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Start a business, buy the computer you need, lose money and qualify for financial aid

This may sound really radical, but it may not be.  If you have been considering starting a home business, this may be the perfect time to do it.  New businesses are expected to have start-up costs, and are not normally expected to make a profit right off the bat.  If you can legitimately show a very low or zero income on your tax return, you will qualify for financial aid, including grants.  Of course, if you are thinking about getting any loans or buy a house, etc., and need to show a fat tax return, take care of that first.  Then start the business! 

Home businesses are allowed to write off a portion of operating expenses, including your rent or mortgage, electricity, car, and more.  Parents can hire children.  Children can hire parents.  Spouses can be partners.  Check out the IRS web site and then talk to your accountant.  Remember, U.S. tax laws favor businesses.  You'll be amazed at what you can write off.  And it's all legal.

Here's the link to the IRS' section on starting a small business.  I have found the IRS website to be excellent.  Click here.

Another great site to check out is The Wall Street Journal's site for starting a business.  There's an online business plan, which I found really helpful for getting my thoughts straight about what I wanted to do with this site.  Click here.

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There is an excellent site on financial aid, FinAid.org.  Here is a link to the Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) quick calculator.  Check out the frequently asked questions section for lots of details such as prenuptial agreements, living with step-parents, divorce, home schooling, bankruptcy, 17-year-olds signing promissory notes, filing your FAFSA, etc.  There are many more calculators besides this one, but this one is the one that matters most to me.  You can figure out how much that business will have to lose (grin).  Personally, I find the calculators that tell you how much you need to save--depressing!  I think sometimes you just need to jump in--or you will never have the courage to even get your feet wet.    

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Federal work-study programs are one of the options given to students who demonstrate "need."  It is based on your income and is determined by the difference between family contribution and cost. So, basically, you would have to be someone who would qualify for grants or loans.

I, personally, find work-study to be a rip-off for the student.  If someone reading this can let me know what I'm missing here, please contact me.  But this is how I understand it:

Colleges get to determine their own rules regarding work-study, such as whether or not a student can change his/her mind later to swap out the work-study for a loan.  The student may be required to keep working without the option of getting a student loan in place of the work-study job.

Work-study jobs are generally paid at federal minimum wage, which is $5.15/hour as of August 23, 2003.  Workers under 20 years of age only need to be paid $4.25/hour!  (To find out what it is today, here's the link for the U.S. Department of Labor page with the current federal minimum wage.)  The "employer" only has to pay 25% of that wage.  The federal government pays 75%.  Most of the "employers" are the colleges themselves, who are paying about $1.50/hour for these workers.  No wonder the colleges push it.

The student can only work up to the total allocated for their work-study, and then they have to go look for another job.  Seems to me, that having to go look for another job could be a lot more of a hassle than just finding one that you can keep throughout your studies.

Work-study wages are also taxable by federal and state.  Only FICA taxes are not paid. 

The student loan, that the student could have taken instead of the work-study, usually doesn't accrue interest until payments begin,  6 months after quitting college, depending on whether or not the loan is subsidized or un-subsidized.  When interest does begin accruing, it's at an interest rate of only about 5-8%.  

I'm not an accountant, but it would seem to me unless a student could figure out how to not pay any taxes on that money, getting a loan at 5% and not having to work at all--is the better deal here.

I have been told by some students that they discovered, too late, that they could have received grant money instead of the work-study job, and they felt mislead by the college.

It took forever to find it, but I did find the actual federal laws regarding work-study.  I tried to figure it out, but I'm confused.  It appears that the work-study earnings are deducted from the college's "cost of attendance" for that student.  Wouldn't that mean that a student's "need" would then be diminished by that much?  If so, it does appear that a student would be swapping out work-study for other possible financial aid options, which could include grants--which you don't have to work to get, and I don't believe grants are taxed.

