XP: Better to start school in spring or wait for "new" FASFA year to start next year?

[Thystle]

Ok this is cross posted over in a thread in F&F.




I *may* try going back to school for the spring semester. Trying to decide if it's worth it here where we are... because there is a really good chance we would move again soon.


If you wanted to take advantage of all the "first time" fin aid would you try to get in spring to start out (with this years FASFA) or wait for the "new" FASFA year and apply in January fresh for everything (meaning all the scholarships I have missed deadlines for)?



Meaning would the fin aid package be better if I waited until the next school year to start, since I see many of the scholarships have you apply first of the year or are closed by April?

If I used this years FASFA to qualify for spring... I most likely would have to leave that school and go to a new school come summer. And it's doubtful I will have many transfer credits. So would it be good to wait it out or just do spring and then apply asap for everything in Jan also?


I feel like I am babbling!


Thanks for the help!

[LynnS6]

If you're unlikely to have many transfer credits, I'd wait. There is an advantage to starting with the new FAFSA year. Some funds are awarded according to when you apply. When they run out of money, they can't award them.

The only other thing to think about: Will you be crossing state lines when you move? Will residency be an issue? if it will be, you may have to take a year or two off of school before going in order to qualify as a resident. Sometimes you can get an exception if you're moving for spousal employment, but they're really really stingy with those.

[Thystle]

Yes we moved for a job to a new state this year and a good possibility we will do it again before summer term.


There will be no residency "discount" for me anytime soon. Sigh. So I will be out of state for anything for at least another 9 months to another year. No way to change that.


I think it's either spring/summer of 2011 or I will chicken out.

[Bazile]

Under normal circumstances, I would say go ahead and start in the Spring. Once you're admitted to a school, they can draw up a financial aid package for you, that you can then look over and decide whether it's a good fit for you. As long as you don't actually enroll in any classes there's no financial obligation. I started back to school last Spring, and there was little difference between last year's and this year's offers.

However, in your situation, I'd wait, especially if you're planning to transfer from one state school to another and/or you in a degree program that results in some form of certification (like education).

My dh is in the US AF, so I'm on my third school in the third state. I went two semesters while we lived in Arizona, and I'm on my second semester here in Alabama and expecting a total of six before I graduate Fall 2012. (I'm taking Spring/Summer 11 off since I'm due in Feb for those who just did the math and realized that doesn't add up.) For Comparison, I could be done in three semesters if I went back to my original school in NC. I'm an elementary ed major, so my program has a lot of oversight from the state since the point is to graduate with some form of state licensure. IME, most state schools have agreements within the state to accept other state schools/community colleges core curriculum. If you transfer from out of state, they try to make your classes correspond to their requirements. In both AZ and AL, I've had to go back and take a lot of freshman level courses despite having already finished one liberal arts core. The school I'm at now, took most of my courses from NC, but almost none from AZ. All my time in AZ did was waste my money.

Personally, unless you can get a guarantee that any classes you take this Spring would transfer to your new school, I would wait until after you move since you'll probably have less headaches.

Sorry for the novel, but hopefully it's a helpful one, lol.

[SoulCakes]

I don't understand the first-year financial aid package benefits thing. I didn't get more financial aid during my first year in school... in fact, I got more as each year went by, because sophomores were awarded more than freshmen, juniors more than sophomores, and so on. So if someone could explain this to me... that'd be nice.

OP, if you don't know that you'll be going to same school in a term, just wait. This isn't because of the fin aid--you can apply for next year's scholarships regardless of whether you attend this year--but because if you're going to a new school your credits may not transfer and that's just wasting money.

Regarding scholarships: your fafsa will only determine whether you get work study, grants, and loans. Not scholarships. You'll have to apply for national, state or local scholarships separately, and they'll have all sorts of different deadlines, many of them before Jan. 1st. There are plenty of websites that list different scholarships, and your school will offer many of their own, too. You'll just have to hunt around.

