Seeking educational advice

[Spare]

I'm seriously considering going back to school. I completely squandered my collegiate opportunity the first time around, and I know if I don't make it right I will regret it for the rest of my life, in more ways than one. The problem is, I'm now in my late twenties (good grief!), and the hurdles between myself and a degree are quite high. So I am seeking advice.

Has anyone here put themselves through school later in life? If so, how did you manage it?

Does anyone have any thoughts on seeking out financial aide (loans, grants, etc.)? Does anyone know of any resources I might be able to make use of?

Advice of any kind from anyone would be GREATLY appreciated, and would be generously paid back with warm fuzzy thoughts and hearty goodwill. And a plethora of Smilies!

Thanks in advance, and wish me luck!

 

[Lonesome Crow]

I went back to school when I was rasing my daughters out of all things..times were very tough.
I did one semistor.

My goal is to return back to school again ...

IDK...about loans or grants
I'm pretty sure I qualified..becuase I'm broke broke now.

 

[EveWasFramed]

It depends on your finaincial situation, as to what grants or loans you might qualify for. You can start with looking into a Pell grant. Google FAFSA. Good a place to start as any.

EDIT: PS. Also go and talk to the financial aid officer at your school of choice. THEY know where the money is.

 

[Phyxi]

I'm not sure how school works over there, so I can't really give you any financial advice. I know that at University here we can choose to study part-time so we can keep a job. I'm sure it could be applied to school, too. It will take longer to achieve the course, but it can really help you out while you're studying to have a steady income. Is that a possibility?
If you can sort something out and you manage to go back to school, good luck

 

[Spare]

Thanks everyone! Keep it coming!

I hope you do go back to school, Lonesome. The more I think about it, the more I want to give it another go.

Thanks for the good advice, Eve. I googled FASFA and downloaded their sample application. I'm also planning on making an appointment with an advisor at the local community college, along with the financial aide officer. Hopefully that will be helpful.

You're right Phyxi, I could work while I go to school. The one problem is, the company I'd worked for over the past nine years just recently went out of business, and pickings around here are slim at the moment. I could probably find something low impact enough to fill in some of the blanks, though. Thanks!

 

[EveWasFramed]

The one problem is, the company I'd worked for over the past nine years just recently went out of business, and pickings around here are slim at the moment.

FYI: Some states offer paid tuition for training in other fields when a company closes. Might be worth looking into.

 

[Melanie]

Are you planning to attend a community college or are you interested in going to a major university?
If you are planning on attending a private/public school you may want to look into:
Collegeboard.com (great website to see school requirments, etc)
Collegeconfidential.com (has info about colleges and reviews)

You may also want to invest in one of those massively huge books on colleges
ex: The best 300 colleges

Also, if you are interested in applying for scholarships, Fastweb.com has opportunities for such.

 

[Lonesome Crow]

You're right Phyxi, I could work while I go to school. The one problem is, the company I'd worked for over the past nine years just recently went out of business, and pickings around here are slim at the moment. I could probably find something low impact enough to fill in some of the blanks, though. Thanks!

yeap...same here.
I worked for a company for 16 years. I thought I was set

I went into constructions for a while hoping if I stay long enough
in that trade (6 years) I would be able to get my own license.
We were going like gang busters for a couple of years.
Then the housing market took a nose dive.
Where I live was suppost to turn into the next Vegas or an
alternative hub to SD. a lot of people work in SD, live here and cummute to SD.
It's was suppose to grow for the next 10-15 years. Will...it eat honeysuckle and died

I went back to my old job last years and got laid off 3 months
ago. 200 poeple got laid off right becuase X-mas...which
is un heard of for electronic products.
I was on the skeleton crew again...but there's no new orders.
This current econamic situation is really screwie.
I live in one of worst county or highest umemployment rate in the USA.
It's over 30+ where I live. Even the unemployment office is open on saturedays now.

Yeap...I have to go back even at my age.
To just be able to complete or keep up.
That's what alot of people are doing now. Return back to
college or sometype of trade school.

 

[Spare]

Are you planning to attend a community college or are you interested in going to a major university?
If you are planning on attending a private/public school you may want to look into:
Collegeboard.com (great website to see school requirments, etc)
Collegeconfidential.com (has info about colleges and reviews)

You may also want to invest in one of those massively huge books on colleges
ex: The best 300 colleges

Also, if you are interested in applying for scholarships, Fastweb.com has opportunities for such.

