Student childcare?

[crazyeight]

Ok I don't get it. How am I supposed to go to school without childcare? I called the DES childcare and you have to be working 20 hours a week in order to qualify for aid. I can't handle 20 hrs a week of work (if I could even find a job that didn't suck the life out of me) and college and a home life. I wanted to go to school full time if possible (signed up for 6 credits now) but I don't understand. Am I missing something? I am destined to be a poor mother forever since I can't afford/able to do both?

[Carita]

you might be able to get student loans if you are going to school full time. IDK in my state, they count going to school FT as working. My SIL is getting both childcare and housing assistance while going to school PT. She does work PT, but for work-study,and I don't think she works close to 20 hrs/week during the school year. Maybe you need to call for clarification?

[nolansmummy]

Here, not only do you have to work at least 20 hours per week, but it has to be during the day (during childcare hours). I think its silly. I think an exception should be made for parents going to school.

What my husband and i do, is alternate school. He stays home with kids while i go to class, then he goes. It wouldn't work for everyone.

Our school has a childcare facility. The fees are income based so if you make less you pay less. Maybe your school has something like that? Otherwise, Carita's suggestion of student loans might be another option.

In our case, we get excess financial aid. Grants over the amount of our tuition we use for living expenses. If we needed to utilize daycare in the future, we would use this money. I know that our school also has specific childcare grants to help out parents. Talk with your financial aid office.

Good luck.

[notneb]

Do you have a partner, friends or relatives who would be willing to care for your DC after work while you take evening classes? I'm a FT student in the evenings and my DH watches DS after work while I go to school. It's hard not having a lot of time together on week days, but it means we don't have to pay for childcare.

Can you take online classes?

Would you be willing to exchange childcare with another student mama? I see lots of flyers to that effect posted on the bulletin boards at my school before each semester starts.

Does your school have a childcare center? They often charge based on income.

Have you looked into work study programs? A reception desk position, for instance, might offer you plenty of time to study while fulfilling your 20 hrs/week work requirement for childcare aid.

[crazyeight]

i'm a single parent so i am not able to trade childcare. my community college has childcare and has grants to low income however there's a waiting list already (they recieved less funds this year) and they only have afternoon slots (which would be perfect cause that is when one of my classes is however IF i took on more classes it wouldn't help). I really don't think I should be taking out student loans right now, ESPECIALLY right now. If I, a single pregnant poor mother of 2 in her first year of college is already taking out student loans what is wrong with this world???!!!

I am super upset and I would say that this is discrimination against women with children. My sister (a single poor college girl no kids) at the beginning of her college career (at LEAST the first year probably even the 2nd and 3rd) had enough from her pell grant and a few other scholarships to NOT have to work or pay for ANYTHING. She was allowed to fully focus on her studies, get good grades, take the best classes with the best teachers etc. She was able to take full advantage of what a college education really is. Now I realize that isn't fully "normal" but there are still plenty of poor and/or previous foster students in college who can/are/were doing the same thing but now since I am a mother I am not allowed to do the same? I am not supposed to be able to focus on college and my family? I should work 20 hours (cause you know jobs that cater to pregnant single student moms that are PT are just FALLING out of the sky) go to school whenever I can squeeze in the time and still try to be a good mother and hope CPS doesn't show up at my door (other extenuating circumstances)? Dis-crim-i-na-tion.

Now I also understand that there are plenty of super moms (and they really are!) out there doing exactly this but I'm tired of being trampled on, taken advantage of, used, worth less and basically cast aside because I am a mother.

Then if you really think about it IF I could totally focus on my school work I'm taking 2 accelerated classes (6 credits 8 weeks). I'm thinking "hey full time is like 12 hours right?" ok lets see if i have childcare 40 hours a week I have time to study i could take 12 hours per 8 weeks! I could finish a degree in HALF the time. I could be out there, in the workforce in a GREAT job off of welfare completely in 2-3 years. But hey instead I'll linger around on FS and WIC and any aid I can get my hands on.

