Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 25 of 30

Thread: Tuition/School help!!! (long, but please read I need advice!)

  1. #1
    God/dess scarlett_vancouver's Avatar
    Joined
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Vancouver, BC
    Posts
    6,699
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 22 Times in 20 Posts

    Default Tuition/School help!!! (long, but please read I need advice!)

    Ok- I live in Canada, just graduated from Uni with a BA. School is heavily subsidized up here, a year of school incl. books currently costs about $3000-3500 CAD at the undergrad level. Sweet deal.

    My problem is, I want to continue on to Naturopathic college and become an ND- I don't think I'll have a problem getting accepted, and it's what I really really want to do, but...the only school in BC (1 of 2 in Canada) is private.

    Which means my tuition will be $15000 a year. Yikes. That's easily a third of my income, and I have mortgage and other bills that amount to about $1500 a month. I won't be able to work while I'm in school (maybe Sundays, but up here you either work Mon-Sat, or not at all. Plus, I want to devote myself to studying).

    So what the hell do I do? Student loan, you say? Well, the current governments (provincial and federal) have tightened up considerably on student loans...public grants are no longer available, private grants aren't common (and my grades have some bad spots- screw you math!), and worst of all...student loans are very rarely given out to homeowners! Arg! That's what I get for being financially responsible.

    I can save up this year to cover my first year's tuition and maybe a bit of the second year...but by that point I'll be slipping down to almost no savings, with 2 years still to go and pay for.

    I can't just 'work harder' to earn more- I have a set showprice, and it's not going up much unless I get boobs (which I don't want). I can hustle private dances, but they're hard to sell without contact, which I'm not comfortable with (and which is very illegal anyways).

    What can I do? Sorry if this is annoying, I know US tuition is higher than that normally, but I didn't expect this and so haven't planned for it...

    Thanks for any advice!

    Feature costumes for sale!

  2. #2
    God/dess montythegeek's Avatar
    Joined
    Oct 2003
    Posts
    2,103
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 9 Times in 5 Posts

    Default Re:Tuition/School help!!! (long, but please read I need advice!)

    Time for you to get a sharp pencil out.
    There are options but many of them suck.
    1- You could work full time for a few more years then go to school. You indicate an income of about $45k and expense of about $20k (probably not all). With taxes you could possibly save 30K in 4-5 years.
    2 You could possibly borrow against your home equity depending on circumstances to help,
    3 You could consider the other school or another area or earning income in another place. You could rent your place out and cover the costs of living elsewhere and protect the equity there.
    4 There is a chance of using equity in the home to support your education loans. More specifics would be needed to address.
    5. Consider a second choice of careers depending on how much your heart is set on that.
    Choices are not always easy. Just some ideas.

  3. #3
    Veteran Member SaraNLA's Avatar
    Joined
    Nov 2003
    Location
    hell a -- just kidding, I really like LA
    Posts
    331
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 6 Times in 3 Posts

    Default Re:Tuition/School help!!! (long, but please read I need advice!)

    What about that no. 3 -- where is the other school located? Could you go there instead? I think putting off school for another 4-5 years just isn't worth it....I mean, that's a really long time. If you had to leave the area, could you sell your house or rent it out?
    Let your indulgence set me free. - Shakespeare

  4. #4
    God/dess scarlett_vancouver's Avatar
    Joined
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Vancouver, BC
    Posts
    6,699
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 22 Times in 20 Posts

    Default Re:Tuition/School help!!! (long, but please read I need advice!)

    Well, the other school is in Toronto, but it costs a bit more, plus it's far far away.The next nearest one is Portland...I haven't looked up the prices yet, but that could be a possibility as it's not too far from home. I'd rather not put it off too long, as I'd like to be certified and practicing by the time I'm 30 (6 years), and I don't want to abandon my dream just because of cost...

    I guess I'll have to figure it out as I'm going along...for now my goal is to save enough for tuition and (meager) living for the first two years...during those two years and summers hopefully I'll be able to make enough for the third year, and by fourth year hopefully some bank will pity me enough to give me a loan

    Thanks for the advice, guys!

    Feature costumes for sale!

  5. #5
    Banned Melonie's Avatar
    Joined
    Jul 2002
    Location
    way south of the border
    Posts
    25,932
    Thanks
    612
    Thanked 10,563 Times in 4,646 Posts
    Blog Entries
    3
    My Mood
    Cynical

    Default Re:Tuition/School help!!! (long, but please read I need advice!)

    I hate to say this, but this equation seems to boil down to needing more earning power to save up your tuition money in a shorter time period. I'd look into those breast implants, as an extra $500+ a week in earnings would allow you to save up your tuition money much much faster.