See if you can figure the laws out.  Here's the link to the Government Printing Office index for the work-study laws (the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 34, Education Chapter VI, Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education Part 675, Federal Work-Study Programs.

At the very least, I feel confident that any student can find a job off-campus for more than $5.15/hour.  If not, it will probably be a restaurant where the student can at least also get tip money.

Perhaps your college offers work-study in addition to all other options, including grants, and pays a decent wage.  Just check it out before checking the box "yes" to work-study.  And if it were me, I'd get it in writing.

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Tactic #1: Use the "pass/fail" option.

One of the most fantastic things I discovered in college, is the beauty of the "pass/fail" or "credit/no-credit" rules.  

Colleges will allow you to take a certain number of units each semester/quarter as "pass/fail" or "credit/no-credit" courses.  These courses do not get calculated into your GPA, yet, you still get total credits for them.  

In other words, if you take a course "pass/fail" and you pass it, it basically means all you have to do is "C" level work.  You only need to get a "C" to pass.  But, this "C" is not calculated into your GPA.

But, the number of units of the class got calculated into the number of college units you have taken.  Let me give you an example of how I used this:

I am terrible at Math.  I hate it.  But, I had to take certain math classes to get my A.A. degree.  Since I had been away from algebra for so long, I had to take beginning algebra classes in order to get me to the level of the class I needed for my degree.

My community college allowed me to take one class each semester as a "credit/no-credit" class.  So, I chose the algebra class.  All I had to do was get a "C" in the class.  The class still counted toward the 60 semester units I would need to get my A.A. degree, but the "C" did not affect my "B" average.  Such a deal!

You need to check out the catalog of the college you want to transfer to (if you're starting out at a community college), to find out how many "credit/no-credit" units are acceptable.  UC Davis accepts 21 quarter or 14 semester units taken as "passed/not passed" units.  Then, once you are a UC Davis student, you can still take a few more passed/not passed courses, depending on your degree.  

Your safest bet would be to not take any classes "pass/fail" which could be applied to your future degree.

But, if you're terrible at math and science (like me), and your degree is not math or biology, you can take all of those awful classes without stressing about the grade.  Same goes for you math whizzes, who'd prefer to take English "credit/no-credit."  All you have to do is pass.  Then get a great grade in your favorite subject, and get yourself a great GPA.  Much less stress and time for you working students, too.  Spend what time you have getting good grades in the classes you like.

Another note: Any of the courses that you take which are not "acceptable" units at the college you transfer to, do not count toward the "pass/fail" limit.  For instance, the beginning algebra courses I had to take to get me to the required algebra course which would have been transferable to UC Davis, would not have counted toward the "pass/fail" limit, because they were not "acceptable" units.

So, get out those catalogs and start plotting out your GPA strategy!

GPA Tactic #2: Find out who the easy professors are.

Yes, I know, you feel obligated to learn everything you can in each class and not take the "easy" way.  

Will the 4-year university ask you if the class you got an "A" in was taught by the "easy" teacher?  Will the big boy law school you want to get into admit you over someone who got an "A" instead of your "B" because you took the hard teacher and they didn't?

NO!

What I finally figured out (after stressing about feeling like I had to actually remember everything I learned in class), was that the important thing was to get the degree however I could, with the highest GPA I could, so I'd have more options at graduation.

You can always study whatever interests you after you graduate.  I love NOVA television shows.  I find forensic medicine fascinating.  But, if I tried my hardest and got a tutor, I'd be lucky to get a "C" in that type of class.  So, if I had to take such a class, I would either take it "pass/fail" or take it from the easy "A" teacher. 

I never cheated on tests.  I always wrote my own papers.  But, I figured out some serious all-legal strategy.  And I graduated with honors, while working full-time.  And I'm not brilliant.

To be truly good at finding out who the easy teachers are, you must talk to people.  When you see someone holding a biology book and you know you're going to eventually take biology, ask them who the professor is and if they liked the class.  I have never had one person be shy about whether or not they liked a professor or class.

