Brat1

Sorry in advance if someone's asked this before.

Hubby's on H1-b, me and my 3 kids are on H4. The oldest is now of age to go to college and I've been researching hairdressing and beauty academies. They are really expensive and I was wondering how the financing works over here. Do you take out a student loan, and would we get one since we've only been here just over 5 months. Have been researching but finding it hard to find the info I'm looking for. Any help guys would be appreciated.

Thank you

md95065

The way that the financing works is "you pay for it".

As far as I know, most hairdressing and beauty "academies" are privately run (and vary a lot in both quality and reputability).

After being here for only 5 months on non-immigrant visas I don't think that there is any kind of student loan or assistance that you could qualify for and, even if you found some classes at a local community college, you would probably get hit for the full "out of state" tuition rates.

Brat1

Thanks for that. That's what I thought. Don't know where I'm going to find a spare $20,000 sitting around. Yet another problem that I probably should have researched more. She's had such a hard time since we moved and is really looking forward to starting college. She is currently back in Scotland and I think is realising it's not what she thought it would be and maybe will feel more settled when she comes back.

Thanks for your reply - appreciate it

ian-mstm

If you can't afford her tuition, it may be best if she remains in Scotland and goes to school there.

Ian

scrubbedexpat099

She can not work on an H4, what are the long term plans?

Mummy in the foothills

At least she'd get home fees and she'd know what they are talking about in the classes.

Brat1

I'm totally messed up at the minute. Long term plans are that if hubby's job works out well in the first year, we're going to stay here for the long term. I just don't know what to do for the best with regards my daughter. She's gone home to Scotland for 7 weeks and I think already she's realised that going back is not what she thought it would be ie pals are not ringing to invite her out, weather is crap etc etc. She's also been ill for more than a week and I feel so useless that I'm so far away from her. I want our family to be together but don't know at this minute if the one wage would be able to finance the college fees. Our GC application is sitting at the visa centre, so don't know how many years we would have to wait, so that hopefully, I could do some kind of work here.

We thought we would have had at least 18 months to think about this and save some money, but after a lengthy debate, the High School has said she does not need to attend and has graduated - long story. So at 16, we've just started looking into the colleges etc for her and didn't realised, they would be just as expensive as they are.

What would you do. I really don't want my daughter to be away from us as we are really close, and I don't think she would want that either. The rest of us have really settled in to our way of life here and personally, I love it but feel I've let my daughter down by not researching this early enough.

Sorry for droling on guys, but I'm really at a crossroads here to know what to for the best, for all of us, and I appreciate the input.

meauxna

She is 16 years old, and the local high school will not admit her?

Have you looked at Community College? She can start at her next level of classes. I find that very odd, about the HS.

Brat1

So did we

When we went to enrol her, we handed over her standard grade exam results and the school couldn't understand them They didn't know where they could place her, ie what grade etc and decided to send all her documentation to the Board of Educations. So I had to take as much of her old school records and stuff to them and waited nearly a month for a decision. The decision came back that she had a High School Diploma equivalent, and she did not need to attend. We have been looking at the community colleges etc, but she wants to do hairdressing and beauty and I had the thinking of a salon school may be the best option. Honestly don't know now.

meauxna

In my limited opinion.. 16 is too young to go to beauty school!

Coming from my American perspective, 16 is too young to be turfed out of high school (for MOST kids). As it's such an important part of socializing here, that is reason enough for me to want to push you on it.. is it something you feel like taking on? What about Advanced Placement (AP) or IB classes?

This just really sticks out to me, because I don't recall hearing something like this ever before in the last 8 years and reading hundreds of familys' experiences.

If she plans to live in the US long-term, I think the school (or even CC) experience will be really important for her.

Mummy in the foothills

Poor kid fancy not being admitted to the local high school.
Why couldn't they just put her in a bunch of AP classes if they think she's done so well. I didn't think they could refuse her seeing she's only 16. AP classes would be like community college only free to you. I'd go back to the district office and have a talk with the district supervisor and ask that she be placed in AP classes so she can be with people her own age and get ready for college.

Bob

Indeed, someone at the school board should have a clue.



As for college loans, well without greencards, nothing much going for federal loans and decent rates, but BoA does offer private student loans, they're shite and you have to start paying them immediately, but it's something.

Nutmegger

Have you tried Henry Abbott Tech in Danbury? They take kids from around the area and have a beauty course. Might be worth having a go.

http://www.cttech.org/ABBOTT/

scrubbedexpat099

I can see that 16 in the UK system would equate to High School completion in the US.

It it Finals in Scotland?, O Levels for me.

Brat1

She had done her standard grades which they take in 4th year and had left school half way through 5th year, which they can do because she had turned 16. So she had left school in Scotland. We had explained to her before we came here, that she would have to go back to school, which she wasn't happy about, so you can imagine the response when the school said she didn't have to go.