Considering college for myself - can I do it and homeschool?

[momee]

few questions

 

EFC - if ours is very low does that mean we won't be paying much or are there tons of other factors to come into play? I can't/won't upset our financial health to go back. I've filled out the FAFSA and got their report, just haven't heard from the one CC I picked yet. Tell me not to get excited, lol.

 

private/public - If I need aid, is choosing a private school even an option? Why would I consider say, an in state school with online offerings over our local CC?

 

online classes -

Are they much harder than a regular class? I can't be gone from home with little ones to raise... DS's school counselor at the CC said she does not recommend them to younger students because of the issues involved (we didn't go into what issues, but I'm not a 17 yo, kwim?). I THINK I would be fine but do you all have experience with them?

 

And the last one...am I crazy for wanting to go back even though my goal is to be the very best mom I can be - at home? No career for me personally at this point. I am getting excited about getting the education I never had. Should I just do away with the pressure and read WEM books :tongue_smilie:

[QueenCat]

I take all of my classes online. I went with a private, regionally accreditted (this is VERY important as to degree legitimacy). American Public University was my best choice, after researching online programs, both as part of b&m schools, and those that are strictly online). For an 8 week class, I spend about 4 hours a day on the class. Please note that I rarely do school work on Sundays or Tuesdays so this amounts to about 20 hours a week per class. I only take one class at a time, and my husband's company pays for part of it, so I haven't explored financial aid so I can't help with that. I can tell you that each class at APU is $750, and includes books (sometimes hard copy, sometimes an e-book[ can be read online if you don't have an e-book reader). Their pricing was at the low end of most places I explored.

[happyhappyjoyjoy]

I'm wondering the same thing. I'm considering a Master's in Theology. My program would be one (full) weekend of classes a month for 3 years, but I wouldn't start it until 2 years from this fall. I know I couldn't handle it with the ages my children are now, but I feel confident I will be able to then.

 

Best of luck.

[Joker]

I started back to college last year and take a mix of online and on campus classes. Right now I'm going through our local cc but I will transfer next fall to the university. Some online classes seem too easy but some have great professors and I feel challenged. I don't think any are harder than campus classes, just different. I do school work when my dds do school work. We all sit at the kitchen table and I am availabe for questions after I've gone over new material and done any teaching I need to do. I also usually spend a few hours in the afternoon or evening and on the weekend to study, read or write. I'm really enjoying it and hope you do too!

[Night Elf]

My random thoughts as I read your thread:

 

The WEM completely and totally intimidated me. Being in school is totally different.

 

Being a full-time student is a lot of hard work. I couldn't do it without the support from my husband and children.

 

I hate online college classes, but that might not be a fair judgment based on the specific classes I've taken. For one thing, there is no lecture unless it's video. Without video, you are reading everything. There is no opportunity to raise your hand and ask for clarification, examples, or additional information. If you email the instructor, you're stuck with their pace. Some answer right away, others take a week or more. You have no classmate/peer to work with. And in my classes, we were still expected to do group work which was an absolutely miserable experience. Your project is paced at the slowest member's pace. I absolutely hate to wait until the day before a project is due to work on it so I ended up doing the majority of the work because the others in my group thought it was fine to just wait and see how things pan out.

 

I can't help with financial aid. I only qualify for loans which I turn down.

[Joanne]

few questions

 

EFC - if ours is very low does that mean we won't be paying much or are there tons of other factors to come into play? I can't/won't upset our financial health to go back. I've filled out the FAFSA and got their report, just haven't heard from the one CC I picked yet. Tell me not to get excited, lol.

 

private/public - If I need aid, is choosing a private school even an option? Why would I consider say, an in state school with online offerings over our local CC?

 

online classes -

Are they much harder than a regular class? I can't be gone from home with little ones to raise... DS's school counselor at the CC said she does not recommend them to younger students because of the issues involved (we didn't go into what issues, but I'm not a 17 yo, kwim?). I THINK I would be fine but do you all have experience with them?

