Kimm in WA Posted September 16, 2012 Share Posted September 16, 2012 Fall of 2013 I will have 3 kiddos in college and one I am homeschooling who will be in 8th grade. I'm thinking it might be the right time to do some classes online through the local community college. Would me applying for financial aid mess up my kiddos' or would 4 in our household in college help matters? Honestly, on one income I'm not sure how we could pay for me to go back if I didn't get really good aid. Any advice from those who have BTDT and gone back when they had kiddos in college? TIA! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brenda in MA Posted September 16, 2012 Share Posted September 16, 2012 Kimm, I'd suggest asking about this on College Confidential's FA forum. There are some really knowledgeable folks there. It used to be that if a parent was in college, that counted towards the number of household members in college, so it would lower the expected contribution for each family member. However, I'm pretty sure that is not the case now. Parents aren't counted in the number of people in college. Also -- if you already have a bachelor's degree, then I think the only aid you would probably be eligible for is loans. I'm not 100% sure on this, though. Brenda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbara H Posted September 16, 2012 Share Posted September 16, 2012 Unfortunately is not a part of federal calculations (the FAFSA). Individual colleges do have the right to use their professional judgement to factor it in to awards. They also have the right not to consider it at all or to demand a lot of documentation such as proof the parent was already enrolled in college. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimm in WA Posted September 16, 2012 Author Share Posted September 16, 2012 OK, thanks ladies. I just wanted to know if it would be best to do now rather than wait until DD is older. Sounds like later will be better since it won't benefit fin. aid-wise. I appreciate the input! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth in OH Posted September 16, 2012 Share Posted September 16, 2012 OK, thanks ladies. I just wanted to know if it would be best to do now rather than wait until DD is older. Sounds like later will be better since it won't benefit fin. aid-wise. I would encourage you to do a broader analysis of whether 2013 would be the best time to go to college. How old will you be in 2013 vs. when youngest graduates? Are you seeking your first degree vs. post-bacc classes to update skills? How long will it take to finish? What is your goal for the college classes--personal interest vs. career readiness? The reason I suggest letting these broader questions guide your decision is that it can be tough to return to the job market after raising/homeschooling kids. You will be competing with people who have different assets than you. Some might 1. currently have jobs, 2. have more years to work than you will (i.e. younger), 3. have more years of career experience, etc. I recommend that you balance your goals, the reality of the marketplace, and your time needed at home with your youngest to reach a decision about 2013. If it makes sense to go to school in the fall, try to make it happen. Financial aid is only one piece of the picture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbara H Posted September 16, 2012 Share Posted September 16, 2012 I would encourage you to do a broader analysis of whether 2013 would be the best time to go to college. How old will you be in 2013 vs. when youngest graduates? Are you seeking your first degree vs. post-bacc classes to update skills? How long will it take to finish? What is your goal for the college classes--personal interest vs. career readiness? . I agree and also with the point about the challenges of transitioning from homeschooling to career. I understand the financial challenges but I would not totally put this on the back burner. Go meet with the financial aid office at the college. Ask about scholarships for moms who are reentering the workforce. You may be surprised by what is available. Also, if you are looking at a particular academic program it would be great to go ahead and meet with the advisers for that program now even if you plan to start college in two or three years. You may find out could take some CLEP tests and save quite a lot on tuition. You may find out that you could self study a bit and place into a higher course. One thing I've seen with a couple of friends transitioning back to work and aiming at medical type careers (nursing, technician) is that they had to go back and brush up on some basics so they weren't able to directly enter those programs.With a couple years lead time they may have been able to enter directly. Depending on what sorts of skills you are trying to pick up you may find other community options for building skills too - one example our library offers all sorts of free courses in computer stuff, web design, graphic design, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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