I suppose I'll step off my soap box. Hopefully this isn't considered political. There are many things that get my goat and I rarely have a chance to voice them especially when they hit so close to home!
*sigh*

I am unsure how they figure out how much of the pell grant they give for the hours i'm taking but I just figured 12 hrs is full time divided into the pell award $2675. Anyways I worked the math and if I have to buy my books ($200) and pay childcare (it's $17 per day per kid at the college i might be able to find something cheaper but I don't even know the rates around here) ($516.xx) I would have just over $200 left to pay for extra gas (which probably wouldn't be enough) before I run out of money. I'm smart, I am making sure that my bills are able to be paid for by my child support, I don't have much debt ($700) and I have a car that is in great working order but that doesn't mean I have extra money for the driving so I'm a bit worried about that and I would have liked my first semester to be a little less stressful. Plus all these plans are based on a guess of how they calculate how much they will give me....so I guess we'll see and then it will be later and I'll have to run around like a chicken with my head cut off.

ETA: also there maybe a waiting list for DES subsidized daycare ANYWAYS so I may not even get the benefits even if I could work. I may look into work study (hows that work if my classes are already paid for???)

[lolar2]

Most people who get any kind of college financial aid in the US, take out student loans for all four years. I don't see what being a single pregnant mother, or what year you are in school, has to do with it-- first-year students, second-year students, and all the way up through graduate students, commonly take out student loans no matter what their marital or family status.

What's "wrong with this world" is that college, even community college, is not subsidized enough for a lot of people to afford without loans.

If you are determined not to get out loans, that's reasonable, but it might mean putting school on hold while you save up for it, and/ or doing a lot of online classes.

[Dar]

I hear that you're really upset. IMO, though, college is not an entitlement - the government doesn't owe you a college degree. I think this is actually a good time for you to take loans, because you'll never need them more. In a few years your kids will be in school during the day, and things will be easier. You can get subsidized loans that won't accrue any interest until 6 months after you leave school, and so you won't have to start paying them back until you have the education that will enable you to get a well-paying job.

There are also scholarships available, although for this semester the deadline is long past. You can plan ahead for next year, though, and try to apply for some so that you don't have to take loans.

When I was in college when my daughter was little (I started by B.A when I was pregnant with her and got it right before her 5th birthday, going part-time when she was little and taking one semester off) I took distance learning classes and also swapped childcare with another family. I only needed 6 hours a week of childcare for my actual class times, and then I mostly did homework while Rain slept. Sometimes I'd hire the 7 year old across the street to play with her while I worked, too... he liked our toys and worked pretty cheap.

You can do it!

[lolar2]

I actually disagree with Dar as to whether college (at least community college) should be an entitlement; but that's a hypothetical, political question. The fact is that it isn't regarded as an entitlement by the current system, so a lot of students therefore have to postpone it or take out loans, and that's the way it is.

[sparklefairy]

Originally Posted by Dar

I hear that you're really upset. IMO, though, college is not an entitlement - the government doesn't owe you a college degree.

I agree with you but I also think that the current system is bad for society as a whole because some of the best minds are not used to their full potential when higher education is so difficult for some to pay for.

That said, I really don't know the answer

[sparklefairy]

Originally Posted by dhinderliter

Ok I don't get it. How am I supposed to go to school without childcare? I called the DES childcare and you have to be working 20 hours a week in order to qualify for aid. I can't handle 20 hrs a week of work (if I could even find a job that didn't suck the life out of me) and college and a home life. I wanted to go to school full time if possible (signed up for 6 credits now) but I don't understand. Am I missing something? I am destined to be a poor mother forever since I can't afford/able to do both?

Check with the United Way. There may be other grants and scholarships for childcare while you're in school that they may know about.

[La Sombra]

Oh honey, I'm sorry this is so frustrating, and I do agree that there is certainly some element of discrimination/unfair disadvantage for needy mothers. I also agree with pps who pointed out that university in the US is just generally way too expensive and not affordable for MANY people--single mothers and otherwise.

That's all kind of beside the point, though. I suggest that you write down ALL these questions that you have and sit down with a counselor in your school's office of financial aid. I, too, went to community college before transferring to university. They will know best of all what options you have, what might be the most viable option for you, and they will also hopefully know about opportunities that moms on this board might not know about because we don't know your area or your particular school. They are a resource; use them!