 

And the last one...am I crazy for wanting to go back even though my goal is to be the very best mom I can be - at home? No career for me personally at this point. I am getting excited about getting the education I never had. Should I just do away with the pressure and read WEM books :tongue_smilie:

 

In person degrees are important in my profession.

 

You do know that aid = student loans, right? It's not the "aid" I thought it was when I started. Don't get me wrong, I've gotten scholarships and such (academic, and there are fewer for grad school) but aid is lingo for student loans. IF your efc is $0, you'll qualifiy to the highest amount of subsidised loans which means the government "pays" the interest on a portion of the loans while you are in school.

 

Yes, going back to school is doable.

 

For me, personally, I could not have done it a moment earlier than I did. My kids were 10, 12 and 14 when I started. If they had been younger it would have been too much of a struggle.

[Joker]

IF your efc is $0, you'll qualifiy to the highest amount of subsidised loans which means the government "pays" the interest on a portion of the loans while you are in school.

 

 

 

My EFC was over $9K and I am still getting the highest level subsidized loans. I have no interest until I stop.

[angela in ohio]

For me, personally, I could not have done it a moment earlier than I did. My kids were 10, 12 and 14 when I started. If they had been younger it would have been too much of a struggle.

 

I agree. Mine were 14, 12, and 8 when I went back, and I can't imagine having done it sooner. I go part-time, and I will be done in a few years when my second graduates, and we need me to work to help out with two in college.

 

I have done both online and in person (both through our local uni.) The online classes are more work sometimes, because the professors seem to add extra to make up for the lack of classtime. OTOH, you can make your own schedule, and you don't have to leave home.

 

I did get a small transfer student scholarship for my first year. Private schools are more, but they have more to give. The private university in the area was offering me more money, but they were more expensive.

Edited July 6, 2011 by angela in ohio

[QueenCat]

I hate online college classes, but that might not be a fair judgment based on the specific classes I've taken. For one thing, there is no lecture unless it's video. Without video, you are reading everything. There is no opportunity to raise your hand and ask for clarification, examples, or additional information. If you email the instructor, you're stuck with their pace. Some answer right away, others take a week or more. You have no classmate/peer to work with. And in my classes, we were still expected to do group work which was an absolutely miserable experience. Your project is paced at the slowest member's pace. I absolutely hate to wait until the day before a project is due to work on it so I ended up doing the majority of the work because the others in my group thought it was fine to just wait and see how things pan out.

 

 

Much of this will depend on the school. At my school, professors are required to respond to emails within 24 hours. Usually, I hear back within an hour or two. There is a lot more reading, as you are reading your text, as well as your "interactions" online, usually in the form of discussion boards. The discussions are not live, and you participate on your own schedule, at least they are for me. So far, I haven't had to deal with group work.

[QueenCat]

In person degrees are important in my profession.

 

 

 

This really depends on the profession. For my dh, one of the best masters program's in his industry is online. His company would not pay for his colleague to go to a b&m school as the online option (Capella) is better in their field. For mine, it really doesn't matter as long as it's regionally accredited.

[Pamela H in Texas]

If your EFC is low, you'll get grants. Depending on where you go to school, grants may be enough. Then you'll have loans on top of that which will have to be paid back. Loan payments start a certain amount of time after you stop attending. If you have preschoolers, that may be more of an issue than if you have teens.

 

As for classes...it really depends. Some classes stink online. They are either way too easy and cheesy or they are challenging well beyond what you'd take in person.

 

Two examples: I took a philosophy class through the CC. The online course had three times as much content AND the tests were meant to show, beyond ALL doubt, that you knew the information inside out. The on-campus course's tests were to the point. If you read and went to class, you would pass. BTW, same professor.

