Help in Paying for College for My Daughter..

First, congrats on getting her to college. Next, I found a book in the library that listed over a 1000 differnet scholarships. The other thing, is there is a lot of free money out there. Go to a local Jr. college and ask questions...they are the best at helping you find free money.
Good luck

Try looking for PELL grants and other type grants. My son's girlfriend wanted to go to Veterinarian school, but they are soooo back loaded that she will not be able to even get in. So maybe she should check on that first.
The Culinary schools, or other trade schools, probably have some type of financing available. Unless she has a rich relative somewhere, loans and grants are the only way, unless her grades are good enough to land her a scholarship.
If she gets student loans, she won't have to start paying them back right at once.

I've heard people talk about:
www.scholarshipcoach.com
I've never used it, but heard good things about it.

My daughter came home in eighth grade telling me that the guidance counselor at school had said she ought to be tested for ADHD. No way! She might have been obsessive-compulsive, but she had no attention problems. That was the year her math teacher also convinced her that she had a math phobia. Funny, she didn't have any problem until that year. Then I found out that the teacher was teaching integrated math part of the time (which is the way most of the world teaches their kids) and the new math (which is what Americans are taught) at the same time. My husband was studying for his master's in math with the goal of being a high school teacher. He sat down with her and said she had no problem understanding the math or the concepts. I think she's finally given up the ADHD and math phobia imprints now.

I say go for the loans and grants. I paid my way through college by living at home, working almost full time, and going to a public state university. Then several years ago, I decided to try for a second master's degree and a Ph.D. I didn't get either, but I did accummulate $30K in student loan debt that I am scheduled to finished paying off when I'm 70. The "good" news is that if I died before repaying the full obligation, my estate is not liable for it.

Where else are you going to be able borrow money for tuition and expensest 3% interest and pay it back over 20 years with all the forbearance and economic hardship provisions when you finish? Without them, my brothers and my mother would never have gotten their degrees. One brother graduated from Stanford Law School with tens of thousands of dollars of student loans even though he got a perfect score on the LSAT and had the benefit of all their "free" money.

She definately needs to check for grants (don't have to be paid back). Since she lives at home they will consider your income but since you are single and have another dependent, she may qualify. Also, now is the time for her to check for all possible scholarships from a variety of sources and within her learning interest. Many organizations offer shcolarships based on essays and they do help with costs. If she can't get a grant, then it may be a good idea for her to go to school part time in order to pay for it (starting at a community college) and then transfer to a 4 yr University after recieving an associates degree. The only other alternative is that she take out loans. You don't have to take them for her, she can take her own. It's rough for kids, but it builds character too when they help with their own education - they tend to take it very seriously.

L., I have no experiece in this as my daughter is only 3 but I feel that everyone who wants to attend college should have the chance to do so. It seems as if everyone here is giving you good advice and becuase of that I have a question for all you experienced moms out there. My daughter has a savings account that we opened for her thats in her name as a minor and my name as her mom. With this account being in her name, years down the road when its time for her to apply to loans/grants etc....will having this account hurt her chances of assistance? I want to her to have some savings already established but don't know if I should take her name off the account.

Hi L., I'm no expert, but I think there are many different student loans. I had one and it took a while to pay off, but I believe we also qualified for financial aid that didn't have to be paid off. Also, I did work part time at the college, just a handful of hours a week. I know there are a lot of financial aid books out there, but there was one specifically where a young man put himself through medical by applying for grants and such - that might be helpful. Also, you mentioned that she has a learning disability - it may be possible that she could get grants/scholarships because of that.

Check with the school counselor - they should be able to give you some direction, and also with the colleges she wants to go to for the same help. Worst case, perhaps she can start at a community college, which is usually less expensive, and then transfer to the 4 year when the $ is there. Good luck and congrats and good for you for getting her help and not listening to someone who obviously didn't know what they were talking about :)

My daughters dad pass away last Sept. and he was to help pay for our daughters college. I can not do it myself. Is there any help for us.

have you applied to see if you qualify for federal or state grants? you can go to the college she is planning to go to and they can give you the apps for them. its worth a try!

Try going to fastweb.com. It has TONS of scholarships listed. Has she been involved in high school? Often high schools will offer scholarships to students for various reasons. Also, she may be eligible for government money. You can find out what she's eligible for by filling out the FAFSA, although I'm not sure if they'll pay for a non-traditional school such as culnary art. It's worth a try. Good luck, avoiding loans is SO worth it!
J.

I was a single mom with my youngest in college. Contact the financial aid office of the college she wants to go & apply for grants(don't have to pay those back). You may qualify for financial aid also,if your salary & income is not too high. My ex was not helping her financially, so my daughter got quite a good financial aid package even with my good salary. Also, go online under scholarships(don't have to pay those back either)& apply for every one you think she qualifies & some you don't think she qualifies. She may have to jump through some hoops, like write essays(you can help her write them, just can't write the whole thing or do community service etc. Try asking your church, temple, etc if they give scholarships. Also, if she is in any clubs at school or band, drill team, Girl Scouts, youth group at church etc. They sometimes will give a deserving student at least something. Some businesses you trade with will sometimes give scholorships when you explain your situation. There maybe something with groups that deal with ADAH. Also, have your daughter ask her high school senior year counselor for applications for EVERY scholarship possible. Ask your Human Resources at your work and ex-husbands work (if he wants to help)if they provide scholarships for employees children, sometime they will donate $250, $500 or maybe $1,000 just because you are a good employee. My daughter went through on all grants and scholarships while she lived at home & dorms. When she decided she wanted her own apartment she had to get loans which SHE is paying back now. Ha!Ha! She wishes she had stayed in the dorms now! It is alot of work each year but it is worth it. Your daughter will get sick of asking & doing but your will have to keep her motivated. There are even tax credits for money paid for her tuition even if she pays it, & you can claim her until she is 22 years old, even if she works part-time. It is great. Best to you & your daughter.

there are lots of grants available......check with her HS and with the financial aide office of the college she is interested in....congratulations to her (and you)

Yep - the loans are no fun. My mom went to college the same time I did so she took out loans for herself and I had to get my own, which I am still paying on. However, it is completely worth it. She can get a job and work a little during college which will help cut them back. Once she gets in and keeps her grades up there are scholarships for successive years whcih can help her too. No one wants to get loans, but it is a fact of life for most of us.

Hi L.--and good for you and your daughter! You didn't say where you live but my best advice is to encourage you and your daughter to visit one of the community colleges for information and a place to start; examples are the Collin, Dallas or Tarrant County Community College Districts. Look for the admissions and/or financial aid departments. They can provide guidance and answers to your questions. If your daughter is hoping to attend a four-year university right away, you need to contact and visit that school as soon as possible (see the same departments) because admissions and financial aid decisions are being made right now for the fall. The community colleges offer more flexibility, are less expensive and provide coursework that can transfer into the four-year school programs. It's a great, supportive and reasonably priced place to start. Good luck and may God guide and bless you all.

When does your daughter turn 18? One solution or part of the solution might be for your daughter to start her own home based/direct sales business. She can work when she wants as much as she wants in between class and study time. I am a Pampered Chef consultant and can give her info about Pampered Chef and direct sales in general. Then, she should talk to other direct sales vendors and compare. Call me ###-###-####. Have a fantastic day, C. Landis

Did you claim her on our taxes for 2007? If so, don't do it again! She can qualify for grants (the Pell Grant specifically) if no one can claim her on taxes. If you have no savings for her, it seems that loans might be her only option if you want to continue claiming her. Maybe let her take out loans for the first year, stop claiming her, and allow her to apply for grants for the next few years.