  6. #6
    God/dess scarlett_vancouver's Avatar
    Joined
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Vancouver, BC
    Posts
    6,699
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 22 Times in 20 Posts

    Default Re:Tuition/School help!!! (long, but please read I need advice!)

    You're probably right, Melonie, but I don't think I can do it...an aversion to having stuff in my body, for one, seen a LOT of messed up boob jobs, and...a naturopath with implants? That would be like a naturopath who smokes! (whoops, better quit soon )

    But thank you for the advice..I will still consider it. I could always get them removed, I guess.

    Feature costumes for sale!

  7. #7
    God/dess montythegeek's Avatar
    Joined
    Oct 2003
    Posts
    2,103
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 9 Times in 5 Posts

    Default Re:Tuition/School help!!! (long, but please read I need advice!)

    There are some other compromises you can consider.
    1 take in a roomie augmenting your income say $600/month
    Nuisance yes but for your dream? You decide
    2 Consider a job which allows you time to study as well
    eg night watchman/security job at an office building. Our night watchman is paid to work 3 out of 8 hours and he studies 5 out of 8 hours and gets paid for it. Sure it is $7-8/hour but $200/wk after taxes is $10k/yr to augment savings.
    Just ideas. Both could be a cushion which could knock a year off a delayed schooling.

  8. #8
    God/dess Lena's Avatar
    Joined
    Jun 2002
    Location
    On a sweet muddy river.
    Posts
    6,399
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 78 Times in 43 Posts

    Default Re:Tuition/School help!!! (long, but please read I need advice!)

    Or travel to an area where you can make more $$ faster.



  9. #9
    Banned Katrine's Avatar
    Joined
    Nov 2003
    Posts
    13,855
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts

    Default Re:Tuition/School help!!! (long, but please read I need advice!)

    I am not sure how this would apply to Canadian citizens in the US but check out this site:
    http://www.fafsa.org/loans/

    I have a Stafford loan and am over 20K in the hole, but am paying it off over the next 10 years with a 3% interest rate, not too bad. Once I consolidate, I will be locked in about 3.4%. I don't see why owning a home would be any problem.

    Either way, you have to take out a loan, but interest rates are low, so do it soon!!

    "Have you ever been to American wedding? Where is the vodka, where's marinated herring?" - GB
    "And do the cats give a shit? No, they do not. Why? Because they're cats."-from The Onion

    Quote Originally Posted by Mia M
    If a cupcake was tossed at me... well, I'd only be upset if it missed my mouth

  10. #10
    God/dess montythegeek's Avatar
    Joined
    Oct 2003
    Posts
    2,103
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 9 Times in 5 Posts

    Default Re:Tuition/School help!!! (long, but please read I need advice!)

    Kat,
    I am afraid that won't help for education in the US in all likeihood.
    From the FAFSA site
    The majority of all student aid, including Federal student aid, requires the recipient to be a US citizen or permanent resident (green card holder) or an eligible non-citizen.
    http://www.fafsa.org/otheraid/undocumented.phtml

    this does not mean that loans are not available, but they are not going to be available on the favorable terms as a citizen or permanent resident.

  11. #11
    Banned Melonie's Avatar
    Joined
    Jul 2002
    Location
    way south of the border
    Posts
    25,932
    Thanks
    612
    Thanked 10,563 Times in 4,646 Posts
    Blog Entries
    3
    My Mood
    Cynical

    Default Re:Tuition/School help!!! (long, but please read I need advice!)

    Yes, Federal student aid and guaranteed subsidized interest educational loans are restricted to US Citizens. I'm not sure about California though - they may provide state funded tuition assistance to non-citizens.

    As a Canadian citizen, Scarlett's high earnings potential options are rather limited. The vast majority of US clubs cannot hire her because of the Patriot Act plus the fact that she doesn't have a US work visa for dancing (and isn't likely to get one). She can of course work in US clubs which won't ask for official ID, but of course these clubs are just as lax about enforcing other laws (like prostitution) as they are about the Patriot Act. On the other hand, as a Canadian citizen she's free to work in clubs located in other Canadian provinces which pay more i.e. Ontario and Quebec. However, the mileage expectations in these clubs is quite a bit higher than what she's used to in the West.

  12. #12
    Banned Melonie's Avatar
    Joined
    Jul 2002
    Location
    way south of the border
    Posts
    25,932
    Thanks
    612
    Thanked 10,563 Times in 4,646 Posts
    Blog Entries
    3
    My Mood
    Cynical

    Default Re:Tuition/School help!!! (long, but please read I need advice!)

    Also, from a "cash value" standpoint, getting implants is probably going to increase your income by at the very least $1000 a month. This compares to the money you would earn by taking in 2 roommates, or by working a $12 an hour part time straight job 20+ hours per week. Increasing your earning power by $12,000 per year will get you into college within a 2-3 year period without having loans to deal with after you graduate.

