Okay--pretty soon I will have all this crap behind me and my blog will get fun-I promise! My parents are really freaking out about the amount of loans I may end up with by the end of my law school career. I am looking at needing 100% financing for at least my 1L year--then I am planning to adjust based on how that year goes for 2L and 3L and I am looking into a bunch of scholarship options for 2L and 3L as well. My parents are not thrilled...
How crazy is it that my life is still dependent on them--even if just in this small area--I am 32 for goodness sake! Anywoo their biggest cause for concern is the idea that I may end up with over $100,ooo in loans for both undergrad and Law School combined (they have never even had a mortgage worth that much)--I went to a private undergrad and it's a private law school that I have been accepted to (yeah--even with all my your-poor-single-mom status grants I ended undergrad with $20,000 in debt and a semi-worthless BS!) My parents are so not thrilled that they are hesitating on co-signing a GradPlus loan for me...
I will be spending this weekend with them and a bunch of family (including an attorney)--maybe we will be able to discuss everything in person and let them hash out their issues... I really want this--I hope they see that...
Showing posts with label fin aid. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fin aid. Show all posts
Friday, July 18, 2008
Monday, July 14, 2008
Waiting
My parents still haven't told me their decision about endorsing a Grad Plus loan for me...My Mom keeps telling me that they have been too busy to mull it over. We are taking a weekend trip this coming weekend--a 2.5 hour drive and an overnight together--pretty sure that we will get time to talk then. Looks like I won't be giving my bosses as much of a notice as I wanted to but hey, it'll still be a month, they can't really complain about that! I am thinking that they may still keep me on part time to do patient/insurance billing and maybe frame buying--I am going to bring it up as an option...
I am really looking forward to this change now--is that crazy? If all goes well I will be quiting my job (or greatly reducing hours) to go to school which is kind of freaking me out BUT I am still excited!
There were some posts from some 1L's on the schools web bulletin board asking about my town and since I have lived here for 10 years I responded and have been emailing a couple students in the entering class--it is nice to be able to do that before classes start. I know that it is very possible that I will not even meet them but the gesture is nice. I am not sure how old these folks are but I am sure that at 32 I probably look like an old lady to them (particularly after calling them folks...)!
I am really looking forward to this change now--is that crazy? If all goes well I will be quiting my job (or greatly reducing hours) to go to school which is kind of freaking me out BUT I am still excited!
There were some posts from some 1L's on the schools web bulletin board asking about my town and since I have lived here for 10 years I responded and have been emailing a couple students in the entering class--it is nice to be able to do that before classes start. I know that it is very possible that I will not even meet them but the gesture is nice. I am not sure how old these folks are but I am sure that at 32 I probably look like an old lady to them (particularly after calling them folks...)!
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Feeling better
but still freaking out a bit. Going back to school is such a huge decision when you have 2 other lives that depend on you to live--it's crazy! Here is the update: I am leaning toward still going to school. I emailed my parents last night to see if they would 'endorse' me on a GradPlus loan. I haven't applied yet but I know that they are going to ask for it. I have a friend who is helping me get a part time job at a coffee shop--not optimal and @ minimum wage it's about half the $ per hour that I make now but it'll supplement whatever the loans don't cover--I could check with some of the retail optical locations in the area to see if they are hiring for part time help--I kinda want something that will give me ~20hours b/w the afternoon/evenings and weekends that the kids are gone--optical would mean larger payscale--so less hours needed...I wouldn't be able to start at any of those types of places until after I quit my current job (conflict of interest!!)
My plan is to start my 1L year with all the loans to cover my bills and work just to supplement my income from the loans--after the first term I will probably figure out what is going to work for me and if it works out that I didn't really need the GradPlus loan I can adjust things after this first year. Right now my Stafford loan will only cover tuition so I definately need need SOMETHING to supplement my income--it's rough not having a husband to help with general bills!
My daughter was asking me about night or weekend classes but doing that and working full time--I would never see my kids and I would never have time to study. I know that for undergrad I was tired all the time while working full time and taking classes full time and trying to raise the 2 of them, I can't imagine doing that again with law school--a much more demanding program! I would still have to find another job--I work my current one until b/w 6-7 on the nights I don't have kids--if I was taking classes those evenings they would begin @ 6pm--it wouldn't work with my current schedule. If I have to find a new job anyway I may as well have the schedule that I think will work best for me. I really just want to work part time and go to school semi-part time--I am signed up for what the school calls their 'extended program'--it's still considered full time for loan purposes but it's the 4 year program--so less classes each term, 3 terms a year for 4 years. If I take 3-4 classes each term I'll be done in 3 years so I think I'll start out in the extended schedule and see how things go--if I can add an extra class here and there to be done in 3 years it'll all be worth it and it's less loan money spent on living expenses!