Some teachers require research papers and some don't.  As much as it would be great practice, if you're short on study time, look for the teachers who don't require papers.

Look for the teachers who use textbooks which have a website with practice quizzes on it.  You can take these over and over, and the answers are given to you each time.  So you can learn all of the main points of the textbooks, and all of the answers to these questions.  And many teachers use the tests which come with the textbook.  And many of these questions are the exact same questions on the website practice quizzes!  You should have felt my glee the first time I discovered this, quite by accident!

This is not cheating.  What a dedicated student you were to check out the textbook's website.  Hardly anybody ever looks at the textbook's website.  Including the teachers.  And you can often learn everything you need to learn without having to read pages and pages in a thirty-pound book with teensy-print.  In fact, when I've been super broke, if I discovered that the textbook had a really great website, I would return the book and get my money back.  More on this type of stuff in the Guerilla Study Tactics.

GPA Tactic #3: Sign up for the maximum units you can & drop some later.

This goes hand-in-hand with finding out who the easy professors are.  But, sometimes a professor who's easy to someone else, just doesn't do it for you.  And sometimes there are other reasons why you really wished you hadn't signed up for a class, but it was too late to drop it or other classes were then full, so you were stuck.

To keep your maximum financial aid, you need to keep a full-load of classes.  I can tell you that getting stuck with a teacher you can't stand for an entire semester (4 loooooong months), just to keep the financial aid, can be a form of torture.

So, what I eventually figured out to do, was sign up for the full number of units I was allowed to sign up for (without having to get special permission).  Then, I went to all of the classes for the first week or two.  

It will usually become apparent in that time which classes you're ready to drop.  After you get the syllabuses for all of the classes, check them out.  How much work will it be?  Did the professor say that they never give anyone A's and looked incredibly proud of being a tough grader?  Run!  Why bust your rear for a "B" or a "C", when somebody else will reward your effort with an "A?"

Professors who show up to the first few classes without a syllabus ready--run the other way!  They will also lose your paper.  They won't know what they're doing.  They might decide waaay down the line that they DO want you to write a paper after all.  And it will drive you crazy.

I also learned to avoid classes in which the professor wanted us to form teams which did work together.  There is usually one or two students who do the work (like me), while others go along for the ride.  Argh.

Professors who show tons of videos, I have found to be difficult to study for.  Sure you got credit for showing up and sleeping for an hour, but who knows what's going to be on the test?

Note: Don't miss the "drop" deadline!  It will be in the schedule of classes.

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#1. If your textbook has a website, check it out!  If it has practice quizzes, this is a great way to learn the main points of the textbook without having to actually read.  And many professors use the tests which come with the textbook.  And many of the exact same practice questions are on the tests!  What a lovely surprise that was the first time it happened to me!

Hardly anyone checks out the website, including the professors.  I found using the websites saved me a ton of study time--if they had the practice quizzes.

I have even returned my books for a refund after discovering that the website had the practice questions, when I was super broke.

#2.  Look for the teacher edition of your textbook the internet.

You can find many editions of used textbooks on Amazon.com, Ebay.com, Half.com, etc.  I have never found one with actual tests in it.  But I did find one that I used in a beginning algebra class.  The teacher knew I had it.  In fact another woman in the class had one, too.  The teacher edition didn't show how to do the problems, but it did contain the answers to all of the chapter problems.  So, I could find out as I studied, if I was doing things correctly, instead of wasting time learning something the wrong way, and not knowing it until I received my homework back.

Caveat: Make sure this isn't considered cheating at your school.  This particular teacher gave non-graded "credit" for turning in homework assignments, and based our grade on the tests.

#3.  Buy the study guide that goes with your textbook.  Again, you can find them cheaper on Amazon.com, Ebay.com, Half.com, etc.  At least in algebra, having the study guide proved to be invaluable.  The study guide actually shows all of the work for a problem.  Saved me a lot of study time.  I could learn much faster by looking at examples of how to solve the problems.  Much more efficient use of my time.

