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Frequently Asked Questions: Financial

We get a lot of inquiries at Adult Student.com! Many deal with similar topics, so we've decided to post some of our most commonly asked questions. Use our form to submit your question.

FAQs at Adult Student.com:
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See our Financial Aid Links and Financial Aid Tips pages for more information.

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I am currently a recently divorced single parent in college. I find it hard to get any kind of scholarships due to the fact that there's always at least one requirement that I don't have or can make whether it be number of children, my race, my income, community service, etc. do you have any suggestions? -- Sarah

Yes.... Keep trying! And, apply for everything.

Don't discount yourself before you've even entered. Let those on the judging panel decide whether or not you qualify. Apply to ones for which you only have one or two 'qualifications.' Maybe they receive no other applications and they choose to go ahead and give the money to you, even though you don't qualify completely.

There are many scholarships that go unclaimed every year. Through employers, community groups, churches, even companies like CocaCola. Start with the free scholarship matching services such as FastWeb.com. Check out our financial aid help page as well.

For more information, see chapter 3 of The Adult Student's Guide to Survival & Success, "How to Choose Your Program, Get Fianancial Help, and Become Oriented."

So to reiterate, apply, apply, apply for all the scholarships and loans you can, and remember that for credible sources, there should be NO COST involved for you to do this -- just your time. Numbers are the key. So send in those applications!

I'm a 49 yr-old minority desperately wanting to achieve my childhood dream of attending cosmetology school. I put one 32 yr-old daughter through college whose studying for her PhD and preparing a 10th grader for college. How do I find scholarships to help me pay the $18,000 I need to attend? I will apply for any grants, but I'm sure I will need more help. I've been searching the Internet and it seems you need money to order guides to help you find scholarships. I don't have money. I'm so serious about this that as we speak I'm putting up my monthly storage fee and selling some belongings to pay for registration. I may lose the little I have left, but I need to help my vision become reality. Can you tell me where to look for scholarships? My state doesn't have much info. -- Debi G.

Congratulations on keeping your dream alive!

Check out our Financial Aid help page and links on our student links page.

There are several free places to look for scholarships (though, they may request you register). There is no need to pay anyone a fee to join an online scholarship search. Here are a few to get you started:
FastWeb, FinAid, The Old School

In addition, look for another (possibly neighboring) state's scholarship information. While some programs may be state specific, some states do a better job at collecting and presenting general information than others. Here's a list of state scholarship offices. Some may have web presences, search the web on the department name for the state you wish.

I am an adult student who has fought very hard to stay in school (I'm 26) while working full time and trying to pay bills. I have 3 years to go before I graduate summa cum laude with a BA in History and Anthropology and an MA in History (BA/MA program). Keeping my grades up has been challenging with work, but I have made it. Now I find myself pregnant and the father does not want the child. So I face single motherhood, work and trying to fit in school. Are there any resources for someone like me to try and fit it all in? I would like to graduate so that I can teach like I planned and am afraid to derail my education any more than it already has been.
-- Jennie J.

I would suggest reading our financial aid tips and applying for as many scholarships and grants as possible. It's a numbers game sometimes--you need to apply to many in order to get a few. Even apply to ones for which you only have one or two 'qualifications.'

Also, check out scholarships offered by local service groups such as the Soropotmists club. Soroptimist International is a women's service group that has as a mission the enhancement of women's opportunities. You may have to look for a local chapter for scholarship information.

Good luck and stick with it. You have the drive to finish and that's half the battle.

I am a returning adult student and I am having trouble financing my education. My long term desire is to pursue sports medicine but being alone with no other means of support, I am finding that the system is not very "understanding" of people in my situation. Even after cleaning up my credit history, I am told by lenders that it is still not good enough to be able to obtain a loan. Has anyone else experienced this? Is there anyone with any suggestions? I have come to far to throw it all in but at times it's very hard not to be discouraged. -- Anonymous

Do not fear, you are not alone. Look for scholarships and apply to any and all you find. Scholarships generally don't take into account your credit score or repayment history. Look for state opportunity grants. See some of the tips on our financial aid help page to give you some more ideas.

I am a single mother hoping to enroll in a 4 year college in Minnesota to get my teaching degree. Will financial aid affect the welfare and Medicaid support I receive for my 1-year-old in Minnesota? Some financial aid will be in loans and some will be grants. Thank you. -- Sarah

You have a good question for which we do not have a very good answer. Your best bet is to talk to your social worker AND a financial aid counselor at your future school, or one at any school in your state of residency. Every state is different in how it doles out federal monies, and regulations and programs change constantly.

We found this older article Individuals with Disabilities can retain Medicaid or Medicare while working recently, and you may find some useful information there.

I can not get help because I can't afford to get my cash assistance taken away so how can I go to school? -- Sabrina

This is a catch-22 for sure. While at one time the federal "Welfare-to-Work" may have helped you, the program was discontinued in 2004. Some cities, counties, states and colleges still have similar programs that either stand alone or are part of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. You will need to see what is available in your area. Start with contacting your state's scholarship office.

Beware, once in a while, you may encounter a social worker that doesn't have your best interests in mind. He or she may have personal issues which they transfer to the job. It is most often a person who doesn't have a college degree themselves. They may say they cannot help you in any way. They may feel it is not fair to help you fulfill goals greater than their own. If you encounter such a person—which is rare but not unheard of—see if you can speak with their supervisor.

Between grants and loans, I usually end up with a refund check from the college I'm attending, a couple of times per year. I have never understood what I am allowed to spend it on, since I am a single mother, living off campus, working full time, etc. Am I allowed to spend it on groceries and rent? Or am I limited to printer cartridges, pencils, paper, computer software, etc. for school? Please explain this to me. No one has ever taken the time to sit down with me to explain anything. I don't want to get into trouble for using my refund money for the wrong thing. -- Heather

You have a good question! Please note that we are not financial advisors and as such cannot comment on your specific situation. However... depending on the funding source, you probably have options on what to spend the "refund" money on.

Many funding sources do have limits on what you can spend on, but others don't. Your best bet is to ask the financial aid office at your school. They will know your funding sources, situation and restrictions.

I was very excited to see that there is help out there for single moms on welfare who are trying to educate themselves and get off welfare. I'm trying to help my cousin out. I was just wondering if you have any contacts or can direct me in the right way on who I can talk to up in Canada? ... It's the same way here. -- Tammy R, Manitoba, Canada

We don't have a whole lot of information for Canada, but try these:

CanLearn.ca - Official education site of Canadian government.

Human Resources and Social Development Canada sponsors the Canada Student Loans Program - government portal for Canadian financial aid information.

Lifelong Learning Plan - RRSP Withdrawls - Information about using your retirement account to pay for educational expenses.

Maybe a web search on phrases such as "Canadian financial aid for low income students" or "Canadian social assistance education resources."

My advise to your cousin is to apply, apply, apply for scholarships. Sometimes an organization will offer a scholarship that no one applies for. In these cases, if they only get one application who isn't even completely qualified for their specific scholarship, they'll still give the money away.

FAQs compiled by
Kristin Pintarich
Editor-in-Chief, Practical Psychology Press, Inc.