Advice for 21yo Going to Community College: Where to Start?

[cmiglis]

Where to start?

I am 21 and I am going back to school (the military didn't work out). I can barely afford a local community college with the little student aid I am receiving from fafsa. The most practical community college nearby has nothing close to a Mechanical Engineer program, so I am planning on taking gen. ed. and then I am going to transfer somewhere as soon as I can get some money saved up. I would greatly appreciate some advice. I really want to keep it in California. If you need more details, please ask. I just want some good advice. Thanks.

 

[story645]

o I am planning on taking gen. ed. and then I am going to transfer somewhere as soon as I can get some money saved up.

That sounds like a sane plan, and if you get some decent grades you may even qualify for a scholarship at the school you transfer into. Transfer into a public school if you're still short of cash, 'cause where you get the degree (so long as it's accredited) doesn't really matter if you plan to work as an engineer, and the Cali system has a good reputation.

Look for scholarships! Are you by any chance an underrepresented minority (black/hispanic/female)? Lots of scholarships out there for that. There are all sorts of scholarships for all sorts of things, and the community college may have info on a bunch of them. Most school's have a webpage for scholarships too (it's usually on the financial aid page.) Also look for on campus and work study jobs-they tend to be flexible and understanding about exams and stuff and generally a good option for students.

Student loans aren't actually the worst option ever if you're doing the public school route. They may end up being a reasonable amount to pay back at the end. Talk to the people in financial aid at the community college and local public college and do some math.