<p>So I went to a state school in NJ (Ramapo) for a B.A. from 2006-2010. During one of those semesters, I only took 12 credits instead of 16 because it was a busy time for me and I figured missing that one class wouldn't be a big deal. I was wrong.</p>
<p>My major required an internship, and by the end of the 2010 year I had completed 124 of my 128 credit requirements. The only thing left was to find an intenship, and it looked like I would need to do that over the summer.</p>
<p>So I looked and also looked for a job, because I had none and I was broke. I realized I'd have to pay to commute to the city (most likely), work for free, AND somehow pay for the credits. I did not like this outlook, so I put off graduating to look for a job instead.</p>
<p>I couldn't find a job for almost a year. I also got back in touch with my dean and told him I wasn't keen on working for free, so he said I could simply take any 4 credit course in my major and I'd be done with it.</p>
<p>So I got my bill the other day, and it's $1800. For one class. Much of that is extra fees that I apparently can't avoid ($700 for health insurance, $200 parking fee, $463 "related" fees). Really? Is that how much ONE class at a state school costs now? 2 grand?</p>
<p>My job is part time and even if I had that much saved up, I wouldn't pay it. I obviously can't get financial aid anymore, but it's pretty ridiculous. Does anyone know any kind of plan B route I could go? I was thinking of transferring to a community college, but then I have to worry about transfers- and it means I'll get my degree from a CC even though 95% of my time was spent at a state school.</p>
<p>Sorry if this thread sounds aimless. I just can't believe that it'll cost me $2,000 to attend one class.</p>
<p>First…are your parents still carrying you on THEIR health insurance? If so, contact the school and see if you can waive this…at many schools if your own plan is comparable…you can waive the college plan.</p>
<p>Second…The dean told you to take any course in your MAJOR. It is highly likely that they will require you to take this course at THIS university because it’s a requirement for your major. I seriously doubt you can do this at a community college. BUT you might be able to do it through your university as an ONLINE course…you need to ask that dean…or whomever would approve courses…if YOUR university offers ANY online courses that will satisfy this course requirement. </p>
<p>Third…will you be driving to the school? If so…plan to pay the parking fee.</p>
<p>Fourth…you say you have fulfilled ALL but one course for your bachelors…I don’t believe given that info…that you can “transfer” to a community college.</p>
<p>Fifth…go talk to someone at the school about these fees. As a student taking only one course, perhaps they can be waived…as long as they aren’t things related to your major it’s possible they might do this for ONE course.</p>
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<p>So are you saying you never fulfilled the internship requirement either? I’m sure you know in hindsight that “working for free” as an intern might have given you some valuable experience. Any chance you can still do this…does your college perhaps offer college credit for internships in your field? That would kill two birds with one stone…you’d get credit and some experience that might help you find a job at some point.</p>
<p>It is a bass-ackward move to go back to community college. They will most likely not give you a degree at this stage. Save your money, take the one class, get your degree and move on.</p>
<p>Agree with Thumper - the health insurance is the biggest single piece here - if you can show proof of insurance - they should waive it. That brings the total down to $1100. Do it. Charge it on a credit card if you have to - borrow the money from a family member - ask about a payment plan. It would be foolish to let one class for $1100 stand between you and a college degree. In the long run - having a college degree will be well worth it.</p>
<p>Online classes are actually usually more expensive. You MIGHT be able to save on the health insurance and parking permit, thus making it worth it, but they usually have a nice fee they add on to those.</p>
<p>If they’re not being too strict about which class you have to take then you might be able to get away with taking it at a cheaper school and transferring the credit back. This is something you should talk to about with the dean, advisors, and as many people as you can find because you know how colleges are about giving you more than one answer for the same question. </p>
<p>See if your school has a payment plan you can enroll in.</p>
<p>^^I would be surprised if the school would allow a transferred in class from another school for the final credits. A lot of schools will only award a degree if the last x credits are taken at the school. I know our State U, at least the last 30 credits must be taken at the school (not transfer credits) to get a degree from them.</p>
<p>This must vary by college. Our DD’s online course was the same dollar per credit amount as other summer courses with a $50 online course fee. No parking fees…no health insurance…just tuitions and a $50 cost. This course was an online course offered by HER university…and the course was approved by her advisor to fulfill her requirement.</p>
