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Off Topic Chat => The Conversation Parlor => Topic started by: John B. on March 30, 2014, 09:44:46 PM
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So I recently got accepted into college. Its not cheap and am working on getting some scholarships. I am wondering if anyone here knows of some good easy to get scholarships that are most likely not won/awarded yet that I might be able to get my hands on. Or if any of you want to fund the endeavors or a fellow magician/card collector that works too. I honestly thought since a lot of business (or so I am told) offer them Ellusionist, Theory11, or Dan and Dave, might but no luck there. :(
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"Good", "easy to get" and "scholarships" don't all belong in the same sentence...
The easily-obtained scholarships are generally not worth it because of how little cash they provide.
When I was in CUNY/City College, I was accepted into the "Scholars' Program", which actually provided enough cash to cover tuition and a little extra. Stupid me thought getting a job was more important and dropped out after a year. I'm more than twice as old now as I was then, still wondering what could have been - though all things considered, I know now that my head wasn't on very straight at the time and I've learned to be a much happier person than I was back then.
BTW: what kind of grades are we talking about here? How high was your ranking in your graduating high school class? I finished in the top five percent to get the scholarship I had.
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I was in the lower half of my class. 2.77 gpa. High school was not important to me. I thought I would be a famous magician without school.
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I was in the lower half of my class. 2.77 gpa. High school was not important to me. I thought I would be a famous magician without school.
Well then, short of hijacking Marty McFly's DeLorean and traveling back to the beginning of high school (or earlier), your chances for a scholarship have dropped from slim to statistically impossible.
Betcha high school's lookin' a LOT more important right about now, hunh? :)) It could be worse - you could have done like I did and throw away a full scholarship. Granted, my head wasn't entirely on straight back then, but opportunities like that don't generally come more than once.
But don't let that discourage you. Many colleges, public institutions in particular, will allow people to audit a class, especially if it's not totally filled - but check with the professor first.. Auditing means you can sit in the class, watch the lectures, take all the notes you want. You can't take the labs or earn credit, though some professors might even be sympathetic enough to score your tests and quizzes for you. You can then opt to save the cash and "test out" of the class once you can afford to pay for the credits if you did well enough and feel confident enough to do it again. It's the slow and winding road to a degree, but it's better than the Acme brick wall that Wiley Coyote is so fond of... You'd probably have to pay a student registration fee in order to have access to campus buildings and facilities, but that's a drop in the bucket compared to full-time tuition. Trust me, you want that student ID card - the college library tends to be much better funded, better stocked and more focused on learning rather than the latest spy thriller, sci-fi trilogy epic or romance novel series...
Also consider alternatives to college. There is an ocean of college grads out there right now who took all the classes, paid all the tuition, partied in all the right Spring Break destinations and still found themselves out of work in a grim job market with college loan payments preparing to kick in. Look for alternative opportunities - find something you have an aptitude for and see if you can get an apprenticeship or an entry-level position that provides training. You mentioned magic - perhaps there's a well-known or moderately-well known magician out there who's willing to take on an apprentice. Crazier things have happened.
No matter how you slice it, however, people today are beginning to realize that in certain fields of endeavor, a college degree won't mean jack squat as long as you're willing to teach yourself and learn from those around you in your field.
If that fails, pick a trade and go to a technical school. Do a little research on government websites and see what careers are trending up in the various trades, in terms of salary and openings both, then find a school that will teach your favorite one to you. It really has to be your favorite, or you're going to get bored and lose motivation. In many places, such jobs are unionized (depends on state laws, so be open to move for a higher rate of pay) and they tend to pay well for experienced go-getters who become tops in their trade. Around here, a good electrician (as opposed to a garden variety wire puller) can make six figures a year, particularly if they're specialized in computer networks and telecommunication.
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Do they give scholarships for bartending school? ;)
To be serious, there are thousands of grants, and scholarships. You may even qualify for financial aid. Check with the college. They may have a list of websites to find money. Some of the grants may only be $50-$100, but taking 30 minutes to fill out an application may pay for a text book. The key is- go find the money. It's not going to find you. Good luck.
