Work Force Development Grant, should I do it?

[alissaroot]

Thanks, MaieJaie. I hope I will qualify for some financial aid next year. The company that laid me off paid very well, so even though I only worked six months of this year, my gross income this year will still be high, probably too high to qualify for a grant. I have filled out a FAFSA for the last two years, and I was only offered a loan both times. I do expect my 2010 gross income to drop, so I probably won't qualify for significant financial aid until 2011. But I may be willing to take on a student loan for the rest of the cost rather than insisting on paying for it out of my own pocket if the amount is going to be as small as $4000 or $5000. I hate to take on any debt at all, but that is a manageable amount to pay off in a reasonable time frame. I did get an email about a job I applied for working in a juvenile center for troubled/disadvantaged young men, which I'm very excited about. Way different than testing metal powder samples all day...it probably doesn't pay well, but I'd enjoy it more than my old job and maybe they'd have tuition reimbursement.

This grant is such a pain in the arse. I have a pile of forms to fill out. In order to get the grant, I have to fill out a form that shows how each degree program would qualify me for the intended career, and I have to research how many people get hired for a career with said degree, what sorts of skills a career needs, what the outlook is for a certain career, etc. It would be easier if schools actually kept good records of job placement for their graduates. Although I find it very frustrating, I do see how this would be very useful as far as what you can expect to do with your degree. So besides the expected large project of applying to get in somewhere with having transcripts and LORs sent, I also have five pages of forms for each school for this grant, making it an even more massive project. IU is annoying me with a special recommendation form that they want me to send to people rather than a LOR. And I still haven't taken the General GRE! It's an entrance requirement! And I'm stressing over whether or not to take the Praxis I? Should I bother?

*STRESSED OUT*

On the positive side, I'm also going to apply to Ball State for their MA in Educational Psychology, which was brought to my attention by this post: View Single Post I may only apply to three programs in order to avoid all these forms and the expense of having all my transcripts sent.

Back to my mountain of paperwork! Studying for the GRE General test would be like a vacation from this research. I never thought I'd consider studying math more fun than applying to grad school.

I'm complaining a lot right now, but I will be glad if/when I get accepted. I just had to vent my frustration a little.