Hello!
I’m sure this has been posted a few times before… but I’m having difficulties searching for someone with a similar issue as mine. I’ve actually graduated from High School and did one semester of community college. I did want to get into the college of my choice. But my requirements weren’t high enough during High School, I got a solid 3.7 GPA. As for the ACTs, that’s where I really suffered. My highest was only a 22. I busted my butt off trying to get a higher score. But it never worked out. So I ended up doing a semester of Community College. After one semester of CC, I got a 3.0 (mainly because I didn’t do well in calculus. The rest were really good though).
Ever since then, I’ve been in a state of depression. Because now I can’t even afford to go to community college either. I am a Dependant student (mostly on my dad). But even he can’t muster enough money to help me afford college since he has to support all my siblings as well. I’ve been on a pretty long gap year contemplating on what to do. I’ve already tried FAFSA during my first semester. But even that’s not enough for me. I’ve been trying to get a job to at least help myself afford it. But I can’t even find a job due to having absolutely zero job experiences asides from community service. No one seems to want to hire me. I really want to start CC again this Summer and eventually transfer to the college of my choice (which is UIUC Computer Engineering). But at this rate, I’m not sure this is possible. Most of the scholarships are for students who are fresh out of High School. So for me, this is definitely not an option. I do feel really embarrassed since I’m 21 years old without even a year of college done.
Could you guys please help me out? Any help is greatly appreciated! Thanks if you took the time out to read this! It really means a lot to me.
@thumper1
I am currently not taking CC right now. I plan on attending in the Summer if all goes well.There has been a change of plan which is why I posted this. I think I was being overly ambitious in my previous posts. UIC is also very expensive. Either way, I feel stuck. I tried looking for a job. But I’m not having much luck. I don’t have enough job experience to even find a job. I tried applying to many. But I rarely get any responses. I live with my family at an apartment which costs about $1500 per month. The downside for loans for me is that if I can’t pay on time, I’ll have to deal with interest. I’m trying to avoid paying interest due to religious reasons. If I’m finanially not able to afford college, then the loans will just keep building higher. Isn’t there a web-site that offers good scholarships that caters to this situation? It’s hard to trust certain web-sties. Thanks! I appreciate the response.
@CourtneyThurston
I did have that strategy before. But I have my mind set to UIUC now. I don’t think I’ll be focusing on other colleges. Although UIC is definitely a not-so-bad back-up plan.
You really can’t afford colleges without a part time job, and probably loans. You need to keep looking for and applying for jobs. My kid worked part time at Walmart when she didn’t have any work experience.
Does you family qualify for a Pell grant or state aid? What was your EFC on FAFSA?
I think you do need to stay at a community college for one or two years so that the high school record doesn’t affect your admission to a 4yr school.
You need to work hard at CC so you can transfer later. You said you had trouble in Calculus. You need to get a good foundation in CC to be able to handle harder upperclassmen classes once you transfer.
Take advantage of tutoring and other resources at your school. Also I think summer terms are shorter so taking a challenging class in 6 weeks versus 4 months sounds like a bad idea to me.
Talk to your advisor and see which 4 yr schools your CC has articulation agreements with. Check in costs and see if any would be affordable.
You do need to get a job, around here the places that hire high school students don’t expect experience. Start there.
You want to go to school but don’t have the money. You want a job but don’t have the experience. If you sign up for an enlistment in the military, you will learn the skills to get a job after you get out, plus you will get the post-9/11 GI Bill to pay for college. Do you have a reason for not wanting to go into the military?
At the end of the day, your best option might be to find a full time job and take one to two courses at a time at CC. Once you get the AA, you might need to relocate to be closer to a four year school and continue taking courses part time. A long road but it can get you there.
Ok, thanks everyone! I’ll continue looking for a job.I’ll probably eventually land one. But as I asked, is there not a web-site that can offer special types of scholarships for those in situations like mine?
@mommdc
Thanks! Those were some really useful information. I’m most likely staying at community college for at least 2 years. I did qualify for pelt grant in my previous semester. But I believe they gave a maximum of $200 or $300. But maybe it will change since my financial status is also changed as well. I can’t remember my EFC. But I’ll look it up. Thanks again!
There is no free money, except Pell grants, I guess. Most people get a job and take out their federal loans. They live at home while attending college if they don’t have money to live on campus. The best scholarships come from the colleges themselves, but they still expect you to work and for your family to contribute as they are able to. Some students take gap years or semesters to earn for the next semester.
during High School, I got a solid 3.7 GPA. As for the ACTs, that’s where I really suffered. My highest was only a 22. I busted my butt off trying to get a higher score. But it never worked out. So I ended up doing a semester of Community College. After one semester of CC, I got a 3.0 (mainly because I didn’t do well in calculus. The rest were really good though).