i need DE school (TX) thats CHEAP, disabled, hispanic and no money to spend until grd

I have been urged by some friends of mine to get into school. I would need a school that is #1 cheap, accredited, local or of no consequence that i live in texas, be able to get grants for my being on disability (SSI) and being hispanic, and not have to pay anything grants etc didn't pay for until after i graduated. I basically want to get a general education because at this point in life i do not know what vocation i want to tackle. i applied at Chemeketa.edu some time ago and was told that with financial aid i'd still have a remaining amount i'd have to pay. i cannot afford that. also i'm going to file chapter 7 bankruptcy -- will that hurt me getting student loan ?

btw i have been out of school for 10+ years. another thing in choosing a DE school, would be that they offerred a DE remedial math class (pre entry level algegra). i simply dont have enough money to spend out of my pocket to pay for my schooling. things like tuition and textbooks are big bucks as i found out with chemeketa.edu.

please help

thank you

Arthur Rosene

 

If you are on SSI and not working, and if you live in Houston, perhaps you should look into an on-campus program at one of your local community colleges.

These programs are often less expensive for local students than distance learning programs would be, and they can offer you financial aid and academic assistance. They have experience with poorly prepared students and can offer you remedial classes. Usually there are offices intended to help people with disabilities, should you need that kind of thing.

So if I were you, I'd go talk to a counselor at a local community college. From your post, I'd guess that you might need a more supportive environment than distance learning would give you. With distance learning, you are kind of on your own.

When I was attending City College of San Francisco (a local community college out here), we had quite a few successful students on various kinds of disability.

I applaud your interest in going to school and agree with your friends that it might be a very good thing for you. Good luck.

 

attending local school in person not an option

attenting a school in person is not an option as my disability is too severe to deal with the stress. that is why i'm seeing a DE school. I would definitely need finanical assistance until i was out of school.

 

Re: attending local school in person not an option

Have you tried contacting your local Vocational Rehabilitation office? I never tried it myself (never needed to--went with a very inexpensive examination-based route), but I have heard anecdotally that many such offices will pay all or most of a disabled active student's tuition, regardless of whether the learning takes place on-campus. You might get in touch with your SSI contact about this.

Once the financial questions are worked out, I only have two pieces of advice: Make sure the school is regionally accredited, and get a degree in something you'll enjoy.

Good luck, and please feel free to contact me (here or privately at [email protected]) if any further advice might be useful.


Cheers,

 

I have no specific advice to offer, but good luck to you. Tom Head is one of "Les Immortels" around here, so his advice will stand you in good stead.

 

ok i will contact rehab commission -- help with school suggestions anyone ?

I will contact the texas rehabilitation commission to get help on paying for my schooling.

can anyone suggest some good low costs DE schools ? the ones local to me here in houston that offered DE wanted over $200 per 3 hour course.

 

You should check with the Office os Students with disabilities at you nearest UT campus (link is for Arlington). They have many support services and can put you in touch with financial aid opportunties also.

You also might be surprized and how far they will go to help you attend regualr classes.

 

there is no university of texas in houston nor would i be able to attend such a school. i would need a low cost fully accredited community college that would allow me to take remedial math and entry level college courses at low costs through DE. I live with my parents and I do not have a car. not only will they not take me i cannot afford to relocate or be a resident of any other school plus i'm not comfortable with physical attendance of class.

 

Depending on how cooperative the Texas Rehabilitation Commission is, cost may not be an issue.

For low-cost online remedial courses, the community college system is your best bet:
http://www.vct.org/

Texas colleges offer notoriously low in-state tuition--my vague recollection is that $100/course is about the norm for community colleges, and you can probably find something cheaper than that if you look for it. Textbook charges can be cut down considerably if you buy your books used--see BookFinder (which really should offer me a commission, given the number of times I've recommended them).

Knowing nothing about your level of disability, I won't offer unsolicited advice on whether you should take on-campus classes--but I think folks in this thread are speaking mainly of the social factor, because distance learning can be a lonely experience, and sometimes it can be hard to stay motivated. If you belong to a church or have another regular means of social contact, then those concerns are probably already being met. Not that this is any of our business, mind you, but you're listening to the voices of experience.

The other thing I'd recommend is that you start thinking ahead (if you haven't already) about something that interests you, something you'd really like to study at an advanced level. That'll give you something to look forward to after you're finished with the remedial courses (which probably won't last long at all--if you've already got your GED or a high school diploma, you've already demonstrated that you're basically ready for college work).

Good luck!


Cheers,

 

Hi Arthur!

I also think it is great that you decided to get an education and not let being disabled stop you. My post is a little bit off topic and basically just a rant on the US government with regards to disabled people and the school/social system.

I come from a country that basically has free education all the way, including University, and the mentality is something like free education for all because being socially responsible is not only the right thing to do but also the economically sound thing, after all a well educated work force is much better for the economy.

I really feel despite the US school system probably being the best in the world that it is shameful that they don't provide free education for the people that might not afford it and need it the most, disabled people.

ps: I am sorry, I just saw Bowling for Columbine.

