Community college is already free

What's up I'm still waiting?

Where's your response?

Oh I was right sorry...

a reply to: onequestion

You refuse dialogue continuously...wouldnt you answer my question(s) or are you not willing to discuss.

a reply to: Tiamat384

I don't need to answer you dialogue.

PEL grants and board of governors fee waivers are real and available for everyone.

Period.

a reply to: onequestion

No you dont. You would if you were open to discussion but you clearly arent. So I take it the money is from the sky. That is the only way it could be free. Sorry for being right. Thats why you wont answer of course.

a reply to: onequestion

If I don't answer, it means you're right?!

No, it means I decided that your question was too stupid to deserve an answer.

Money of PEL comes from taxpayers. It is not pooped out by a pink unicorn. Furthermore, you assume your subjective experience equals an objective truth, which is a major fallacy.

Bubble is an ugly thing, I will leave you to it.

a reply to: swanne

I already told you that where the money comes from is irrelevant.

College is already paid for that's the point.

Good try at trying to change the topic of conversation but it ain't happening.

a reply to: swanne

I didn't start a thread asking where the money comes from to pay for free college.

I start a thread about how we already offer college.

You choose to focus on something totally irrelevant, not my problem as my intention was not to discuss where the money came from my point was to show that the money is there.

Want to talk about where the money comes from?

Great start your own thread.


Sorry guys I've been starting threads since 2009.

originally posted by: onequestion


Sorry guys I've been starting threads since 2009.

OMG another proof that you're right! Has anyone seen that? Onequestion makes threads since 2009, therefore he's always right. I guess that settles it then!

a reply to: onequestion

You can only win by keeping the argument so narrow...and even then..

a reply to: Tiamat384

Sorry but at no point did I ask where the money came from like I said that is irrelevant.

I am simply pointing out that it's already there.

Lose gracefully.

Going to sleep in case someone else thinks they can troll my thread without a response.

a reply to: onequestion

It isnt just there. It doesnt magically appear. You lost even with such a narrow argument. You retreat because you lost. You refuse any amount of discussion and your only argument is that if it doesnt agree with you then it isnt true. No facts needed. You are the only troll around here.

Thanks for the PM troll!

a reply to: onequestion
OK, please correct me if I'm wrong but don't you have to meet the requirements????

I just finished community college, and I have a nice loan against my retirement that says that doesn't work. I applied for EVERYTHING!!! But because my husband & I work, I had to pay for my school.

Now don't misunderstand me. It SHOULD NOT be free. If it becomes 100% free (which means I as a tax payer am paying for it) then what having you gained? Nothing because anyone can get one and it is no longer something special.

Again, please correct me if I'm wrong.

Student Aid .gov Website

Our general eligibility requirements include that you have financial need, are a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen, be enrolled in an eligible degree or certificate program at your college or career school, and more. Make sure you’re familiar with our basic eligibility criteria, and ask a college financial aid office if you have any questions about whether you qualify

OK so I went digging because this is VERY important.

1. You MUST qualify financially to receive a PELL grant
2. If you do NOT qualify you do NOT get money

I think you have to be destitute to get a PELL grant. In most cases if you do not complete the program, you have to pay it back.

a reply to: onequestion

I know a bunch, from a lot of different situations, Pell grants and other assistance ,means...assets, rent and family issues...that are paying back at least a little.

If it worked for you great...but ignorance of the fact many dont qualify for a myriad of reasonings...suggests perhaps you should go back.

Contact just 3 community colleges...and ask if there is any way you can get Pell grants, waivers, subsidies etc...that will pay 100% of your transportation, credit hours, food, lodging, living expenses for the full amount credit hours, regardless of married, single, living with parents, employed, unemployed, low income-high income, resident and non-resident status.

You wont find 1. Even full scholarships to any school have some part of day to day expenses that comes out of your pocket over the 2 years.

You insult the intelligence of the ATS membership...but I should realize perhaps you are still studying....*

*Yes, I paid $$ after my Pell grants, scholarships, waivers etc. Nothing was fully "free"...and I had 100% for all my classes, books etc...for 2 years. Still...I had to live...cheaply yes, but that came out of my pocket and part time job.

And I was far from being alone in that.

PELL grants & grants for book costs covered about 90% of my community college costs here in Western MA, along with most of my friends. Some of them actually "made money" off of the grants, like the OP stated, because it covered more than tuition and books.

But like others have said, it did not cover day to day expenses.

a reply to: charolais

ETA this response was for OP, don't know why it targeted charolais.

I was denied the grant when I was 18 because my mother made over $80,000 a year. I had a 3.8 GPA, had 10 years combined foreign language credits (Latin, French, Spanish), had a Regents high school diploma, and had a job. (Neglecting the fact that I slept in school and didn't show up half the time - to the point that when they sent a letter to my dad saying I couldn't miss more than 20 more days or I would fail, I literally scheduled my 19 free days off in arrogance considering that's how I chose to interpret the letter...).

I did pay for my community college tuition, but because it felt like I was back in Kindergarten, I dropped out and decided that I was better at figuring things out without wasting my time and money for a lack of real education in the name of a piece of paper. If my goal was to be a Medical Doctor, I might have suffered it, though.

But, you are wrong. You can be denied the grant and have parents who make enough money to help and yet refuse to.

I'm now the same age as my mom was at the time (young mother who Did qualify for the grant, and got her Computer Programming degree for free while my dad and his family gave her cars which she wrecked, gas, food.... but she did it "all by myself"...)

And now I know that she was selfish, acting like it was a lesson. It was a lesson at any rate. And frankly, if I found out university was too slow for me, I might have left anyway.

My goal for my kids is to pay for their college to a university which actually teaches, or for investment money into the business of their choice, whichever route they go.

That all to shed light on a situation that you haven't considered, OP.

Thanks.

originally posted by: onequestion
a reply to: Tiamat384

I don't need to answer you dialogue.

PEL grants and board of governors fee waivers are real and available for everyone.

Period.

Pell grants are only for people with a very low income, if you are working, even at minimum wage, you are likely to be ineligible for a pell grant the size you mention, assuming you don't lie on your FAFSA application. Governors fee waivers are not a federal program, they are for your state only. Not everybody lives in California.

Additionally if you are under the age of 26 (or maybe 25) your parents income is counted as your income. It doesn't matter if you live with them or not, and it doesn't matter if they give you a single penny. their income makes you ineligible for a pell grant. Again assuming you don't lie on your application, intentionally or not.

Basically the only way to get free tuition is if you have zero income, and your parents are below the poverty line, or if your over 26 and have no income. Tuition for 12 credits at a community college here is around $1300, books will be another 300-400. So maybe your cost to attend college is barely covered, but then how do you live? If you get a job they will cut your pell grant and you won't make enough to cover tuition and living expenses. So then you have to take out loans.

Not exactly as cut and dry as you make it out to be.