Want to get back to college, but am financially afraid

I want to finish my math major (or maybe physics, chem, engineering, or business-marketing. I don't know really.), but it is far from free. I've done the FAFSA estimator and it'd be about $7000/year, and the school I want to go to (well, not want, but the cheapest I can find) will award another $1000 as a STEM scholarship. But a year is about $22000, so even with the financial aid it'd be 14000/yr. Times four years=$56000. And that's assuming I pass all my classes and graduate on time, which means no loss of functioning or hospitalizations from mania/psychosis/depression/addiction. I know if it weren't for the mental health aspect I could totally get the degree as fast as, if not faster than, expected.

I took a bunch of classes at a community college thinking I'd transfer to a four year, but after three semesters of dealing with active addition again, severe psychosis and mania, and $300 books, I gave up on that.

I swear if education were free or at least affordable, people smart enough to do math would, well, do math.

Do I get myself into the debt so I can tell some a-hole employer I can make a graph and slap some functions on it to make it linear so they can publish it and I can get a paycheck I might be able to live off of?

I don't know much about you, but I know that my college debt (for my daughter) is the most I've ever held, even surpassing the home mortgage. So I'm quite against the idea of getting into debt for an education.

If the reason for completing the degree is to get a job, be very sure that it meets the requirements for the position or the employer you're interested in.

If it's just to have a sense of accomplishment, perhaps you can complete something on Coursera or another online learning institution.

Try reaching out to the job placement / counseling center at the community college where you took classes. Since you're a former student, you may be entitled to some guidance. See if there are any programs that you qualifiy for such as...

BTW, while I was evaluating either Mimo or another coding app, I came across an ad for a program that would pay you to go to school for programming and then guarantee you a job after graduation. It sounded like a great opportunity. So maybe there are employers who are so desperate to fill jobs that they'll go to great lengths to get candidates.

I would do it to get a job, but I don't really have a specific position in mind. I was just thinking start out with a math major and switch if/when I find something with a little more practicality other than just saying to employers "hey, I can learn whatever you throw at me as long as there's a rhyme and reason to it." In a perfect world I'd do something along the lines of research or engineering. Something like the programming program (lol) sounds cool too though, probably more job opportunities there as well. Might look into something like that.

Anything in the medical field that doesn't require a degree? I mean actually doing the medicine part and not JUST the paperwork type stuff.

Or any other fields where an internship is as good as a formal education?

I mean, I would like to go to school so I can learn things outside of what I'd apply in my job for funsies, but I'm not going to pay as much as hep c diagnosis and treatment to get a schedule for a few program-specific classes and maybe some interesting gen-eds that I won't need in the work force.

Maybe I'll just go back to lift operating in winter and ride operating in summer. Memorize SOPs and diagrams and work from open-close so I can do both inspections and maybe they'll help me get into ride maintenance. Moving around every year is my style too.

When you were looking at financial aid were you including Pell grants? I don't know how much you get with those but you'd surely qualify.

As for medical professions without a degree I can think of several...phlebotomy (being on clozaril I really appreciate a good phlebotomist), EMT, nurse's aide, medical assistant......most involve some degree of education but I think phlebotomy in my state just requires experience (I could be wrong but it's not long training, nor is nursing assistant). Back when I worked in a big nursing home they provided the training for nursing assistants at no cost.



EDIT: I was wrong about phlebotomy. It takes 12-16 weeks of schooling plus an exam.

There are new-fangled jobs such as "Death Doula."

Then you have mortuary science. It was a degree program where I studied. (On graduation day, my college cohort was seated right in front of them; they seemed like a really fun bunch of folks.) Mortuary Science is a great "undertaking" if you like "working with people." LOL

But seriously, I would think medical research would be something to focus on. A Technician of Biotechnology (if there is such a thing) might be a quick certificate program and could get you into a place that might pay for a college degree.

I didn't want to discourage you, and I love math a great deal, but I can't image it can do anything for you, unless you pair it with Computer Science or Business.

Yeah, I wasn't really planning on getting a straight up BSc in math, but probably getting into a program and switching to a more specified major (which with me will probably need some of that higher level math anyways) that I could make a career out of without going crazy.

There's a few PT jobs around here that will pay for your education regardless of what you go for or what you'll do after. I'd just have to find out if they'd cover that for part-time students too because there is no way I'd handle 4 classes and a job.

You might find this article useful:

11 Healthcare Jobs That Require Little Schooling – Less Than 2 Years

I pretty much just googled jobs in/around my city with no experience needed that wasn't in a stretch of road far enough I'd have to drive to (I plan on getting regular access to a vehicle soon) where going two miles takes over an hour during "Taxachussetts residents drive north for tax free holiday supplies and gifts, or just plain ole' want to go NB because it's for some reason a good time to be in the Whites" times. Yup. Applied to all four of them. I think I'm just gonna go back to ride operator/lift operator seasonal jobs and maybe one day they'll train me for maintenance.

Issue with most of these jobs is that they are low pay. Not sustainable, unless you work two jobs or have a partner.

Things are also changing. Jobs that required no degree, now require associate and jobs that required associate, now require bachelor.

Like in the past you could do nursing being LPN (no degree is required). They don’t hire LPNs in my state anymore. You used to be able to be RN with associate degree, now you must have bachelor in my state. If they hire you with associate, you have limited time to complete your BSN. They just fired someone on my husband’s unit because two years came to an end and she didn’t complete her BSN, well silly goose didn’t even enroll in a program, she thought they’d forget or something

You could have a good live with no high school diploma in the past! Expectations and demands really changed

Will any employer want to hire me based on my 5K times in high school XC? I had a 23:44 at Derryfield in Manchester lmao. Pushed up that ski slope like a mofo.

Doing the math, it looks like in NH I'd have to make $19+/hr assuming 40 hours a week under the impression at that time the rates of "affordable housing" doesn't raise any higher, and ignoring attempting to pay off the ineffective hep c treatment.

I have found a few jobs that will pay for education though, but I need more details before I work for them and they say "oh yeah, you have to work 40 hours a week and be in school full time for you to qualify for that"

Have you considered working as a Personal Trainer? That's slightly related to Physical Therapy

I indeed have, until one of my XC/softball buddies became a trainer. I didn't see anything majorly wrong with it based on what she told me (other than difficulties with getting/keeping business), but I don't really do the intentional exercise very well, especially in a gym atmosphere.

That does give me the idea of becoming a hiking guide though. No schooling required, just a good idea to volunteer (and I did apply to various state park positions yesterday).

Yep and combine that with foraging skills, maybe