 

Depending on how cooperative the Texas Rehabilitation Commission is, cost may not be an issue.

For low-cost online remedial courses, the community college system is your best bet:

http://www.vct.org/

Texas colleges offer notoriously low in-state tuition--my vague recollection is that $100/course is about the norm for community colleges, and you can probably find something cheaper than that
[\B]

--=-

I have checked several community colleges and because of my location they are asking over $200 per class. i am not way out of houston rather a suburb but it seems the choices i have investigated so far have not been promising.
-


Knowing nothing about your level of disability, I won't offer unsolicited advice on whether you should take on-campus classes--but I think folks in this thread are speaking mainly of the social factor, because distance learning can be a lonely experience, and sometimes it can be hard to stay motivated.


--=-
I'm already a very isolated person and i'm not sure i'd have it any other way.. attending a class in person would be a very high stress situation. my diagnosis is schizophrenia and i also suffer anxiety and sleep disorders.
-


If you belong to a church or have another regular means of social contact, then those concerns are probably already being met. Not that this is any of our business, mind you, but you're listening to the voices of experience.

--=- no i'm afraid the only social contact i have are two friends and i dont see them very often.
-

The other thing I'd recommend is that you start thinking ahead (if you haven't already) about something that interests you, something you'd really like to study at an advanced level. That'll give you something to look forward to after you're finished with the remedial courses (which probably won't last long at all--if you've already got your GED or a high school diploma, you've already demonstrated that you're basically ready for college work).

[/QUOTE]

yes i know i want to work with computers. what aspect of computers i dont know. its not exactly a good field to be in financially but its the only thing i know anything about. I tend to favor dealing with computers better than i do humans.


I have a GED and have taken 2 community college classes about a decade ago. have not had any schooling since.

thank you for your help, sir.

-


does anyone know if having filed for chapter 7 bankruptcy will hinder the ability to secure financial aid / student loan ?

 

Mr. Rosene,
I commend your aspirations and realize you are in a tough position. I have been privileged to teach students in my classroom that possessed similar problems that you addressed. They are now college graduates so you can accomplish your goals as well. As for the distance education aspect, I only have a few comments to make.

For low cost quality education, Texas is hard to beat. (In the interest of full disclosure, I am a fifth generation Texan and affiliated with a campus in the Texas A&M University System). However, the joke around here is that public institutions of higher education in Texas are no longer “state supported” but “state assisted.” We are in a budget crunch, but I do not suspect state aid to students will be cut. From my experience, disabled students usually receive a combination of state and federal aid. As for your ethnicity, we can’t use such matters in admissions or the awarding of aid.

From conversions I have had with peers and students, many recommend Dallas County Community College’s telecollege (ollie.dcccd.edu). Also, as much as it displeases me to admit it, the University of Texas System has an excellent online general education program (telecampus.utsystem.edu). I am sure there are more options and I would be surprised if North Harris CC, Houston CC or San Jacinto CC do not have some DL options. If you live in one of these districts, you may be able to gets some perks and more assistance (ie. having reserved library books, often textbooks, delivered to your door with extended semester check out privileges, local support groups) If you plan to pursue a Texas state education, which may be your only option considering your income level, you will have to take the TASP test. There are programs that cover the test fee for low income students (or there used to be).

Anyway, call the admissions office of a local community college and I am sure they can help you get pointed in the right direction. I hope this helps and in a few years, we can discuss which university you want to attend to earn a bachelor’s.

Good Luck,
Earl Hodges

 

The Dallas college looks great because they offer a range of remedial courses of which i'm sure i'll need. I filled out an applicatoin with them, have never taken the TASP, i am wondering if the ASSET is a acceptable TASP equivalent. I also found no sign of costs per class but i'd venture to guess its cheaper than elsewhere.

the UT DE university was awesome but gosh $300-$500 per class is not within my price range. with that kind of education -- i could perform brain surgery.

i also could not find any starting or ending dates on the Dallas online college but i emailed them so hopefully i'll have some answers soon. have to make a trip to TRC sometime to get this thing working. so much trouble i hope someday it'll be worth it.

 

Re: attending local school in person not an option

I suspect most people would consider attending school far less stressfull than working for an employer or being self employed.

You might want to check out this thread: http://www.degreeinfo.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=4359
for some hispanic scholorship opportunities.

Good luck.

 

Well, a lot of good suggestions already. One additional thought -- have you considered delaying an education until the bankruptcy you've mentioned, stress concerns, other personal concerns, are a little more stable and less likely to make the experience harder?

It might be worth taking a year to get everything else in life squared away, then ease into things with one or two classes.

Because it's hard to take the most from an education with other things in life taking away your time and energy to be dealt with first. And taking time to plan, save resources, and know exactly what you're getting into is always valuable -- it's unfortunate, but a really low-cost and low-stress education is hard to find. It can be done, but only with a large amount of planning first -- the education before the school education, in a way -- so that when classes start, you don't have to think or worry about that side of it, and can just concentrate on the classes.

-- Tom7