The study guide doesn't usually contain answers to all problems (in case you're thinking you'll have it made with the teacher edition and the study guide!).  

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TV Classes:

TV classes are normally taped while the professor actually teaches students who are in an actual class.  The classes are often broadcast live to other satellite campuses and on the local television cable network's education channel.

Why are these great?  Well for one, you don't actually have to go to a class to keep your financial aid.  Professors usually give some type of code word during or after their lecture, which they want you to email to them.  

In my experience, the professors don't like to deal with email, so they ask you to only send one email per week with that week's worth of codes.

So, you tape all of the classes, watch them at your leisure.  And if the teacher is horrifically boring, you fast forward and get the code word.  Then you study on your own.

If you can get one of these classes, with a textbook that has a website with online quizzes, you've got it made in the shade!  

You cut down on all of that travel time, and you don't even have to sit through a whole lecture if you don't want to.  And yet, you get full credit for attendance.  

Plus, the tests are usually available at your local campus' library, and you can take the test during a flexible time period.  When I took TV classes, I could take the test from the same hour as the regular class was taking it, up until the library closed that night.  For instance, if the class was at 11:00 a.m. and the library closed at 8:00 p.m., I could take the test between 11:00 and 8:00.

Doesn't get much better than that!

Internet Classes:

Internet classes, on the other hand, seem to require even more work than a regular class!

For some reason, internet professors are more concerned about people slacking.  And so they require you to "participate" on the bulletin boards, even more so than you would ever be required to participate in a regular classroom.  

The result?  You're spending a large amount of your study time trying to think up something interesting to say in response to another student's post...which was written by a student who really didn't know what he/she was saying and didn't really care anyway. So, "classroom" time is not quality time where a professor is actually teaching you something.  You're basically spending that time with a bunch of students who are all "B.S.-ing" each other, trying to meet the professor's requirement for "participation."  

Imagine being in a regular classroom where all of the students are required to talk about the subject that they don't know yet...and the professor just, basically, sat there listening?  Ack.

Plus, the professors seem to need to give you weekly assignments, to also prove you are not slacking.  But, if you took the same class in a regular classroom, you would not be required to do nearly as much homework.  Double Ack.

Note:  My internet law school is an entirely different matter.  I don't take any classes on the internet.  There is a bulletin board and an online chat that I can choose to participate in or not.  And the boards are chock-full of intelligent postings that I actually learn from!

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What a delightful discovery this was!  The USDA (United States Department of Agriculture), distributes surplus food to each state.  Whenever I have gone to one of these, I was not asked for any identification nor to prove my income.  I was only asked how many members were in my household, and I wasn't even asked to provide proof of that.  Much less humiliating than going to the Food Stamp Office, which now photographs you and takes your fingerprints. (I decided to leave rather than go through being treated like a criminal because I was poor--for $100 worth of "free" food each month.)  

You simply show up a little before the food distribution begins (when I go, I get there half an hour early), and you will go home with several bags of good, free food.  I have never felt humiliated at one of these giveaways.  In fact, they're often in need of volunteers, boxes and bags, etc.  I've volunteered, too, and then gone home with lots of grub.

I have received frozen hams, frozen beef, frozen salmon (not kidding!), bags of fresh vegetables and fruit, lots of pasta, beans, rice and canned goods.  Literally boxes and bags of free food.

To find out where a food distribution is in your state, the easiest thing to do is go to a search engine, like Google, and type in "federal food distribution" and your town or county.  For instance, when I type in federal food distribution Yolo County I get lots of information on how to find them in my area.  

Many non-profit agencies in my area hold these food distributions.  I could actually hit several of them each month if I needed to.  None of them have ever asked me if I've gone to another one.  When I've really been in dire straits and it's the choice between food or textbooks--I've hit several of these & eaten well.  