I got help from them at my community college. My cc also had what was known as the Women's Resource Center and they gave me a scholarship almost every semester--they existed to help women in needy, especially single mothers! See if your school has SOMETHING like that. I'm now at a major university but I didn't know until my academic advisor pointed it out to me that there is a family and child center at the university...they keep a list of licensed childcare providers in the area (both on-campus day cares and off-) and they give money to those who can't afford it. So although all the on-campus daycares were already full, I found a fully-licensed and AMAZING childcare provider off-campus and I got a FULL GRANT to pay EVERY PENNY of the costs. I had no idea that this existed until I did a bit of digging so look into something like that, too.

Finally, and I hope this doesn't sound condescending because I SOOO don't mean it to be, but I think that although your anger is quite justified and rational, I think it's not helping you right now. Or rather, it's not helping you in its present state. You are right to be angry at the system, but can I suggest you not let it eat you up? Get involved in making a change somehow, accept that you might not get to do everything exactly as would be fair/ideal...because anger and bitterness like that eats you up if you aren't channeling it productively. That's advice from someone who relates to your feelings and where you are at!

Most of all, good luck to you, mama!

[lolar2]

Oh thanks La Sombra, somewhere I got it into my head that OP had already met with the financial aid officer at school before posting. Yes, OP, if you haven't had a meeting with the financial aid office, do that before you do anything else.

[crazyeight]

Originally Posted by sparklefairy

Check with the United Way. There may be other grants and scholarships for childcare while you're in school that they may know about.

I will def. check into that.

I am not sure if I have talked to the finacial aid office DIRECTLY yet...it's all so confusing and dragging 2 preschoolers around with me is even more difficult.

I know I sound very bitter and P.O.ed and I am but it's not just the college childcare. This is the latest barricade in a struggle of a very messy painful month of hockey sticks IYKWIM. All in all I've been making choices thinking they will better my life and so far all it's done is dig me this huge hole with no way out and here I am with yet another obstacle to overcome and I just wonder who had it in their heads that right now I needed to be stomped on so hard!

I won't go into the entitlement cause it keeps getting political in my head! and i'm pretty sure we'd all agree on the pitfalls.

I really hate that I have this (one thing in my list going ok) in my grasp but it's also teasing me. I just need a *little* bit more help....just enough for childcare, heck HALF the childcare would relieve a lot and it's like URGGGHHH!!!

There is one class (from what I understand) that helps new/going back students but it's a regular semester class (so next semester if I can do it) and its supposed to have grants/scholarships attached to it (I.e. take the class you qualify to possibly get help?). I also wondered if I should go to the University and talk to them but I don't know if I have enough time. Someone on another thread mentioned that a U might have more funding for poorer students than a CC.

I'm moving today (sigh) but I'll be closer to town and it won't take as much gas to get to talk to these people now! Our CC also only has select campuses with childcare (and kids have to be pottytrained and DD isn't yet) but none of my classes are at that site so i'd be doing extra driving. Where's the closest brick wall?

[lolar2]

OK, you need to call the financial aid office and tell them you need an appointment. It's OK to bring the kids along. Some financial aid offices will also respond to email.

In my experience, although college financial aid offices have plenty of red tape, it's nothing compared to the red tape involved with government agencies. So the financial aid office may be a faster route to meeting your immediate needs, and then you can work things out with the government agencies after that. I don't know much about United Way, so I don't have any suggestions about when contacting them should come in the sequence.

[Ellien C]

Originally Posted by dhinderliter

If I, a single pregnant poor mother of 2 in her first year of college is already taking out student loans what is wrong with this world???!!!

I'm not sure what the alternative is. Schooling is a time in life when many people are unable to work to support themselves. They either rely on someone else (parents, partner), savings or loans to support them. Even scholarships pay tuition, but not alway stipends or living expenses.

Originally Posted by dhinderliter

My sister (a single poor college girl no kids) at the beginning of her college career (at LEAST the first year probably even the 2nd and 3rd) had enough from her pell grant and a few other scholarships to NOT have to work or pay
for ANYTHING.

