Hello.

Is anyone studying over here? I used to work in vegetarian wholefoods back home and I've moved to small town Iowa. Needless to say, my skills are not used anywhere here. