Saturday, August 6, 2011
Final Community College Transcript
Two summer classes are included with this transcript, although they fell after the Associates in Arts was presented.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Associates Degree complete
As of this posting I am officially a college graduate. Actually the feat was accomplished in mid-May, but I took two summer courses which ended this past Tuesday. Since I had already graduated, I didn't put forth an impressive effort in those last two classes, intermediate Spanish and Calculus II.
However, the most significant fact to reveal is that the entire 2 and a half year process that I took in attaining an Associates in Arts did not cost me a single cent out of pocket! Let me repeat, not only did financial aid cover every penny, but I actually stayed way above water by working part time as well.
Even more astonishing, every four year university I've applied to covered my entire tuition and fees as well. That point cannot be overstated as the entire basis of my 11 year gap in higher education was due to not believing I could afford to go to school.
If you are a single inidividual without any major liabilities, there really is ample opportunity to complete a college degree without dealing with the headache of college debt. You simply need to find part time work and not live too extravigantly in the duration.
As for my future plans, I'm headed to UNC at Chapel Hill in late August on track to completing the second half of my academic journey. I will be studying a major of history. What exactly that will provide after all is said and done is yet to be determined. I do believe the mere feat of finishing a bachelors on the other side of age 30 is what needs to be focused on.
I suspect the experience will differ vastly from the last 7 semesters of community college, so all is not set in stone for me to be holding the next degree in May of 2013. All the while I will keep this journal abreast of the pertinent areas of interest. August 24 will be the start.
However, the most significant fact to reveal is that the entire 2 and a half year process that I took in attaining an Associates in Arts did not cost me a single cent out of pocket! Let me repeat, not only did financial aid cover every penny, but I actually stayed way above water by working part time as well.
Even more astonishing, every four year university I've applied to covered my entire tuition and fees as well. That point cannot be overstated as the entire basis of my 11 year gap in higher education was due to not believing I could afford to go to school.
If you are a single inidividual without any major liabilities, there really is ample opportunity to complete a college degree without dealing with the headache of college debt. You simply need to find part time work and not live too extravigantly in the duration.
As for my future plans, I'm headed to UNC at Chapel Hill in late August on track to completing the second half of my academic journey. I will be studying a major of history. What exactly that will provide after all is said and done is yet to be determined. I do believe the mere feat of finishing a bachelors on the other side of age 30 is what needs to be focused on.
I suspect the experience will differ vastly from the last 7 semesters of community college, so all is not set in stone for me to be holding the next degree in May of 2013. All the while I will keep this journal abreast of the pertinent areas of interest. August 24 will be the start.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Financial Aid Received for University
I received a letter notifying me of my financial aid information for the 2011-2012 school year. The college in question is UNC-Wilmington.
The breakdown of my grants are as follows:
$5,550 Pell Grant
$2,400 NC state grants
In addition to the above, I was provided the option to accept loans from the Federal Goverment through the Department of Education. Two specific loans were listed: Subsidized and Unsubsized. The former provides money with interest being paid by the government, while the second would include interest. I was offered $5,500 of subsidized loans and $3,882 in interest loans.
The school has given me three weeks to accept the loans. Even without them, the grants I have received will completely cover the full tuition I will owe for both Fall and Spring semesters at the University. I simply need to find part-time work to pay for room and board.
Again I must emphasize how incredibly fortunate these grants are for college students. They reduce not only financial burdens, but psychological worries attributed to paying for higher education. I thank the country and state for their generosity.
The breakdown of my grants are as follows:
$5,550 Pell Grant
$2,400 NC state grants
In addition to the above, I was provided the option to accept loans from the Federal Goverment through the Department of Education. Two specific loans were listed: Subsidized and Unsubsized. The former provides money with interest being paid by the government, while the second would include interest. I was offered $5,500 of subsidized loans and $3,882 in interest loans.
The school has given me three weeks to accept the loans. Even without them, the grants I have received will completely cover the full tuition I will owe for both Fall and Spring semesters at the University. I simply need to find part-time work to pay for room and board.
Again I must emphasize how incredibly fortunate these grants are for college students. They reduce not only financial burdens, but psychological worries attributed to paying for higher education. I thank the country and state for their generosity.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Two more college invitations
I received a letter from North Carolina State today, with big bold "The Big Envelope" writing padded on the front. They are the second school I've heard from since my last post, the other being East Carolina University.
The only interesting point of note from this letter was that the offer can be withdrawn if my final GPA is less than the GPA the university first reviewed. I will have to keep up with my grades during this last semester in community college so that clause will not have the chance to be enacted.
On that last note, I've decided to drop my Intermediate Spanish course, as I believe I do not have the ability to maintain my grades with this course still on the docket. That leaves me with 14 credits that will allow me to still graduate in May.
The only interesting point of note from this letter was that the offer can be withdrawn if my final GPA is less than the GPA the university first reviewed. I will have to keep up with my grades during this last semester in community college so that clause will not have the chance to be enacted.
On that last note, I've decided to drop my Intermediate Spanish course, as I believe I do not have the ability to maintain my grades with this course still on the docket. That leaves me with 14 credits that will allow me to still graduate in May.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
GOT INTO COLLEGE!
After finishing studying Calculus at McDonalds, I arrive home at 11:30 PM. As I entered the house, I saw some mail for me - two textbooks I've been waiting for, and a business envelope from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. Now, I had just recently applied to this college - Saturday January 8 - and wasn't expecting any sort of decision in less than three weeks. However, as soon as I opened up the envelope, I spotted a UNC-W bumper sticker. This if nothing else broke the news to me, which was affirmed by the accompanying letters - I have been accepted into the university!
So here we are, roughly 2 years and 2 months after I got the notion to enroll in college, and I am on my way to study at a regional university. The plan all along has been to graduate from college in May of 2013, and with my acceptance, we are ready to meet that goal.
I will update this blog as soon as the next steps are revealed to me. I wish I could relate the elation I'm feeling unto these words. It's truly a hallmark of my life heretofore.
So here we are, roughly 2 years and 2 months after I got the notion to enroll in college, and I am on my way to study at a regional university. The plan all along has been to graduate from college in May of 2013, and with my acceptance, we are ready to meet that goal.
I will update this blog as soon as the next steps are revealed to me. I wish I could relate the elation I'm feeling unto these words. It's truly a hallmark of my life heretofore.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
First Week of School Recap
I have just begun my 6th and last semester at community college. Due to weather, I was not able to attend every class until this past Tuesday. I have enrolled in six total classes for the semester, totalling 18 credits. The class load in possible due to my work schedule being 16 hours a week during the weekend.
The six classes I have are as follows: Calculus 1, Intermediate Spanish 1, Intro to Geology, American History 2, Environmental Biology, and Physical Fitness. The last one is a mandatory gym class. So far I believe the Spanish and Math classes will involve most of my effort, but I hope to get at least 5 A grades out of the 6.
The six classes I have are as follows: Calculus 1, Intermediate Spanish 1, Intro to Geology, American History 2, Environmental Biology, and Physical Fitness. The last one is a mandatory gym class. So far I believe the Spanish and Math classes will involve most of my effort, but I hope to get at least 5 A grades out of the 6.
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