No StraighterLine for My Disabled Friend

Upon closer inspection and your input, it appears that StraighterLine is not a good choice for my friend. He would rack up much higher expense that we first thought.

Are there any other choices out there for really poor people? He can't get a job because of his disability and lives off of a tiny government disability check. He needs to get some sort of a bachelors in business or accounting so he can get into the disabled person hiring program that the IRS offers. It is possible that he could get in with an AA, I'm not sure. I would think that some sort of NA program would work for him, but there has to be some sort of accreditation because the IRS requires it.

 

Is the local community college an option? Maybe he could at least get his general ed there.

Besides the financial aid office, they often have offices especially to help disabled people. Those offices should be able to make referrals and help with accommodations.

For example, I worked in such an office and sometimes took notes for a blind guy (I guess the notes were somehow put into Braille afterward; I don't know).

 

I would look at open positions for the IRS and see what the listed requirements are. Are CLEPs still an option?

 

To be honest, he is kind of a reclusive and depressed person and I don't think he has the mojo to study and do CLEP tests on his own. I'm kind of trying to push him to better himself, improve his life and not just wallow in despair. He tends to start then get discouraged and quit school. I really feel sorry for the guy; he can barely see.

 

If an NA degree is good enough there are still a few options that are cheaper like Penn Foster which has a business Bacc. now, and is self paced.

 

I have to agree. Any DL option will require much more internal motivation than on-site options, especially exams like CLEP. If he cannot motivate himself (which may be perfectly understandable, given his circumstances) there is not much to be done, other than be his personal cheerleader/drill sergeant. Taking on that role for the course of his undergraduate academic career will be absolutely exhausting for you, trust me.

The best you can do is keep him aware of the options available to him, while he works on his personal issues (motivation, depression, ect).

 

My thought is the local community college:

1. The tuition will be the least expensive

2. They will assist with his FAFSA - and he will probably be eligible to receive money for his living expenses

3. Referrals to the correct agencies for diagnosis of disability and reasonable accommodations as required from the ADA.

4. Based on the information given, your friend will probably be eligible for services through TRiO, a program for disadvantaged students.

Shawn

 

Maybe if he studied for a CLEP and passed it would offer some motivation.

 

I am all for helping people and constantly go the extra mile. My question to you is, before you get too involved in the endeavor, how much time and energy are you willing to put in to making this happen for someone who "is kind of a reclusive and depressed person and I don't think he has the mojo to study and do CLEP tests on his own?" He won't take the time to study for CLEP tests or put in the required effort for a course? It is one thing for someone to have a goal, but something else entirely for someone to be committed enough to make it happen. I'm not saying you shouldn't help him, just maybe make sure to be realistic about what the outcome might be. I know my time is valuable and I try not to waste it on people that don't wish to put in equal effort.

I have an older brother I have pushed to get his GED or high school diploma for years. He has the desire and has taken steps to finish but I can only push him so far. I offer guidance when he seeks it but I know my time and energy will only go so far.

 

Yes, he has gone to the VR counselors has blown it with them. He tends to get depressed and eventually flake out on everything he does. The sad thing is that he is not likely to resolve his issues, he just sits at home and spirals down. I find it hard to judge him harshly for this because he is so physically messed up. That's why I'm trying to kick him in the butt and get him back into the game, but it doesn't look so good, really. Like I said, he gets depressed and then quits almost everything. That's his MO and I'm trying to get him out of it but I suppose only he can get himself out of it.

 

I'm not sure school is the best route for him. If his issue is depression, he needs to address that more than anything. Is he in counseling? Has he seen a psychiatrist?

Support groups also exist for people in these kind of situations, and they could also be helpful.

I'm not sure something that is so focused on grading, passing, timelines, etc. is the best option for someone who has motivation issues due to depression.

 

Yes, you could be right. I was thinking that a little achievement would do wonders for him, and it would, but getting him there is tough.

 

Achievement could do that, but it is also possible that the lack of motivation is partially driven by fear of failure. Failure can then become a self-fulfilling prophecy. If this is the case, then the irrational fear of failure needs to be corrected, which could eliminate the motivational barriers.

 

Perhaps your friend could start off with taking the free FEMA exams. Thomas Edison (and a handful of other schools, such as Bellevue University) will accept up to 25 FEMA credits for free. I used this option for my bachelors with Bellevue Univ. The tests are essentially "open book" (er, open PDF?) so it shouldn't be too difficult for him to finish these. Of course, if he decides to go a school that doesn't accept FEMA courses, then this would be all for naught. However, it might be something for him to do now, if for no other reason than to keep his mind focused on a goal.

BTW, Bellevue University has a disability services document that your friend may be interested in reviewing. See pg. 16 for specific info on distance learning. http://www.bellevue.edu/services/content/pdfs/disability-services.pdf

 

FEMA courses are a great idea.

Others will know more about this, but doesn't ALEKS, the online instructional program with ACE CREDIT recommendations for college-level math, keep track of student's progress by percentage? It might help to have this constant metric - you're at 20% in Beginning Algebra; have a good week and you could finish it, find a little time one day there and you could surely reach 25%, forget it that week entirely and you'll still have that 20% ready to pick up from anytime. And there are units in algebra, trig, precalculus and statistics for variety.

Another approach - and there's no reason not to use multiple approaches at once - would be just to encourage his informally or semi-formally taking up a subject or two that can be interesting intrinsically and oh, just by chance, conveniently end up in credit in time. You could just start reading a good history or two of the Civil War and Reconstruction and watching Ken Burns' series and see where it leads. Very likely, to ability to pass the DSST in Civil War and Reconstruction in time. Perhaps to a lifelong interest. Perhaps to something in long term memory you can go back to that much more easily when a time does come to take the exam. Educational Psychology and Abnormal Psychology might speak to his experiences, and both have tests for credit.

 

I'm not "really poor" I'm only kinda poor <cough> but my Pell Grant was $5500 per year. Whatever I didn't use I got back as a refund. You can do it every year until you earn a bachelor's- I think they cap you out after 8 years, but I'm not certain.

 

He could always launder them through Frederick Community College.

 

This is a link to a homeschool group that has developed lesson plans to teach clep content. The plans are free, the course material is usually cheap. thishttp://clepprep.tripod.com/cleplessonplans/id4.html I would embark on a combination of this, aleks, and the FEMA idea. In fact I would start with the FEMA PDS, this is a legitimate Certification that is FREE from the Gov. and earned by passing 7 select FEMA online courses. Emergency Mangagement Institute | Professional Development Series (PDS) Perhaps obtaining the PDS would be an obtainable accomplishment that can be built upon. All seven courses are available for college credit here (kinda pricey) and at other schools (can be more affordable) Emergency Management Institute - FEMA Independent Study Program

 

This is a local real-space organization in the Greater Toronto Area, but also has an email list that could be a source of support anywhere. It's not specific to students of any one school.

The Mad Students Society