 

My online college seems to be proving they are "real" with multi-class courses. Hist I is really US History I and II, Gov't, Geography, and Sociology. Hist II is the same. One course is a series of papers and the other is a huge test. Many people have trouble with the tests. I have always gotten well over the cut-off scores on these tests though. I like that these courses allow for self-pacing.

 

And yet, I've had some real fluff classes online too. One thing I prefer is easy classes online because sitting through a beginner level class with a bunch of 18 yr olds and people who haven't seen subject matter in a couple decades is maddening. I just didn't forget as much as some did, I guess. And I certainly have more of an education, even a couple decades later, than most high school graduates these days. No doubt, homeschooling my kids helped a little too :)

 

And sometimes it is HARD. I had some anxiety along the way and right now, I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to get these last two papers done with five littles not even all on the same schedule (5 month olds don't play by the rules!). I'm thinking of getting respite care for the weekend to get one paper done though that makes me feel guilty as all get out! But my point is to suggest you consider your resources carefully. Everyone will need to step it up a little (laundry, supper, etc) and you may need to use some extended resources like grandparents for a fun weekend for the kids as you finish up your research project.

 

Anyway, the only regret I have about going back to school is that I wish I had done so sooner (well, I did do it sooner, but I didn't stick with it originally...I wish I had followed through sooner).

Edited July 6, 2011 by 2J5M9K

[Mosaicmind]

I am getting my master's in professional counseling, just finished my bachelor's in psych about a year ago. I did my bachelors degree all online, it was hard because my classes were 8wk sessions, which means they crammed 16wk of work into 8 wks. I am getting my masters online also; I will have to take 3 classes as intensive classes so I will have to go and be on campus for 1 week for each class. I go to a nationally accredited Christian university that has one of the best counseling degree programs in the country.

 

My EFC has always been 0 and that means I got the most grant money you could get plus extra in an FSEOG grant. Now with a master's you cannot get grant money so I am getting student loans. My dd is going to Purdue University and her EFC is 0 and she hasn't had to pay a single cent for her college degree at all.

 

I admit there's been days when I want to quit, like now as I write a 20pg research paper for my psychopathology class, but the rewards will outweigh this temporary anxiety. It took me only 3.5yrs to get my bachelor's degree because I really pushed myself. It will only take me 2.5yrs to get my master's degree which is 60hrs and I found out that I can add 3 more classes and get my master's in marriage and family therapy, but don't know i want to do that. I am glad I did it now. My youngest was 4 when I started and I am glad I did it when he was little.

[Peela]

I did a correspondence course, with monthly workshops, in naturopathy, when my kids were babies. I studied biology and chemistry from university textbooks, through pregnancies and breastfeeding. It was very hard. But, I did it and it gave me a sense of satisfaction to be doing something other than parenting. The advantage though, was being able to go at my own pace. I don't know how I would have handled deadlines.

 

I have a friend studying psychology and encouraging me to go to university, saying I would love it. But gosh, when I see the stress she goes through each exam period- and she is not studying full time- it turns me off, I must admit.

[Ginevra]

few questions

 

EFC - if ours is very low does that mean we won't be paying much or are there tons of other factors to come into play? I can't/won't upset our financial health to go back. I've filled out the FAFSA and got their report, just haven't heard from the one CC I picked yet. Tell me not to get excited, lol.

 

private/public - If I need aid, is choosing a private school even an option? Why would I consider say, an in state school with online offerings over our local CC?

 

online classes -

Are they much harder than a regular class? I can't be gone from home with little ones to raise... DS's school counselor at the CC said she does not recommend them to younger students because of the issues involved (we didn't go into what issues, but I'm not a 17 yo, kwim?). I THINK I would be fine but do you all have experience with them?

