Back To College-Old

If you’re considering going back to school, this is the place to start. Going back to school isn’t always easy, and it’s ok to feel uncertain. Knowing all your options and figuring out the best choices for you is a challenge and Graduate! Philadelphia is here to help.

Here are some things to consider as you start your process:

Goals

Something has sparked you to return to school, the more you can define it the better G!P can serve you and same for your school! They may be personal, a new career, or personal satisfaction at completing a goal. Click below for some great resources available to help you define your mission for returning to school.

• Connecting career and education goals
• My Next Move
• O*Net OnLine
• Self-assessments and college majors that connect you to your career goals
• What Can I Do With This Major
• Penn State Division of Undergraduate Studies
• My Road by College Board
• Growth careers and pay
• Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Time and Support

Adults often have to balance work and family with school, it’s helpful to establish a routine that accommodates for all your responsibilities. Consider the hours necessary for assignments, projects, and time for getting to and from school.

Surround yourself with encouragement and positive energy. People who believe in you will help you when you need it and cheer you on to your victories. Don’t be too shy to ask for help.

G!P College Success Advisors are also always ready to assist you! Just ask!

Internet Access

One of the wonderful things about the modern Comebacker experience is the proliferation of the Internet! Online classes help accelerate timelines so make sure to identify a reliable online portal at home, on campus or in the community.

You have experience!

Adults often re-enter college with more credits than they thought they had! Comebackers bring rich real world experience into their schools and are often rewarded for it. Certificates and professional training at work, in the military, or through community programs, may also be evaluated for credit. Make sure to discuss your career experience and mention any certificates, diplomas or accreditations you’ve received with your school advisor and G!P College Success Advisor. All of our Partner Colleges offer ways to bring in credits for past learning.
Options

Degrees can be obtained in many different ways! Options now include online, in-class, and hybrids. Hybrid classes allow you time in the classroom with classmates and the instructor, as well as online interactions and coursework.

Accelerated programs offer courses that last eight weeks instead of fourteen. Accelerated programs often have courses that start every five or seven weeks, so your courses may not run concurrently.

Adult online courses rely on interaction with classmates and the instructor, either in real time (synchronous) or at a time that is convenient to the student (asynchronous.) For now, MOOCs (Massive Online Open Courses) do not translate easily into college credit. If you have questions or concerns about accelerated or online degree programs, attend on of Graduate! Philadelphia’s workshops to help ease you in to the process. Check our calendar for upcoming events.

Cost

There are many affordable college options for adults in our region, and most adults qualify for federal and state grants and subsidized loans. Private loans should be a last resort as they have fewer consumer protections and are more expensive. The Institute for College Access & Success explains income-based repayment programs for student loans and other loan payment and forgiveness programs.

In addition, the College Affordability and Transparency Center (http://collegecost.ed.gov/) can help you calculate college costs and understand what you’re paying for. Colleges are required to have a cost calculator on their websites. It is crucial to note and be aware of “hidden” costs like student activities fees that adults may not be required to pay.

Remember, adult students rarely incur significant college debt. Research your college choices, and ask about tuition cost for college completion programs, part-time students, evening students, etc.

Financial Aid and Resources

Adults can and should apply for all federal and state financial aid grants and loans. To determine your eligibility and start the process, visit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) website. Dates and sequences to remember:

• FAFSA funds are replenished each year on January 1
• Funds are allocated on a first come-first served basis, so it pays to file early.
• You will need to have your tax return completed before you file your FAFSA.

Additional FAFSA and Financial Aid Resources

• Watch a fun and fast video on how to do your FAFSA
• The Benefit Bank is a safe, secure, FREE, and trustworthy website for filing taxes, FAFSA and several other public benefits.
• If your family earns less than $57,000 a year, you are eligible for their services.
• Enter your information once, and The Benefit Bank will file your taxes and FAFSA, then identify more benefits for which you may be eligible, and walk you through the application online.
• Learning details of student aid, such as your student aid report (SAR) and your estimated family contribution (EFC)www.studentaid.ed.gov
• Pennsylvania state aid information.
• New Jersey state aid information
• Delaware state aid information

If you do have to take out loans, Visit www.finaid.org for comprehensive information and resources such as repayment calculators, needs analysis. They also have information about commercial savings tools including Section 529 plans (which can be used by adults for themselves and their children) and search tools for scholarships.

There are many scholarship sites. Some will require you to pay or give information up front. We urge you to use caution and common sense. You should never have to pay for information about a scholarship. Explore College Greenlight (http://blog.collegegreenlight.com/blog/#sthash.o67NtcUs.dpbs) to identify scholarships. The site also explains the competitiveness of each award and typical award amounts.

Also, G!P College Success Advisors are knowledgeable about federal and state financial aid, and can help sort through questions about costs and loans, though we are not Certified Financial Planners. If in doubt, we recommend you contact our colleagues at Clarifi. They have locations throughout the Delaware Valley and you can often meet with them at Graduate! Philadelphia.

Defaulted Loans

Get back on track if you have defaulted on a student loan. Payments may be much lower than you expect. Visit My Education Debt or call 1.800.621.3115 for further details.

Please beware of predatory lenders who offer to “fix” your debt quickly with no payments. Again, you can also contact Clarifi, a non-profit that provides consumer credit counseling and debt consolidation programs.

Employer Assistance

Ask your employer if you are eligible for tuition benefits and reimbursements that can help you with tuition and related costs. You may learn about programs and opportunities available to you.

