<p>I do not have a family or community network to help me. ie. I don't have parents/friends/brothers/whatever that will house me for very cheap. I don't have a decent income (20-25k yr). </p>
<p>I've been going to school part time / full time, w loans and without. It's been over 15yrs(100credits est) I've been doing this!!!! I've received poor education guidance by 2 college advisors and my current college, preventing me from graduating sooner with JUST an associates degree. I'm losing hope that this "is" even worth it. Maybe I should just work two crappy jobs and realize im too poor to attend college. Is there ANYONE out there dealing with the same thing? Am I the only one? </p>
<p>I plan on taking on more loans (I already pay 200.00 month for past student loans) and will consider roomates at the age of 32? </p>
<p>Scholarships are wonderful if i had TIME to spend SEARCHING and PREPPING for them. I work/sleep/study for school. There is no "in-between" time to do such work. I'm currently trying to get a new job, that's more important than a one-time scholarship?
thanks,</p>
<p>[UMUC</a> - Homepage](<a href=“http://www.umuc.edu/index.shtml]UMUC”>http://www.umuc.edu/index.shtml) has a very successful online/distance education program, accepts up to 60 semester credits for transfer from community colleges and up to 90 from 4-year institutions, and is extremely generous with credit by exam and credit for work experience. Contact them. Also, look for equivalent programs through your own home-state public university.</p>
<p>Take an afternoon and stop at your local public library, and read through any books that they have available on distance education, non-traditional age college students, and transfer students. A wealth of information is available to you there.</p>
<p>online programs, I’m not even sure I would “want” to do them. I don’t see any quality in learning with that type of instruction. Discussion with professors is essential, and I don’t know if “chat” rooms work that well for such brainstorming.</p>
<p>I go to Erie community college in/near buffalo, ny. since im poor, i cant go to my college of choice (uc berkely or any other ivy league) so Im looking into Empire College and University of Buffalo for my 4 year transfer. I’m leaning towards UB law school later down the road, so empire might not be an option - Graduate programs are all business related. Not sure I want a 4yr in ugh… business or a MBA. (please spare the utility of a MBA/or 4yr business degree comment rebuttals)</p>
<p>You’re right that a school like Berkeley wouldn’t work for you since it’s an out-of-state public, but an ivy would give you lots of money if you could get admitted. </p>
<p>Some top ivies are super generous to poor students. However, these are also the hardest schools to get accepted to.</p>
<p>Also the OP says he/she has 100 credits or so…and would therefore be applying as a transfer. Transfer acceptances are a very low %age at the Ivies.</p>
<p>OP…you are exploring some good options for completing your bachelors degree. You’ll get there!! Just keep your eye on the prize at the end!!!</p>
<p>Even with counselors at a college, you have to check and double check requirements and investigate every possibility that exists for you. It is a tough road. I know a number of folks who got their degree the way you are, and all I can tell you is that it is not easy.</p>
<p>Congrats on maintaining your high GPA and determination this long - I think that’s pretty impressive! I agree with the above that you should keep going as you clearly have a greater contribution to make than being stuck in two crappy jobs! </p>
<p>I don’t recall where in the county Erie is located, but are you close enough to commute to Amherst, Buff State, Niagara, or Canisius? Since UB has very good course articulation with Erie CC, why not just apply as a transfer to UB to finish your BA? They offer a fair number of online courses each semester and loads of evening classes. Have you exhausted your TAP eligibility yet? How close are you to finishing your AAS and are you willing/able to move? There are schools with merit scholarships for CC grads with PTK membership (such as Niagara and Canisius)…in NY, they are easier to find than regular transfer scholarships! If you are Phi Theta Kappa, check this list for scholarships (this list is NOT complete, so check with any other schools you’re interested in):
[Phi</a> Theta Kappa - Scholarship Listing](<a href=“http://www.ptk.org/schol/newscholdir/list.php]Phi”>http://www.ptk.org/schol/newscholdir/list.php)</p>
<p>You might also reach out to schools that offer great support and financial aid to their students like Cornell and Hamilton (near Utica). I don’t know if it’s still in effect, but several years ago Hamilton had a program for low-income adult students (single mothers, as I recall, but it may have been broader than that) that included tuition, books, living quarters (non-dorm), and tons of extras like gas/grocery cards, trips, etc.,if this is of interest to you, PM me and I’ll try to get you more info from a past participant. Cornell has extensive offerings for adult students, far too many to list here, but search their site for info. Anyway,the point is that it’s worth contacting institutions to find out what possibilities there are and what they can offer you! At UB, I think a good place for you to start, other than admissions, would be the Cora Maloney College. They’re likely to know of resources not listed on UB’s website.</p>
<p>There have been articles in the news about very elderly folks who completed their college educations. Sometimes it’s a harder journey for some than others. Stick with it and continue to strive for the end result.</p>
<p>Have you looked into federal loan consolidation and income contingent repayment programs? I don’t know what kind of loans you had, but it’s possible, depending on your income, that you might qualify for some of the newer programs to reduce your monthly debt payments. While that will take longer to pay off, it would give you a little breathing room.</p>
<p>thumper1= your comment about the new advertising campain is actually very depressing to me. I have to wait until im 80 to graduate? I have to work till im 80 at jobs that are for HS grads? Im at the point where I can’t have friends at work because I have nothing in common with them. They LOVE sports and beer while I love books and discussion.</p>
<p>TrinSF- Im already doing that now - and it is helping.</p>
<p>My comment was NOT meant to depress you…it was to point out that NOT everyone gets a bachelors degree when they are in their 20s. You need to be much more optimistic…look at the positives folks are sending your way…don’t interpret things in a negative way.</p>
<p>I’m optimistic and I don’t interpret things in a negative way. I was pointing out that there is a current advertising campaign (Ad Council?) going on right now, showing graduates of older age. This is great! and I applaud those that achieve this level. I was only pointing to the fact that this advertising sends a very mixed message. I could continue on the wide array of paths this message goes, but I don’t believe this is the forum for this. I already accepted and thanked many on this board (including you) and many other members for sending me positive vibes. I appreciate this. My comments have a bit of spice and lack of editing due to the time limitations I have for board posting. There is nothing wrong with venting frustration over institutional educational and financial systems. Especially for those who were not born into wealth or have the resources to obtain information necessary to obtain help. That is what I’m doing now. I hope that clarifies some items.</p>