Unemployed and Financial Aid problems

Paying for College
81

<p>Sounds like you are back to square one - but armed with a lot more information about how financial aid shakes out for your situation. Good luck crafting Plan B - or maybe in your case you are already on Plan C or D, E, F or G! I have two adult siblings going to college, both work fulltime, and both are on around Plan G around now but they keep forging forward…I encourage you to do the same!</p>

<p>Is there any way to go to community college part time? It is not as glamorous and can be very difficult to do while maintaining fulltime work, but literally thousands upon thousands of adults do this every year. And if you get good grades at your CC, regardless of the CC’s “ranking” - the 4-year transfer schools are very eager to take on these solid-GPA students who have proven themselves in difficult situations. </p>

<p>I also agree that knocking out a few classes, especially remedial/pre-collegiate level prep classes like Algebra, is a great idea. If worse comes to worse, even part-time the degree will get completed. At the end of the year you can have 0 classes toward your degree or 2 - 6 classes toward your degree. I would recommend the latter!</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

82

<p>skt8rmom- it’s in the “luck” of who my Financial Aid counselor is. If I had the counselor I spoke with in person there would be zero problem.</p>

<p>Sad this inconsistency.</p>

<p>I’m told that reducing my hours will reduce the grant awarded, even though it’s not full. </p>

<p>Fortunately I’ve already applied to the only CC in 15 miles of me, so it’s a matter of getting the FAFSA sent to them, taking those dang tests again, and signing up for classes.</p>

<p>I’m reading something about CC’s and Pell grants, though, that doesn’t sound good?</p>

<p>Still- I’m more than a little bit miffed at the whole Luck-of-the-draw aspect of Financial Aid. It’s complete BS at this school.</p>

83

<p>Anni- again we have the problem of work.</p>

<p>City unemployed: 255,200 (only counts those collecting UI)
State Jobs available since Jan 1 2010: 166,000</p>

<p>Today I applied at a Freebird Burrito, along with whatever menial administrative job I could find. It’s really that bad here. I’ve already sent multiple applications to every single fast food joint, grocery store, gas station, shop, etc in 10 miles of me. Point: just like many college students in their first year I cannot count on finding a job. It’s not the same economy as 10 years ago, or even 20 years ago. It’s just that bad.</p>

<p>I wasn’t even approved for Federal Work Aid- this means no jobs on campus, or even the opportunity to apply to them.</p>

<p>So going to CC would be great, but it would require as much as I’ve been awarded currently. I literally need every bit of it, and that’s allowing for digs cheaper than the downtown YMCA. Ayup. </p>

<p>It’s just not feasible. I need the magical job genie to come around, help me out, then go back to school with some money saved. </p>

<p>If I were 18 it would be different- I’d probably have a place to sleep and at least 1 meal a day provided. Even the roof over my head would be a substantial aid. But I’m not. I’m older, but in the same financial situation as a needy kid going to school.</p>

84

<p>If you don’t go to school this year, then you have to start paying back your loans until you return to school.</p>

<p>That whole process sounds a lot more complicated than taking a few placement tests at a CC. </p>

<p>You can still get Pell Grants at a CC…your COA should still be decent.</p>

85

<p>I don’t like to see someone stuck like this. Why don’t you check out another financial aid office at another school and go through the FAFSA report with another counselor and see what you can work out… Then if you can get your report changed, you can meet with someone at the first school again, not the same person, and see if you can work out something.</p>

<p>I often have to backtrack and re attack. Just today, I was declined a rather complicated transaction at motor vehicles after waiting several hours and going through several layers of bureaucracy. So I turned around and told the ticket keeper in the front that I lost my ticket, and got another one. Waited until my number came up again, praying that I didn’t get the same clerk–there were about 20 windows so the chances were low…but… And I did not! This time I was prepared to go over the difficulties since I had wrangled over them just a few hours ago, and sailed through with flying colors. I had to keep my head down because I got a clerk right next to the one who had declined me, and I didn’t want her to see me. She was busy turning down another person, a mom with kid, for some technicality, that I know would not have been an issue at most windows.</p>

86

<p>What loans am I going to be paying back? I only just received an award letter, and have been unable to contact a single person at my financial aid office.</p>

<p>…</p>

87

<p>cpt- They won’t allow me to go through the other financial aid counselor.</p>

<p>It’s luck. Luck of the draw. Seems pretty crappy to me. If I had the one I spoke with, no problems, but because I don’t: massive problems.</p>

