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College Money - 7/26/2008 9:50:21 PM
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PraisingSince04
Posts: 15
Joined: 11/7/2006
Status: offline
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Hey everyone,
I'm kindav devastated right now. I KNOW that God wants me at Cornerstone University [a small Christian college in Michigan] , I've known that for quite some time. I actually thought for the whole month of June and through til last week that God was changing my plans at the last minute to go to a community college in order to save up and THEN attend Cornerstone University because I knew I couldn't afford the $12,000 I still need in order to go. But then I got a jolt of realization from God that He really does just want me at Cornerstone, even if it meant taking out a huge loan. So I was all excited. But then I realized. I have no credit and my ENTIRE family has horrible credit. But they are all working hard to get it back up [my parents are in money management classes and are meeting with a financial counselor every week]. I was looking at what kind of credit is required for most loans and there are about 5 categories one can be in, and ONLY TWO of them are able to take out loans. I'm flipping out. How on Earth can I find a cosigner when probably less than 25% of people in the US have credit that good!? I've been applying to scholarships but they are not guaranteed.
I'm just trying to figure out if there are any scholarships I haven't heard of? I'm just so sad. I'm a first generation college student. Only two of my siblings graduated from HS, the rest got their GED years after they dropped out, my mother dropped out in eighth grade. My father graduated from HS on a fluke. Not to mention I'm almost the only hearing person in an entirely deaf family. The only other ones that can hear are my oldest brother and sister.
Not to mention my parents are almost $200,000 in debt, 50,000 of which is from my father's recent diabetes diagnosis. All of my brothers and sisters have children and are on welfare or close to it. I have no source of money other than loans and/or scholarships and it is too hard for me to get either of them. I have had no real job other than babysitting for my siblings due to the amount of moving that I have done. I have moved over twenty-five times in four different states and I just graduated from the eighteenth school/sixth high school I've attended and keep in consideration that every school that I attend for two or more years I count as one school even if I moved away and came back such as the elementary school I had attended for 1st, 3rd and 4th grades. Which means that the eighteen schools were even more crammed in than going to a new school every year. I changed school nearly twice a year besides those three blissful years at UES. The school I graduated from I had only moved to last winter.
I don't want to doubt God but it's so hard when the first payment is due in SIX days and school starts in two weeks. Cornerstone was the ONLY school I applied to because I felt God's willing for me to be there so much. I'm sorry. There really is no point for this post other than for me to vent and cry and see if anyone else has ever been in the same boat.
I want to become a MFT [Marriage/Family Therapist] and have my own non-profit to help struggling families get affordable/free housing and help them get out of debt so they can get back on their feet, make their and their children's lives better. I would also provide free family and marital counseling to them as needed. I know God laughs when we tell Him our plans but becoming a counselor has been engrained in my heart ever since I can remember. I know I was built for a helping profession, whatever God places me in.
AHH!!! I dunno.. I hate the feeling of doubting God more than anything else, but I feel like He got my hopes up again for no reason. At the same time there's a little voice in the back of my head saying "Wait, He's going to provide, be patient." ......... Holy Canoli! Is that God?! Sometimes things don't make sense to me until it's out on paper. God is good. I know I need to trust Him.
Thanks to everyone for letting me vent and cry a little bit. God has given me hope again through this little rant. I would love for anyone to pray for me though. I am struggling with so much, yet I am struggling with nothing at all. It's a weird feeling, I feel like I'm playing tug of war with God, He is trying to take all of my concerns away but I'm fighting.. it's almost like I WANT to be worrying.. weird, huh?
LOVE
~Heather
"I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians, they are so unlike your Christ."
~~~Gandhi~~~
^let that serve as a reminder as to how much we really need to step it up people!!
edited to add the bit about moving around so much=lack of job
< Message edited by PraisingSince04 -- 7/26/2008 10:06:52 PM >
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RE: College Money - 7/26/2008 10:02:33 PM
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blueshadow
Posts: 47
Joined: 7/5/2008
From: Texas
Status: offline
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Have you filled out the FAFSA? If not, do that ASAP! That's what determines if you can get grants or loans from the government. I do have some loans for my school, but they're all ones I was automatically approved for because it was part of my financial aid package from the college. Have you talked to the financial aid department at your college? Maybe there's something they can do to help you, or at the very least they can work out a payment plan with you?
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RE: College Money - 7/26/2008 10:17:49 PM
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PraisingSince04
Posts: 15
Joined: 11/7/2006
Status: offline
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I did do the FAFSA. It pretty much screwed me over. It doesn't take into account the debts one has. My parents made a grand total of about $40,000 last year, plus the SS benefits it equaled about $49,000. Therefore they concluded that my EFC is $6,191!! That is four times more than what my parents could EVER give me!! They have so much debt. So that canceled me out of getting Pell grants..
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RE: College Money - 7/26/2008 10:55:19 PM
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iluvatar
Posts: 1450
Joined: 4/12/2005
Status: online
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Have you even applied for the loans? If not, how do you know that you couldn't get them?
That $12000 - that's less than one year's tuition. You still have 3 more years to pay for.
Isn't it kind of late to be sorting this all out? According to Cornerstone's web site, the first tuition payment is due Friday.
Maybe it would be better to go to the community college for a year and get some other things squared away first.
-Dan.
_____________________________
Well, I've been to one world fair, a picnic, and a rodeo, and that's the stupidest thing I ever heard come over a set of earphones.
