year of HS, he worked full time and supported the family. He worked more than one job to support his mother and put his sister through college.</p>

<p>I wonder if there is a way for this kid to go to college without having to work full time and go to a 3rd tier college. A friend and I were trying to convince him to apply to more selective schools and quit his job and try to go to school full time. </p>

<p>The big problem with this is that he has $15,000 in credit card debt, which he incurred while trying to support his family. This is not a person who is a reckless spender, in fact he lives very modestly. I truly believe that the debt was incurred to help pay the bills. He is not supporting his mother or any relatives anymore, just himself and trying to pay his bills, without any help.</p>

<p>Does anyone have any advice for him? He would be willing to work while going to school, he's a very hard worker. Are there any schools which would be willing to take a kid with this kind of situation?</p>

2

<p>deb922, your heart is obviously in the right place but with that kind of credit card debt right now he needs to focus on getting that taken care of. Can he work with a debt consolidator to lower the interest rate and pay one payment?<br>
If he goes to school full time that debt will not be forgiven..he will either have to declare bankruptcy (which I would not advocate) or he will have to incur even more interest.<br>
If this were my kid I would advocate working at least part time, consolidating the credit card debt, and going to the community college.</p>

3

<p>Check out Columbia University's School of General Studies. I know there is a part time option and it's geared toward the "non-traditional" student.</p>

4

<p>I was going to make the same suggestion. It's whole purpose is to help students like your friend.
<a href="http://www.gs.columbia.edu/home.asp%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.gs.columbia.edu/home.asp&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

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<p>where does he live?</p>

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<p><a href="http://www.sas.upenn.edu/CGS/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.sas.upenn.edu/CGS/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Another possibility.</p>

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<p>Thanks, this is what I was afraid of. He lives in Michigan</p>

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<p>Deb, I thank you sooo much for your desire to help this young man. His situation is much like mine with slight differences.</p>

<p>I was going to PM you but thought that others may find this helpful.</p>

<p>I know it might sound awkward, and many would consider it shameful, but here is what I did anyway: I took about year off "life" and drove a semitrailer OTR (Over The Road-48 states). The training was employer-paid if I work with them for 12 months. Im quiting by the end of March, after 13 months of driving, to restart at a community college in SF and wanting to transfer to on of the UCs. i would still have my Commercial DL and nice stories to tell.</p>

<p>The job is the easist I've had (and I did all kinds of min.-wage things. I guess that's why the lazy excell in it), and is very..hmm..interesting. It provides PLENTY of time to listen to audio books/read or whatever. But it's not for everyone; if it wasn't for my laptop I would've gone insane, since I have little to share with other drivers & warehouse dock workers (Im 125lb semi-vegan, health-obssessed bookworm).</p>

<p>The financial stabelity i have now gave me the peace of mind to rethink my life. Then out of nowhere comes CC forum--what a bless. Many highschoolers on this site would out-perform my community college counselor.</p>

<p>I'm thankful that I was able to turn my finances all the way around, although it took some sacrifice, but it's totally worth it. I even have few grands in saving (and this is just after 13 months of solo driving); I LIVED in the 8'x8' cab of the truck I was assigned so I didn't pay rent or bills except my phones'. If I take a home-time/time off, I would spend no more than a day every several weeks with a friend in KC though I'm allowed to take a day off for every week I spend on the road, and when I got tired of KC (my hometown) I started taking my timeoff at a different city every 2-3 weeks and I slept the night or two I stayed there in the truck. I would only have to pay for my transportaion in the visted city (paid travel, but can you imagine how I feel when people ask me where I'm staying?). Oh, and showers; they're free at truck stops with every 50gl of fuel purchased. A very slow week consumes ~200 gl of diesel. 500+ is average.</p>

<p>Many refrain from doing this work because they don't know something or another about it. I simply never took those newspaper truck-driving ads seriously until I met a friend who simplified it to me. In the five years between my 21st BD (21 is min driving age) and the time I obtained my CDL, if someone suggested that <em>I</em> become a truck driver I would just laugh it off.</p>

<p>Being debt-free is priceless (I'll never understand what i needed it for), and totally worth the year, or even two, of driving (in my case it was). Some companies would allow drivers with just 3 months accident-free experience to train. Full time trainers make 1500-2000 tax-free weekly.</p>

<p>It's a quick way for him to get out of debt (and get rich and dumb if he stayed in it for too long ;) ). Someone who has a background like his would know how to utilise every experience. </p>

<p>If he pulled off a 35 ACT he should really have a better choice than 3rd tier.</p>

<p>You didn't include much details, but it sounds as if he's almost given up and, excuse me for this, lacks motivation. This is normal for someone who saw his HS classmates go to college and graduate and perhaps he sees some of the frequently while he has 15K in debt and no college degree. And boy it hurts when he thinks to himself "I was the valedictorian." You and your friend are definitely driving him in the right direction. You can provide him with lots of support, guidance, and motivation. I've been there and done it; this debt must go away properly before he can think right; Maslow's hierarchy of needs at work!</p>

<p>PM me if you or he had any questions</p>