<p>ok this is my issue… My husband got his first bachelors back in 2005 in Graphic Media and has been unable to find a job using it. So he decided to go back to college and get another BS in IT advanced networking. Fafsa let him know that because he already has a BS he does not qualify for fin aid but allowed him to borrow 12.5k in direct loans leaving us about 3k short not including living expenses. He is going to start in a couple of weeks University of Phoenix online and it is a very expensive school. We have been looking into scholarships but most of them are available during the beginning of the year. or maybe we are not looking in the right places. what do you suggest which loans to try to get? what is the best way to go?</p>
<p>Is there a less expensive school where he can get similar coursework? I don’t know enough about the field to really know how much another BS will benefit him, but it’s a big investment for him. Perhaps he could start with free classes first and self-study for some kind of network certification to prove his knowledge? Check out MIT open courseware for example [MIT</a> OpenCourseWare | Electrical Engineering and Computer Science | 6.263J Data Communication Networks, Fall 2002 | Home](<a href=“http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/electrical-engineering-and-computer-science/6-263j-data-communication-networks-fall-2002/]MIT”>Data Communication Networks | Electrical Engineering and Computer Science | MIT OpenCourseWare) </p>
<p>Unless he has established good credit, he’s going to have a hard time getting more than the federal loans he’s been offered. And it’s probably unwise for him to even take out those. It’s a lot of money to be paying back eventually!</p>
<p>I wish we could have gone with a cheaper school but he tried going to a community college here and the professor was taking the students work and trying to get credit for it himself also he works for another college in nearby mexico and takes programs and supplies from our US college and gives it to the students over there it was terrible. Unfortunately he is the only one there teaching the classes he needed. There is no physical proof but he was seen taking supplies to his vehicle and the aid said it was true. anyways the problem is that he does have to do the online thing and the only way to survive is taking out more loans. So far it has only been the 12.5k. He never took any loans out or fin aid for his first BS. It has just been really hard in our little town here he is to over qualified for McDonalds or under qualified for technical jobs he’s tried them all. Many of the job openings here need IT guys so that’s why he is going that way. I do think his credit is ok nothing negative on his score we’re just really confused as to which lenders to trust. I’m going to have him look up the link you sent thank you :)</p>
<p>Has he looked at online programs through your state public universities? [UMUC</a> - Homepage](<a href=“http://Www.UMUC.edu%5DUMUC”>http://Www.UMUC.edu) and [Penn</a> State | Online Degrees, Online Courses, and Online Certificates offered by Penn State](<a href=“http://Www.worldcampus.psu.edu%5DPenn”>http://Www.worldcampus.psu.edu) and [Online</a> University | Online Degree Programs, Accredited Bachelor’s and Master’s](<a href=“http://www.wgu.edu%5DOnline”>http://www.wgu.edu) might work for him.</p>
<p>Before you spend any money with the University of Phoenix, I would strongly suggest contacting some major local potential employers in you husband’s proposed field and asking them how they feel about hiring people with degrees from that institution.</p>
<p>Annasdad is absolutely right. Plus you have no idea what ANYONE does with the student’s work most of the time, and what do you care? You just want to get the courses, knowledge, certificate. A certificate is often offered at many community colleges which take a lot less time to achieve than a second degree. SOmetimes just have the knowledge and having take certain courses is just as good as effective going through a second degree, and is a lot less expensive and time consuming.</p>
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<p>Excellent advice. In general he needs to do some networking and find out what it will <em>really</em> take for him to get a job in that field. Use LinkedIn to find people in your or your husband’s extended network who work locally in his field, and then he should try to arrange an “informational interview” with them. (If he’s not familiar with the idea, google it – many job hunting sites will give advice on this.) </p>
<p>I don’t know the answer to the question you asked (which lenders to trust) but I and others want to make sure you’re asking the right questions first. Best of luck to you and your husband. It’s not easy out there!</p>
<p>I just completed my Masters degree online at Eastern Michigan University. They offered in-state tuition for anyone attending all classes online. I don’t know if they offer IT degrees, but I would assume that other universities would make similar offers. I would bet he could find many options that cost far less than Phoenix.</p>
<p>I agree, be careful about University of Phoenix, some professions are fine with it, many are not. For profit universities are often not respected as they have lower admissions and class standards.</p>
