Financial Challenges
When you have a prospective student who does not have a any money to live, they are living with family or in a shelter, and has a child. How could or would you address this challenge?
Well there are actually multiple challenges in the scenario you present and each needs to be addressed one at a time. Any prospective student with a child needs to consider how they will handle the change that going to school will create, including childcare. You're not alone with your concern and difficulty in trying to address financial challenges. It can be frustrating when we have a student who is eager to continue their education but they don't have the financial means to do so. This is why building rapport is so important with our students. If you have taken the time to build rapport it will be easier to work with the student over a period of time to come up with a financial plan. Though they may not be able to enroll today they might a year or two from now. Thank you for your post John.
I contact employers that I know and share the story, they willing to offer a fund for school if that student agree to work for them after graduate.I also provide a payment plan to help them move forward to change their life with new career.
It sounds like this student would need ongoing professional support, especially if they are living in a shelter. It may be beneficial to be familiar with the community resources in the area to address some of these issues. Some students may qualify for subsidized childcare or financial assistance by way of a housing program. Having this assistance may assist them in their ability to attend school.
These are all great suggestions, Heather. Thank you, again, for sharing.
Dr. Jean Norris
I have quite a few students who fit this criteria where they've received help from non-profit agencies where they've paid the school for those individuals at a discounted price in partnership with them together we placed them where they've found employment in the community as an HHA(Home Health Aide). I also tried in the past to offer certain individuals to get an education for free in exchange put in some hours for tasks that need to be done in the office. These are some incentives which encourage them to get out of the situation that they're in. I believe in volunteering also as a fair exchange.
All great suggestions, again, Yvette. It's all about building that rapport with a student to help them create their own plan and what's best for them. It sounds like you really know your students and are willing to help in any way.
Dr. Jean Norris
This prospect is a prime candidate for the Workforce Investment Act. I would direct the student to Job Services for the state. The federal Govt funds this program with nearly 4 billion dollars. Our school is certified for WIA and the funds even cover housing and meals.
mike, Interesting! How would go about informing the student about this opportunity?
Dr. Jean Norris
We just recently graduated a student who was homeless as she went through our program. As she stated herself, where there's a will there's a way. Also, these days, many students who are in financial difficulty use the web as a means to get financial assistance. Several of my students have funded their education through www.gofundme.com It is a great fund raising social media site and with the power of the web, is a great tool to get donations for their causes. Check it out, there are several great success stories on it and kids these days sure know how to maximize social media. I had one student receive over $4000 in one week through anonymous donations.
Apart from referring the prospect to the Financial Aid representative to provide different possible Financial Aid options we will also referral the prospect to speak to our Student Services department to provide some guidance that may help the prospect achieve their goal of continuing their education. The sole purpose for a prospective student to initially come in to seek education is because they are eager and interested, so our main goal is to help the prospect find a solution to any of their problems.
Cecilia,
Thanks for sharing! Having a prospective student speak with Student Services sounds like a great practice! I'm curious...does anyone else encourage prospective students to talk with Student Services?
Elizabeth Wheeler
