Problems with financial aid to go back to school

[MsSweetCheeks]

Ok, I really need to vent right now. I'm so upset. I'm trying to go back to college. Tuesday I went to orientation and couldn't register for my classes because I have previous college credits that are over 10 years old. The school hasn't taken the time to look over my transcripts and they have me showing for remedials. The person advising me at orientation agreed that I shouldn't be in remedials and advised that I talk to the division head to have my transcripts looked at. Ok, fine, not that big of a deal. Welll, today I get a decision back on my financial aid. It says I'm not ellligible for financial aid because I have too many credits. It says I can appeal the decision, so now I'm looking at the head ache of getting the decision appealed. What really burns my chops is that most of these credits are from a techinical college that at the time I went the credits were not transferable to any universities. The degree I got there was basically a glorified sheet of paper that landed me jobs barely paying above minimum wage that people fresh out of high school with no experience would land the jobs. I in the mean time had to go to school just to get my foot in the door. Now, I'm left to wonder if I will even be able to go to school in the spring. Can I even get this appealed to possibly go to school even for the following semester? I have wanted to go back to school for a long time now and now I'm scared it is falling apart.

[Gnorga]

Don't give up!

[mom25grls]

It sounds more like the school is causing problems than the financial aid stuff....I have 2 degrees (both tech school, 2 yr each) and went back to school a year ago. I have well over the normal amount of credit hours for a standard degree. Last spring I got a notice that my financial aid was up (through the school) because of the number of credits I had already and because I wouldn't be finished with my degree (new one) with the 3 credits they were "allowing" me. I had to file a letter with the reason why I needed to receive more financial aid and what my plans were. I explained that because I had been out of the job market for the last 25 years, that the degrees I do have are literally obsolete, and IF I could use them, I would still have to go back to school to get them updated, so I decided to get a whole new more probable job finding degree. I was accepted for the financial aid no problem. Likely that is what you will need to do as well.

Don't give up! Go in and talk to them, financial aid and a career counselor. You could still have time to start in January semester if you keep on it now!

Good luck! and hang in there, don't let THE MAN (as my kids call it) walk on your party....

[motherofmolly]

dont give up.. do what the above posted said to do.

then, go to barnes and noble and find the book on scholarships. look thru that book with a comb. apply for every one you think you would qualify for. they have some for those returning to college after a hiatis and for the older student. apply apply apply.

[MsSweetCheeks]

I have to go tomorrow to talk to the division head about my previous credits so I will talk to her about this situation too. I will probably talk to them in financial aid too while I'm there. I know the letter has a link to the form to do an appeal which I plan to fill out. I moved to another town after I met my husband and in this town it is hard to find work. I have gone on so many job interviews for office related work (which was what I went to school for Accounting Technology and Office Systems) and I don't get the job. I've been told more than once that they think I'm over qualified. Then the higher level jobs won't take me because I'm not experienced enough. The computer classes that I took are all out dated now. I don't know how many times I have been asked what version of this were you trained on. Then when you tell them an older version and even mention that the newer versions are basically the same thing except they change the menus around they still look at you like they are not sure if you have the skills. That is when I got frustrated and decided to go back to school and try to pursue something else so I can hopefully find a job here and make better money than office work.

At least you gave me some hope. I had been googling about this and I've read about others having this problem, but not anything about it being overturned Now, I know at least one person got it overturned.

[kimandkathess]

I have to go tomorrow to talk to the division head about my previous credits so I will talk to her about this situation too. I will probably talk to them in financial aid too while I'm there. I know the letter has a link to the form to do an appeal which I plan to fill out. I moved to another town after I met my husband and in this town it is hard to find work. I have gone on so many job interviews for office related work (which was what I went to school for Accounting Technology and Office Systems) and I don't get the job. I've been told more than once that they think I'm over qualified. Then the higher level jobs won't take me because I'm not experienced enough. The computer classes that I took are all out dated now. I don't know how many times I have been asked what version of this were you trained on. Then when you tell them an older version and even mention that the newer versions are basically the same thing except they change the menus around they still look at you like they are not sure if you have the skills. That is when I got frustrated and decided to go back to school and try to pursue something else so I can hopefully find a job here and make better money than office work.

At least you gave me some hope. I had been googling about this and I've read about others having this problem, but not anything about it being overturned Now, I know at least one person got it overturned.

I basically have the same problem. I have the associates degree in "Office Technology" Which only lands you a decent office/secretarial job or maybe a management position. I don't live near a major city or anything so trying to find an actual decent paying job around here with my "degree" if you want to call it that is not going to happen.

I make more money at home running a daycare than I would with my degree at a normal job around here which is really sad. of course thats when the government decides they are going to pay me the money due...

[MsSweetCheeks]

Yeah, those degrees don't let you that great of a job. Sad thing is that I had to go to school to get my foot in the door and most of the time the people you see in those positions are fresh out of high school with no experience. At least in the town I used to live in, I could find a job. In this town, it is rare to see an office job opening. Then, they look at my resume and tell me they think I'm over qualified. It makes me wonder why they call me in for an interview if they think I'm over qualified. They think that degree makes you over qualified, but that degree is a joke!!! I even tried to go to work doing taxes. Everyone in my class basically dropped except me and this other girl. Then they started an acellerated class for new people and then I got stuck basically teaching myself. The other girl already did taxes there before, so she is familiar with everything. I got so frustrated and finally dropped out. On top of that you have to get a PTIN number from the IRS which you have to pay for. Then you are supposed to take a test but it was never really clear on if it would be in 2013 like they liked trying to tell us or if it was before we could do taxes and that test costs money. Then you see none of the other people in the class getting their's so I wasn't going to pay money until I saw someone else doing it.

[kimandkathess]

I never understood the "your too qualified for this job" Im sorry, if I had to chose someone to work for me and there were these three people:

Under qulified
Just the right amount of qualification
Over qualified

I would choose the over qualified person, just shows they know more about the job!