Sometimes I go with a friend and we swap items with each other.  I've done that in the parking lot of the food giveaway, too--swapped items with someone who likes what I don't like and vice-versa.  A person can only eat so many potatoes, but a large family is happy to get theirs and mine, too.  And some people actually don't like salmon!

Do I feel guilty?  Not on your life!  This food is available because the government subsidizes farmers with the tax dollars I've paid while working since I was 16 years old.  You've heard about farmers getting paid not to grow certain crops?  Other times, in order to control prices, the government buys crops and other commodities.  Government=tax dollars.  I've paid income taxes for over 30 years, part of which are used to help people in my situation.  It's just my turn.  And yours, too!

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Many counties have a health insurance program for low-income or no-income people.  Currently, I qualify for Yolo County's program, which is nearly the best health insurance I've ever had!  It's called YCHIP and stands for Yolo County Healthcare for Indigents Program.  But, it's not just for the homeless.

As I understand it, you cannot be insured already.  I had to wait for mine to lapse, after I lost my job.  Depending on your income, you may have what's called a "share of cost," but if you don't use it, you don't have to pay that month.  You also can't qualify for other programs like Medi-care.

At any rate, it might be worth checking out.  Go to Google (or your favorite search engine) and type in your county name and County Healthcare for Indigents Program (for instance, I would type in: Yolo County Healthcare for Indigents Program).  There is another healthcare program for children which is called CHIP, so you'll have to look specifically for the one which also covers adults.

Don't believe the first person you talk to who tells you there's no such thing.  I found that many of the county workers were unaware of this program.  I had called around asking for help a couple of years ago, and was told I didn't qualify for anything--but I did.  I was eating beans and rice and paying $200/month for health insurance, when I qualified for free health coverage.  Just think, I could have actually bought tortillas and cheese to go with the beans!  He he.

If I were you, I'd start with the county health department, and any of the community clinics.  Turns out the office for this county insurance is actually in the local clinics, and not in the county welfare offices.

By the way, you must have the insurance before you can get treated.  As I understand it, you will not be reimbursed for treatments which occurred before you were covered.

I sleep much easier knowing that if I had an emergency, I would have good care, and I wouldn't wind up with a huge medical bill.   It takes a long time to get in for routine check-ups.  But, when I was paying about $200/month for Kaiser, I had about the same waiting period anyway!

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Boy, could I tell you stories!  Ask any college student if they've been given bad advice from a counselor & you will hear a resounding "yes!"

In a nutshell, you must read your college catalog.  Buy it and keep it until you graduate.  Know it inside and out.  Not only for the reasons I go into below, but also because college requirements change with different catalogs.  

For most colleges, as long as you remain enrolled, even for only one class each catalog year, you can make the college adhere to the rules which were in effect when you first began.  So, if the college has changed requirements for graduation, which means newer students have to take an additional class--you won't have to.  Keep your original catalog, as well as succeeding catalogs, to prove your case, if necessary.

I have had counselors tell me that I couldn't do something, which was printed right there in the catalog.  I cannot fathom how someone's job could be to interpret a catalog, and be unaware of what is in it.  But that seems to happen with incredulous frequency among college counselors.  You counselors out there reading this who are up in arms because you are actually great counselors--know that you are rare.

So, do not depend on college counselors.  Read and re-read your college catalog.  And argue (nicely of course) when a counselor or administrator tells you you don't have requirements that you know you have.  Or that you should take a class that you know you don't need.  

And if you must argue, start arguing early in the game and do it in writing, so that someone's incorrect decision doesn't cost you a graduation ceremony.

I'll tell you one of my many college counseling horror stories...  

To graduate, I had to "petition" to graduate before the end of my last semester.  I knew from experience that nothing ever goes smoothly with college administrations, so I filled out my petition on the very first day they would allow me to.

