I want to o to college! How can I do it from the money point of view?

[strumfulina 4]

Hi everybody! I don't know if I put this topic where it should be, but I would like to know if i can obtain any kind of credit or a financial help to go to college and maybe someone knows and can give me a helping hand.

I just got my GC so now i am a permanent resident, i have a bachelor degree and i want to go to a master and i wonder if that is possible for me right now. Because i just got my GC i have no credit history and i don't know if banks can give me any student loan.

Any advice would be appreciated! Thank you!

[Inky 1,110]

You need to contact the schools you are interested in going to and see if they have any programs or ideas for your school funding. It is different for each school and each state.

[ceadsearc 515]

You don't need credit history to qualify for federal student loans. Contact your school's financial aid dept (or the dept of the schools you are considering).

[strumfulina 4]

Thank you for your responses! I am trying now to set an appointment with the college to see the options that I have. I am just worried cause i have this wish and dream and I don't know if i can sustain it, financial speaking. And I also have the time pressure.

Does anyone know what are the requirements to qualify for a student loan? Or someone who can share their experiences? Thank you!

[Inky 1,110]

Thank you for your responses! I am trying now to set an appointment with the college to see the options that I have. I am just worried cause i have this wish and dream and I don't know if i can sustain it, financial speaking. And I also have the time pressure.

Does anyone know what are the requirements to qualify for a student loan? Or someone who can share their experiences? Thank you!

They are different for what the loan requires of you. Not every state or school offers the same loan types or ability's. You must speak to them.

[Reyan 56]

Be sure to learn/read about the type of loan you may take, because their are Federal and Private loans. Good luck.

http://www.studentfinancedomain.com/student_loans/federal_vs_private_loans.aspx

[Messybrownhair 251]

I am currently in grad school.. first of all, get in-state tuition. Then apply for a graduate assistant position. I am a research asst for a professor and it pays for 9 out of my 15 credits each semester plus a $100/wk stipend. Now that my tuition was cut in half, i applied for a fafsa loan. i have a direct stafford loan

[strumfulina 4]

Thank you again for all the responses! I went to college and talked about how to start, i want to go to a Master program. Now I still have to see what I need to do about the financial part but I need to take it one step at a time!

Thank you!

[Darnell 8,478]

google 'fafsa' and apply.

no one will talk to you about financial aid (at the uni) without a fafsa report.

[juliava 80]

Thank you again for all the responses! I went to college and talked about how to start, i want to go to a Master program. Now I still have to see what I need to do about the financial part but I need to take it one step at a time!

Thank you!

First and foremost - you need to be accepted by the college. Your priority should be finding out about the college criteria for admission. Once you get through the admission process and have a letter of acceptance in hand, you worry about the rest such as financial aid/loans, FAFSA website, etc.

google 'fafsa' and apply.

no one will talk to you about financial aid (at the uni) without a fafsa report.

Admission first.

[Peter_Pan 661]

Strumfulina, they have a slightly different system here, they split education in undergraduate (licenta) and graduate (masterat + doctorat), which means that even if you apply for a Master's, you still have to fulfill requirements for a PhD (most of them, anyway), that is GRE/TOEFL/recommendation letters.

On the bright side, decent universities almost always offer sponsorship (usually in the form of teaching assistantships), so don't rush into borrowing money when you might just get them from them, if you manage to persuade them you're good enough.

[Darnell 8,478]

Admission first.

Disagree.

[juliava 80]

Disagree.

Darnell, the girl clearly stated "I want to go to college". That means to me she wants to actively attend classes. Well, if she really wants to attend those classes, she must receive funding. However, funds will NOT become available for her unless she is accepted. Check this link out.

http://www.finaid.org/questions/faq.phtml

If she wants to apply on FAFSA website, she may go ahead and apply; but especially for grad school, that alone may not mean much.

Edited May 11, 2012 by juliava

[Messybrownhair 251]

I agree, pass the GRE and get into a program first.. thats pretty much half the battle. When I was accepted I told them I needed financial assistance and so I got the offer from my dept.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Thank you again for all the responses! I went to college and talked about how to start, i want to go to a Master program. Now I still have to see what I need to do about the financial part but I need to take it one step at a time!

Thank you!

You will not be eligible for federal degree grants because you already have a degree. You will be eligible for student loans. You MAY be eligible for private grants, ask of your school has any. Alla received a 50% private grant for her Masters degree even before she arrived. Our son, also LPR with a Masters, received a fully paid scholarhsip, assistantship and living stipend from Rice University for a doctorate.

You may also be able to take a number of pre-requisits for a masters (if you need any) at community colleges and get Federal non-degree grants for those classes, transfer them to your school for the masters program and VOILA! Save even more. For instance, Alla needed some math courses and a Sociology course to finish her masters degree here (she did not have those classes she needed with her overseas degree) She took those at the community college concurrently with her degree program and transferred the credits. It save us abot $6000 in total expenses vs paying for the courses at the university she attended.

In other words...this is a lot of work but the pay off is quite impressive.