Thanks Melanie! I'll definitely check these sites out. Here's your Smilie!

Right now I'm looking into getting my Associates Degree at the local community college, with the hopes of transfering to a university in search of a Bachelor's degree. I made an appointment with an Advisor for Friday afternoon. Hopefully I'll get some more information then.

Yeah Lonesome, the company I worked for was killed by the collapse of the housing market, too. I was the warehouse and delivery/installation manager at an appliance store. Our company was so dependant on the builders in the area that when they stopped working we just couldn't stay afloat. These are scary, frustrating times.

 

[Jesse]

You could try to become an Information Processing Associate in the HIM dept. of a hospital. This will get your foot in the door of a hospital, then you could take a medical coding and billing class, a medical terminology class, and an anatomy and physiology class. Each one should cost less than 1000$ at a trade or vocational school and probably take less than a year to complete them all. You could also try to get financial aid for these.

Once you get your certifications you can get a job in your HIM dept. as a medical biller/coder making around 12-14 an hour starting out. You could then further your education by taking a 2 year degree becoming a Registered Health Information technician. After a third year of experience as a coder and with your RHIT certification, you could find a job making up to 45k a year.

You could continue your education part time as far as you wanted to while you work. You could reach an amazing job position depending on education earning quite a lot.

This is the road I'm planning on taking. I'm already an Information Processing associate at the HIM dept. at my local hospital. Saving for medical terminology class right now.

http://www.medicalcodingcareerguide.com/

 

[wannabeXL]

Also, if you are interested in applying for scholarships, Fastweb.com has opportunities for such.

Fastweb.com completely failed me. I had more luck getting a scholarship that was actually offered by my college.

 

[Jesse]

I forgot to mention that you could just go to school and get your 2 year degree which by itself should cover medical coding and billing, medical terminology, anatomy, and physiology. You would need to take a 2 year degree in Health Information Technology. You have to make sure the school's program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education ("CAHIIM")

 

[Spare]

I forgot to mention that you could just go to school and get your 2 year degree which by itself should cover medical coding and billing, medical terminology, anatomy, and physiology. You would need to take a 2 year degree in Health Information Technology.

Thanks for the advice, Jesse. It's certainly something to think about. I have to decide if I want to pursue what I sought in the first place (an English degree) or if I want to pick something else, something vocational like you've suggested (which I must admit sounds pretty good). Right now my instinct is to continue with English. Perhaps I'll have a better idea of what to do after my appointment with the academic advisor on Friday.

Thanks again!

 

[Jesse]

No problem Just so you know, it's estimated that 18% of Medical Coding jobs remain unfilled due to a lack of qualified individuals. The job market for this position is expected to increase drastically in the next 5 years.

 

[Spare]

No problem Just so you know, it's estimated that 18% of Medical Coding jobs remain unfilled due to a lack of qualified individuals. The job market for this position is expected to increase drastically in the next 5 years.

Hmmm... DEFINITELY something to think about then...

 

[Melanie]

Also, if you are interested in applying for scholarships, Fastweb.com has opportunities for such.

Fastweb.com completely failed me. I had more luck getting a scholarship that was actually offered by my college.

Yeah, same here.

 

[Spare]

Also, if you are interested in applying for scholarships, Fastweb.com has opportunities for such.

Fastweb.com completely failed me. I had more luck getting a scholarship that was actually offered by my college.

Yeah, same here.

How did it fail you?

 

[Melanie]

It didn't really fail me, but I applied for a few scholarships on that site and got nothin'. Honestly, applying for scholarships online is really a shot in the dark. The way I got money was through the actual college I was accepted to.

 

[Spare]

It didn't really fail me, but I applied for a few scholarships on that site and got nothin'. Honestly, applying for scholarships online is really a shot in the dark. The way I got money was through the actual college I was accepted to.

Ah.

 

[Spare]

Well, I've done all the paperwork, so by the middle of next week I should be re-enrolled at my community college. Now I just have to scare up some money and register for some courses.

Wow. I could freak out very easily right now. It's such a daunting prospect that my nerves are beginning to spasm.