Introduction, and Thanks To All.

Hello!

I am new to the Forum, have been an avid reader for about a week, but have come here time and time again while Googling college-related information during the last year.

I first want to thank each and every one of you for your contributions that have kept my interest and challenged what I know about pursuing a degree. Some are very thoughtful and well-researched, and have helped me tremendously with planning.

I am an artist, my focus is on oils, photo-realism and portraiture are my two loves. I fiddled with art for a long time, but started doing it full-time (1 year now) after illness struck. I would like to pursue some grants one day, but find that I have a wee bit of competition there, as most recipients have an MFA. My thoughts are that I will look more appealing (my work is very good) and move forward a little bit faster in the crazy, mixed-up art world if I have any degree at all, but preferably I would like to finagle a way to have a fine-arts degree, at least at the BA level.

I have a G.E.D, and a little over a year in a CC in the Midwest, which started with my GPA up at 3.75, honors society, the works... but ended with my GPA plummeting (it was 2.65 the last time I looked) due to the cognitive dysfunction that occurred with seizure medications. I took a year off, volunteered through Help x to get free room and board at various places through the country while I continued making art, and am now settled for at least the next two years in California.

I cannot attend a brick and mortar school for fine arts, I am so far below the poverty level that the floor looks like a ceiling to me. I must look for alternatives. I am Pell-Grant eligible for the max amount, but will need to rely on a disbursement to cover things like books and supplies.

I thought TESC would work, but I quickly backed out when I saw that their tuition was so high, and that my grant would be consumed quickly by their system. I was also scared off by some of the reviews I read on here about their poor customer service (which, by the way, I did NOT experience... they wrote and told me they are processing a refund for my 75 enrollment fee now, so that's a thumbs-up for them!)


I attempted to apply at my local Community College. I was accepted, all processed, and then they hit me with the fees and out of state tuition. One must be a resident of CA for "one year and one day" before the start of a semester to be eligible for the reasonable, reduced tuition for CA residents. I have been here for four and a half months. California B.O.G. grants will not pay enrollment fees for the same reason.

I withdrew my application for admission, and I have just enrolled in NMJC. I am awaiting my transcripts for the last CC I attended, and am thinking that I will pursue an AA in general studies there, since I am not sure if they would add a concentration in Art. I don't think they are set up for something like that.

I am working on obtaining FEMA credits (I don't know what else to do while I wait for NMJC to receive my transcripts) for some electives, using the TESC recommendations. I am thinking I will have to pursue liberal arts at NMJC, and then perhaps go to COSC with my degree from there, and anything else I can accumulate from FEMA and Saylor.

My dream is to get a degree in Fine Arts, but I will probably have to settle for less. I am operating on the theory that any degree is better than noe, as long as the college is regionally accredited, then I think it will look a little better for me in the future while I establish myself as an artist.

So,to sum it up. I am working on a degree so I can get ahead in the arts, I do not know what I am doing, but I am trying to learn, and I really like this forum because of your wonderful attitudes (some very helpful people here!) and am looking forward to reading more of your posts, and contributing. thanks for reading, and feel free to comment or add opinions or give advice. Cheers!

 

Welcome to DegreeInfo. I understand completely the issue of affordability and know that when costs become a primary issue then UNISA typically gets mentioned (often by me). So take a look at their program and if a non-US degree would be acceptable then it will likely be your most affordable alternative.

Unisa Online - Art History, Visual Arts and Musicology

 

First line of, hey, Attack: You should probably build, or keep building, a portfolio of work, references, and a personal statement.

Some or all of this you could use to sell yourself as an artist right now. Some or all this of you could use to apply for scholarships through schools, and third party scholarship grantors, and just maybe for grants through arts grant makers that you could apply as scholarships toward your studies, or your expenses while a student.

Have you considered teaching? This could include taking students privately; it could include teaching through an institution, and this could range from a preschool to a senior's center. "The ability to teach an instrument," the president of a contemporary music school writes in a letter to worried parents, "is a powerful form of career insurance—music teachers abound in every village and hamlet on the planet." Visual art teachers too. There's a set of opportunities here and you might want to build preparing for one or more of them into your plans. For instance you might plan a degree to correspond in part or in full with earning a K-12 teaching license. Of course, maybe you don't see yourself teaching.

One of my best friends is an art teacher who studied at Cooper Union and PAFA/UPenn. She's a bit more cynical than I. She also knows incomparably more about working in visual arts. She's probably right to be cynical. AA, she writes – she's using male pronouns universally –

 

ArtAttack have you researched the admission requirements for a Master of Fine Arts (MFA)? You might be able to apply with an undergraduate degree in liberal arts.

