went to a different college.. $14,000.00? any advice on if i should take it?

I believe the concept of you being dependent is more based on what the Feds think than what Kaplan thinks. And, they want to be paid every month (menstrually? Ew, sorry) because, heh, they want to be sure you won't skip out on payments. Personally I think it's high. College costs, but isn't Kaplan online? Then they wouldn't have classroom or insurance expenditures and should, in theory, be able to keep costs lower. How about Capella or one of the other online schools?

Way too much money and not a great standing in the world of academia. Don't you have a community college near you? Have you looked into financial aid from private schools? You need to speak to an admissions person face to face.

Avoid the private colleges as much as possible. Too much money for too little outcome.

Work over the community college system. Check out the websites that list obscure scholarships and grants - there are some crazy things that are available if you look for them.

And don't give up so easily!

I know you (Ogionik) started this process earlier and it didn't go so well. That's really not unusual. If there was any single thing I taught at my program in L.A. it was that you'll never get anywhere if you give up at the first setback. There will be setbacks, period.

I know that's terribly lecture-y and I apologize, but there really really are resources and paths available to you if you stick with it. And I think college will help you a LOT once you get there.

Many private colleges in the US have special tuition and loan programs for low income students. It's competitive, but I've known people like OG to get a very low cost education when they properly appeal to they system. It also can depend on what a person wants to study. I only know about schools in the Northeast, but I'm sure similar programs must exist in NV. He needs someone to guide him through the system.

Exactly. There is a community college in NV www.csn.edu - the tuition is
under $ 100 per credit and they offer extensive financial aid as well.



You can apply online, and also take courses online http://www.csn.edu/pages/269.asp

No more excuses, Ogionik, just do it!

it could certainly be different in the U.S., but in Canada private schools and colleges are not known for the quality of their instructors

That's fantastic. $100 per credit and financial assistance available. It'd be hard to understand why anyone didn't take advantage of that opportunity.

Are Harvard and Yale private?

We used to sniff snottily at our crosstown rival, USC... but USC also had some sterling folk at the lectern.

My first year was at Mt. St. Mary's College (a 4 yr. Women's college at the time), and the instruction was excellent, even back then.

I don't know about the relative repute of private colleges in general versus online colleges in general. Does Nevada have (brick and mortar) state colleges? (excuse me, universities...)

In the US the best schools tend to be private, although we have some excellent state universities. I don't expect OG to apply to Harvard, Yale or Brown, but many of the smaller private colleges go out of their way to bring in students that might not have the financial means to attend without some assistance. It will take some chutzpah on his part, but he seems to have some charm and that can open doors. He could do two years at a community college (as CJ mentions, the prices tend to be reasonable) and then transfer to finish his degree at a four year university.

I think y'all are missing the point with his financing.

Unless Onion has found a way around it, he is hung up on the same problem I faced 20 years ago.

His folks will not release financials, and without them, until one is 25, one is screwed for financial aid.

Onion, please clarify...

Join the National Guard.

You won't believe the benefits!!

Like a free trip to Iraq! I think OG has considered it, Sully, and decided he's not military material.

I know what you mean and yes things become easier after a certain cut-off (I don't remember what it is, 24-25 sounds about right), but that doesn't mean that one must wait around doing nothing (and complaining about it) until that age is reached.

The first and most obvious thing to do is find out what needs to happen once that age is reached -- because I think Ogionik is either there or very close -- and go about getting ducks in a row. Research, find out the specifics about the age when the parents cease to matter re: financial aid (don't rely on us). Find out what school looks best and what school will offer the best opportunities WHEN he gets to that age. Get everything ready so the day after his birthday he can immediately launch Project College. The prep always takes some time anyway.

Separately, there is a lot that can be done outside of that requirement. Stuff like having access to the campus job network -- sometimes this is part of a financial aid program, sometimes not.

No. They are not.

Its called a Pell Grant.

I was able to put myself into college at 20/21 on grants with out my mothers information or assistance.
You just have to do it. You have to spend extra time filling out forms that say " I am not dependent" , " My parents are not around"..etc..etc

The parent info is only a road block if you allow it to be.
Not every single person in america has parents in close contact at that age. It is unreasonable for the government to assume so and they know it. You just have to find the forms , and fill them out so that you can by pass that.

Did you hear me?
You .......gotta........just......DO...........IT. Period.
Quit bitchin, quit moaning and quit finding reasons to not do it and do it.

Dont make me come up there.. hehehe

Well, he's come around and answered in other threads, but he seems to have
abandoned this one.

**** em, that's a total ripoff and it's about the last way inthe world I'd ever spend money on anything resembling education.

Computers, books, and online resources are between free and ungodly cheap and it just isn't that hard or expensive to educate yourself on any sort of computer topic.

The ONLY way I'd spend money on education any more other than buying things to experiment and play with in computer science or some technical area, would be for education involving arts, languages and the like.

14,000 is way to much, i mean at 10 dollars an hour 40 hours a week i only made 18 grand. i had to take a step back

if i can barely afford it working full tiem i dont think its a good idea to take on that kind of debt without a job.

oh well lol

i passed their entrance test thingy, it had like 50 questions i got 45 out of 50. they were like wow amazing i think it wa just a way to get people hyped up to join the school..

well in 6 months ill be 24 so i just have to be patient ARGH!

im so not patient but community college is the way to go..
stupid fafsa