 

And the last one...am I crazy for wanting to go back even though my goal is to be the very best mom I can be - at home? No career for me personally at this point. I am getting excited about getting the education I never had. Should I just do away with the pressure and read WEM books :tongue_smilie:

 

I am. I only wish I had done it sooner instead of hemming and hawing for years. I have not taken any on-line courses, but it would not be a bad way IF you have a time/space where you can go do your school without interruption. I can see a time coming where I may have to do a class on-line, but I prefer to go to the physical school. It gives me a chance to leave my mommy roll completely and just be a student. If I had to do the class at home on-line, I would still try to re-create that so my kids truly realize I am NOT available, I'm "in class."

 

I do not have specific career goals for which it is dire that I get my degree, either. I am happy I finally gave myself permission for desire to be a good enough reason on its own. :001_smile:

 

I don't know much about financial aid. I do not qualify for aid at this time and am going to CC.

[fhjmom]

I just started an online masters program through a state university. It will be 2-3 classes at a time for 2 years (plus 1 summer). If the pace of the fall and spring is anything like what I have right now, it should be fairly easy to keep up with my school and homeschooling. It is an education degree so I think they expect that most people in the program will be teaching full time in the fall/spring with a bachelors.

 

As far as online, it is different from going to class in person, but it is all I could do at this point in my life. With Littles and my hubby going to school full time and working full time, there is no way I could also try to go on-campus so I am thankful for the option. I do miss the interaction and discussion in class; there are discussion boards but that is much different from an in-class discussion.

 

Financial aid does not automatically equal loans. My hubby has enough grants to cover his tuition and books, with a little left over. I have a state tuition waiver because of my hearing loss that covers all hourly-based tuition and fees. I did opt to take a small portion of the subsidized loan offered to me to help with books, but you don't have to take the total that is offered; you can only take part of it.

 

HTH!

[twoforjoy]

EFC - if ours is very low does that mean we won't be paying much or are there tons of other factors to come into play? I can't/won't upset our financial health to go back. I've filled out the FAFSA and got their report, just haven't heard from the one CC I picked yet. Tell me not to get excited, lol.

 

If it's low, it's very likely you'll qualify for a good amount of aid.

 

private/public - If I need aid, is choosing a private school even an option? Why would I consider say, an in state school with online offerings over our local CC?

 

It's an option to choose private school, but I'd be really, really careful about taking on student loan debt, and would try to take on as little as possible. I'd be very reluctant to choose a private school over a public school unless the private school offered enough in grants and scholarships to be cheaper than the public school. However, there might be good reasons to choose an in-state public school with online offerings over a CC, like convenience and course offerings.

 

online classes -

Are they much harder than a regular class? I can't be gone from home with little ones to raise... DS's school counselor at the CC said she does not recommend them to younger students because of the issues involved (we didn't go into what issues, but I'm not a 17 yo, kwim?). I THINK I would be fine but do you all have experience with them?

 

I'd say online classes are generally academically easier. But, you get a lot less interaction from the instructor and the class. I think the reason they'd advise younger students against online classes is that you really need to be self-motivated to get the work done.

 

And the last one...am I crazy for wanting to go back even though my goal is to be the very best mom I can be - at home? No career for me personally at this point. I am getting excited about getting the education I never had. Should I just do away with the pressure and read WEM books :tongue_smilie:

 

Crazy? No. But, without being a huge party pooper, if you don't have a specific career path in mind AND would be financing your education with loans, I'd think really hard about whether this is the right time. It's just really easy to get bogged down in student loan debt, because it adds up. If you can afford to go, then going for personal enrichment is great. But, honestly I'd probably advise against going to school for personal enrichment if you can't pay for it out of pocket. There will always be the opportunity to go back to school to prepare for a career when your kids are older, and then, if you do need to take out loans, you'll at least be headed in a direction where you'll have a career and earn money to pay them back. In the meantime, you might find things like book clubs, classes offered through your town/city's rec or adult ed program (usually really cheap), and online study groups good, free ways to have some accountability and structure without committing to the time and money of a formal college education.

