LCC Update: Holy Crap, Learnin' Is $pendy!

Wow!  I just crunched the numbers for the total cost of my course and the supplies I need for it vs. the financial aid money I'll be getting.  Silly me had delusions of a new laptop or maybe a weekend trip to Chicago, perhaps dinner out or a great new pair of shoes....this was a serious reality check!

The great news is that I qualify for the highest amount for the Pell Grant, the bad news is I thought I got the whole thing at once.  Apparently they split your "award" between 2 terms....bastards, don't they know I NEED want the new Donald J. Pliner boots!  Anyway....I floated, nay, crashed back to reality and figured the smart/responsible thing to do was to get all my supplies ($239), get my car insured, new tires and tabs through 2010 ($600), save for the CNA exam ($200) and, oh yeah, then there's the course fee ($336) and finally tuition ($1231)

Grand Total................$2270 *YIKES!*

My "award" total for this term..............$2675

So, not much left for "living expenses" after all is said and done.  I am quite grateful and lucky to have gotten the Pell Grant money, it could certainly be a lot worse and I can definitely make it work, it's just going to be a little harder than anticipated.

LCC Update: Finally some encouraging news!

Today I logged into my LCC Acct. to check Financial Aid status, which for weeks has been "under review", and it has finally gone through! Although the course is still full to capacity, I called the Nursing Dept. and was again encouraged to attend the first day of class and told that chances of someone dropping and me getting in this term are very high...more good news!

The not so great news is that I underestimated the cost of the course by a little over $200 and the course fees and tuition do not cover any other supplies such as textbooks, scrubs, lab kit, etc... And to get my car legal, insured and tires replaced will be approx. $600 None of which will be available to me until I am officially registered which looks like that wont happen until the course is under way.

The other good news concerning Financial Aid is that instead of the 4-6week wait for disbursement as I was initially told, it will be less than 2 weeks to get the balance of my Pell Grant after course fees and tuition...this is fantastic news, I only wish I could get it sooner but thanks to some asshole waiting until the last minute to drop the bloody course I'm screwed.

Oh well, I'm trying to stay positive and focus on the GOOD news I received today as the last couple weeks I have been really stressing out over all of this and wondering if it was even going to be possible. I'll keep you posted!

Feeling defeated today...

So, I'm feeling pretty down and defeated today.  I'm really trying to stay focused, positive and hopeful about attending LCC this semester but it's not looking good.

I am financially unable to procure the necessary text books and supplies (scrubs, gait belt, shoes, lab kit, etc...) until I am assured financial aid reimbursement.  I cannot be assured financial aid until I am registered for the course.  I cannot register for the course until at least two people drop which may not happen until the course start date by which time I am expected to have all my supplies for the course.

One of the supplies, the gait belt, requires purchase with LCC's Starcard.  I cannot obtain a Starcard until I am registered.

And, to top it all off my ex, Lori, is being sent to Africa for work on Oct. 30th. and returning Nov. 16th  That is about the halfway point of my course when I have a midterm due not to mention class, labs & on site training 4 days a week from 8:10am to 3:30pm.  And it's looking like I will be responsible for watching the kids from about 4pm-7:30am for approx. 15 of those days.

I just don't see how the fuck this will be possible and I'm losing hope of fulfilling my goal at this time.  Although I am happy for the opportunity Lori has been offered, I can't help but be upset at the poor timing and am especially pissed and still bitter over the fact that I was the last to know this information!!  I've known this for less than a week, all the while making plans, fulfilling pre req's and working hard towards my goal of getting into this course.  Everyone else has known for weeks and I was kept in the dark for reasons unknown to me.

I just want to throw my hands up and give in at this point.  I really don't know what to do or think any more.  Lo is coming over this Sunday to discuss the schedule.  I'm also more than a little pissed at the fact her mother refuses to watch the kids over night AT ALL while Lo is gone.  It is HER daughter that is going away NOT my mothers!  GRRRR!!!

Ok, I just needed to vent, get some of this off my chest and will hopefully feel a little better getting it out there....now pass the boozamahol!!

Cautiously optimistic: LCC Orientation

So, I just got back from a 2 hr. course orientation @ LCC for Acute/Long Term Care CNA.  The issue of parking/detours was not as bad as I had expected and I arrived 20 min. early and found a spot in the Grand Ave. lot no problem.  Even better was the fact that right outside the parking lot was the building where I will be attending classes...win, win!

I arrived in plenty of time to the appropriate floor/classroom (1st one there!)  Apparently there had been some issue w/ getting the info to registered students for the course that there was orientation today and only about 10 of the 25 registered showed up (good news for me I hope!).

There was one other woman who attended who was also not registered, but the prof. stated whoever had contacted her first would get any available seat in the course and stated that was ME...woo hoo!

We covered a lot of information including pre req's, text books, scrub and footwear requirements (navy blue scrubs and *horrors!* white shoes)  I also found out that they had not stated correctly the TB test requirement and I will need to go take a second 2 step TB test, which is just more of an inconvenient annoyance than any real big deal.

The other pre req's include passing a blood born pathogens test and HIPAA/OSHA tests as well, all of which are available free of charge online, phew!

All in all I think it went well, and I have renewed hope that I will in fact get a spot this term.  I'll keep ya posted!

Me, ready for orientation @ LCC

Take a deep breath...

Today begins my long awaited foray into academia and I'm beginning to freak out!  I checked on the class web site (as I have several times a day, every day, for weeks now) and thought I saw a spot had finally opened up.  I made a mad dash to the Banner site for LCC students to finally register for the course....well, I hit a snag, called the Nursing Dept. and found I had not only read the information wrong, but that the class capacity had in fact been dropped from 25 to 24 with actual students registered remaining at 25.  This means not only can I not register today, but that I now need a minimum of TWO people to drop before I can register....GRRRR!!

I was however advised again to show up to orientation today (assuming I can navigate all the fucking detours that seem to be plaguing the ENTIRE city of Lansing) and also show up (unregistered) to the first day(s) of class in hopes someone will drop and my attendance will bode well with the course professor.

So, with paper bag in hand (for hyperventilating purposes), I will be on my way shortly to begin a new phase of my life in hopes of finding some semblance of a career and to make a positive change in moving forward after being stuck for such a long time.  Wish me luck!