Scholarships or Grants?

[supermom]

My son wants to graduate before he turns 18 next summer and is on track to have his 120 hours through CLEP and DSST by spring. I really want him to be able to do this, but I don't know where the $4000 to enroll him and take the Captsone is going to come from. I know the Lord will provide! Does anyone know if there are scholarships available to help pay for the enrollment fee and enrollment in just one class? I actually thought we had more time to come up with the money until today when I realized he has to take that 12 week capstone course. So now, if he wants to graduate in the spring, we need to enroll him in January. Surely he could qualify for something considering his accomplishment at such a young age, but I have no idea where to start. I've spent all my time this past year trying to figure out how to accomplish his degree plan. Scholarships is a whole new area and any help or references to get started would be greatly appreciated.

[rebel100]

Have you filled out the fafsa? It's the place to start. What degree are you seeking? Go to fafsa.gov and get that done first.

[supermom]

My son's degree is going to be from TESC, a BA in Social Sciences. I have not done the fafsa. I will do that! Thanks!

[supermom]

WOw, I just went to the FAFSA website and found out you have to apply in the summer. So it would do us no good to apply now if he wants to enroll and graduate this next spring. ;o(. Maybe we can find a scholarship available to be awarded in the winter??

[rebel100]

All need base aid begins with fafsa....even most sxholorships will at least want to see the fafsa done....if you get any pell grant funds there are ways to work it, but he will have to take a few classes to take full advantage of it...fill it out and get back with us, we can help you make the most of it (pell).

[cooperalex2004]

Note that Pell grants get kind of butchered at TESC due to the way the scheduling works. Since it is a year-round school, six credits is considered fulltime, but that means your pell grant is split into four parts instead of the normal two parts. If you only take one class you will find a very reduced pell grant might apply, but most financial aid requires more than one course to be taken to get any payment (I think loans start at 6 credits). Also note that pell grants don't cover the enrollment fee, they are based on the number of credits taken and you won't get much (if any) left over after buying books.

As for other scholarships, you kind of have to fish around for those, TESC is not a traditional school so they don't offer their own aid packages outside of pell grants and NJ grants (if you live there). Once you pay the enrollment fee the tuition is quite reasonable compared to many other schools. Basically with a textbook and enrollment you're probably going to get stuck with the full cost of $3700-$3900 (enrollment, tuition for three credits, textbooks) unless you have very little income (since they will look at parent's income on his FAFSA).

Note that TESC's academic year is July-June (meaning a pell grant for this year requires courses taken in July, October, January, and April to use all the money), in your case with only one course financial aid is going to be hard to get. Make sure if you do get a pell grant to turn in the forms to TESC financial aid very early or they won't get processed (it is separate from enrollment).

[cookderosa]

I'm going to reframe this for you a bit.
The average cost of a college degree at a public school without dorms/books is $30,000.
At TESC, a rack rate BA degree is $40,200 Thomas Edison State College | Cost Calculator

Using ingenuity, resourcefulness, and hard work, your son's BA at TESC will be $4,147.
By my math, that's a $36,000 scholarship!


You can still see if he qualifies for a pell grant ($5600 gift) but that will have to be used by taking 6 credits per term x 4 terms. The cost to USE THAT MONEY is $8940, for a net due of $3340.... so not really a savings and you still have to raise $3340 plus books.

Better suggestion- raise the money. Sell stuff on craigslist, have your son get a job (or 3), and pay cash. $8/hour at $40/week --> $320/week means he can pay cash for this degree in 4 months! Now is prime time, and waiters can make $100 per night. It can happen!

[sanantone]

I'm going to reframe this for you a bit.
The average cost of a college degree at a public school without dorms/books is $30,000.
At TESC, a rack rate BA degree is $40,200 Thomas Edison State College | Cost Calculator

I don't know why TESC's cost calculator only uses the Enrolled Options Plan. The same degree would be around $8,000 cheaper under the Comprehensive Tuition Plan. Still, like you said, the degree can be made much cheaper by exercising all of the alternative credit earning options available to TESC students.