  13. #13
    God/dess montythegeek's Avatar
    Joined
    Oct 2003
    Posts
    2,103
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 9 Times in 5 Posts

    Default Re:Tuition/School help!!! (long, but please read I need advice!)

    I, having no knowledge of the income effects od BA's, was not proposing it as an alternative to Melonie's concept. I was speaking about an option for when SV was in school as an augmentation of income for a period when dancing was difficult because of time constraints and local customs. Maybe that was not clear.

    When I was an undergrad in college I had a job as a library reserve room attendant which did something comparable in terms of allowing 80-90% study time at the same wage as people putting books on the shelf and working all the time. Used effectively a job can be either advantageous to the process or neutral. Of course, choosing between two nostudytime jobs would be a dollar determined item.

  14. #14
    God/dess scarlett_vancouver's Avatar
    Joined
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Vancouver, BC
    Posts
    6,699
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 22 Times in 20 Posts

    Default Re:Tuition/School help!!! (long, but please read I need advice!)

    My first year in Uni I was a graveyard gas station attendant, for the sole reason that it gave me study time. Problem is, it didn't give me sleepytime! Not enough, anyways. 11pm to 7am at work, 8:30am to 4-ish at school (breaks in between) meant that I got about 4-5 hours of sleep a day/night, taken in 1- 1.5 hour chunks in places like the library, student union room or the bus. It worked for a while, but man was I kind of crazy for awhile there! I wouldn't want to do it again.

    To further the boob discussion, here's how I see it: it would cost me $7000 (because I'd go to the best dr. in Van), plus 2 months off from work ($8000 approx); I hope to be in school by Sept '06 at the latest, so 22 months of earnings (if I got them tomorrow) at say $1500 a month extra. Minus the cost of having them removed (I will guess $4000?), I'd be ahead $14000-ish. That's a year's tuition...something to think about, I guess.

    I have some questions I'll ask in the body business section.

    Thanks guys

    Feature costumes for sale!

  15. #15
    Banned Melonie's Avatar
    Joined
    Jul 2002
    Location
    way south of the border
    Posts
    25,932
    Thanks
    612
    Thanked 10,563 Times in 4,646 Posts
    Blog Entries
    3
    My Mood
    Cynical

    Default Re:Tuition/School help!!! (long, but please read I need advice!)

    To further the boob discussion, here's how I see it: it would cost me $7000 (because I'd go to the best dr. in Van), plus 2 months off from work ($8000 approx); I hope to be in school by Sept '06 at the latest, so 22 months of earnings (if I got them tomorrow) at say $1500 a month extra. Minus the cost of having them removed (I will guess $4000?), I'd be ahead $14000-ish. That's a year's tuition...something to think about, I guess.
    Based on the financial info in your previous post, this would appear to be enough extra income to cover your ongoing tuition requirements in conjunction with your current savings. If things get tight at the end financially speaking, you can always delay the implant removal (and the associated cost) until a few months after you graduate.

  16. #16
    God/dess montythegeek's Avatar
    Joined
    Oct 2003
    Posts
    2,103
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 9 Times in 5 Posts

    Default Re:Tuition/School help!!! (long, but please read I need advice!)

    SV,
    I was looking at the faculty and other items on the Boucher website to see if there were any clues to alternative paths to the same objective.

    A fair number of the faculty have mid level degrees AND the desired degree and may allow a less expensive route. Without enough knowledge to say for sure this may be a route if you can confirm it with the admissions folks. There is a provision for transfer credits in the policies.

    Have you talked to any school folks about financing options? Path options? Since there are only a handful of accredited schools, indirect routes may not be uncommon.

  17. #17
    God/dess scarlett_vancouver's Avatar
    Joined
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Vancouver, BC
    Posts
    6,699
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 22 Times in 20 Posts

    Default Re:Tuition/School help!!! (long, but please read I need advice!)

    Yes, good point Monty. I have to wait until school is back in session to have an advisory meeting, but those are things I'll bring up.

    My mum also suggested I just do regular medical school (cheaper!) and try to find a program that will let me do a 1 year 'upgrade' to natural medicine. Sounds good, but also kind of ridiculous, as after the basics are covered, western and naturopathic medicine are completely different.

    Boucher Institute, that's the one!

    I'll update after my meeting.

    Feature costumes for sale!

  18. #18
    God/dess Lena's Avatar
    Joined
    Jun 2002
    Location
    On a sweet muddy river.
    Posts
    6,399
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 78 Times in 43 Posts

    Default Re:Tuition/School help!!! (long, but please read I need advice!)

    Scarlett,

    I think you mentioned in another post that you made a lot of money working in London... why not do that for a couple months?