Edited July 6, 2011 by twoforjoy

[meet me in paris]

If you are excited about it, then you *can* do it. If it's a drudgery, then it will be much, much harder. It sounds like you're doing it for the right reasons, though!

 

I finished my B.S. when my kids were LITTLE. And my husband was deployed. :tongue_smilie: It's doable. It actually helped me to have that "me" time. It was something for me to focus on that had nothing to do with little people and I loved it. I kept going and went right into grad school. Here I am, several years later and I'm going back this fall to do another masters. I love being in school. I find it very fulfilling and it's an incredibly productive hobby!

 

As far as aid, private schools are expensive. I would do CC or online classes through a local university. Try and test out of as many credits as you possibly can, as it is an excellent use of your time and money. Once you decide on a school, find out what tests they'll accept for credit and get cracking on that.

 

Good luck!

[LittleIzumi]

You do know that aid = student loans, right? It's not the "aid" I thought it was when I started. Don't get me wrong, I've gotten scholarships and such (academic, and there are fewer for grad school) but aid is lingo for student loans. IF your efc is $0, you'll qualifiy to the highest amount of subsidised loans which means the government "pays" the interest on a portion of the loans while you are in school.

 

 

We have an EFC of $0 and get almost the same amount in free Pell grants as in subsidized loans. Dh still takes the loans because he saves the grants for summer, but if they keep up the new summer Pell grants and we can manage to qualify each year, he can stop taking loans entirely. Yippee!

[blondeviolin]

It is difficult, but do-able. My classes at the local community college are completely covered under the pell grant. They are all online, which do have a fair amount of busy work over what an on-campus class would.

 

I will say that the degree I'll be earning will be my second choice because my first choice (math) does not have an online option. I have all littles (5 and under), no family close (closest is nearly 700 miles away), and a husband who is in the military with a very flakey schedule. On-campus classes really aren't an option for me.

 

That said, I'll get my associates this fall and it only took me 2.5 years! I'm definitely patting myself on the back...now I just need 3ish more years to finish my bachelors...

[Joanne]

I go to a nationally accredited Christian university that has one of the best counseling degree programs in the country.

 

Is it CACREP accredited?

[QueenCat]

I'd say online classes are generally academically easier. But, you get a lot less interaction from the instructor and the class. I think the reason they'd advise younger students against online classes is that you really need to be self-motivated to get the work done.

 

In my personal experience, my online classes are academically harder than those I've take on-campus. Granted, there were a few years in between them. Older ds is at an "average" state university. My classes are not easier than his, when I look at his requirements and coursework loads. Different, yes, as I have the extra written work, in the form of online discussion boards. He, on the other hand, is on campus, in class for about the same amount of time I spend on the extra written work. I think you have to compare schools rather than online vs. on campus to get a sense of harder/easier. Harvard will be more academically challenging than the community college. There is so much variation in challenge but a class being online doesn't make it easier or harder just because it is online.

[sassyscrapperinid]

In person degrees are important in my profession.

 

You do know that aid = student loans, right? It's not the "aid" I thought it was when I started. Don't get me wrong, I've gotten scholarships and such (academic, and there are fewer for grad school) but aid is lingo for student loans. IF your efc is $0, you'll qualifiy to the highest amount of subsidised loans which means the government "pays" the interest on a portion of the loans while you are in school.

 

Yes, going back to school is doable.

 

For me, personally, I could not have done it a moment earlier than I did. My kids were 10, 12 and 14 when I started. If they had been younger it would have been too much of a struggle.

So, now a days a grant = a loan??? Thats confusing. I am going back to school myself this fall, as well as 2 of my teenagers, and it says our efc is $0 and that we qualify for $X in grants and $X in loans. We wont do loans. But, certainly its not the same thing. Thanks for the input.

To the OP: I am glad you started this thread as I am taking 3 classes this fall, two of which are online. :001_smile:

[Pamela H in Texas]

So, now a days a grant = a loan???

