Scholarships+Grants. Any advice

[Korietsu]

I dont even get grants with my parents having a total combined income of like ~50k, and me making nothing. But hey, I do get to take out loans for everything so I can attend school! Shame I can't work 40 hours a week and graduate in 4 years =(

[Meresgi]

I dont even get grants with my parents having a total combined income of like ~50k, and me making nothing. But hey, I do get to take out loans for everything so I can attend school! Shame I can't work 40 hours a week and graduate in 4 years =(

Don't worry, after you graduate you'll get cock slapped by whoever you took out loans with! :D
My mom and stepmother make maybe 30k, IF that, a year and my father is dead...and I still dont qualify for many grants or scholarships.

[Skyylya]

ahh gotcha

well, sucks to me be. i was born may 17, 1987 lol. i wonder if there is a way i can fill out fafsa for next semester 10-11 year, without having to call my dad asking him for information. it's a lot more grueling than it sounds

Yeah it really sucks, right now we're in the 10-11 year with the 1986 date range. The 11-12 year it'll move to jan 1 1987, then 12-13 it'll move to jan 1 1988, so you're kind of in a pickle there.

However, schools have the ability to make 'professional judgements' based on whether you can apply as a dependant or not but you'd have to provide sufficient documentation that you truly support yourself without any assistance from a guardian and that's tough to do and it's a lot of paperwork for the schools so they only do it in rare cases.

Honestly, you're best bet is to get hitched or have a kid if you want to go to college without your parents help before you turn 25.

[Byrthnoth]

Anyway, it's been a while since I scholarship searched, but iirc there were a lot of random little $500 ones that require essays and crap. Now, sounds like a bad deal. It's not much money and the requirements are disproportionately large. However, no one applies for them.

My friend got into the state university without any offered financial aid (he did poorly on his SATs). He applied for all of these little stupid essay-writing scholarships and cleaned up to the point that he got a 3k/semester refund from the university Freshman year. Turns out he was the only applicant for most of the scholarships he applied for.

Also, I don't know about you guys but I got a hell of a tax rebate from the government for going to school. I filled out my forms on Turbotax filing as an independent and sent them in, looked like I'd be getting a $600 rebate. The government send me a "hey, you fucked up" correction letter that told me I was getting a 1k+ rebate. Showed up in my bank account a week later. I did the math, and it turns out they were reimbursing all of my academic expenses (my scholarship didn't cover winter session, so I'd paid for a few classes). I don't know how long that deal will last, but it's pretty sweet.

[Ryany]

I dont even get grants with my parents having a total combined income of like ~50k, and me making nothing. But hey, I do get to take out loans for everything so I can attend school! Shame I can't work 40 hours a week and graduate in 4 years =(

The rich may pay by far the most income tax to the poor, but it is the middle class that gets fucked the most when tuition prices get inflated from all the handouts to people other than them.

[kyod]

Most schools have a priority financial aid/FAFSA deadline. It's usually in March or April. Submit it anytime after that and you're chances for decent financial aid tank considerably. Additionally, you can usually write an appeals letter to your school if you don't receive enough aid, outlining specific problems your family has. That usually makes the school cough up more money.

Though talking in person with someone in financial aid from your school is the best thing to do. I went in-person when I was short a couple thousand and my counselor found a way to get me that money.

As far as scholarships go, unless you have a 3.5 GPA or above, the school probably won't care. But go to Fast Web and apply for all those random $250, $500 scholarships which require an essay. Most people (like the person above said) don't apply for any of them.

And honestly, if you really can't find the money, going to a in-state school would be the best financial decision.

[Kerberoz]

Lie about your race. They can't do shit even if they find out you're lying.

[richardd]

wow, i had no idea about that essay thing... even with a federal pell grant at lvl 0, i can always use some extra cash for books next semester.. hmmm lol. its hard to believe that NO ONE applies at all for some of them though, lol. what kind of essay subjects do they cover, generally? do you have to write one about why e =mc square is so important in life?

[kyod]

wow, i had no idea about that essay thing... even with a federal pell grant at lvl 0, i can always use some extra cash for books next semester.. hmmm lol. its hard to believe that NO ONE applies at all for some of them though, lol. what kind of essay subjects do they cover, generally? do you have to write one about why e =mc square is so important in life?

Check out FastWeb. There are a lot of different scholarship essays available. I can't even give you a guide of the types they have since there are so many. They are from all walks of life.

[TheTaru]

wow, i had no idea about that essay thing... even with a federal pell grant at lvl 0, i can always use some extra cash for books next semester.. hmmm lol. its hard to believe that NO ONE applies at all for some of them though, lol. what kind of essay subjects do they cover, generally? do you have to write one about why e =mc square is so important in life?