Several weeks later, I received a letter from the Office of Student Affairs, stating that I did not have all of the requirements to graduate.  The person who sent this to me said that I did not have enough physical education units (I think only 1 class was required), and that I had not met another requirement which could be met by an introduction to business course.

The person who sent this letter had all of my transcripts.  In plain black & white on those transcripts were many more physical education classes than I could possibly use to fulfill this requirement.  Many were the exact same classes on the list of acceptable classes.  

When I called her and nicely explained this, she said that "Oh, well, I must have overlooked it."  Meaning she never looked at all.  And then, rather than simply taking care of things-- which is her job--she told me that I had to go find a counselor at my campus (which is in a different town than the main campus) and have a counselor fill out a petition to have one of my many P.E. classes accepted to fulfill the P.E. requirement.  

So, I had to make an appointment with a counselor, take my transcripts with me, and fill out a form stating that, yes, in fact, a walking class is a walking class is a walking class.  Not kidding.

I'm sure she proudly told her boss that everything was off her desk and taken care of.  And she was right.  Only she sure as heck didn't do it.

I received a letter stating that my "petition" to have the P.E. classes accepted was approved.

The other requirement?  The business class?  I also had the counselor fill out a petition for an Intro to Business class I took in 1976, to fulfill a requirement which an Intro to Business class fulfills in 2003.  

I received a letter back (along with the letter regarding the P.E. classes) stating that the business class was not acceptable because I took the class so long ago, and therefore, I did not meet the graduation requirements.

You should also know, that when I met with the counselors before the semester began, they told me that I already had all of the requirements to graduate, but that I needed to take 12 semester units at this college, in order to graduate at this college.  So, this entire time, I am taking 12 units that I don't need.  And now they're telling me I'll have to take more.  And it's too late to change any of my classes.  But, if I drop any of these classes, I'll lose my financial aid.

There is nothing in the catalog which states that any classes taken prior to any particular year won't be accepted.  The catalog does say that if you are unsure of meeting all requirements to graduate, that you should meet with a counselor.

I had had my transcripts evaluated by two separate counselors (because my experience had taught me to get more than one opinion), who both assured me that the classes I'd taken long ago, were acceptable, and that yes, I met all requirements for graduation--except I would have to take another 12 units of any class I wanted.  Which, of course, would have been whatever I needed to graduate, right?  

Turns out, the Administrator didn't bother to contact the other college to get a copy of the course description from the other college's catalog from 1976--which is normal operating procedure.  He actually told me that he did not contact the other college, even though it is normal procedure, because he simply assumed that a class that old would not have covered the required information.  If he would have checked, he would have learned that the class more than covered the requirement.  This would have been apparent by simply reading the college catalog, which is what he is supposed to do in every one of these cases.

I contacted the other college myself and the other college was surprised that I was doing this, and told me that normally college administrators took care of this for their students.  I paid to have them fax a copy to me, which I faxed to the Administrator.  And he still ignored my communications.

Throughout this entire process, I sent weekly (respectful) faxes, as I wanted everything in writing.  I also researched age discrimination in education, and learned I had a good case in the event my second petition was not approved.  If a college puts an additional requirement on a student because of their age, etc., it is discrimination.  A 23-year-old student with an Intro to Business class on their transcripts would not have been required to 1) repeat the course; or 2) go to lengths to prove anything about the course.

I also made it clear to all counselors and administrators that I planned to begin studying law in June, immediately following graduation.  I explained that if my degree was delayed, it would mean that my law school education would be delayed, and that the First Year Law Students' Exam is only given twice each year, and so my legal education could be severely delayed.

And yet, my faxes were still being ignored.

When I had just a couple weeks left before time would run out for the graduation petition deadline, I finally picked up generic discrimination forms at the registrar's office, and was preparing to file an age discrimination complaint with the U.S. Department of Education (which I did not tell them). You should have heard that office buzzing as I, politely, dodged their questions and calmly walked out the door with those forms.  This was a Friday.

