1chester

Hi Ladies and Gentlemen,

I need some advice. I want to get a degree in Criminal Justice. My college offers either a associates or BA program with a Criminology Emphasis. I want to become a crime scene investigator or some other pretty good job that is part of law somehow .

I would become a police officer as a last resort. I only say that because I have no clue if I could afford to back pay my student loans on a police officer salary. Utah is starting to requires you to have a two year degree in order to become a cop.

I realize that I could take the Criminal Justice BA to go into law. I don't think that I'd really make enough money since I would want to help domestic violence victims leave their abusive husbands by getting a divorce, protective orders, etc.

I have no financial support from my parents. They refuse to pay for anything to do with college. They tell me that college is a privilege and not a right. They told me that nobody paid for them so I'm adult enough (28 years old) to pay for college myself is their reasons.

I only option that I have is Pell Grants and Maximum Student Loans as a Independent person. I'm looking at about $9,500 a year in loans plus any grants.

I thought about forensic science to work in the lab but it pays approx. $22-$40 something an hour with a masters degree. I think that I wouldn't be able to pay off a forensic science masters degree loans on $22.00 an hour.


Do you think that I could obtain a $20 an hour job within the criminal justice system with a BA in Criminal Justice? It will cost me $9000.00 per year X 4 years for a grant total of $36,000.00 to obtain a 4 year degree in Criminal Justice. Do you think it would be hard to pay back $36,000.00 students loan on a $20 an hour job?

If you know of anyone that has gone to school to become a police officer, found a great job in the criminal justice/law/or any work in the lab, etc. tell me about it. I'd love to hear what they did or how much they owed.

One thing I also noticed is that I have to do an internship. Could you tell me about any internship of someone who did one like at a Sheriffs department or a lab? What it was like?

Thanks for reading this. I apologize if my post is all over the place. Thank you for your time.

Chester

(the dogs name)

coloradogreycat

Be careful where you do your internship. My son did one with our local Sheriff as part of his BA in Criminal Justice. It was a fantastic program. He was able to do rotations through every department - including civil, investigative, detentions, etc. He had a fantastic experience and got to know a lot of people. After he graduated, he continued to volunteer with the Sheriff's Office for about 6 months until he was able to land a permanent job with them. His friend, on the other hand, chose to intern with our local Police Department. For his 6 month internship, all he did was input crime data into a computer. It was not at all challenging. He ended up paying for his own POST certification and went to work for another agency in a different city as a patrol officer. Both kids lived at home while going to school and were fortunate enough to graduate without any debt.

I would encourage you to look into working full time and going to school part-time, so that you can graduate debt-free as well. It'll take longer - but being debt-free is definitely worth it.

crazymomster

Also keep in mind that at 28 you are independent for financial aid and so your award will be based on your income, not your parents. If you make under 23k (?) you will have an EFC of 0, making it likely for you to receive much more in aid than just loans and work study. Of course the award will depend on the school.

polarscribe

If you work for a police agency, you are eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. Make on-time payments under Income-Based Repayment for 10 years while working as a public servant and any remaining balance is forgiven.