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[brandon352]

If online schooling the way to go and there are grants out there for you how come in order to get those grants you need to have a credit card. Now the topic is really How to start with nothing because that is where a lot of people are at in this world. Like myself for instance yes I messed up and you might even say I don't deserve another chance and that is cool but God gave me another chance so here I am starting over again with nothing and all I can see when I apply for anything is credit card number and experation date please! So if there is anybody out there who has any advice please clue me in because I am determine to make it.
thank you

[punchnpie]

Having met more than a few people who needed a second chance, I'm going to assume you are real and looking for advice.

I don't know that grants for online programs require a credit card. Why would you need credit for free money? If you are finding online programs that want credit information, perhaps you should look around again. This just doesn't sound right.

What do you want to do? Reading your post, I'm going to suggest that if you don't have two years already, that you start at a community college. You need to work on your language skills. If you're past that point, I think you need to find a bricks and mortar program near you that will let you transfer in, has a writing center, and offers support for students who need to work on their writing skills. No matter what you want to major in, you will need to communicate better than is evidenced by your post. Also, a community college will be less expensive than a proprietary online program. Don't spend vast sums for an uncertain outcome.

I hope you are near a community college or a decent state school. I think you may get overwhelmed in an online environment. You can get your second chance without going into massive debt and without being shortchanged by an institution that doesn't care about your education, only your pocketbook.

Good luck.

[pigou]

Good advice from punchnpie.

I think it's great that you're looking for a way to get access to higher education. If you are as determined as you say, you will make a good student. Anyone deserves a second chance, of course, and it will be up to you to make the most of it.

As to grant information: be careful about online scams. You should NOT have to pay for access to a list with grants or information on federal loans. You might want to google 'stafford loan' and see if you qualify for that. The government basically will loan you money at a preferred interest rate for you to pay educational expenses. Moreover, 'pell grants' is something to look into as well. If you start with nothing, as you say, you may qualify for up to $5,500 per year from the federal government to pay for your education. This is money that does NOT have to be repaid, making it a very attractive source of funding if you meet the criteria (it depends, as far as I know, on your income only). Check this calculator by the Department of Education to get started: https://fafsa.ed.gov/FAFSA/app/f4cForm?execution=e1s1

The Foundation Center also has a huge collection of grants and information on how to get them. They charge for online access, but have books containing the information available free of charge in over 400 locations: http://grantspace.org/Find-Us - if you are near one of them, it's worth stopping by.

It's good to do your own research, but you might also want to take advantage of the resources schools offer. Are you near a state university? Their office of financial aid might have suggestions on how to finance your education. The same goes for community colleges. As punchnpie suggested, it's a good idea to get started at a community college. They are significantly cheaper per credit than other universities and credits generally transfer to state universities. Make sure you check with the latter first on what courses they will accept

Best of luck!

[yemaya]

I teach online for a 4-year program that is part of a mainstream university.  We see a lot of students who transfer in from community colleges.  Pigou is quite right that starting at a community college is less expensive than going to online schools for all 4 years. Community colleges are also quite sensitive to students needing a second chance as well as the needs of working adults.  (i.e. offering night and weekend classes.)  They are also much better-situated to help students who may need some work on their skills - writing and otherwise - than many online schools.  Plus, some community colleges offer online classes, so after you have had some school, you can try out the online environment to see if it's for you before you commit to an online degree.  I've taught both online students as well as in traditional classrooms and many students find that they do well in the brick and mortar classroom, but struggle online.  Online classes require very good organization, self-discipline and often, are more time-consuming than students might originally expect.