I had also contacted an education lawyer to discuss a possible lawsuit, and made an appointment for Tuesday.

Tuesday morning I sent off one final, polite fax, reiterating my case and listing all of my attempts at communication (still no mention of any discrimination or possible complaint or lawsuit).  

As I was about to walk out the door for my meeting with the attorney, keys and folders in hand, I received a phone call from the Administrator's office.  They wanted to make sure that I had received the letter they'd sent me approving my graduation petition, and thought that, perhaps I had not already received it, when they had received my fax that morning.  The letter they had supposedly already sent--was postmarked that very day.

Coincidence?  I highly doubt it.  I never threatened to sue.  I just kept repeating my case, in a respectful manner.  And they kept ignoring me.  I think picking up those discrimination forms got them off their laurels.   

Now, what if I would have believed them all the first, second or even third time around?  What if I hadn't read the catalog?  What if I would not have had the energy or dogged Irish attitude to pursue?  I would not be in law school, possibly, for another entire year.  

I asked the two counselors to fight for me.  I asked the Dean of my campus to fight for me.  They all told me their hands were tied and then washed their hands of me.  

So, in this case alone, I dealt with two counselors, one Dean, and two administrators and not one of them apparently cared whether or not I graduated, or whether I took more classes than necessary, or whether or not they delayed my law school admission or educational plans--at all.  And that is their job. 

So, let me say it again.   Be your own counselor!  And fight (nicely, of course) for what you know is right! 

It's worth stating again here to be respectful as much as possible when dealing with administrators.  I have found that, more than any other administrators I've ever dealt with, college administrators really need to save face, even if they've blatantly blown it.  

You're more likely to succeed if you leave them an opportunity to blame events on something--other than themselves.  The Administrator above, said in his letter finally approving the requirement, that because the two counselors told me the class was acceptable, that he would back them up.  Insinuating, obviously, that he was not to blame.  When in reality, he just simply didn't do his job.  

Nobody ever mentioned the discrimination forms.

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Any college which receives federal money, must adhere to the U.S. Department of Education rules.  This includes discrimination.  Basically, if a student is required to do something that all other students are not required to do, it can be considered discrimination.

Colleges will be investigated by the DOE if they receive a complaint.  If the complaint is not resolved, the college can lose their federal funding.

So, if you believe you have courses which should be accepted and you're being told that they're not acceptable because of when you took them, and especially if there is nothing in the college catalog that states this requirement, you may have a case of discrimination.  And you should fight it.  

I have written about my own experience fighting age discrimination in the previous tip "Being Your Own Counselor Can Save You Time and Money."  

Here is the link to the Department of Education.  I have put in the search term "age discrimination."  This link should be that result.  If it is not, just put it in the search box on the upper right corner of the DOE site.  Click here to go to the DOE site.

I would start with a complaint with the DOE because it is free, and the college sure as heck won't want to lose its funding  If you aren't satisfied with the results, you can still sue, if I understand the rules correctly.  All of the rules are on the site.

In my situation, I contacted an attorney because I was in a time crunch of just a couple of weeks to graduation, and the DOE investigation can take several months.  I anticipated using the attorney to threaten a complaint with the DOE, in order to get my petition to graduate approved.  Fortunately, just the act of picking up the discrimination forms from the registrar's office was all I had to do.

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O.K.  Here's what I have done while in community college:  

1)  Buy the books that I need for my classes at the bookstore.  I usually charge them on a credit card because, of course, I don't have any financial aid money yet.  

Remember, I sign up for the maximum number of courses I can, intending to drop some of them later.  I refrain from buying used books right off the bat, because I've had professors change their textbooks at the last minute, or the bookstore had it wrong.

2)  I keep all receipts and make sure I know when I can take them back for a full refund.

3)  I decide which classes I'm going to drop, after attending classes for a while, and which classes I'm going to keep.

