Chuck Albrecht ⋅ Newport, RI U.S. Navy, Commander ⋅ 32 years served

It's tough being a full time student. I recommend you find a financial advisor to provide some immediate ideas to relieve that stress. One thing - use the internet at the library. It's free. Oops...already mentioned. Bottom line - you need fast relief and that is going to come from making some cuts on your end, while you are waiting for increased revenue.

Hang in there...it's worth it in the end.

Sincerely,

Chuck

Morgan Lerette ⋅ Glendale, AZ AAA ⋅ 6 years experience

Hello Anthony,

I want to preface this with a statement: I am not a fan of student loans. That said, you are a prime candidate for student loans. If you are only taking the bare minimum to ensure you can pay for expenses, student loans are the way to go. With the GI Bill you have (it sounds like the Guard GI Bill or REAP), you are not going to cover all your expenses. I was in the same boat for both my degrees.

I ended up taking out 8K in student loans to complete my graduate degree to cover the extras (food, gas, etc.). Once I got a job, i paid it off. If you take a small amount and pay it off quickly upon graduation, it is a good way to subsidize your education.

Morgan

Paul Turlington ⋅ Ellicott City, MD UPS ⋅ 17 years experience

Look at benefits provided by employers. A part time supervisor position at UPS was a great fit for me. I used the GI bill benefits and UPS earn & learn program to complete a college degree.

George Oestreich ⋅ Fort Lauderdale, FL First Service Residential ⋅ 40 years experience

My daughter recently graduated from college after a long "paper chase" and had some of your struggles as well. Much of her funding came from grants that she secured by writing grant papers to grant opportunities----these pay various amounts but usually a few thousand dollars each.

D R ⋅ Manassas, VA ⋅ 14 years experience

Hi Anthony,

You may qualify for subsidized and un-subsidized student loans to assist with your college costs. Once you have graduated (or even before), you can apply for a Federal Government position using you Veteran's Preference and Disability rating (if you received one). The best area to get-in is the D.C. area. Once you are hired and making payments on your student loans, you can apply for the PSLF program in which you pay 120 payments towards your loans over 10 years of Federal Government Service and the remaining balances will be forgiven.

You may find more information on this via the following link:

https://studentaid.ed.gov/repay-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/charts/public-service

You can apply for an income sensitive repayment program for the student loans in which your monthly payment will be determined on your monthly income. Many times, the monthly payment will be low (sometimes only interest). Thus, after 120 payments over 10 years of Civilian Federal Government service, the remaining balance will be forgiven.

Further, there are some Federal Agencies that will pay up to $10,000 per year towards student loan debt. You just have to research which ones.

Best,

David

Gerald Mannikarote ⋅ Houston, TX dMann Training Technologies ⋅ 20 years experience

Hi Anthony,
I haven't ever applied for scholarships as I studied abroad. However, I have read about them extensively due to having twins and I know they will have to apply for them.
The most important thing that I have learned is that most scholarships are often not applied for. Therefore, I would suggest you carve out a few hours a day researching and applying for scholarships. Treat it like a part-time job. I'm sure you will find money. Also, there are apps now that make finding scholarships a whole lot easier.
I hope this helps.
Jerry

Calvin Mcdonald ⋅ Little Rock, AR U.S. Army National Guard, Specialist ⋅ 6 years served

How do you get the Gi bill for school

Dan Cleveland ⋅ Webster, MA U.S. Marine Corps, Sergeant ⋅ 4 years served

Hi Anthony. BAH is based on cost of living expenses for a Sergeant with 2 dependents. Unless you go to school in a more expensive zip code receiving extra BAH is not possible to simply get more in living assistance. If you live in a more expensive area than where your school is located, you may find yourself in this position. (Have you thought about transferring to a school with a higher-paying zip code?). In your current situation, the only way to bridge the gap is to apply for school financial aid, not external scholarships. (as schools evaluate tuition cost based upon total assistance, keeping the total tuition cost equal regardless of aid). To qualify for this at most schools you have to register for the FAFSA (deadline is approaching). Then you have to apply for aid at your school, registering as an independent student. The school will then assess your need and in many cases give a need based scolarship in excess of your GI payments. The difference may be elected to be cashed out (Technically against GI Bill policy but very common). If you attend a private school this could be as much as $5000 a semester. Applying for external scholarships will not help in this case, as the school will detract what they'd give you in aid otherwise (unless you get a HUGE scholarship that exceeds what the school will give you for aid). Working a part time job is the other option. A weekend job at $10 an hour for 8 hours can bring in another ~$120 a week after taxes, which should be more enough to pay your bills. Also you can keep your weekdays free to concentrate on your studies. I finished my undergraduate degree at a competitive private 4 year school working ~20 hours a week, so I know that it's possible. So in summary, don't waste your time with private scholarships unless they are huge (in excess of any school offered need-based financial aid) and your school will allow you to cash out the difference.