Forgive me if this makes no sense...may be the Long Island Iced Teas kicking in...
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I want to thank you for telling me about FAFSA.
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Not a problem. The sad thing is that MANY people don't know anything about the FAFSA (especially those of us returning to school - seems to have slipped our minds). The big thing is that without copleting the FAFSA, you're not eligible for ANY federal financial aid (and in most cases, scholarships). It is this application that determines your eligibility for aid - including Pell Grants, loans, etc.
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I also have already added my $600. to my GI Bill..and I think people are stupid not to add it..it gives you so much more money.
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Yeah, it really makes the difference. Oh, well...some people pay off credit cards with credit cards!!
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The prices sound great there ( better then I can get here)
but, may I ask, how do you pay for it without using your GI Bill? I do not know how I will do it..and I do not want to work when I go back to school.
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Therein lies the trick!!
The first thing is that you need to remember that if you use the G.I. Bill to cover flight training, it really won't. It will only reimburse you for 60% of those expenses, AFTER you complete the training. So, in reality, you're going to need to come up with the money up front. So, that's why I say that you should use it for school.
So, let's play an imaginary numbers game. Lets say you're starting in August. You've completed your FAFSA and any required university paperwork. You've also applied (through MTSU) for the maximum amount of federal Stafford loans (I believe it's $6625 for your first year and goes up each additional year). Remember, you get more than an 18-year old student because you're a veteran, and you have a family.
So, we'll say you're going to get that. You also qualified for $3000 in Pell Grants - free money that doesn't need to be paid back!! This comes to a grand total of $9625 so far. Divide that by two, and it's $4812.50 per semester.
Now, the GI bill benefit for those of us with the addition $600 contribution is $1135 these days. Figure 4 months in the fall semester, so that totals $4540. Altogether, it seems that we're working with $9352.50 for the semester.
Now, when you apply and do all of your paperwork with the VA rep on campus (do this yourself - don't wait on him to initiate the procedures), this will be included with your FINAID. The FINAID office can submit a letter to the flight school stating that your G.I. Bill monies will be paid monthly, and after your tuition is taken from the original $4812.50 in aid (you'll never even have to write aq check...it's all done electronically), you can have the remaining balance of your aid applied to you flight account. The balance of the lab fees will be paid by you when you get yous G.I. Bill money at the end of each month (or more accurately, at the beginning of the following month - so, your January money hits on or about the 6th of Feb).
When you crunch the math, you come out on top by about $1182.50. Of course, you'll need books and crap like that, which you can legally purchase with your financial aid. You are also allowed to pay for a car, gas, rent, computer, charts - anything else that is directly connected with your expense as a student.
That's a quick version of it. Really, you could teach a semester-long course on financial aid and the G.I. Bill. Unfortunately, once you're an expert in the field, you're about to graduate!!
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I also noticed that under your name you live in Nashville...
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Well, I actually live in Madison, but it's in Davidson county - the northern-most city in the metro. For all intensive purposes, it's Nashville - but with a 45-minute commute. Check out Smyrna, Murfreesboro, etc. It'll make life much easier.
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Her parents are going to retire near knoxville in two years and My wife has a good friend just outside of Nashville..so we will have a better time there while I go back to school then anywhere else I bet.
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That can make alot of difference!!! I'm here too, so like I said, if you need anything at all, or just have questions, feel free to ask!! Also, visit the campus and the area sometime. I did before I came here, and it makes things alot easier to decide. All in all, it's not a bad area at all!!
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Do you know of anyplace around there where I can get my Pro Flight Engineer? I might as well get it with all my experience. and also my A&P ( I am also a prior crew chief). Does the school offer it there?
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Honestly, I haven't got a clue. The FSDO might be able to point you in the right direction. Anybody reading know how to go about this??
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How is the town of Murfreesboro?
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Growing!! It's not a large town, but it's getting bigger. From what I hear, it's good for families, and not far at all from Nashville. You can be downtown in 30-45 minutes.
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But I do not want to get too far ahead of myself...I still have 21 months left
( that = many more deployments to afghan/iraq)
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Hey, it's never too soon to start planning. I began my planning about 18 months before I actually moved.