 

No. Graduate students don't get grants; but for those of us going back for bachelor's degrees, aid means grants first if we have a low EFC. Those are not paid back as long as you do the coursework for it (and even then, there is some leeway so a term or two isn't the end of the world).

 

If you have an EFC of $0, then you are looking at $5550 in grant money. You'd only have loans for more than that. For example, my college is $2980 per term. So a person's out of pocket would be $440 if they had and EFC of $0. (note: even better, a term is 6 months and courses are self-paced so you could get away with a degree for less than $2000!).

[happyhappyjoyjoy]

Online classes vary. My DH is doing an online master's in Mathematics. He has to be in front of the computer at the time is class is going on. The class has both students on campus and students online. He can interact with the class, and it is HARD.

Edited July 6, 2011 by happyhappyjoyjoy

[Joanne]

So, now a days a grant = a loan??? Thats confusing. I am going back to school myself this fall, as well as 2 of my teenagers, and it says our efc is $0 and that we qualify for $X in grants and $X in loans. We wont do loans. But, certainly its not the same thing. Thanks for the input.

To the OP: I am glad you started this thread as I am taking 3 classes this fall, two of which are online. :001_smile:

 

No, a grant is still a grant. (They aren't available for graduate studies)

 

But grants generally do not cover everything and the rest of "aid" is loans.

[meet me in paris]

Online classes vary. My DH is doing and online master's in Mathematics. He has to be in front of the computer at the time is class is going on. The class has both students on campus and students online. He can interact with the class, and it is HARD.

My first masters program was like this. It was much like being in a classroom - we had lectures, group work, etc. during our class time on top of our other assignments. It was incredibly demanding. Plus, we lived overseas, so my classes "met" from 12am - 2am or 2am - 4am. :ack2:

[sassyscrapperinid]

No. Graduate students don't get grants; but for those of us going back for bachelor's degrees, aid means grants first if we have a low EFC. Those are not paid back as long as you do the coursework for it (and even then, there is some leeway so a term or two isn't the end of the world).

 

If you have an EFC of $0, then you are looking at $5550 in grant money. You'd only have loans for more than that. For example, my college is $2980 per term. So a person's out of pocket would be $440 if they had and EFC of $0. (note: even better, a term is 6 months and courses are self-paced so you could get away with a degree for less than $2000!).

 

hey thanks for the info here. The last time I went to school, grants covered ALL of my tuition and books. It says our EFC is 0, so I dont understand what the $440 is for if we get $5500 in grants? thanks!

[BamaTanya]

my online courses were much more time consuming than on-campus classes. I am in a graduate program that offers many online classes. Given the choice, I always select on-campus. It is easier (for me) to have that dedicated time away from the house/family. It is easier for me to judge the professor's expectations for assignments. It is easier to figure out the focus of the content -- what the professor wants to emphasize. And it suits my personality. I am an extrovert and benefit from face-to-face discussions.

That said, I'm looking at online programs to continue after this one because it would be the only way for me to get my doctorate. (If I decide to follow through, I need to wait until my children are a little older and I'd only attempt one course at a time.) Can't move the whole family at this point in our lives.

[Pamela H in Texas]

It says our EFC is 0, so I dont understand what the $440 is for if we get $5500 in grants?

 

It's a bit confusing, I guess, because you're thinking "estimated family contribution is zero, that means I pay nothing no matter what." What it means is that you qualify for a certain amount of aid, including grants. Zero equals the government giving you $5500 towards your education. There are qualified expenses (books, tuition, etc).

 

So if you go to the community college and it costs $580 per term plus $400 for books. So $980 per term, two terms is $1960 for the year. Taken from the $5500, you'll have an excess of $3540 to use towards other qualified expenses. You don't have any basic money out of pocket though.

