Is there help for single mothers who want to further their education?

Is there any chance of finishing your degree using online classes offered by your school? They’re better for people who absolutely cannot change their work situation and can be just as rewarding if you apply yourself to them fully. And they don’t have to be that expensive – one at a time if you have to.

My old manager at the movie theater I worked at as a teenager worked for I think six or seven years on her accounting degree because she couldn’t afford to leave her job and the hours were grueling. She worked hard thru it all, doing almost all of it online. She’s done now, and much happier.

@asmonet Yes that is one avenue I have considered, just not suer how long it would take though.

Is there a reason this was asked twice?

Speak to the advisors at the school you’re looking into – they can give you an more accurate idea for how long your courses would take and what kind of commitments are necessary. They would also have resources for you in terms of financial aid you may not be aware of.

@RedPowerLady: The first was modded.

@RedPowerLady the mods rejected the frist one…too vage

thanx for the answer, too bad I had written out a long response last question, bummer, well I hope it works out for you

Community college.
It varies from place to place, but here in San Diego they’re $20 per unit (Most classes being 3 units, so $60). You can get an Associate’s degree through CC, there are plenty of certifications for some fields to get through CC. Here in San Diego again, once you complete prerequisite courses, you can get guaranteed admission to a 4-year institution (you’d be entering that 4-year as a Junior).

CCs have classes for all times. Early morning, afternoon, all day, night classes, weekend classes, online-only classes, etc. Some classes you can take in the summer, some are semester-long, some are “fast track” (8 weeks). There’s a huge variety.
The CC system I attend has many “sattelite” campuses around San Diego county. I was lucky enough to find some courses offered right at my old high school, very conveniently located.

You may even want to consider taking a class with your son. My HS offered high school credit for classes taken at colleges. Good way to get him some extra credit, and have a chance to work together.

@Sarcasm: Wow. My comm. college is like, $80 a unit.

Really? holy crap. It’s been $20 out here since back in the day when my mom went to a community college. (70s?)
Parking passes have gone up every semester I’ve been here. They were $45 this semester. $20 on my first semester.
Those are the only real fees associated with the CC too (Some classes may have “Material fees” like my Cinematography class did. Or the Oceanography class I’m taking has a $40 fee for a boat trip we’re taking.)

CC also tends to be tailored to those who actually “have lives”. family, work, etc. Seems like 4-year universities expect that learning is your only job (That’s the impression I’ve gotten from some friends who do go to 4-years..and from the TV).

edit: Oh wow! even wikipedia acknowledges that California has the lowest community college enrollment fees in the nation.

I Could take a bus to the community college closest to me, it would save me a bunch on gas.

@Sarcasm: My parking pass is $75 for each campus I want to park at, for one semester. Usually, I pay $150 – $225 a semester for parking alone.

@asmonet Wow. We have it so good in California. I didn’t even know. I’ve underestimated this system. How about overcrowding? How much is your CC overflowing? First few weeks of classes this semester, we literally had people sitting on the floor, the classes were so full.

@oreo45 Here we literally have a train that has a stop right across from the college campus. I bet yours has a good transit system as well.

@Sarcasm, yeah, co springs , I live an hour away, but a bus dose come close to were I live(in the boonies)

@Sarcasm @asmonet What the hell is a unit? Do you mean credit? My community college is $93.00 a credit! (as you know, most are 3–4 credit courses)

I second the community college route. That’s what I’m doing. I do it all online, and it’s an accredited college, so no fears about that. I can transfer to any university I want with these credits. I do the classes at nighttime, or when my son naps. It is difficult, and I do get by with grants from the state. Have you filed FAFSA to see what you would get?

@casheroo , I need to take a remedial math, could that be done online?

@casheroo I havent applied for any aid as of yet

@oreo45 I’m not sure, you’d have to look up the schedule for your local community college.

@casheroo: Yes, a credit is a unit.

@oreo45: Look it up on your local comm. college’s website – they will have a list of all classes each semester. You can even register, pay for classes, buy books and do everything online nowadays without ever having to go into the school in a lot of cases. If you’re getting confused – called the student advisor.

@Sarcasm: Class size varies largely, some classes I had there were three or four other students, in others 30. It just depended. Then again, no one is breaking down doors to take community college socio/anthro/paleontology prereqs. In general, it’s decent. Not too many floor-sitters.

@casheroo Yeah, credit, unit, same thing. ‘Round these parts, the two are interchangeable. “unit” is what they officially use though for my college.

@oreo45 Yeah, I third the idea of checking the college’s website. You can find all the information you need there. And I highly suggest checking out what financial aid you qualify for, even if you think there isn’t any.

I would talk with the admissions office of the school. I believe there is lots of money for scholarships for needy students. Don’t walk away without them telling you about what is available.

These are great suggestions…community college is probably your best bet.

I would also caution you though, be careful with your decision to go back to school. You can waste a lot of time and money taking classes that will help you exactly not at all.
Just having a degree won’t necessarily put you in a better employment position.

Think about:
1. What career you want when you’re done
2. What degree you need to get that career
3. What classes you need to get that degree

Your local community college may be able to help you with this—they often have career counselors i addition to financial aid counselors. Definitely talk to them.

Lots of luck to you.

I did it. The advice about community college is right on If you have a year of college already it may only take 2 semesters and a summer session to complete your lower division classes. When you schedule your classes, think about leaving the greatest space for working, For example if you can take all your classes MWF you will be able to work 8 hr days TThSS. or early morning & evening classes gives you 10–5 working hours.

When you transfer to a 4 yr school you are entitled to the same financial aid as any other students, The grants should cover school costs and work-study may be included in your package,You would probably have to find other work. Also apply for any scholarships They may not be much but I averaged about $1000 year which covered my utility bills. On year I got $1500 for returning women from thr Soroptimists;

Two things are very important. First, make sure you have a well thought out and researched plan. This is not the time to try a lot of things to figure out what you want to do, Make a decision and list all the classes you need to take to achieve your goal . For gen ed classes, take what best fits your schedule, Stick to your plan.

Second, get your son on board. You’ll have to tell him that this will mean living very close to the bone for the next few years and you need his cooperation by doing well in school and helping at home. His payoff is that you will be able to help him somewhat when he goes to college and he won’t have to support you in your old age.