<p>Your husband already has Bachelor’s degree. Did he look into terminal Masters programs in IT or MIS from a local University? </p>
<p>Terminal means that there is no thesis or project at the end, and you cannot use the credits towards Phd. It is more of a practical degree for those who want to switch careers or advance in their field. </p>
<p>Also, he does not necessarily need a whole new degree. Maybe several courses to get acquainted with the new field?</p>
<p>I would be very careful about University of Phoenix too. It has really bad reputation with employers. It also has very bad reviews from students.</p>
<p>I am sure there are other programs out there that don’t require so much investments and where you can also learn. Take a look at the public schools (not necessarily community colleges) near you.</p>
<p>What state do you live in? I would think that there would be extension/online programs through your state university system that would be cheaper and wouldn’t raise all the negatives of a for profit school…</p>
<p>My point is that regardless of which state you live in, there are online programs from established universities that offer in-state tuition for their online programs.</p>
<p>We live in a little town in southern California 25 miles from the Mexicali border. I guess we felt we did enough research but from all of your inputs it is obvious we didn’t ugh! At this point all we can do is role with it and hope for the best and not do our same mistakes with our kids. Thank you guys so much for all your replies, and mathmomvt I will defiantly have him look into the informational interview you suggested. I never finished my associates and he picked his first BS for Graphic Media when it first was offered at Marist lol he knew more that the professors at that time piece of cake for him but there are no jobs in this economy here for that and we can not move from here. So this puts us where we are. He did look into the MIT link and said he had never herd of this so I know he will use it. But thank again everyone :)!!</p>
<p>Lerkin has come right out and said it. University of Phoenix is not always well regarded, in fact, is often badly considered. You are better off getting a certificate from the local community college in the discipline or other state school on line programs. Really. </p>
<p>I have advised and have personally seen kids who graduated from Ivy league and other highly selective and highly regarde schools to take certain courses or programs at local community college so they can find jobs that are in demand. An English major, for instance, may have a lot trouble finding a job, but an English major with a Medical Coding course, can often find ready work. SO it is with certain niche jobs that require the training. Look around in your area for what is needed, check the ads in your paper. What is needed and what they are paying decently for, and get your certifciation or sometimes just the courses so you can get such a job. A second bachelors is overkill.</p>
<p>Once you get your foot in the door of an organization, even in a niche that may not be of great interest, when things open up,you can be in position to get other jobs, and the BA or BS in whatever from whereever will come into play. My friend’s D is making good money now, with a major insurance company, having made the jump from a doctors billing office with that medical coding training. Her English degree was very relevant in going for that job, but that extra knowledge put her in position to be under consideration for it.</p>
<p>CrazyDaisy, it’s not too late to bail on the Phoenix thing if you and your H aren’t sure it’s going to be worthwhile. No point throwing good money and time after bad (deposit/application).</p>
<p>Bail from Phoenix. There is nothing saying that you have to continue there. Or just take the class that I’m guessing is paid for, but them move on to another program.</p>
<p>Look into Thomas Edison State College in New Jersey. This school is designed for adult students (meaning it is not geared to 18-20 year olds) and they offer many online degrees. Your husband would be able to apply the degree that he already has and then would only need a few classes to finish up a second degree. </p>
<p>[College</a> Education for Adults at Thomas Edison State College](<a href=“http://www.tesc.edu/]College”>http://www.tesc.edu/)</p>
<p>"At this point all we can do is role with it and hope for the best "
Not true. At this point, you can get out of the agreement with Phoenix. Classes haven’t started. They will have to give back any loan money sent to them, and maybe nothing has been sent yet. Saying “oh well, we know it’s a bad choice and we’ll be stuck with a loan for a useless degree from a terrible school” is NOT the way to secure a better financial future! I know a guy running the computer networking department at a college in the East who is just now finishing his bachelor’s. He learned on the job at a computer store, moved up the ladder, studied on his own for certifications, and then the college is now paying for his bachelors. There are lots of ways into the field, and you don’t have to lose money in the process.</p>