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RE: College Money - 7/26/2008 11:04:49 PM
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PraisingSince04
Posts: 15
Joined: 11/7/2006
Status: offline
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I have applied for quite a few loans. The most I can get is $5,500 from Stafford loans, but that's it. I know it's due Friday. I had said above that it was due in six days... My thing is that I don't want to not trust God. I just know that God wants me there and I lready went a miserable two months thinking that it wasn't His will and He revealed to me yet again that He wants me there this year. I don't know how He'll do it, but I know He does.
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RE: College Money - 7/27/2008 11:11:31 AM
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Miss Giggles
Posts: 3967
Joined: 4/18/2005
From: MI
Status: offline
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from the colleges website: The 2008-2009 annual costs for traditional students, taking 12-17 credit hours per semester, and living on campus at Cornerstone University is $26,030.
Do you know that to become a therapist you will need a master's degree? If you work for a non profit you will never make enough to pay back the loans. Most 4 year degrees take 5 years min. It will take another 3 years to get a masters.
You're looking at over 100k in debt!
I strongly suggest going to community college and working full time and then transferring.
I was the first to go to college in my family too so I was given a lot of unrealistic advice. I am not trying to get you to give up but I know lots of people who have tons of loans in fields they don't want to work in or they'll never be able to pay back. I have no idea why these christian colleges charge so much. When you graduate they will barely look at which school you graduated from.
< Message edited by Miss Giggles -- 7/27/2008 11:24:37 AM >
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RE: College Money - 7/27/2008 2:23:58 PM
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rainbowtvp
Posts: 1024
Joined: 4/21/2005
From: The Unted State of Confusion
Status: offline
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I think you need to pray over whether this is really where God is leading you and not you looking for signs to justify what YOU want. If God wants something for us, He usually makes the way clear...
And as has been said- the MFT is going to require a lot of time in school, with little pay off, so think long term. Is it worth that much debt?
What will going to this school now give you that you won't get somewhere else?
I just graduated with my masters in psychology. I started at a local community college for my associates; then I got my bachelor's from a state university; then my master's from a public university. I was able to cover most of the expense with grants, scholarships, and tuition assistance, but had to take out some loans, too.
The degree doubled my pay from what I was making with my BS, BUT I will have to start paying those loans in a few months, and that is going to take every cent of that raise!
I also spent a year at a small, Christian college before all of the above. My education was not better, the environment was not a bit safer or more religious/spiritual, and it was probably 4x the cost. I'm not knocking all Christian colleges, just sharing my experience.
If you pray about it and really still think God wants you to go into debt for this particular school some reason, then I would go straight to the financial aid office and not leave until they tell you how you are going to pay for it!
Tara P
_____________________________
http://www.geocities.com/hallscola67/KyliesHomemadeShopIndex.htm
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RE: College Money - 7/27/2008 3:40:23 PM
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Cantwait-2-C-Him
Posts: 23
Joined: 7/25/2008
From: Sun Shine State" " Mickey"s Home"
Status: offline
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Well From a parent point of view and I person just finishing up college for my paying for my Husband Get the classes you can at the local community college ,get a real job that will pay and have some state Fin help. maybe thur the school. If that is what the Lords want you he will open the doors, but He may want to test your faith to see if you are real in His work .Got to a state school first. I know a christian college sound great . Christian friends. teacher,staff etc But as it been said life it not a dream on any Christian campus. ( been their lived work for the Christian college life in not a bubble) If you have great grades and it is the Lords will fro you to be their Talk to the Fin. office and see if they have a work program pay as you go. What about your church do they support college kids for their. If you truly want to go you will have to best pay as you go ,that may be wait till Jan save up looking to grant for children of deaf families, state aid etc, As you know do not go in to loans they will only put you where your parents are. trying to dig your self out . Look in to other Christian college many have work programs the have you work for them live and you will not be in debt when you leave, Try Onida I think over in KY. Give your self some time look in to everything. think about looking in to the national guard program for funding for school the is a lot out to look for a good counselor can and should help you with all this..
_____________________________
" As for Me and My house we will serve the Lord"
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RE: College Money - 7/27/2008 4:42:59 PM
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Cantwait-2-C-Him
Posts: 23
Joined: 7/25/2008
From: Sun Shine State" " Mickey"s Home"
Status: offline
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want to become a MFT [Marriage/Family Therapist] and have my own non-profit to help struggling families get affordable/free housing and help them get out of debt so they can get back on their feet, make their and their children's lives better. I would also provide free family and marital counseling to them as needed. I know God laughs when we tell Him our plans but becoming a counselor has been engrained in my heart ever since I can remember. I know I was built for a helping profession, whatever God places me in.
Have you looked in to this type of non=profit org. they may be able to help you You have great dreams but again you have to live day to day in order to make this dream come true. again work ,save , check into other colleges they is some great one out their and in this day and time you will have to compete for assitions. Sound like parent s have a hard road a head of them but again you may have to get out on your own away form all the family issues and do what the Lords has in His plan. Again I would check in to you local church . The may be able to help you get a job that you can save for the tuition. but get any classes you can At state or community class. maybe on line so you could work full time in a real job. if you can sign you could have a job maybe assisting a deaf person in college a friend got her classes free that way for 4 yrs.
_____________________________
" As for Me and My house we will serve the Lord"
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