TESC question

[frankiebleyes]

So my son has been accepted into TESC, but cannot get a student loan due to his disability. No problem I thought until I realized that his Pell Grant would not cover the enrollment fee and tuition. He is already to enroll for March classes but is only getting Pell Grant (1300.00). Am I correct that he will be expected to pay the enrollment fee of $28__.00 plus $113.00 fee before he can enroll in courses and then will have to pay tuition for the six hours of coursework?

Any suggestions from those who have gone before? I've noticed many accumulate their hours and then pay one fee (is this the annual enrollment fee plus graduation fee)? I'm trying to figure out how to proceed since I don't have a spare $3500.00 in bank, but this means much to him and I want him to be able to complete his degree.

Any help would be much appreciated. I think for now he just can't attend TESC.

[af2012]

I've never heard of someone being turned down for a loan because of a disability. I would definitely call TESC's financial aid department & see what they can do. Do you live in NJ? Has he tried to get any scholarships or grants? He may have to put off enrolling until April or May & using that time to apply for a few grants. Try googling college grants for ______ (fill in your son's disability). You might come up with a few grants or scholarships.

[frankiebleyes]

He developed his disability after accumulating some previous student loans. When he became ill with his disability the loans were discharged. If he ever takes out another student loan (which he cannot afford to repay), he will be responsible for both the new loan plus all loans that were discharged. Not worth two years of his benefits. He is only acquiring the degree for personal satisfaction, but cannot really afford to take on any debts. I am not complaining, just explaining why no student loans. I just wanted to know if I had interpreted the enrollment fee scenario correctly. He cannot just pay for a course without paying for the enrollment fee first. He can't get financial aid without being an enrolled student so he would need at least a minimum of 3500.00 above his pell grant to take six hours this spring. Just have to figure out what to do. Time is a constraint. Eventually, we could come up with the enrollment fee, but that does not let him take the courses he wants at TESC now. Just don't know how to proceed. WE ARE NOT NEW JERSEY RESIDENTS. OUT OF STATE TUITION IS INVOLVED. WISH TESC HAD A POLICY FOR LOWER FEES FOR DISABLED STUDENTS AS MANY OTHER SCHOOLS DO.

[esummer]

You cant get a degree from a school without being enrolled, so yeah. He would have to enroll. I had already asked them that question. I guess what most people are doing is getting all of their necessary credits before enrolling, within the 6 month application time-frame with the eval, and enrolling in the standard option instead of the comprehensive. Its some $3500 less than the comprehensive enrollment. That would leave you to pay the difference.

Shoot them an email if you arent sure. Theyre pretty quick to respond within a day or so.

[NAP]

Which class does he want to take? Maybe we can help find a more affordable option.

Another thought is COSC's enrollment fee is low, if they have the class and it would transfer to TESC later.

Also, would he qualify for a tax credit or deduction for his tuition and fees?

[sanantone]

All of the Big 3 schools are entirely too expensive to attend when you're only depending on the Pell Grant. COSC might have a low enrollment fee, but the credit hour fee is higher than that of TESC's. You should look into online programs offered by your local community colleges and universities in your state. Where I live, community college is only $2,000 per year and you can use the leftover grant money to pay for the TESC enrollment fee. This is actually what I did. Since TESC is very liberal about accepting community college credits as upper level credits, it is very possible to complete all of your bachelor's degree requirements at a community college (well, some will kick you out after you earn 90 or so credits) and transfer them to TESC. I transferred 36 community college credits (100% online) to TESC and 21 of those credits counted as upper level which is more than the required 18. There are also state universities in Texas that only charge residents $4,000 a year. In which state do you live and what is your son interested in studying?

The enrollment fee is only required for those choosing the Enrolled Options Plan. The Comprehensive Tuition Plan is $7800 for the first year and let's you take up to 36 credits a year, but the $5550 Pell Grant still wouldn't cover that.

[frankiebleyes]

He wanted to take the sociology ul gangs course and sociology ul substance abuse. He is hoping to possible work after completing college part-time as an A & D counselor. Anyone know of a lower cost school that offers either of these subjects. He does not test out well, so DSST or CLEP is out for him. If he could just work on these courses for now, I could save the enrollment fee and he could still graduate from TESC.

[sanantone]

Today, I'm registering to become a licensed chemical dependency counselor intern which is the lowest licensure that will allow you to practice as a substance abuse counselor. It could be different where you live, but the usual requirements to register as a LCDC intern are 270 classroom hours of substance abuse education and a 300-hour practicum. You can waive the education and practicum requirements by having a bachelor's degree that is closely related to the mental health field i.e. psychology, counseling, and social work. The LCDC director in Texas just approved my social science degree from TESc, so I get to register without the substance abuse education and practicum requirements.

After you are registered, you have to work as an intern (you will be paid) for 4,000 hours which is the equivalent of two years of full-time work. Then, you have to pass a written exam and an oral board. You also have to have at least an associates degree at this point in order to become a full LCDC. Only a master's degree in a behavioral science (psychology, sociology, etc.) or maybe even a criminal justice degree that is focused on substance abuse will waive the 4,000 hour supervised experience requirement.

It would help to know in which state you reside in order to focus a search on the cheapest schools. Keep in mind that your son will have to take at least 24 credits per year or 12 credits per semester in order to get the full grant disbursal. If he goes half-time, he'll get half of the reward. He should take a look at these schools, which have programs in either sociology, psychology, or both.

Tuition and Fees - Fort Hays State University
Chadron State College / Online & Correspondence Course Costs - Business Office - Chadron State College
Tuition and Fees - Peru State College

[dcan]

To be honest, given the situation and goals and given that he is looking to attend classes rather than test out, why is he considering TESC? TESC is attractive for those looking to test out or transfer in a lot of credits. For us in the military using tuition assistance we must take at least six classes, but those are completely paid for so no money out of our pocket.

If I had to take classes I would look at an in-state college or CC specifically because of the tuition difference. From what I've read here some CCs for example charge as little as $30 or so per credit if you live in the local area. You and your son should exhaust all of your in-state options before you look out of state, because you will be killed on tuition otherwise.

[frankiebleyes]

Because he has exhausted all of the courses available locally from our cc. Our university was where he developed his disability and thus, he does not wish to attend again due to stigma from his disability. I don't blame him. He needs 9 classes to complete his degree. He could possibly get his degree in sociology which would go hand in hand with his A&D part time work plan. He has connections that have offerred him employment upon completion of his degree and coursework. We live in Tennessee and our requirements are different then Texas. I just want to find the courses he needs, transfer them to TESC and pay them out of pocket for him to graduate. For now if anyone knows a good cheap place that he can get some of these ul courses, please advise. Thanks for listening.