I hope my parents agree to endorse me on the GradPlus loan...I really want to make a final decision so that I can give notice at work or talk to them about part time opportunities here...
My plan is to start my 1L year with all the loans to cover my bills and work just to supplement my income from the loans--after the first term I will probably figure out what is going to work for me and if it works out that I didn't really need the GradPlus loan I can adjust things after this first year. Right now my Stafford loan will only cover tuition so I definately need need SOMETHING to supplement my income--it's rough not having a husband to help with general bills!
My daughter was asking me about night or weekend classes but doing that and working full time--I would never see my kids and I would never have time to study. I know that for undergrad I was tired all the time while working full time and taking classes full time and trying to raise the 2 of them, I can't imagine doing that again with law school--a much more demanding program! I would still have to find another job--I work my current one until b/w 6-7 on the nights I don't have kids--if I was taking classes those evenings they would begin @ 6pm--it wouldn't work with my current schedule. If I have to find a new job anyway I may as well have the schedule that I think will work best for me. I really just want to work part time and go to school semi-part time--I am signed up for what the school calls their 'extended program'--it's still considered full time for loan purposes but it's the 4 year program--so less classes each term, 3 terms a year for 4 years. If I take 3-4 classes each term I'll be done in 3 years so I think I'll start out in the extended schedule and see how things go--if I can add an extra class here and there to be done in 3 years it'll all be worth it and it's less loan money spent on living expenses!
I hope my parents agree to endorse me on the GradPlus loan...I really want to make a final decision so that I can give notice at work or talk to them about part time opportunities here...
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
The LSAT
Well, the test was yesterday. I know I can't disclose anything here but BOY OH BOY--only one section seemed really tough and it was a duplicate so I am really hoping (praying) that it was the variable section!! Logic Games have become my strong point in pretests BUT there is always an occassional one that I miss-read and end up with wrong answers because of it--well, it happened on the test! Luckily I caught it and fixed it and still had time to complete the entire section. The next three weeks are going to take forever!
As we were all standing around at the test site waiting to register (with plastic baggies in hand!) one kid was praying the rosary--I thought "good deal, we all could probably use a little extra faith today!" When he finished he kept trying to make funny lawyer jokes and he referring to the group at "future attorneys." Alphabetically he was (of course) right next to me durring the test. As we were getting settled he engaged in nervous chatter--asking me what I was planning to specialize in--my first thought was "shouldn't we at least get there first" but I decided to play nice. I said "family law--child advocate kind of stuff" and he responded with "I pegged you for family law--you have that look." My question for you is what is "that look"--do I look like a mom--is it screaming from my very pores? Maybe that is why I can't get a date??? Oh--and this guy--totally did NOT peg him for import/export law--he is planning to take over his uncles law firm one day. How lucky is that!
The school that I was accepted to offers new students a rather larger scholarship based on GPA and/or LSAT score without which I will be unable to attend school. I have looked into a couple of other scholarship options out there but most of the deadlines passed already. I may be able to find some money for next year but I am afraid that I will be out of luck this year. I may have to either defer my admission or just give up on the idea all together if my LSAT score didn't improve drastically...Three more weeks and I will know... Oh, and I sent an email to my schools fin aid department asking if there were any avenues for additional money that I may not have checked--other options that they knew of and all I got back was "Grad students do not have as many options as undergrad students."--which amounts to NOTHING! People kept telling me to ask fin aid because they often have options available to those who are desperate--well, not my school!
As we were all standing around at the test site waiting to register (with plastic baggies in hand!) one kid was praying the rosary--I thought "good deal, we all could probably use a little extra faith today!" When he finished he kept trying to make funny lawyer jokes and he referring to the group at "future attorneys." Alphabetically he was (of course) right next to me durring the test. As we were getting settled he engaged in nervous chatter--asking me what I was planning to specialize in--my first thought was "shouldn't we at least get there first" but I decided to play nice. I said "family law--child advocate kind of stuff" and he responded with "I pegged you for family law--you have that look." My question for you is what is "that look"--do I look like a mom--is it screaming from my very pores? Maybe that is why I can't get a date??? Oh--and this guy--totally did NOT peg him for import/export law--he is planning to take over his uncles law firm one day. How lucky is that!
The school that I was accepted to offers new students a rather larger scholarship based on GPA and/or LSAT score without which I will be unable to attend school. I have looked into a couple of other scholarship options out there but most of the deadlines passed already. I may be able to find some money for next year but I am afraid that I will be out of luck this year. I may have to either defer my admission or just give up on the idea all together if my LSAT score didn't improve drastically...Three more weeks and I will know... Oh, and I sent an email to my schools fin aid department asking if there were any avenues for additional money that I may not have checked--other options that they knew of and all I got back was "Grad students do not have as many options as undergrad students."--which amounts to NOTHING! People kept telling me to ask fin aid because they often have options available to those who are desperate--well, not my school!
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