Help me make a decision

Paying for College
1

<p>Here is my story, I am 34, I have a B.S in Economics(graduated with no debt). I decided to go back to school this semester to get a 2nd bachelors in Petroleum Engineering. I live in Iowa and no school here offers this major.</p>

<p>I looked at all the schools, there are only about 19 schools that offer the major and some of the best buys were Louisiana State University and U of Louisiana-Lafayette( cost benefit, placement, connection to oil industry, etc)</p>

<p>Because I am pursuing a 2nd bachelors, all I get from the Government is $9500 in subsidized loans as freshman, and the amount goes up the next 2 years. So, my options are:</p>

<p>Option A: Apply to one of the 2 schools as an out of state student and then I would need an additional $12000/year in private loans for 3 years, which would add up to about $36000 at graduation.</p>

<p>Option B: Move to Louisiana, take a few courses at a local community college, apply as a transfer after a year as a Louisiana resident, and with this option, the subsidized loans would almost entirely cover tuition + cost of living, etc.</p>

<p>I have never applied for a private student loan and I am really confused. I do not have bad credit, my credit is best described as “slow”, so I would probably need my mother to cosign a private student loan for me. Only problem is, I have no idea how hard or how easy it would be to qualify for a private student loan. Is it pretty hard? Do you need to have perfect credit? What are your experiences with private student loans?</p>

<p>Obviously, Option B makes way more sense to me, but I really wanted to be done with this degree ASAP and I am not really all that excited about going back to a CC at the age of 34, but if that is what it takes, I guess, I have no choice. Any opinions?</p>

2

<p>How long will this degree take you? 3 or 4 years? If it’s 4, I’d do a semester at a community college and get instate residency when you transfer. Or you can just work instate for a year while you get residency and save for tuition. I don’t see any point at all in paying out of state tuition for this.</p>

<p>You should look into moving to Texas as well. Not only do they have the two best programs, they also have good backups like Texas Tech and U Houston</p>

3

<p>Have you thought of getting a job in your related field, economics, either in a bank, hospital, or an energy company that will be based at Louisiana or Texas and have them pay for the tuition? Most large employers offer tuition reimbursement as an employee benefit. Houston is the energy capital of the world so the opportunities will be better. Just look for a position that is not at a higher level than what you had, or very demanding so you can have time to study. Also, CC and many large state universities offer weekend courses, online courses, etc so working adults who do not have the time finish them easier. You can try U of Houston, as well as the various cc in Houston. I believe TX is one of the states that allow students to count the time of being a student towards the residency requirements.</p>

4

<p>What about looking for a job at one of the universities that offer these degree programs? Most universities allow staff members to take one or two classes each semester for free. You could try out a couple of classes in the new major, and see whether you like it or not after all. If you decide to complete the full degree in a couple of years, you could quit working and enroll full-time.</p>

5

<p>You shouldn’t need to go back and get a complete new four-year bachelor’s degree. That makes no sense at all. You wouldn’t be finished until you’re 38.</p>

<p>I would strongly suggest that you seek professional two-year master’s degree programs in the field, perhaps starting by taking some prerequisite undergraduate classes as a non-degree student.</p>

6

<p>^That’s a great idea. You can may be move to Houston and take courses from CC college towards a certificate of petroleum engineering and then apply for a master’s degree. You should ask a graduate program to help you on what courses you will need and how to go about it. This is from the U of Houston (I just took this school as an example, I do not know its strengths, difficulty etc)</p>

<p>Pre-Requisites </p>

<p>We do not recommend students with non engineering degrees to apply for the petroleum engineering masters program. The background necessary from the math, science and engineering academic preparations of the undergraduate engineer are essential. The master’s program cuuriculum assumes high competency in those areas and successful students attest to that premise. All program participants not holding a Petroleum Engineering degree will be required to complete the following prerequisite courses.</p>

<p>A BS in Petroleum Engineering is the preferred qualification for admission into the Masters program in Petroleum Engineering. Applicants with BS degrees in Chemical or Mechanical Engineering will also be considered, with full admission possible with the completion of the four MPE Prerequisites (with B or better in each course). Bachelor degree holders in other engineering disciplines (Civil, Electrical, Industrial, etc.) or science disciplines (Math, Chemistry, Physics, Geosciences, etc.) will be considered only after completion of undergraduate course work covering deficiencies in basic sciences, math, engineering sciences, and engineering applications comparable to the requirements of accredited BS programs in Petroleum, Chemical, or Mechanical Engineering. (Typical list shown…).
[Graduate</a> Admissions | UH Petroleum Engineering](<a href=“http://petro.egr.uh.edu/graduate]Graduate”>Graduate Admissions | UH Department of Petroleum Engineering)</p>

7

<p>Hmm, well, reading that list, I may be wrong. Usually, many fields have “professional master’s degrees” that are designed for students who want to change careers… but it seems that petroleum engineering might be highly specialized enough that it demands a longer course of study. You may need to contact the various programs which offer the degree to find out about prerequisites and the chances of being admitted without significant undergraduate background in the field.</p>

8

<p>Thanks for all your responses. I think maybe moving to Houston may be a smart move, my Mother lives in Kingwood and I guess, she could help me get situated there. I lived in TX most of my life and I am familiar with the Houston area. Thanks for giving me some ideas and I hope to be able to attain my dream of going back to school</p>

9

<p>^Wherever you decide to move, the first thing is to go and change your driver’s license/voter registration/any other change so the clock will start ticking for state residency. The program at UofH is quite new and the first undergraduate class will graduate next year. You should make an appointment with the graduate coordinator there, get your college transcript to show them and ask them what would be their advice about courses needed and whether if taken at CC or at UofH will suffice. You need to show passion for the field and give a good reason why you want to enter petroleum engineering and what you can contribute. At the minimum they will give you a contact either at cc/uoh/or another school where they can further help you. If you have good grades and from a good school, they may be willing to admit you as long as you complete a+b+c courses with a grade of B at the undergrad level. I assume as an econ major you have taken a lot of math and statistics so this will be advantageous. It is not as if you want to change from history major to engineering. Think of the encounter with this individual as an admissions interview. Good luck.</p>