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Do they give scholarships for bartending school? ;)
To be serious, there are thousands of grants, and scholarships. You may even qualify for financial aid. Check with the college. They may have a list of websites to find money. Some of the grants may only be $50-$100, but taking 30 minutes to fill out an application may pay for a text book. The key is- go find the money. It's not going to find you. Good luck.
Don't laugh - I went to bartending school and it was a worthwhile experience. I enjoyed it quite a bit. I just chose the wrong place and time to be a bartender: Fort Lauderdale, 1990. The best places I applied for realized I wasn't a blonde with a boob job, so... :))
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Yea the school I want to go to is more of a private college, not a state. And yea I am filling out everything I can. As far a finacial aid my parents make to much.
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Do your first year or two at the best local community college you have. It's a heck of a lot cheaper, and you can get a great education (make sure the credits will transfer into the school you really want to go to, and that they'll wait for you).
Plus, don't ignore the (not for profit) trade schools as Don suggests, or trade programs as the community colleges. They know what employers are hiring for.
Disclaimer: I teach a bit at a community college.
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Yea, well I am going to this college for a specific reason. So community college and trade schools are kinda out. Though I am planning on hitting up bartending school.
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Are her parents rich?
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I'll just say this- If CT is correct- that is the absolute wrong reason to go to a specific college.
As far a community college. If it is about money. Then start there. Even if you don't get you associates there, all 4 year colleges require certain base courses. That could save you a lot of money. All 4 of my kids have gone to college. 1 has graduated w/ associates from a community college. Another will graduate this spring, and plans to transfer to a 4 year to get his bachelor in teaching. My daughter doesn't like to do homework, and wanted to get out in the "real world", so she dropped out. My middle son went away to a 4 year. Decided he wanted to chase tail, and drink too much. He flunked out, and is still paying student loans 3 years later.
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Are her parents rich?
There is no her, Its a christian school and I am wanting to get back in to that lifestyle. I have kinda bounced back and forth looking at other religions and just chose to go back. As far as this one, I have a friend going, my brother will be (hopefully) and I really like the city.
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Sorry, I shouldn't have been so snarky. We all have our own reasons for doing things. Good luck finding the money to do what you really want.
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Remember one thing about community college courses. It really is a fantastic way to save yourself a lot of cash in the long run, but if you plan going on to a four-year school afterwards (which I'm guessing your target school is), you want to know exactly what courses and how many credits you can transfer over. For example, a four-year school I went to has a two-year foreign language requirement, which you can tend to at nearly any school, but they only permit a limited number of credits in your major (and minor, if applicable) to transfer over from any other school, be it a two-year or a four-year college/university. In such a case, you use the community college to deal with the general requirements/elective classes of your degree more so than actual courses in the degree field.
It would mean not getting into your college of choice right away, but it does also give you opportunities. The general courses you'd be taking at the community college would likely transfer over into most four-year schools and most majors, so you have flexibility if your chosen four-year school remains financially out of reach. The two years, especially if you go to a public institution rather than a private one, will be much more affordable while at the same time allowing you time to consider if your chosen major is indeed right for you. Lastly, it's not impossible that you could, if you do very well in community college, manage to pick up some scholarship or grant money when leaving that school and going to your four-year school, particularly if you get an associate's degree.
I remember going to NYU - I was a film production major there for the one part-time semester that I could afford to go. The school was distinctly divided into two categories of students. In one group, there were the children of wealthy or at least moderately-affluent parents, who provide for their children's unmet financial needs. The kids might have won some scholarship or grant money, but many are taking out student loans and a fair number of them are letting their parents pay the whole tab because they can afford to.