  19. #19
    God/dess scarlett_vancouver's Avatar
    Joined
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Vancouver, BC
    Posts
    6,699
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 22 Times in 20 Posts

    Default Re:Tuition/School help!!! (long, but please read I need advice!)

    Yeah, I'm definitely considering it...I just worry about putting out the cash (airfare, money to cover condo expenses while gone, hotel in London $$$), and not making enough back. But I guess I won't know unless I try!


    Feature costumes for sale!

  20. #20
    God/dess scarlett_vancouver's Avatar
    Joined
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Vancouver, BC
    Posts
    6,699
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 22 Times in 20 Posts

    Default Re:Tuition/School help!!! (long, but please read I need advice!)

    Plus, honestly, with my going away in Dec-Jan already (to New Zealand- family and hopefully work), I'm worried that it would be the end of me and the bf. I already only have time to see him like once, maybe twice a week

    Feature costumes for sale!

  21. #21
    Banned Melonie's Avatar
    Joined
    Jul 2002
    Location
    way south of the border
    Posts
    25,932
    Thanks
    612
    Thanked 10,563 Times in 4,646 Posts
    Blog Entries
    3
    My Mood
    Cynical

    Default Re:Tuition/School help!!! (long, but please read I need advice!)

    Yeah, I'm definitely considering it...I just worry about putting out the cash (airfare, money to cover condo expenses while gone, hotel in London $$$), and not making enough back. But I guess I won't know unless I try!
    This is a definite risk, as is any long distance road trip.

    Not to belabor the point, but why would you be willing to pony up thousands of dollars to make a 7000 mile road trip with an uncertain rate of return, when for the same sort of investment you could get a known rate of return from breast implants ?

  22. #22
    God/dess scarlett_vancouver's Avatar
    Joined
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Vancouver, BC
    Posts
    6,699
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 22 Times in 20 Posts

    Default Re:Tuition/School help!!! (long, but please read I need advice!)

    Well, a trip to London would only cost me a bit over $1000 out of pocket before I could work...I don't honestly think I wouldn't make the money back, I'm just being skittish because of inertia

    Implants...I'm definitely considering the possibility, but at the crux of it it's basically just that implants are not something I want for myself- it would just be for work. That doesn't seem right, somehow?

    There's always the possibility that something will go awry, that I'd have one of those botched jobs (I'd pay for the best, but even they make mistakes, right?)

    I really honestly love my body as is, and have seen like under 10 boobs jobs in my life that I'd be happy having on my body. Those aren't good odds...though all the recent silicone jobs I've seen have looked good.

    There's the health factor- I DO believe that they cause the immune system to be overworked in at least some people. And though I'm sure the problems would be negligible if I got them removed after a few years...I don't want empty boob sacs!

    Plus, uh...despite having an online presence and being pretty well-known in Van...my parents don't know, and I don't really want them to. They would notice me suddenly having boobs, and it's so not 'me' they'd get suspicious. It's silly and not at all noble, I know, but it's a real concern of mine.

    Feature costumes for sale!

  23. #23
    Banned Melonie's Avatar
    Joined
    Jul 2002
    Location
    way south of the border
    Posts
    25,932
    Thanks
    612
    Thanked 10,563 Times in 4,646 Posts
    Blog Entries
    3
    My Mood
    Cynical

    Default Re:Tuition/School help!!! (long, but please read I need advice!)

    Scarlett, you have to decide what's right for YOU !

  24. #24
    God/dess scarlett_vancouver's Avatar
    Joined
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Vancouver, BC
    Posts
    6,699
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 22 Times in 20 Posts

    Default Re:Tuition/School help!!! (long, but please read I need advice!)

    Yeah, yeah, I know

    What's right for me is making more money! Lol.

    But I totally appreciate the advice from everyone (thank you!!!), I'm sure I'll keep you posted whether you want ot hear it or not

    Feature costumes for sale!

  25. #25
    Veteran Member SaraNLA's Avatar
    Joined
    Nov 2003
    Location
    hell a -- just kidding, I really like LA
    Posts
    331
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 6 Times in 3 Posts

    Default Re:Tuition/School help!!! (long, but please read I need advice!)

    That sounds like way too many reasons not to get your boobies done. I think just going in to work as many nights as possible is a better bet.
    Let your indulgence set me free. - Shakespeare

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Similar Threads

  1. I need school advice. (long)
    By Laylalust in forum The Lounge
    Replies: 9
    Last Post: 05-22-2008, 09:56 PM
  2. Should I go back to the Dr? (long, but please read)
    By BrunetteGoddess in forum Body Business
    Replies: 22
    Last Post: 10-08-2007, 08:10 PM
  3. This is way too long! But read it anyway!
    By am1 in forum Coming Out
    Replies: 6
    Last Post: 02-23-2007, 07:01 AM

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •