I know, I thought it was a bit odd, too. He was specific to this program as some other company does the interface (http://www.2tor.com)
What classes are different between an urban vs rural concentration of the degree you are seeking?
Also, I have a good friend that I think has her Masters from SWTS and works as a Social worker for South San ISD...I could hook you ladies up for a chat if you wish...just let me know if interested...Good Luck to you ashbeeigh.
My crazy admission rep called this morning. I got in. Now, to see how I am going to pay for it.
Apply for as many scholarships as you can, even small ones (they add up!), and check with the school to see if they will do matching funds. UM turned a $10,000 scholarship for me into $20,000 by matching the whole thing.
Congrats!
That's pretty big Ashbeeigh! Tough school to get into. I assume that since USC is private there is no difference between in state and out of state tuition, correct?
Congrats!
I would think that social work might be the type of program that offers grant money in exchange for promised service in some particular area in the future. I do not know if you want to go that route or not.
Besides scholarships there are usually need-based grants available - unless you're a richer.
Congratulations!
The only organizations I know of that have funding allocated for something like that are federal. The armed forces can authorize up to $10,000/year payback on student loans if you fill a position they really need. Some other branches of gov't will do this, too, but not usually to the same extent. I know of civilians who work for the army and one at the GAO who are getting their loans repaid in exchange for gov't service. It's definitely worth looking into.
Something to keep in mind about grants - those are almost always subject to income taxes while scholarships are not.
Looking at the big picture you are on your way girl!!
According to the IRS, Pell grants and other need-based educational grants are treated as scholarships for terms of determining taxation; amounts spent on tuition, fees, books, supplies, and equipment (when required of all students) are generally non-taxable for degree candidates. Scholarship funds applied to room/board and travel are taxable. Ref IRS Publication 970.
In any case, I'd rather spend the income tax due on a grant amount than have to come up with the entire amount of the grant myself.
Pell grants are very different than most other grants. I would never turn down a grant either, but I know several people who had to pay taxes on grant monies because scholarships had covered their tuition, etc., and they were using grant money to pay living expenses.According to the IRS, Pell grants and other need-based educational grants are treated as scholarships for terms of determining taxation; amounts spent on tuition, fees, books, supplies, and equipment (when required of all students) are generally non-taxable for degree candidates. Scholarship funds applied to room/board and travel are taxable. Ref IRS Publication 970.
In any case, I'd rather spend the income tax due on a grant amount than have to come up with the entire amount of the grant myself.
Also, my AmeriCorps education award was taxed OUT THE ASS.
If it is for living expenses, it is always taxed, but paying the tax is much better than paying the whole expense.
Also, even if your scholarship is paying all your fees, some of them are not allowable as expenses and that amount is also taxable.
Even Pell Grants are taxable if they are used for dorm room fees and food plans.
Well, whatever the tax obligations associated with the Pell grants are..it doesn't matter. Even with my lowly 19,500 last year (because i was unemployed from November until March) I still don't qualify for a Pell grant. My EFC was $5700 or something.
I loved my AmeriCorps experience. But holy . That was the biggest waste of $2,500 ever (strictly speaking in terms of a 1040).
You can only qualify for a Pell grant with your first bachelor's degree - anything after that is ineligible, no matter what your need is.Well, whatever the tax obligations associated with the Pell grants are..it doesn't matter. Even with my lowly 19,500 last year (because i was unemployed from November until March) I still don't qualify for a Pell grant. My EFC was $5700 or something.
I should find my letter from Rep. Charlie Gonzales for you. He basically said, "Well, since you were working, Congress as a whole thought that AmeriCorps members would WANT it to be considered wages, and I think you can agree that was the right decision." At which point I wanted to punch him.
It was very vague on the FAFSA site but...there are a few Graduate students that can get it. Obviously none of the important ones (aka us)
Ugh. What a pain. I doubt he even had a clue what he was voting on. Some aid (probably a grad polisci policy grad student nonetheless) typed the letter and had him sign it before he stuck the stamp on it.
Whatever that may be, that was what...3 years ago for me and 4 for you? I wouldn't steer anyone away from AmeriCorps because the scholarship counts as income, it's just a pain for one year. I'd actually recommend it for anyone who just doesn't really have a clue what they want to be doing whether after college or after high school. The experience and connections made (at least for me) were unmeasurable (was that the right word?).
Make absolutely certain that your diploma says 'USC' and not 'Online USC' or something similar, there are some schools that make a distinction. With a difference in the education and perception. But not price, of course.
Last edited by TheSullyMonster; 08-24-2010 at 12:18 AM.
Ashbeeigh, if I remember, I will talk to my friend who is about to finish up his MSW at UTSA. I understand that it is far less expensive, but he was able to get through school almost solely on grants (took out loans for about 1.5k for the entire program). I don't know the makeup of the grants, but if there are some nationally offered grants (not state), then perhaps that info could be useful to you. I am sure that he wouldn't mind giving the info since this is his last semester and you would not be compe ion for that money - LOL.
Yeah, I finished up September of 2007 - I would definitely encourage people to do it, but you've got like 7 years to use that award and if possible you should really use it when you're IN school, not after it, so you can deduct tuition from your taxes. Because I was full-time, my award was $4,725, and after working for a year at less than $800/mo after taxes they were going to say that I owed more than $700. I'm hoping that other future AmeriCorps members can learn from that, because Obama has yet to do about it (even though it was something he campaigned on in SA).
I thought you might like that. Just know that he was able to do this by carrying a 4.0 the whole way so far. He is also very very good at writing (one of his teachers early in his program told him that he had never in his 30 years of teaching at UT, UTSA and community colleges given a 100 on a paper, as he was handing him a paper with a 100 on top).
Not trying to scare you away, just telling you if you want the grant/scholarship route to work, it is obviously a difficult task.
However, you should be pretty good at writing, what with your hours upon hours spent each day for the better part of half a year writing cover letters.
(sorry, had to get a small shot in - LOL)
Congrats Ashbeeigh!
Booger. It was 4 months.
Four months would be the "better part of half a year."
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