The other group consisted of people from low-income backgrounds, receiving little if any financial support from their parents. They're smart and they hustle, filling out reams of paperwork from semester to semester to receive money from grants, scholarships, work-study programs, whatever it takes to cover the bill. Few of them have student loans because few of them could really afford to pay them off. But the university makes a commitment to the students that if you really want to go there and you have the grades and the gumption, they'll see that by one or several methods that the financial needs are met to keep you there.
There were virtually no middle-income, national-average kids in attendance. The rare few that were there were either pushing a little higher on the middle-income bracket or managed to do some stellar work in high school to set themselves up with the needed scholarships to cover the entire works, with perhaps a little loan money to fill the gaps. But it's still a tiny segment, most of whom are New Yorkers living off-campus with their parents as opposed to paying for campus housing on top of everything else.
It's not impossible, is what I was trying to get across with all of that. You just have to work harder and smarter than the average college student to get where you eventually want to end up.
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If its a private christian school the options for scholarship are going to be coming from that school and most likely will be merit. So SAT scores and GPA. Also good connections help. Each school is going to have its own set of scholarships, and they keep them pretty visible for the public.
Financial aid doesn't have to be based on your families income you just have to be taken off as a dependent.
To be honest it sounds like some soul searching is in order here. Figure what it is you really want and throw yourself 100% behind pushing forward. You can always change direction its building the momentum thats hard.
I really cant think of what a specific christian college could offer that could not achieved elsewhere. Your goal and energy seem to be focused on getting into a specific school. School is a stepping stone, its something you go to on the way to something else. Figure out what it is you want from college and go for the goal don't narrow your options by fixating on the means or tools. if the goal cannot be separated from this particular school then maybe its the school you want and not the purpose of it. Probably not a good reason for going.
Nothing worth it comes easy. Buying a good deck of cards wont make you a magician, buying a custom Les Paul wont make you a rock star, and simply "going" to a school wont get you anywhere either. Its the work, and development of the skill.
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If its a private christian school the options for scholarship are going to be coming from that school and most likely will be merit. So SAT scores and GPA. Also good connections help. Each school is going to have its own set of scholarships, and they keep them pretty visible for the public.
Financial aid doesn't have to be based on your families income you just have to be taken off as a dependent.
To be honest it sounds like some soul searching is in order here. Figure what it is you really want and throw yourself 100% behind pushing forward. You can always change direction its building the momentum thats hard.
I really cant think of what a specific christian college could offer that could not achieved elsewhere. Your goal and energy seem to be focused on getting into a specific school. School is a stepping stone, its something you go to on the way to something else. Figure out what it is you want from college and go for the goal don't narrow your options by fixating on the means or tools. if the goal cannot be separated from this particular school then maybe its the school you want and not the purpose of it. Probably not a good reason for going.
Nothing worth it comes easy. Buying a good deck of cards wont make you a magician, buying a custom Les Paul wont make you a rock star, and simply "going" to a school wont get you anywhere either. Its the work, and development of the skill.
I understand what you mean, and I do want this college, I also want a degree in business, and I know I will have to work for it. As far as fiancial aid I am an independent but when filing FASA unless you are one the requirements to be one then they dont see you as one.
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If its a private christian school the options for scholarship are going to be coming from that school and most likely will be merit. So SAT scores and GPA. Also good connections help. Each school is going to have its own set of scholarships, and they keep them pretty visible for the public.
Financial aid doesn't have to be based on your families income you just have to be taken off as a dependent.
To be honest it sounds like some soul searching is in order here. Figure what it is you really want and throw yourself 100% behind pushing forward. You can always change direction its building the momentum thats hard.
I really cant think of what a specific christian college could offer that could not achieved elsewhere. Your goal and energy seem to be focused on getting into a specific school. School is a stepping stone, its something you go to on the way to something else. Figure out what it is you want from college and go for the goal don't narrow your options by fixating on the means or tools. if the goal cannot be separated from this particular school then maybe its the school you want and not the purpose of it. Probably not a good reason for going.
