New to the Country, Confused about My Options!

<p>Hey everyone,</p>

<p>Well, I am a 23 year-old Egyptian that moved to the FL, US about a year and half ago. The reason why I moved here is to be with my long-time long-distance sweetheart. We got married recently, and life is good! :)</p>

<p>I've been looking for work for 4 months now and nothing 'decent' is coming by yet... I have B.A. in English Literature from Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.. And have worked as a Translator/Interpreter for two years...</p>

<p>I am mainly looking for a government type of work.. I am native Arabic speaker and I know that is in demand now.. However I am not a US citizen yet, I am a legal permanent resident and will not be eligible for citizenship until 2015.. Most government related jobs need a security clearance, and I will not be able to obtain one until I am a citizen..</p>

<p>I've been thinking about going back to school for a new major until I am done with my citizenship process... I mainly interested in Arabic, Middle-Eastern Studies, International Politics, International Social Work, etc. However my financial situation will not allow me to join any schools right now.. Am I eligible for scholarships as a Legal Permanent Resident? Does the fact that I am a native Arabic speaker make my chances of obtaining a scholarship for an Arabic-related major higher?</p>

<p>I absolutely know nothing about the US college/university system and would appreciate any input on this matter...</p>

<p>Thanks in advance!</p>

<p>Aya</p>

<p>N.B: Moderators feel free to move my thread to a more relative forum, if you think I will get more responses and feedback! Thank You! :)</p>

<p>You could file the FAFSA and apply for federal financial aid. My understanding is that you would only qualify for loans (and not grants) to pursue a second Bachelor’s degree. Federal loans should be enough to cover in-state tuition at a public university.</p>

<p>Have you considered pursuing a graduate degree instead of a second undergraduate degree? Many American graduate programs admit students with undergraduate degrees in other disciplines. You could conceivably enter a Master’s program in international social work with an undergraduate degree in English, for example.</p>

<p>Thank you for your response, b@r!um. :)</p>

<p>Well, I was considering going for a Master’s Degree instead of obtaining another Bachelor’s degree as well, but I still am very interested in Middle-Eastern related studies… Do the fields of the undergraduate and a graduate degrees have to be relative?</p>

<p>I did talk to an admission officer from a local community college and she informed me that I will probably lose a lot of college credit if I try to see if my degree is equivalent to similar degrees in The United States…</p>

<p>I, also, don’t know if I am being realistic by wanting to peruse an undergraduate/graduate degree in Middle-Eastern related studies considering how tough the job market is now, and that there is no guarantee I will be granted in a security clearance by 2015 since I lived most of my life overseas… (Sorry just thinking out loud)…</p>

<p>I hate being unemployed and (almost broke) and I just want to take the right steps to land my dream job…not just any job…</p>

<p>I, also, don’t know the basic steps for applying for financial aid/grant… Do I pick the university, school, and the field of study, and then apply? Or I do I just apply to see if I am financially eligible and then FAFSA lets me know what is available?</p>

<p>I am very confused! :(</p>

<p>Usually you would apply to college and for financial aid at the same time. You designate the college(s) which will get access to your FAFSA report and if you are offered admission to those schools, they will let you know how much financial aid you qualify for. For the time being, it seems safe to assume that you would qualify for the full Stafford loan but not much beyond that. </p>

<p>I understand your concerns about security clearances and I think they are very valid. What careers would you enjoy that do not require clearance? If you go into debt for another degree, I would choose a degree that makes you more employable (in an area you can actually work in!!!) rather than a degree just for the sake of bridging time until you can maybe get a security clearance.</p>

<p>Since you aren’t familiar with higher education in the US, you should start by reading everything at [EducationUSA</a> | Study Abroad, Student Visa, University Fairs, College Applications and Study in the U.S. / America](<a href=“http://www.educationusa.info/]EducationUSA”>http://www.educationusa.info/) That will give you a basic understanding of how things work.</p>

<p>For information about financial aid matters, start at [FinAid</a>! Financial Aid, College Scholarships and Student Loans](<a href=“http://www.finaid.org%5DFinAid”>http://www.finaid.org) Aid for graduate studies is different from aid for undergraduate coursework, so you need to make certain that you learn something about that.</p>

<p>If you haven’t already had your academic transcripts formally evaluated, you need to do that too. [World</a> Education Services - International Education Intelligence](<a href=“http://www.wes.org/]World”>http://www.wes.org/) is one company whose evaluations are accepted by many colleges and universities. There are others. If you contact the international graduate admissions offices at the universities near you they will be able to suggest other companies.</p>

<p>It is perfectly fine for you to contact the graduate programs that you are interested in, and ask them whether or not you would be eligible for admission now. If you aren’t, ask them what specific coursework you need to take in order to fill in the gaps in your background. It might take only a semester of undergraduate coursework. Also, if they do like you, they may admit you to grad school and simply make those courses part of your program.</p>

<p>Only you and your spouse know what you can afford to pay for your studies. You need to start with that figure. That way you will know if a financial aid package will make your education affordable.</p>

<p>Is your spouse a citizen, or a permanent resident? If you became a resident because you married a citizen, I think the time required before naturalization is shorter. You should check up on that.</p>

<p>Wishing you all the best!</p>

<p>That was very helpful, b@r!m. Thank you! :)</p>

<p>Other than Middle-Eastern Studies I am interested in International Politics, International Social Work, Public Relations, Business Administration, Business/International Affairs. I also have had a deep interest in Language Teaching (Arabic and/or ESL) for adults, not sure what major that is… Translation and Interpretation are two of my passions as well! I was a professional Translator for 2 years and I absolutely loved it! After 4 months of looking for jobs in the US, I am not sure if I am targeting the right market…or may be I don’t have enough education to be a professional Translator/Interpreter in the US?</p>

<p>Speech Language Pathology sounds kind of appealing too… I don’t think I can wait 6+ years to work though (considering I have to have a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree before I am able to work as an SLP)…</p>

<p>Like I said, it’s all confusing and overwhelming now… I don’t regret going for my first B.A. at all. I enjoyed my study very much. I felt mentally fulfilled during college years. But it probably was not a very wise decision since I have no interest in becoming an English Teacher and that I am not a native English Speaker (I have a strong American accent now though lol)… I only did it for the love of English and Literature, and that probably was not enough reason to pursue a degree…</p>

<p>Very informative and helpful, happymomof1! Thank you! :)</p>

<p>My husband is a US Citizen. I will be eligible for Citizenship sometime in 2014/2015.</p>

<p>Some of the best ESL instructors aren’t native speakers, don’t worry about that! However many ESL jobs are early morning, evening, or weekends because most adult students have to fit their classes around their jobs. If you’d like to try teaching, find out if there is a Berlitz office near you. They train their own staff so you don’t need a teaching degree. They also may have work for you teaching Arabic. The salaries are low but the hours are flexible.</p>

<p>Since you have interpreting experience, you should find out what the requirements are for working as an interpreter in the Florida courts and schools. The work would not be as steady as with other languages, but it could be interesting.</p>