Will I have to work that much while in College?

Question

I am a 23 year old single mom of a six year old boy and i need to go to college bad to help support him. but I don't know how im going to work and go to college at the same time. Someone told me that the fafsa should pay for all of the college and have enough left over to live off of. Is this true? I mean how much does this grant pay? And is there any other options so I won't have to work that much and get college over with? And also is it true that after I turn 25 I can't get financial aid anymore?

Answer 1

I have a few american pals in a similar situation to you. Add me to Yahoo messenger, rage997, and let's ask them?

Answer 2

FAFSA is a form you fill out which helps determine your eligibility for financial aid, not a grant, so it doesn't pay anything at all, but there are a lot of types of financial aid, ranging from outright grants to scholarships to loans to work-study which make up most students' financial aid packages. The total package is usually designed on the assumption that you do have to live, in addition to paying tuition, although don't expect to live luxuriously on it, especially with a child! It is NOT true that you cannot get financial aid after you turn 25, but there may be some grants or loans which are available only to younger students. My best advice to you would not to be afraid to take out loans. Yes, you will have to pay them back after you graduate, but if you are going for a lucrative career, this should be possible, and it is better than spending all of your time working and missing out on your son's childhood. Also, look into private scholarships - most libraries have books which list scholarships available on a national level, and the school you are thinking of attending can tell you what you might be eligible for. There are donors who have given money for all sorts of things, ranging from "nontraditional" (older) students to those whose parents work for a particular company, to people of a particular heritage. Many of these are small, but every little bit helps.

Answer 3

First of all, I am 35 and just started going to college this year. I do get financial aid. The maximum Pell grant will give you in the first year is $2100 per school year. For S.C. the maximunm amount you can get for Lottery Assis. is $1000 per semester. However, if you don't have enough money for books or to live on you can only borrow $2000 per semester in subsidized and unsubsidized loans. Hope this helps. Good Luck!

Answer 4

Gaining a significant degree from college will take a quite a bit of work. If you choose, you can spread that work out (take only a few classes per semester) so that your have time to work and take care of your child, but the whole experince will take far longer.