 

But if you go to WGU to become a teacher or as an IT major, for example, you'll have $2980 per term. There will be some books or tests occasionally out of pocket also (like the Praxis II test is not covered, but most liberal arts books and some teacher materials were included). Anyway, so $5500 from the $5960 in school fees comes out to $440. You would be responsible for that difference and those few other fees along the way.

 

So if you go to a school whose tuition is $10,000 per year, you'd have $4500 (plus books, fees, etc) excess to come up with. Most people use loans for these expenses.

 

My (step)brother and his wife are Dave Ramsey fans who would never take out a loan. It is taking my brother longer to get through school, but not much longer. And he'll graduate with no debt. But in order to do that, they had to raise the money upfront as they got limited grant money (his wife is a teacher, they have no children).

 

Anyway, hope that helps a little. EFC of zero doesn't mean you will pay nothing (unless you go somewhere you can spend less than $5500).

[Mosaicmind]

Is it CACREP accredited?

 

 

I am not worried about that because all of the places I am looking to work at I have checked with them and just based on where I am going an what classes I have taken is all they want to know. I am not going into the secular counseling field either and right now don't know that I want or need to be licensed. Still praying about that. Right now there are 10 states that require a class we don't offer or require it all be done in person and I don't live in any of those states or plan to move there. Where I am living now, none of the secular or Christian counseling agencies require CACREP accredidation. I made sure and checked this out before I chose to stick with Liberty University.

 

I also have to disagree with one poster who said online classes are easier. I have a friend who is going to classes in person and she says I have much more reading, papers to write, tests to take and assignments in general; all in a much shorter time span. I don't disagree that some online classes can be easier but that has no been the case for me.

[sassyscrapperinid]

It's a bit confusing, I guess, because you're thinking "estimated family contribution is zero, that means I pay nothing no matter what." What it means is that you qualify for a certain amount of aid, including grants. Zero equals the government giving you $5500 towards your education. There are qualified expenses (books, tuition, etc).

 

So if you go to the community college and it costs $580 per term plus $400 for books. So $980 per term, two terms is $1960 for the year. Taken from the $5500, you'll have an excess of $3540 to use towards other qualified expenses. You don't have any basic money out of pocket though.

 

But if you go to WGU to become a teacher or as an IT major, for example, you'll have $2980 per term. There will be some books or tests occasionally out of pocket also (like the Praxis II test is not covered, but most liberal arts books and some teacher materials were included). Anyway, so $5500 from the $5960 in school fees comes out to $440. You would be responsible for that difference and those few other fees along the way.

 

So if you go to a school whose tuition is $10,000 per year, you'd have $4500 (plus books, fees, etc) excess to come up with. Most people use loans for these expenses.

 

My (step)brother and his wife are Dave Ramsey fans who would never take out a loan. It is taking my brother longer to get through school, but not much longer. And he'll graduate with no debt. But in order to do that, they had to raise the money upfront as they got limited grant money (his wife is a teacher, they have no children).

 

Anyway, hope that helps a little. EFC of zero doesn't mean you will pay nothing (unless you go somewhere you can spend less than $5500).

 

Thanks Pamela! Thats what I figured, but since it has been such a long time, I didnt know if things had changed from what I was reading here. :001_smile:

[LostSurprise]

I've been working on my Master's degree online for the last 2 years and my sister is doing her bachelor's degree (different universities).

 

Based on online chatter and personal experience I would recommend a brick and mortar university with an online section. Same professors. Mostly the same work (if anything more writing). And when you add it to your resume employers can't see if it was online or in person.

 

There's still a lot of prejudice against online degrees. As if people who don't attend lack the stamina or the social skills of a 'normal' degree. Seriously, and this was from tech-saavy folk.

 

There are also predatory online colleges. These places will say anything to get your money. I've seen my sister go through 2 different well-known online programs and she's been lied to (the first time was even that they had that major!) and financially ripped off.

 

I'm sure you could handle an online degree, if you are self-directed and have a few hours a day to work on reading/homework/projects/papers.