<p>Hi I am new here,</p>
<p>To quickly sum it up I made a mess of things my first time around. First of all I have a GED just to get all the info out their. I have completed two semesters of college at a local community college. The third semester I spent my time avoiding class and doing stupid childish things. I was twenty-three at the time and didn't have a care [or brain cell it seems] in the world. </p>
<p>Long story short I had a pell grant [FAFSA] and i stopped going to my classes and failed all 5 of them that semester. That was nine years ago. Six months ago i got a bill from the federal government wanting their money back but I have since lost the documentation. It was something like eight hundred dollars with compiling interest. </p>
<p>I have not improved my quality of life much since that point and currently still live in a small town, working a minimum wage job. I still owe the money and am in bad standing with the community college.</p>
<p>At this point I have the drive and a bit more level head and want to pursue a career in psychiatry [all 12 years of it]. </p>
<p>So where does everyone suggest I go from here. I assume I need to talk to the dean of the local community college as far as finishing my second year and or making up failed classes. Then from their locate schools to further my degree.</p>
<p>So: </p>
<p>1) For the here and now how do i locate exactly who i need to speak to about setting up a payment plan for the money i owe the government.
2) If I merely setup a payment plan will this allow me to get FAFSA again right away or do I have to pay it all back. And even if i do pay it back can i get it again?
3) What happens when you fail out a semester then don't go back for eight or nine years does the school forgive that or do i still need to speak to the dean about getting back in good favour
4) If I can't get FAFSA back and/or after that runs out what is my best option for pursueing this college degree. Keep in mind my credit score is beyond repair for right now.</p>
<p>Any advice on any or all of this would be appreciated. As I said I have the drive I just need the tools and roadmap on how to get their now. Better late then never I assume right? :)</p>
<p>Thanks in advance.</p>
<p>Start at the community college where you were studying. The financial aid people should be able to help you sort out where/how to pay back the money you owe. The admissions people will be able to guide you through the re-enrollment process. The transfer office will be able to help you understand your options once you complete an AA or AS degree. This is just exactly what community colleges are good for: helping people who have their acts together find a better future for themselves.</p>
<p>Wishing you much success!</p>
<p>You can use this site, [Welcome</a> to ASSIST](<a href=“http://www.assist.org%5DWelcome”>http://www.assist.org) (if you are in CA, to see what classes are required to transfer to a 4-yr institution. Just select your community college, your intended transfer institution, and your major from the drop down menu. Good luck with everything …and stay determined !!!</p>
<p>Good for you for recognizing past mistakes. However, it is worrisome that you may be about to make another: are you absolutely sure that you want to do psychiatry? </p>
<p>I ask because I know a fine young woman whose father is in the field. You would think she would understand the field because of all his stories and mentoring. She got a fair amount of training (Bachelor’s degree) and then her father wisely insisted that she do an internship where she did some clinic assisting. Turns out she hated it. Just hated it. Thank goodness she figured that out before going further. </p>
<p>If you wish to help others, a better first step might be nursing. Get a LVN (two year program, I think) and work for a lot more than minimum wage (also portable, so you can move to bigger burg with more opportunities). Get an RN if possible (very competitive but very well paid after earning the RN) . You can specialize is psyc. nursing. Then, with experience and a strong paycheck coming in, you can decide if you want to continue further training and licensing. </p>
<p>If you are healthy and strong, you may be able to get a job now at your state mental institutions. The turn over for staff is very high – but you could start learning the field and perhaps find the slot that fits you. </p>
<p>You do need to clean up your old loan ASAP. You apply for Pell Grants through the FAFSA every year that you want to attend school (ie, four years = four FAFSA applications). </p>
<p>I hope you will also clean up your history with the community college. They could assist you with further courses and financial aid advice. </p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>It seems as if you owe for the federal aid, Pell, that was returned after you failed/quit your classes and do not have a Stafford loan, right? Not 100% sure, but I don’t believe you’ll qualify for any additional federal aid until you pay back the past due amount. You should definitely contact the FA/Bursar’s office at your CC asap as they should have more info and be able to advise you on this.</p>
<p>I agree with Olymom that you should proceed cautiously with the psych thing. Your track record is not good and you’ll have a very long road ahead. You need a way to support yourself in the interim and student loans will NOT provide that. A BS in psych is not a terminal degree and grad school will be very expensive (not to mention, competitive!). So, you could potentially end up with a boatload of undergrad debt and very little in the way of marketable skills. You might want to consider other careers that can utilize similar skills, like LPN to RN in a pysch setting or COTA to OT, but which offer shorter study and require less financial commitment. Once you have at least an associate’s degree you can support yourself and continue your education - you may even find employers willing to help fund the next step.</p>
<p>Don’t want to be a wet blanket but you sound old enough to accept reality. In addition to what has been said above it’s important to understand that only a small fraction of pre meds actually make it into med school and your age will put you at a huge disadvantage for admission. Now anything is possible but probable is another matter.</p>
<p>So I agree with taking it one step at a time and getting some marketable skills such as nursing for a start.</p>
<p>I believe the fact that I am old enough to wake up and accept reality is why I am trying to make a change.</p>
<p>The LVN to RN to possible psych work sounds great. </p>
<p>To those who said stay positive, thank you. To those who said face reality ya i suppose I could just not try but that is what I have been doing all my life so no thanks. </p>
<p>I will keep this board updated on my progress and any other questions I may have. </p>
<p>Thanks again.</p>
<p>Go to a local college and sit with the financial aid officer. S/he can tell you where you are in terms of federal grant/loans, or give you the directions for you to find out. THat is the first step. You need to know what you owe, if anything, and what arrangements can be made to pay this back. The federal agencies are very open to many flexible arrangements to repay anything. You need to know what your obligation is and what the options are.</p>
<p>Then you have to decide if you can afford to even go to school while repaying those obligations. You also have to find out what conditions you need to meet before you become eligible for any other loans or grants. If you have the resources to start a repayment plan AND pay for college, too, you can discuss that possibility with a financial aid counselor and admissions counselor at a college where you can find some useful courses. I believe that most government programs require some demonstration that you are on the upswing, serious about studying, and able to succeed. That usually means paying for some courses yourself before becoming eligible for aid again. You also have to show decent grades to become eligible.</p>
<p>So do go to a college and start getting the info on what you need to do to repay your prior debts, get back to school and get funding for it again.</p>