Nothing worth it comes easy. Buying a good deck of cards wont make you a magician, buying a custom Les Paul wont make you a rock star, and simply "going" to a school wont get you anywhere either. Its the work, and development of the skill.
I understand what you mean, and I do want this college, I also want a degree in business, and I know I will have to work for it. As far as fiancial aid I am an independent but when filing FASA unless you are one the requirements to be one then they dont see you as one.
If you're living on your own, filing your own tax return and can't be claimed on anyone else's tax return, you're independent, period.
I think what DD was trying to get across is: what specifically does this college have in terms of your major that can't be obtained elsewhere?
Business is a common major, available at many different colleges, and some are better than others. Plus the preliminary work can easily be accomplished at many two-year colleges. If what you want can be found elsewhere, you need to expand your options.
Is it that you need the religious community? There are many religious, Christian colleges to choose from.
It's sounding more like there's something specific about this school you're aiming at. Could it be that you know someone who's either attending there or working there and want to be with that person?
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If its a private christian school the options for scholarship are going to be coming from that school and most likely will be merit. So SAT scores and GPA. Also good connections help. Each school is going to have its own set of scholarships, and they keep them pretty visible for the public.
Financial aid doesn't have to be based on your families income you just have to be taken off as a dependent.
To be honest it sounds like some soul searching is in order here. Figure what it is you really want and throw yourself 100% behind pushing forward. You can always change direction its building the momentum thats hard.
I really cant think of what a specific christian college could offer that could not achieved elsewhere. Your goal and energy seem to be focused on getting into a specific school. School is a stepping stone, its something you go to on the way to something else. Figure out what it is you want from college and go for the goal don't narrow your options by fixating on the means or tools. if the goal cannot be separated from this particular school then maybe its the school you want and not the purpose of it. Probably not a good reason for going.
Nothing worth it comes easy. Buying a good deck of cards wont make you a magician, buying a custom Les Paul wont make you a rock star, and simply "going" to a school wont get you anywhere either. Its the work, and development of the skill.
I understand what you mean, and I do want this college, I also want a degree in business, and I know I will have to work for it. As far as fiancial aid I am an independent but when filing FASA unless you are one the requirements to be one then they dont see you as one.
If you're living on your own, filing your own tax return and can't be claimed on anyone else's tax return, you're independent, period.
I think what DD was trying to get across is: what specifically does this college have in terms of your major that can't be obtained elsewhere?
Business is a common major, available at many different colleges, and some are better than others. Plus the preliminary work can easily be accomplished at many two-year colleges. If what you want can be found elsewhere, you need to expand your options.
Is it that you need the religious community? There are many religious, Christian colleges to choose from.
It's sounding more like there's something specific about this school you're aiming at. Could it be that you know someone who's either attending there or working there and want to be with that person?
I am an independent, finacial aid does not see that. and a friend of mine is going there, plus I have been wanting to do more with my magic, and its springfeild, MO close to branson, st. louis, Kansas city. A lot of places I can start making connections and performing on weekends/summer.
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I am an independent, finacial aid does not see that. and a friend of mine is going there, plus I have been wanting to do more with my magic, and its springfeild, MO close to branson, st. louis, Kansas city. A lot of places I can start making connections and performing on weekends/summer.
Financial aid doesn't "see" that you're living on your own and paying your own bills? Or are you NOT living on your own and paying your own bills? Because the only way they would NOT see you as independent is if you were still living in your parent's home.
Establish a residence other than Mom and Dad's place, if you haven't already. Your financial aid situation will change for the better.
Be willing to consider other places where you can make connections and perform. Austin, TX. Chicago, IL. Boston, MA. New York, Toronto, Miami, San Francisco, Vancouver - practically any major city could work out as well, and some are more affordable than others. Vancouver actually has a thriving entertainment industry, including a LOT of movie and television production. New York is thriving in that category as well, but I'm betting it's more expensive to live here - though your financial aid options might be greater as well. Who knows?
My point is that for the reasons you chose, you really do have other potential options, unless there are reasons you haven't revealed.
