Financial Aid Questions

[Virtual Bison]

This is for my daughter who is starting her education.

She already gets a Pell Grant but it only covers a small amoung of her school expenses. For the rest she need to get student loans.

I am concerned because that could be a lot of money for a young person starting out in life. I did agree to help her repay her debt once she graduates. But I don't know.

Anyone else have experience with this. I see that the payback schedule will allow a single person to pay as little as $27 per month but the terms are kind of confusing to me.

[Martin Eisenstadt]

For the rest she need to get student loans.

This may not be the sort of answer you were looking for, but I worked some sort of job the whole time I was in college, both undergrad and grad school. All my college friends had jobs too, although my friends were usually from work so I suppose that skews the data.

As an UG I usually worked part time during the school year and full time in the summer. I worked full time and studied part time (nights and weekends) in grad school. This often varied depending on the job I had and the classes I had to take.

I'm sure if I'd asked my parents they would have kicked in on tuition or books, but I liked knowing that if I effed up a class it was my responsibility and my money down the drain. I also liked knowing that when I graduated I didn't have a big loan payment hanging over my head.

I realize everybody's situation is different, and that the job market these days doesn't favor students. Still, if possible, I would suggest your daughter avoid getting tangled up in a student loan and pay her own way.

[Virtual Bison]

For the rest she need to get student loans.

This may not be the sort of answer you were looking for, but I worked some sort of job the whole time I was in college, both undergrad and grad school. All my college friends had jobs too, although my friends were usually from work so I suppose that skews the data.

As an UG I usually worked part time during the school year and full time in the summer. I worked full time and studied part time (nights and weekends) in grad school. This often varied depending on the job I had and the classes I had to take.

I'm sure if I'd asked my parents they would have kicked in on tuition or books, but I liked knowing that if I effed up a class it was my responsibility and my money down the drain. I also liked knowing that when I graduated I didn't have a big loan payment hanging over my head.

I realize everybody's situation is different, and that the job market these days doesn't favor students. Still, if possible, I would suggest your daughter avoid getting tangled up in a student loan and pay her own way.

Nothing wrong with working through school but its hard to find a job these days, even for people like myself. I did give her some money but I do not have enough to pay my own mortgage. BTW she may be getting a job as a waitress but getting paid in tips is not really going to cut it.

I thank you for your imput all the same.

[ham]

Why not going by DE?

[Virtual Bison]

Why not going by DE?

Nothing wrong with Distance Learning programs. It worked for me.

In her case its hard because she is studying photography and not many distance learning programs teach that. Anyways she is in a Junior College. Junior college programs are cheap and provide decent programs.

[shalmed]

I have never heard of distance learning programs teaching photography...is it possible??

[Virtual Bison]

I have never heard of distance learning programs teaching photography...is it possible??

I suppose its possible.

But I tend to think that Distance Lerning is more geared towards older professionals, people with full time jobs and little time for commuting to school. It certainly has its nitch market.

My daughter is just out of high school and weighed her options. She decided a junior college is whats right for her.