4)  I then search Amazon.com, Half.com (owned by Ebay) and Ebay (Amazon is my favorite), to see if I can find the book cheaper and I nearly always can find one for significantly less than the bookstore charged me.

5)  If any of the textbooks have really great websites with online practice quizzes, sometimes I just return the textbook and rely completely on the website for studying.  I can always buy one again later if this isn't working.

6)  I return all books I possibly can to the bookstore for a full refund.

7)  I buy from sellers on Amazon for cheaper, who are willing to send them priority mail.

8)  At the end of the semester, I check to see how much the book is selling for used on Amazon.

9)  I go to the bookstore buy-back and see how much they'll give me.

10)  I sell my books on Amazon, if I can't get a better price from the bookstore.  Books that the bookstore won't take back, can always be sold on Amazon, too, as other colleges may still be using the older edition.  Plus, some students go ahead and buy the previous edition because they're so much cheaper, and just wing it in class.

I prefer Amazon because your book stays for sale a longer period of time.  Not the auction area.  Go to the main area of Amazon and search for a book.  You'll see a place where it says "Have one to sell?"  You can then list your book right where people go looking for new ones.

You don't have to pay fees until your book sells.  You don't need to upload any picture of it, as is expected by an Ebay buyer.  You don't have to hound the buyer for the money, as Amazon collects the payment for you & then notifies you that it has been sold.

I do the same shopping for my law books.  I can nearly always find the books I need used & for much less than they would be new.

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In California you do not need to get a high school diploma or even a GED to attend a California Community College.  If you do not have either of these, you simply need to be 18 years of age.  Don't believe me?  Here's the link to the California Colleges site.  This link should take you straight to the admission requirements for community colleges page.

The colleges have beginning courses and tutors to help get you to college level for your required English and Math skills.  But while you're brushing up on those, you can still go ahead and get going with your other college courses!

If your kid had a terrible time in high school and dropped out, here's a chance to start fresh.

If you're not in California, you'll have to check out the requirements for your state.

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The law school I "attend" is Northwestern California University School of Law.  Click here to read the admission requirements.  

Basically, you must have taken courses which are equal to the first two years of a four-year degree.  When I began applying around, it became apparent I would be going through the same old fight over getting credit for this course or that course.  But, if you have an A.A. degree (not a vocational-type degree), there are no such problems.  

My classes are all correspondence/internet classes and I have "classmates" from all over the country.  

The State Bar of California website has a list of all of these schools.  While you're at the site, check the admissions requirements to be admitted to the bar.

I chose NWCU because it's been around a very long time, and it's very affordable.  Because they're based out of Sacramento (about 1/2 hour drive for me), I was also able to go see their offices and talk with a human face-to-face before making my final decision.  Although I don't ever need to go into the office, I like knowing it's so close.

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In the State of California, at least, you can go to college if you're on unemployment, as long as your classes would not interfere with your taking a job.  

When I lost my job, I was afraid I would not qualify for unemployment, because way back when, you could not be a student and collect unemployment.  But, as I am not required to attend classes at any particular time, they do not interfere with my looking for or accepting full-time work.

I am assuming that the same would be true if your normal line of work required you to be available 8-5, and you were taking night classes.  

If you have been waiting to take classes because you are on unemployment, you should check out the rules.

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The community colleges in California are incredibly cheap.  2002/2003 it cost $11/unit.  That's nearly free!  It's going up, but it's still going to be pretty darn cheap.

At the community college, you are actually taught by your professor and not a student teacher, as is the case at many universities.  

Once you get your degree, nobody is likely to care that you didn't go to that college or university the entire four years.  

So, why not save a bundle by starting out at a community college?

If you're a parent struggling to pay for college, here's a way to cut costs.  The community college might be a safer way for a high school graduate to get used to college life, too.  I met several students at my community college who were there because they'd been kicked out of the university for not performing well (probably too much partying, eh?).  They now have to jump through hoops to become worthy to go back.  

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