 

How specifically will a degree help you in your art career? Are you planning on teaching in some way? I only ask so the membership can help steer you in the right direction.

 

This might be the best post in this thread. One needn't have a degree in anything in order to be a successful artist.

 

Thank you Kizmet, I did look at UNISA and am impressed, but as Steve mentioned, the out-of-pocket is a problem, at least right now. I could care less if the degree were from the moon, as long as I learned something along the way and it was accredited. It's crazy because as I see it, the job market is flooded with graduates, and experience is becoming the thing that gets one in the door. But then jobs are also diminishing at a fast rate, so it's highly competitive out there. I predict we are soon to be amazed at the number of college graduates who flip burgers, mix drinks, or are baristas, even though they have a marketable degree. Maybe we are already there.

I lived in St. Vincent for a short time, and was surprised to learn that the average young person there has a college degree, and yet is lucky to have a job as a dress-maker or salesclerk. My friend I lived with was a certified teacher, and yet made her money as a tattoo artist because there were no jobs for teachers, and the money she would get as a clerk would not justify the cost of a vehicle, and the bus-rides were life-threatening fiascos that, if you were lucky, might get you there late (I counted 28 people on one ride, I ended up carrying fresh fish on my lap and a young schoolgirl, who perched herself on my lap because there was no place to sit), or might just end your life, as terrible accidents on the mountainous roads were taken as a fact of life.

So I will continue to look for affordability, I am thinking my options are only going to be what a Pell grant covers, or 100% free courses like FEMA and the three from Saylor, and maybe a portfolio, which I have no clue how to put together, but am going to learn how to do this quickly because I keep reading about it and it seems like some very knowledgeable people have suggested this. Thank you for the Unisa suggestion as I have bookmarked it, and never even thought about South Africa as an online option, I only looked at EU online options, which was rather narrow minded on my part.

 

Steve, Thanks for your input... I think that you are right about UNISA as far as costs go. I am glad to hear that I am on the right track. A degree from an assessment college is better than none, but I hope that I can pull out with a little better. I am not stuck on that point right now, since I am only just past the starting line. I do, however, need to keep the finish in sight because I do not want to repeat classes or waste my Pell. I have used three semesters of grnts, so I only have 9 left. Thanks again!

 

Kizmet,

Thanks! I posted a reply, but it disappeared when my session timed out, or was set aside for moderation, I don't know which. I will make this short, in case my longer reply is being held for moderation and shows up later.

Cost is an issue, and even though their credits are only just over 100 USD, I cannot afford that right now, and so I do not want to focus so much on their requirements at this time as I do not know what the future holds as far as finances go. Art is fickle, so perhaps my situation will improve and then I can consider this. Thank you.

 

Jonathan, Thanks... Note taken. I do need to build a portfolio that reflects more of my life accomplishments. I am starting very late in the game, so this is going to be one of my greatest resources, I am thinking.

As for teaching, yes, I have considered it. I taught art at a private Christian Academy a couple of decades ago, more recently, (2 yrs ago) I was a teacher's assistant at the night G.E.D. classes at a workforce training center, and became and Illinois Reading Link/ESL tutor.

My huge dream goal is to work as an artist (and actually make money at it) and to do this independently. I need grants to do it. I am already making art, and making occasional sales. I may get lucky on the way and gain some recognition and then all of this becomes a moot issue, and I will only want to take or have taken classes that are directly art related. I have no guarantee of the future, and so I am doing all of this as insurance and a back-up plan to get it. I think I am thinking straight, but am not sure, so I joined the forum to get feedback from people such as yourself.

My art professor at the CC I attended was big on steering people towards teaching. Before I had the seizure disorder I was very big on pursuing Art Therapy as a career, and she talked me out of it, but tried to steer me and my fellow scholarship students into teaching.

I see this as a system that is imploding on itself. If we teach all students to become teachers, then that is not exactly progressive, IMO. Also, if we direct all students to become "workers" then this also is a poor choice. In whatever field a student is pursuing, they ought to be encouraged to strike out on their own and do something independent, if they so choose. This does not really seem to be happening.

As for what your friend said, she has some cool input. I have not given my portfolio attention, only a tiny bit as an artist, and never as a student. Aside from slamming some shots of artwork on twitter/FB/and my blog, and writing random stuff, I only make art. I am a terrible saleman (woman) and though I know I am supposed to self-brand, I have no clue about how to do that. I make art, in my tiny room, and am under-exposed.