I still get emails from FastWeb, which Kyod mentioned. I'm pretty sure you can sign up to get emails that'll tell you when scholorship essays of your subject of interest are available, I pretty much exclusively get essay topics about psychology and shit. I've never actually done one though, and I didn't sign up on their website (put my email down when I took SATs...bad idea) so I can't help you with details.

[Meresgi]

wow, i had no idea about that essay thing... even with a federal pell grant at lvl 0, i can always use some extra cash for books next semester.. hmmm lol. its hard to believe that NO ONE applies at all for some of them though, lol. what kind of essay subjects do they cover, generally? do you have to write one about why e =mc square is so important in life?

I've been doing a few on Fastweb. A lot of them are just "Why do you think you should get this cash money?" and then some will ask you to read something and then write about it (Had one about fire sprinkler systems) or answer questions on the article. Then some will have you write about subjects they present to you, one being "Microsoft vs Apple, who is better and does their clash help customers" or something like that. Its all random really, there is no single sort of essay you'll have to write.

[Byrthnoth]

I wrote an essay on Atheism for like $500. I actually lost an essay contest with a Vermont Loft Bed company, which I found amusing. They're just random, clicking around Fastweb is how I found most of mine I think.

[Meresgi]

I wrote an essay on Atheism for like $500. I actually lost an essay contest with a Vermont Loft Bed company, which I found amusing. They're just random, clicking around Fastweb is how I found most of mine I think.

What's your hit rate with them mostly? I've applied for about 30 so far in the past week. Gonna keep filing some each day, like 5 or 6 a day till I can't do anymore.

[Byrthnoth]

I've named the only two I applied for (had a full scholarship anyway), but my friend claimed he was around 50%. He ended up being an Engineer too, if that gives you any indication of his writing ability. No offense engineers, but stereotypes exist for a reason.

[richardd]

oh wow lol. thanks for the heads up! how do these scholarships work? can i still rack them up now, even if i just plan on going to school next semester?

[Max™]

Think you need to be enrolled/have a grade report for most.

Btw, if you're worried about your competition, here is a sample of 16 year old GED test answers.

The following questions were set in last year's GED examination
These are genuine answers (from 16 year olds)............and they WILL breed.

Q. Name the four seasons
A. Salt, pepper, mustard and vinegar

Q. Explain one of the processes by which water can be made safe to drink
A. Flirtation makes water safe to drink because it removes large pollutants like grit, sand, dead sheep and canoeists

Q. How is dew formed
A. The sun shines down on the leaves and makes them perspire

Q. What causes the tides in the oceans
A. The tides are a fight between the earth and the moon. All water tends to flow towards the moon, because there is no water on the moon, and nature abhors a vacuum. I forget where the sun joins the fight

Q. What guarantees may a mortgage company insist on
A. If you are buying a house they will insist that you are well endowed

Q. In a democratic society, how important are elections
A. Very important. Sex can only happen when a male gets an election

Q. What are steroids
A. Things for keeping carpets still on the stairs (Shoot yourself now , there is little hope)

Q.. What happens to your body as you age
A. When you get old, so do your bowels and you get intercontinental

Q. What happens to a boy when he reaches puberty
A. He says goodbye to his boyhood and looks forward to his adultery (So true)

Q. Name a major disease associated with cigarettes
A. Premature death

Q. What is artificial insemination
A. When the farmer does it to the bull instead of the cow

Q. How can you delay milk turning sour
A. Keep it in the cow (Simple, but brilliant)

Q. How are the main 20 parts of the body categorised (e.g. The abdomen)
A. The body is consisted into 3 parts - the brainium, the borax and the abdominal cavity. The brainium contains the brain, the borax contains the heart and lungs and the abdominal cavity contains the five bowels: A, E, I,O,U..(wt-!)

Q. What is the fibula?
A. A small lie

Q. What does 'varicose' mean?
A. Nearby

Q. What is the most common form of birth control
A. Most people prevent contraception by wearing a condominium (That would work)

Q. Give the meaning of the term 'Caesarean section'
A. The caesarean section is a district in Rome

Q. What is a seizure?
A. A Roman Emperor. (Julius Seizure, I came, I saw, I had a fit)

Q. What is a terminal illness
A. When you are sick at the airport. (Irrefutable)

Q. Give an example of a fungus. What is a characteristic feature?
A. Mushrooms. They always grow in damp places and they look like umbrellas

Q. Use the word 'judicious' in a sentence to show you understand its meaning
A. Hands that judicious can be soft as your face. (OMG)

Q. What does the word 'benign' mean?
A. Benign is what you will be after you be eight (brilliant)

Q. What is a turbine?
A. Something an Arab or Shreik wears on his head