<p>The things that are implied, however, by the office is that the Financial Aid counselors do not make financial aid determinations- that it’s some other entity they refer to as “They”</p>

<p>They. They. They.</p>

<p>Seems odd, but it doesn’t do me much good in trying to speak with someone.</p>

88

<p>I guess I’m confused.</p>

<p>I thought you’ve already taken out student loans for last school year. Are all the loans that you’re talking about for the past year?</p>

<p>If you haven’t taken out any loans so far, then definitely go to a CC.</p>

89

<p>No loans thus far, only an award package.</p>

<p>I’d prefer to go to the school I’ve selected, but I’m trying to reach someone in admissions now to make sure I don’t need to re-apply or pay any other fees before proceeding. Oddly, I’m getting an answering machine.</p>

<p>That’s always a good sign for CC.</p>

90

<p>

</p>

<p>What does this mean?</p>

91

<p>Moot at this point.</p>

<p>I’m going back into my financial aid office tomorrow afternoon. </p>

<p>So far I’ve learned that the school zeroes all unemployment income</p>

<p>but not on the FAFSA</p>

<p>Thus the resulting EFC makes no sense/removes unemployed from Pell eligibility, despite documentation.</p>

<p>So my first question is how does the school consider UI zero, and is my case special/overlooked? </p>

<p>My next question will be to ask for a professional judgment appeal- my school adjusted my FAFSA so that my EFC is more money than I’ve earned even this year, nevermind last year.</p>

<p>Anyone think of anything else I might ask/bring up with the counselor tomorrow?</p>

92

<p>Speaking to my counselor via email is like this-</p>

<p>Me: “The grass sure is a lovely green”</p>

<p>Counselor: “I like hot dogs”</p>

<p>Got a 9pm email from her stating that I didn’t receive any Pell grant at all because my EFC was too high.</p>

<p>Now I’m red in the face- and while I know it’s optional for professional judgment, one must question that when the Dept of Education, the Dept of Labor, and the President of the United States says that unemployment should not keep someone from getting a Pell grant, gives an example of a woman who was on UI, gets a pell, and can go to school. </p>

<p>Not 1 single penny will she zero out. Not 1 penny. Why?</p>

<p>Answer: I don’t believe she knows I’ve been unemployed. </p>

<p>Apparently it’s total luck, still- if I got the other counselor I’d have no problems. My counselor isn’t even aware I’m unemployed, or that she’s been empowered by the Dept of Education to exercise professional judgment.</p>

<p>She’s also, apparently, unaware that the President of the U.S. is urging the unemployed to seek Pell grants, that the state workforce agencies are as well, and that there is a whole website established with this information. </p>

<p>She simply tells me that I didn’t qualify for a Pell grant because my EFC was too high.</p>

<p>21,107 total in 2009.
17,000 in unemployment</p>

<p>Not 1 penny removed, despite her being empowered to do this. Despite having over $500million in Pell grants go unclaimed.</p>

<p>Oh, bonus: no appeal process. So I’m asking to meet with the Director of financial aid.</p>

93

<p>meesterjojo, it is what it is. If this school’s financial aid department isn’t to your liking, perhaps you should try elsewhere.</p>

94

<p>Thumper- except that’s the problem: It’s not what it is. </p>

<p>When I went up to the school to meet with my counselor she was ‘unavailable’, despite having asked me to show up to meet with her. So I met with another counselor. </p>

<p>The other counselor told me that due to the economic climate, the recommendation of the President of the United States, etc, that it is their policy to zero out all unemployment income for the purposes of helping students get grants.</p>

<p>She had me fill out an income reduction form, made copies of my unemployment bits, W2s 1099s, etc.</p>

<p>Told me over and over that I ‘totally qualify’, and would receive the maximum Pell award.</p>

<p>My counselor hasn’t stated what her policy is for unemployment. She can’t be reached by phone, email doesn’t count (Grass/hotdogs), and showing up to meet with her at times she specifies has historically been a huge waste of time.</p>

<p>So I don’t think it is what it is…I suspect my counselor is a bit…addled, maybe. I don’t think she realizes I have unemployment income to reduce- one of the very things they have the Income Reduction form for. Or she is simply prejudiced/discriminatory towards the unemployed- not the first time I’ve encountered the reaction.</p>