Returning to school for PT professional, full-time mom? Any advice?
Asked by
iLove (
2344
)
April 8th, 2010
I am 34 years old. I currently work PT as an insurance broker. I really am craving to utilize my intellect and get a degree doing something I truly love. The problem is, how does one obtain funds to help them get through school when they are just getting by?
I must mention here, that my supplemental income is through web / graphic design and computer repair. My concern is going to school will not allow me time to do this extra work that brings in my additional income. Honestly, I am not sure if my career choice would be in these fields…
I have scoured the internet but didn’t find much about grants (they seem like a true mystery) or help for moms who want to go back to school.
I completed 26 credits at the Art Institute back in the mid-90s and it has been challenging to turn those into community college credits.
My question is directed at anyone who went back to school in their mid-thirties. I am curious if it has made a vast improvement in your lives. Please give details, and if you had any financial help.
BTW – I am STILL paying on those student loans and they are not getting any cheaper!
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6 Answers
Ouch. I dont know of any grants or scholarships to refer you to directly, but I have seen ads for grants to “mother’s in school”. Look into scholarships also – there really is a lot out of there depending on the institution you plan on going to. There may be special programs out there as well – it might be difficult though since you already have loans from school to pay off.
I wish you luck – school is challenging for me as it is, I couldn’t imagine doing it with children and a full time job.
The ads I’ve seen seem to be saying the government will pay you to go back to school. I would ask the financial aid department in the school you are going to attend.
See if your state has an automatic grant for residents. I know several states do. You may qualify for Pell grants too. I went back and finished college and completed law school in my 40s. My employer paid the tuition. See if any large corporations are hiring (I know some of them are actually hiring customer service reps right now because they are bringing call centers back to the USA). That would be my suggestion for you. Good luck.
I’m a full-time farmer and part-time engineer. I don’t know what the civilian world has to offer on financial aid, the Army paid for my second masters degree. I’m 53 and returning to complete my doctorate this summer. My advice is on time mamagement; dedicate discrete blocks of time to each area and try to avoid everything else during that time. Parenthood probably can’t be handled that way, at least not without paid help. It seems like student loans are the bane of everyone younger than I.
@iLove I admire your motivation and I wish I knew how you could access help to achieve your goals.
Thank you all Fluther peeps.
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