<p>I should add…DD had senior year status in her JUNIOR year in course credits. BUT her school had a very stringent core course requirement. She had a health issue one term of her senior year and had to drop one course, causing a “domino” effect. She had planned to take her last core course her last term…thinking it might be a nice break from her STEM courses…but she had to move up a course she dropped and that pushed the core course to the summer…LUCKILY her school had an online course to fulfill this requirement in that summer term.</p>
<p>Sounds like the college is being very flexible in allowing you to substitute a class for an internship. Be thankful for that at least.</p>
<p>2K and done with a single class this semester vs. probably several years to finish a degree at a CC? The time wasted at the CC would not be worth it. No brainer. Not to mention that most CCs hand out only 2 year degrees, not the 4 year degree I assume you are about to earn at your original college.</p>
<p>Sometimes in life we get hit with “stupid-tax”–we are caught unaware (or only vaguely aware) by the system – the expensive speeding ticket, the parking and towing fine even though you thought you were parking correctly, the giant finance charge on a forgotten bill, the penalty for withdrawing monies incorrectly or too early on a retirement fund, etc. MAYBE we could have avoided the penalty, but sometimes we can’t and we just have to buck up and pay to move forward.</p>
<p>Find a way to pay the 2K. Since it is your LAST 2K and the ONLY piece left for the huge benefit of a 4 year degree, slap it on a credit card if you have to. Double check if you can get a Stafford Loan (staffords can go up and beyond 5th year if you haven’t maxed out). If you attend a private university, they sometimes have private sources of loans (I had this once at a LAC but maybe those days are gone). Beg and borrow 500 from 4 different friends/family members who want to see this through for you. Earn that 2K a hundred bucks at a time doing any thing you can think of … garage sale, mowing lawns, another part-time job, etc.</p>
<p>Put another way–at some point you need to realize that you are an adult and that 2K should never stop you from getting what you want in life… and that you CAN generate that amount of money in a short period of time through pooling all your time, talent, relationships, and efforts toward the cause.</p>
<p>I agree annika. One other option (and I know this is a ridiculous long shot) is ask the school if they allow students to sign promisary notes for outstanding balances. You would make payments throughout the semester and pay it off before the end. You wouldn’t get your diploma until you pay off the note.</p>
<p>Does that mean your college won’t accept a paid internship? Or maybe you can’t find one, paid or unpaid?</p>
<p>I would find out what the minimum requirements for the internship are to get your four credits. Ten weeks for four hours per day, six hours a day for twelve weeks? . . . Find out the absolute minimum requirements and do that instead of taking the four credit class. This Ramapo site mentions a minimum 225 hours for the length of the academic semester under Cooperative Education/Internship. <a href=“http://www.ramapo.edu/catalog_09_10/student-services.html[/url]”>http://www.ramapo.edu/catalog_09_10/student-services.html</a> That is only about three hours a day during a 15 week semester. You could do three hours unpaid internship and still work full time somewhere else during the day or work the unpaid internship around your part-time job.</p>
<p>Also, a lot of schools-- when you are taking only an internship and no classes-- reduce the fee schedule by a lot, thus not penalizing students by making them pay for services they will not even use because they will be off-campus during the internship. They also enable students to maintain full-time student status during internships so the student will be able to use their parents’ health insurance during the internship, even though the student will not be taking classes.</p>
<p>So an unpaid internship, regardless of what you think philosophically about working “for free”, may, in your situation, be a much cheaper solution than taking the four credit class.</p>
<p>Not only might an unpaid internship be cheaper, but you will have some experience to put on your resume. Since you couldn’t find a job for almost a year without the degree or experience, doing an internship will give you both the degree AND some experience!</p>
<p>I am still burned that DS school required him (Us!) to pay all the same student activity fees, campus fees, etc while he completed his student teaching his last semester.
He lived at home, and only went to campus infrequently for meetings with his advisor.</p>
<p>And at public school in NJ, these fees are not inconsequential.</p>
<p>I think in lieu of pay, Op would have received the credits s/he need toward graduation. Op just was not keen about the concept of “working” amd receiving credit, but no money.</p>
<p>Sometimes working for free is the nature of the beast and the road that you may have to take to get from point A to point B. This is from the parent of a student working an internship for the federal gov’t and is not getting paid. Very competitive, went through a lot of hoops, but it was a great learning experience for her and what she wants to do and will give her great talking points when she starts the interview process when she gets back to school.</p>