The Online Degree Dorm Room

Will Obama pay for your online degree?

Posted by bposton on August 9th, 2009 — Posted in online degree programs psychology

Are you unemployed? Are you trying your best to get a job, but find that you don’t have the expertise needed to get the right job?

Well, then President Obama may be able to help you.

Obama is suggesting that people who have lose their job go back to school to get a degree or to improve thier skills. And the federal government might be willing to pay you to do it, with federal grants and low interest loans.

What might you qualify for? Well, there some types of federal help are federal student loans and Pell grants. Let’s decribe each of these, starting with federal student loans. These type of loans are given to university students who also have good credit. You can use this type of aid for things like books, the cost of classes, etc. While you’re attending school, this money can also be used to cover things like housing and meals as well. You don’t have to establish financial need to qualify for these loans. They ususally just require good credit so your credit rating is key here.

But there is another type of aid that does take your income into account. It’s called the Pell Grant. Unlike a loan, the Pell Grant is aid that you don’t have to pay back to the government. Here’s a point to note, however. You won’t be able to get a Pell Grant if you already have a Bachelor degree. Put all is not lost, because lots of higher education institutions have scholarships that you may be eligible for. Just ask about it in the office of financial aid at the college.

So what about aid for online degrees? Not to worry, the aid mentioned above is good for online programs as well.

Here is a suggestion - if you are currently getting unemployment benefits, you may have gotten a letter form the workforce agency in your state telling you to think about getting additional schooling. If you’re thinking about going back to school, then you can take that letter to the aid office and ask them to discuss the types of aid you can get.
Remember that the government is working with your college to locate aid to help, so it’s a good idea to seek it out. However, just because you have a letter in your hands doesn’t mean you’ll get aid. Ask the aid office about any special programs they have to help people who have lost their job. They may be able to put together enough aid from various sources to help pay for some or all of your college expenses.