Have you applied for any scholarships? Do you have an undergraduate track record in your favor? If not, you might be eligible for scholarships in later semesters.

Are you getting enough rest? Is there anyway you can get some help? You sound very, very stressed. Your college might have some student mental health services available to you as well.

[Carita]

Go to school FT, take loans, utilize FT childcare, work your butt off - get As, and get your teachers to notice. Then apply like crazy for scholarships. Getting scholarships does need to be done 1 year in advance. My DH did this. He had to go back to school, and took out loans for the first year, but did so well in his classes, that he earned himself scholarships for the last 3 years in college with only minimal loans.

I agree that it is rare for a college student to not have to take out any loan. I have only known a couple, and they did work 20+ hours and FT, but had some parental contribution to help. I have always had to take out loans for at least my living expenses. I think it is okay, if you keep what you take out in loan minimal, and in-line with what you will be making after gradution. i.e., if you are going into engineering, your upper limit may be a little higher than if you are going into psychology.

[singin'intherain]

I'm right there with you on the frustration of finding out that social services won't help with child care to go to school, when it makes so much financial sense for them to do it. You sound like me a year ago- I have four kids, all homeschooled, I'm single and my only income is child support. Nannies make $10 an hour around here. What I found was that going to school full time, they cut me a check for about $1500-2000 every quarter. That's after my tuition and fees. So it's just barely enough to cover child care, sort of.

If you were a housewife for a significant amount of time, check and see if your school has a worker retraining program. You might qualify as a displaced homemaker. At my school the funds were only for one quarter, but it was really generous- tuition, gas, books, parking, and something towards child care. Also, if you were a housewife for a longer time, I think ten years (which doesn't sound like you, but info is always good), the unemployment office in my state has a displaced homemaker program where they'll pay for everything as long as you're going for some lame little certificate that will just land you a job. Like they'll pay for you to get an LPN but not an RN, and they won't help you while you're getting prereqs done.

I have a friend who does school full time and work study 16 hours (I guess the requirement lowers slightly if the job is work study), she has one toddler and two teenagers. The work load is absolutely hellish, and she never sees her kids. I don't know what anyone was thinking when they came up with that idea. Some big fat rich men who never had to pay for their own educations and who never dreamed of concerning themselves with child care. Sorry, that was verging on political.

[crazyeight]

thanks for all the replies. just moved and have little access to the internet (and gosh I use it for EVERYTHING!) so amoungst all that I am moving dd to a new speech therapy school (how many hoops do I jump through for this?!), trying to see if I can find a school/preschool/headstart for ds (which would take care of some childcare if it has decent hours), still dealing with a broken down truck at my old place, and trying to figure out school which begins in (jaw drop) 2 weeks....so yeah i'm stressed and those are the little things!

honestly i do NOT think it is a good idea for me to get a loan right now. i don't think it's responsible AT ALL. not because its not for a good cause but i'm preggers, i won't be taking a full load next semester either unless I do an accelerated course, i may not stay in the STATE, my life is in a complete upheaval and I have to be mobile and that in turn means that i can either pay out of state tuition if/when I move or wait a year without school to achieve residency and I have no idea which direction I will go (and I mean that literally it could be anywhere from lake erie to the pacific oceanside!) so considering I am not settled a loan seems like it would get me into some hot water because i may not get a degree consistently.

really REALLY these 2 semesters are for ME. I need the interaction, I need the mental stimulation, I need to test myself on how I am going to handle college and I need to take a step towards college RIGHT NOW because i've wanted to for so long and something else always took it's place, something else was always more important.

[lolar2]

I may have misunderstood your post. But if you take out a student loan in one state, and transfer to a school in another state, the department of education treats it as though you had stayed at the same school, either way. So I started my master's degree at a school in Michigan, and then transferred to a school in California; but the loans I took out in Michigan, are still in deferment because I still am a full-time student.

[village idiot]

my loans are in deferment unless I am not attending classes for either 6 or 9 months as far as I understand. So, I could take a semster off and I don't think summer is considered a semster. So I could take either spring and summer or summer and fall off and not have to worry about loan repayment.