• Current and previous year tax returns for filing your Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA)
• All of your official college transcripts, regardless of how long ago you attended the school.
• Don’t forget to ask for an unofficial copy so you can review them. The unofficial copies should be free. You cannot open your official transcripts.
• Collect all Certificates of Completion from places of employment, training, military service, volunteerism, and documents of credit from ACE, Dantes/DSST, CLEP, et.

The colleges and universities that Graduate! Philadelphia’s partners with are all adult friendly institutions whose programs adapt to the life of busy adults. Our partner colleges offer day, evening, weekend, online, face-to-face, and accelerated programs. Visit each of our college and university pages for more information.

If you are interested in evaluating other colleges and universities in our region, check out these resources:

• Visit this great website to evaluate additional opportunities. This website allows you to search colleges and universities according to course listings and subject areas.
• The Pennsylvania State System for Higher Education has 14 public universities, two of which are G!P partners, that you should also explore. You can find details on the 14 universities here. It is also important to explore transferring to Pennsylvania community colleges. You can explore community college opportunities here.

As you continue to explore your many options, be sure to learn the facts of the institutions you are interested in attending. Earning your degree is so important, and most colleges and universities are credible, but make sure you know all of the details. Visit this website that helps you learn about legitimate institutions.

Call G!P to schedule time with our College Success Advisors.

Once you have found the college program that fits you best it’s time commit and enroll! This is an exciting step in your journey!

College Application

It is time to apply to the college(s) of your choice. Most colleges have an online application, but some may require paper applications for specific programs. Graduate! Philadelphia Partner Colleges (link) will waive your application fee!

Many colleges require applying students to test their skills prior to enrollment in order to qualify for college level courses. Accuplacer is a commonly used assessment tool. Visit the Accuplacer website to review and help prepare for the test. You will be glad you took the time to prepare for this important test. Some dedicated studying can help succeed in the test and minimize the number of developmental courses you have to take as they do not accrue credit toward your degree.

Here are some great resources for the Accuplacer test:

• Test preparation applications for Androids and iPhones (each costing approximately $1.99)
• Community College of Philadelphia’s free online math preparation
• Refresh your knowledge of English grammar and learn to write like a pro with the help of the Purdue Online Writing Lab.

Meeting

Call and schedule a meeting with your college advisor at your school of choice to review all materials. If you have any trouble connecting with your advisor contact Graduate! Philadelphia and we will help. Bring your questions and any information you collected to your advisor meeting. Check out these agenda topics for your meeting:

• Total costs per course, per semester, and per year, as well as fees and any hidden fees, from start to finish.
• Majors, minors, and courses.
• Credits that will transfer into different degree options, including the number of transfer credits, and how, when and where they will transfer into your program plan.
• Timeline to degree completion.
• Time and delivery of courses: in class, online, day, evening, weekend.
• Offices and individual contact information for those you need to contact prior to attending classes, such as: admissions, financial aid, business office, registrar, bookstore.

Preparing to Start

Congratulations! You are back in school. Comebackers have found these tips helpful to starting off on the right foot:

• Meet all deadlines for registration, course selection, ongoing tuition and fee payments. Don’t derail yourself by forgetting and missing an important deadline.
• Remember to file annually for financial aid and keep all related paperwork up to date – the earlier in the year the better!
• Warm up your brain! Explore the College for Adults to sharpen your academic skills.
• Review the learning differences through the Learning Strategies Center.
• Refresh you the citation rules through tutorial and workshops.
• Try tutoring help in math, science, computer science and test prep at Khan Academy.
• Get your books! Online sellers offer better prices and used books, but take in to account the shipping time.
• Attend orientation! Don’t skip out on this opportunity to learn so much important information. You will learn shortcuts and tips and you may meet new people with the same goals and course schedule. You will also find the library, learning center, and tutoring services.

Graduate! Philadelphia understand that each Comebacker’s experience going to and through college will be different. There will be different moments and success and obstacles, but our College Success Advisors are here to support and offer guidance and support whenever possible. Stay in touch with us! We have outlined some great resources and tips based on our experience supporting successful Comebackers.

Tips

• Meet with your college advisor at least once a semester to be sure you are on track with your program, including required courses, course sequence, and credit requirements for your degree.
• Develop a good relationship with your professors. They are there to help, and they appreciate the perspectives adults bring to the classroom. Reach out to them during office hours or via email.
• Follow the policies and procedures outlined in your college catalog.
• Try an online course – you may like the flexibility!
• Check your career goals to see if they are all still applicable.
• Monitor your financial aid status with your college financial aid office or the appropriate person at your college.

It is always helpful to know the resources available to you for the fundamental elements of going back to school – Citations, Grammar, Math, etc. Visit these website for a range of great resources:

• Literacy Education Online (LEO) and St. Cloud State University have great tips on breaking through writers’ block and improving your writing skills.
• Scribe is a great toolkit for organizing and keeping track of information when you are writing a college paper.
• Citation Machine helps you refresh your memory on using citations.
• Jack Lynch’s website helps you determine the appropriate grammatical rules.
• Easy to understand math explanations can make all the difference. Visit Math is Fun (http://www.mathsisfun.com/index.htm) for great explanations of algebra, geometry, and statistics.
• Don’t forget to visit Kahn Academy which explains thousands of concepts in easy to understand 10-minute videos!
• Everyone has different learning styles. If you interpret concepts differently than your instructors teach them, visit Think College for insight on alternative learning styles.