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When I fill out financial aid, they ask for my parents tax information and say I am a dependent, happen to my friend as well. I live on my own, pay my own taxes, and am an independent but financial aid is stupid and since I am not married, or a risk of being homeless it wont see me as an independent (there are other things they accept to make you an independent but I still dont fit them )
And as far as other places 2 things 1. Toronto - as in canada? I don't want to leave the country. and other then that I just dont want to move to a new city where I dont know anyone. I had plans for the last 3 years to move to KC but never did, because I did not know anyone there. With a friend of mine also going to college in springfeild it allows to me to somewhat have a comfort zone.
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When I fill out financial aid, they ask for my parents tax information and say I am a dependent, happen to my friend as well. I live on my own, pay my own taxes, and am an independent but financial aid is stupid and since I am not married, or a risk of being homeless it wont see me as an independent (there are other things they accept to make you an independent but I still dont fit them )
And as far as other places 2 things 1. Toronto - as in canada? I don't want to leave the country. and other then that I just dont want to move to a new city where I dont know anyone. I had plans for the last 3 years to move to KC but never did, because I did not know anyone there. With a friend of mine also going to college in springfeild it allows to me to somewhat have a comfort zone.
Well, you're neglecting a major detail about college life - you WILL make friends, unless you actively avoid making them. I have buddies I met in school that I still have today.
You don't necessarily have to leave the country. It was simply a suggestion to consider other options - options that might be more beneficial and affordable. If this school's Financial Aid Office refuses to consider you as independent despite the fact that you're paying your own way and no longer living under your parents' roof, you need to find a school with a Financial Aid Office that's living in the real world.
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When I fill out financial aid, they ask for my parents tax information and say I am a dependent, happen to my friend as well. I live on my own, pay my own taxes, and am an independent but financial aid is stupid and since I am not married, or a risk of being homeless it wont see me as an independent (there are other things they accept to make you an independent but I still dont fit them )
And as far as other places 2 things 1. Toronto - as in canada? I don't want to leave the country. and other then that I just dont want to move to a new city where I dont know anyone. I had plans for the last 3 years to move to KC but never did, because I did not know anyone there. With a friend of mine also going to college in springfeild it allows to me to somewhat have a comfort zone.
Well, you're neglecting a major detail about college life - you WILL make friends, unless you actively avoid making them. I have buddies I met in school that I still have today.
You don't necessarily have to leave the country. It was simply a suggestion to consider other options - options that might be more beneficial and affordable. If this school's Financial Aid Office refuses to consider you as independent despite the fact that you're paying your own way and no longer living under your parents' roof, you need to find a school with a Financial Aid Office that's living in the real world.
its not the college adviser, I am trying to complete FAFSA, from the government site. And it wont. I have not even been able to get with my financial adviser yet.
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its not the college adviser, I am trying to complete FAFSA, from the government site. And it wont. I have not even been able to get with my financial adviser yet.
I just looked over the FAFSA application. I see one section that specifically asks if you're living on your own or with a spouse, etc. - essentially establishing whether you're independent or dependent, regardless of all the parental information on the form. For example, I'd find it hard to believe that if you were living away from your parents and with a spouse, that your parents' income would even be a factor in your application for financial aid. Harder still would be if you were in your late twenties and didn't even live in the same city!
Are you certain that as an independent adult, you are even required to fill out the parental section of the application? That could be what's tripping up your application and forcing the FAFSA people to count their income. It's a guess, but it's a logical guess. Our government may be dumb at times, but it's not downright stupid.
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I have made sure, I just got it done last night, my mom called them like 6 different times to make sure we were doing everything right. It still includes there taxes and estimates their contribution. It mentions to include me in their household even if I dont live there when I say how many are in the houshold and how many of the kids are going to college this year.
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I have made sure, I just got it done last night, my mom called them like 6 different times to make sure we were doing everything right. It still includes there taxes and estimates their contribution. It mentions to include me in their household even if I dont live there when I say how many are in the houshold and how many of the kids are going to college this year.