Once again, California has no free offerings for people who have not been residents for one year, at least none that I have found. If anyone knows different, I welcome the information, I don't care about being right, I care about getting out of this crappy financial situation while maintaining my goal as an artist.

 

ba2llb, I am still absorbing all of this. I am thinking I might have to convert some of my life experience, via portfolio, into credit, to gain admission into an MFA program. I am limited to an AA in Liberal Arts through NMJC, and then to get a concentration in Studio arts from COSC, I will have to transfer credit in from elsewhere. It is possible.

 

AV8R,

Good question. My goal is to be an independent artist, working from my own studio. To do this, the way I see it, I have to:

1. Make good art.
2. Get recognized for making good art.
3. Get money from those who recognize me for making good art.
4. Use the money for making more good art.

I am clearly obsessed, and this is not a problem for me. The way I achieve my goals can vary. I am hoping I can gain recognition as an artist before I have finished the college track, and then I can decide at that point whether or not I wish to finish. I do know that I will finish whatever level I am working on (so, for now I am going to complete my AA) no matter whatever, because I finish what I start, unless I determine it is not good for me or others.

You may be curious as to why I am not mentioning using my art in working for others, or a job. I feel that since I have a seizure disorder and cannot drive, that working for myself will be the best thing I can do. Art is the thing I love the most (am passionate about) and nobody cares if I have a disability or not, nor if I am cross-eyed, green, black, alien or whatever, if they like my work. As a matter of fact, sometimes the quirkier the individual is, the better.

Thank you for your question.

 

I believe the fees paid for portfolio assessments of prior learning aren't eligible for federal financial aid.

Sometimes a school has a course in portfolio development that's part of its portfolio assessment process. This course itself will probably be treated like any of the school's courses for financial aid, and the course might include an assessment of one starter portfolio for no additional charge. This is what Charter Oak does, with that starter portfolio included limited to 3 sh. But then there's a fee for each additional semester hour of portfolio assessment credit attempted. At Charter Oak this is currently 91 dollars per semester hour for students enrolled at COSC, 118 for students not enrolled. You would have to fund this out of pocket.

For an alternative source of portfolio assessment for credit, you might look at learningcounts.org (and some helpful threads on DegreeForum). This would also be out of pocket.

Back to COSC, there's a separate pathway to individualized credit there called Contract Learning. A Contract Learning course is basically an individualized course. From some past publications from COSC it looks like Contract Learning courses, if they're scheduled within COSC's standard academic terms/semesters, might be eligible for federal financial aid with the same standing as regular courses. Note that Contract Learning at COSC is intended for students with at least 60 semester hours already earned toward their degree.

 

Sometimes master's programs will admit a qualified candidate without a bachelor's. This is rare but heard-of in the U.S., and apparently more common in the U.K. and perhaps other countries. Studio art is just the sort of subject where you'd expect this to be the most common.

By this pathway, you might not have to prepare portfolios for undergraduate credit. You'd prepare a portfolio for MFA admissions committees. Between that, your undergraduate credit, personal statement, references, and life experience, your goal would be to convince an admissions committee to waive you in without a bachelor's. You'd only need one program to do so.

 

Maniac Craniac, Thank you for the colorful welcome!

 

Jonathan,

I will take advantage of whatever portfolio assessment service that my college offers that falls under financial aid, thanks.

I see what you mean about learningcounts.org, it would be less expensive to assemble a portfolio of prior experience this way if I have to pay out of pocket to do so.

The site itself has cheesy "real testimonials" from fake people, which immediately puts me on guard. I checked out "John" for instance, and he is a stock image. If other people have used this company for assistance, and actually received credit, it would be cool if they put up real testimonials with real photos. TESC is one to be praised for doing that.. I checked them out on the BBB, and they do not show up at all, and are not a member, but their parent organization, CAEL - CAEL - Linking Learning and Work has no complaints, (also not a member) so this is a positive. I also would have to contact them concerning COSC, as they are not listed on their Affiliated Universities or online colleges page.

Re: Contract learning, I totally missed this, but yes, it is something I can also look into further down the road, thank you!

 

Jonathan, Re: Master's Programs admitting undergrads. I have heard of this also. I understood that the likelihood of this approach working is just under the chances of winning the lottery, so I have not tried. Now that I have been introduced to this forum, I am thinking that perhaps it is not that the odds are low of being accepted that is the problem, but perhaps it is that very few people try to apply, because of the same mind-set that I have had. I will put this back on the table after I have completed my associates, and assembled a proper portfolio of my work. Thank you for all of the ideas!