going back to school at 30? (x-posted in finances & frugality)

[Om Girl]

So on Saturday I received my University acceptance letter where I will be finishing my Bachelor's degree...finally!

This has been a HUGE thorn in my side for a long time and I've finally figured out what I like, what I'm good at and found a local school with a compatible program & I got accepted! Woot Woot

So, now I have to do all the financial aid applications and figure out the many possibilities of paying for this *expensive* education. It is a private university which is expensive, but I am not going anywhere else. So this is what I know I need to do:

• FAFSA
• University financial aid application

Am I missing anything? (and I'm sure I am!)

I've heard that "un-traditional" students (over 28 years of age and pursuing their first bachelor's degrees) get a significant amount of grant aid, has anyone heard of this?

I will need childcare. Are there state funded childcare grants? Is it included with the FAFSA awards, etc.

TIA for everything!

[be11ydancer]

Don't forget about scholarships as well! Check an all purpose site like scholarships.com or something similar for a scholarship database. Good luck!

[slsurface]

Your community and the university may offer childcare grants/scholarships. Contact the university to see if they have any support for parents, childcare programs, or scholarships for childcare. Many cities also provide childcare assistance for student parents. Good luck and congratulations!

[nolansmummy]

I know that my husband and i get a lot of grants and aid. We are 28 and 31. We are also super poor (my husband works part time) and have two kids which also factors into the amount we get.
Our school has childcare available to students but there is a wait list so i would call ASAP and see if that is the case where you are going.
In our situation, we get excess aid;we pay our tuition, books, and rent for six months. You could take any excess you receive and pay for childcare.

They also have childcare scholarships/grants where you get money specifically to pay for childcare anywhere but you have to apply for those separately, your Financial Aid office can help you with that though.

Good Luck!

[t2009]

Congratulations!

I feel like it took me a long time to figure out what I wanted to do "when I grow up" and am finally getting there at 32... so I know a little of what you're going through.

In addition to the great suggestions from others, I would sit down with your financial aid advisor at your school as soon as you can. They'll be able to explain fully how they'll figure your aid & they may even be able to crunch some numbers to give you an idea of what your aid package will look like. They also might be able to point out resources you may be eligible for, like outside funding, subsidized childcare, etc.

[MyTwoAs]

I started back at age 33 and received no grants because our household income excluded us from anything income-based. However, there are a lot of scholarship opportunities available to non-traditional students so definitely take the time to find these programs and get the applications out.

Congratulations on your acceptance and good luck with your program!

[La Sombra]

Congratulations to you! Having that passion and that knowledge of what you love and how to apply to it to a field of study and career is HUGE--so many people struggle to find that so I'd say you've already tackled the biggest step! This passion and focus is going to be what drives you when you have some rough moments in the road ahead.

You are right about the FAFSA, of course--that is the essential first step.

Someone else suggested checking scholarships. I'd say, without a doubt, the best thing to do would be to MAKE AN APPOINTMENT to meet with someone, an advisor, in your school's Financial Aid Office!! They will likely have a book of all the scholarships through the university as well as advice/links/information about scholarships that may be available to you through other avenues (for instance, if you were studying education or something, there might by some national organization that grants scholarships to teachers of foreign languages or special education or adult students or something like that!)

ALSO: see if you school has something like a Family center or a Women's Resource Center. The community college I attended had a Women's Resource Center, as it was called, and they gave me money EVERY semester that I was there. They also provided all other kinds of help. The major university that I go to now has lots of funding AND information about paying for childcare; at the moment, the university pays the TOTAL COST of my child care! But part of this, just so you know, is need-based, so I don't know how that might work for you.

There is a LOT out there and sometimes it's overwhelming, that's why I suggest meeting with someone at your school, armed with a list of questions. There job is to know these things and to help you.

And from there, mama, you just take it step by step and before you know it, you'll be well on your way to realizing your goals!

So much luck and well-wishes to you!

[La Sombra]

Ah, also: I know where I live (Michigan) there is childcare funding available to low-income families; you might be eligible for that even if there is no funding available through your university. Etc. etc. As PPs have said: there's a lot out there!

[heartmama]

I went back to school in my early 30's too.

FAFSA maximum allotment is set around $2750 per semester. This can include summer too (three semester year). Universities often give grants of their own to supplement this, but typically the FAFSA is your best bet at a big chunk of grant money. If you are lower income and have kids you stand a good chance at getting the maximum per semester.

You need to fill out your FAFSA NOW. Like, immediately, the minute you finish this thread. It is not hard to do. It just takes time (and your tax return), but you can do it in just a few hours if you have your tax return or an approximation of your income. This is assuming you are going there for fall. The deadline for FAFSA in my state is THIS MONTH. Your state might be later, but just get it done now (online).

Lots of other school-sponsored grant money asks you to complete a FAFSA first, or is based on your fafsa results, so that is truly your first step.

[MyTwoAs]

Great advice heartmama - a lot of funding opportunities require a FAFSA, even if they aren't government-sponsored grants/scholarships. It took me about 30-45 minutes to finish my first FAFSA but I got quicker as time progressed. I filled out one every single year...just in case. http://fafsa.ed.gov for those that don't have the link.

[Ianthe]

Another thing to check is to see if your school has a women's center. They have specific scholarship information for women like you, and will help you take the steps to get it done. Most colleges have a women's center

Congrats!