Things like this make me glad I'm not in college right now. Few things on Earth can generate more red tape and paperwork than trying to get into a school by using financial aid of some sort.
Best of luck to you. You're going to need it.
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Thank you, and yea its a pain, but it seems like now I am just waiting to hear wait they are ok giving me.
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You may want to check if the school offers any special scholarships. The University I went to had what was called the Regent scholarship and it paid off my whole tuition for the semester if I maintained a 4.0 GPA for two consecutive semesters, 75% if it was 3.75, and 50% if it was 3.5. This allowed me to graduate debt free.
Do you know if you qualify for work study?
And actually, there are other scholarships not based on merit. You just gotta search for them. One that Comes to mind is the duct tape contest where you try to make a prim outfit out if colored duct tape: https://www.duckbrand.com/promotions/stuck-at-prom/rules
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Yea, my highschool GPA was to low, I am waiting for my finacial aid letter to know if I can get work study, and I am out of highschool, have been for a few years, so duct tape prom does not work.
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Have you considered the military? ROTC is great if you want to start college right away. If not, you could enlist and then use the GI Bill.
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Yea, my highschool GPA was to low, I am waiting for my finacial aid letter to know if I can get work study, and I am out of highschool, have been for a few years, so duct tape prom does not work.
You could get invited to some senior's prom somewhere... But then again, it's VERY expensive to make a duct tape prom outfit, more than you'd think. It's the quantity of tape it requires, not to mention the time spent putting it together.
Have you considered the military? ROTC is great if you want to start college right away. If not, you could enlist and then use the GI Bill.
ROTC is fine if he's got what it takes to become an officer. I'm not certain, but I think you may have to take some course work at the military academy of your chosen branch - West Point, NY (Army); Annapolis, MD (Navy); Quantico, VA (Marine Corps); Colorado Springs, CO (Air Force) or New London, CT (Coast Guard).
Whether you go officer or not, Coast Guard is actually not a bad choice. My stepbrother went and did a four-year hitch, but that was back when the Coast Guard was part of the Department of Transportation. Since we've been at war, they've been moved back to the US Military. Regardless, the training isn't as rigorous and, unlike the Air Force, the odds of being stationed in the middle of nowhere are practically nil, as far as I know.
Places you might get stationed:
- the Pacific Coast
- California
- Oregon
- Washington
- Alaska
- the Gulf Coast
- Texas
- Louisiana
- Mississippi
- Alabama
- Florida
- the Atlantic Coast
- Florida again
- Georgia
- North Carolina
- South Carolina
- Virginia
- Maryland
- Delaware
- New Jersey
- New York
- Conecticut
- Rhode Island
- Massachusetts
- Maine
- the Great Lakes
- New York again
- Pennsylvania
- Ohio
- Indiana
- Illinois
- Michigan
- Wisconsin
- Minnesota
- ...and you'd be a stone's throw from Canada's province of Ontario
...so if living on the coast of some of these states could be appealing to you, it's not a bad option to consider. You have to bear in mind, however, that you won't get your choice of MOS (military operational speciality) - essentially, your job. Only when enlisting in the Army can you choose an MOS on entry, and even then it's not guaranteed. A four-year hitch, while you're still pretty young, and you'll be in college and probably graduated before you hit thirty.
The skills my stepbrother learned in the Coast Guard he still uses to this day - he's held a number of jobs in the tech industry. I say a number of jobs because companies have a habit of closing or getting sold while he's working for them! I don't think he's ever actually been fired.
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2 things, one the whole plan fell apart, so I am going with my plan b of just saving money while working this year and working on putting my stage show together. also why is this now a stickyed topic?
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2 things, one the whole plan fell apart, so I am going with my plan b of just saving money while working this year and working on putting my stage show together. also why is this now a stickyed topic?
That's the second time I saw that happen... I fixed that.