[Ianthe]

I think that somewhere on the world wide web is a place where you can check transfer credits between just about any school in the country.. I've looked at it before, and have no idea where it is now! But it's there, I know it

So.. if you can find it, and see if some general classes, like math, english, us government, etc, would transfer to your new school, I would say just take those (spring) and get them out of the way!

I know that you can apply for exemptions on residency if you buy a house, have employment, register to vote, register your cars, etc, as soon as you move to the new state.. so they "know" you aren't just going there for school, and you are intending on making a life there. You can call your college or university and talk to them about that.. I think every state and every school is different.

So.. after you have figured out where you will be moving next year, and the school you will be attending, go to their website, especially check out their "women's center" if they have one, and start applying for scholarships this January. Some scholarships are automatic as soon as you apply for the college (the one I got was an automatic one, so no extra application!), and some of them take research, essays, applications, etc. There are school scholarships for transfer students, student mothers, older students, first generation students, high GPAs, and out of state students.. (and many, many more).. so just look for all that you qualify for and apply to them all.

So, in summary.. I don't see why you couldn't take generals at your current location, just make sure you make sure they will transfer. Then start applying for scholarships to your new college as soon as you know where you will be. Fill out FAFSA as soon as you do your taxes, and do your taxes as early as you can!

Hope that helps!

[One_Girl]

I suggest in the spring if you are going to take any summer classes. Going full time in the fall and spring drains away the aid money for summer classes, but if you start in the spring this time you will get a lot of money for summer then start over again in the fall. Scholarships are sometimes super competitive so I don't think you should base your decision around the hope of one. You can fill out a FAFSA now and it still get money for spring and summer.

[Thystle]

Thanks everyone!

[Ianthe]

By the way.. can you do an online degree? I'm not talking abou U of Phoenix, but a local college having an online degree. That way you can move anywhere and still work on it.

[sparklett]

DH started his program in the spring semester and although he missed the scholarship deadline, he did receive multiple federal grants. He received MORE for spring becuase he was given the entire years' allotment of money for the spring semester. So instead of having to split it up between fall and spring, he got it all in spring. That was a big surprise and added a couple of thousand dollars to his reimbursement.

[Drummer's Wife]

Originally Posted by SoulCakes

I don't understand the first-year financial aid package benefits thing. I didn't get more financial aid during my first year in school... in fact, I got more as each year went by, because sophomores were awarded more than freshmen, juniors more than sophomores, and so on. So if someone could explain this to me... that'd be nice.
.

I don't get it, either. I even started summer term - and got plenty of aid. I would fill out the FAFSA today, and see what your EFC is. If it's 0, you should get the full pell-grant for spring semester. Yes, it's beneficial to apply as early as possible (once you file taxes, as it's based on previous year's income), but chances are you will get a similar financial aid package in spring, as you will the following fall. Come fall, the amount will include enough for two semesters - so that's the only difference. Even with transferring, and such (I transferred between fall and spring semester this past school year) you should be fine. You just have to let the fin aid offices know what's going on.

I've never heard of first time fin. aid thing. A pell-grant is what most students receive (who qualify based on income), and the maximum amount you can receive is the same regardless of whether or not you've received aid previously.

[Thystle]

Originally Posted by SoulCakes

I don't understand the first-year financial aid package benefits thing. I didn't get more financial aid during my first year in school... in fact, I got more as each year went by, because sophomores were awarded more than freshmen, juniors more than sophomores, and so on. So if someone could explain this to me... that'd be nice.

Is that because you are in the UK? I assume it's different there.

[Thystle]

Ok the "first time" thing would encompass fin aid/grants/scholarships for "first time student/no previous degrees/Pell + other grants/first generation college student/scholarships for newbies/etc...".


The "aid" that only comes from being "new" and an undergrad in the US.


My hubby has degrees already and will NOT qualify for "newbie student" aid or any grants. He is trying to get everything transfered and caught up do he can be a graduate... but that is a whole other ballgame.

But I do not have a degree so I am "new".

Hope that clears it up.





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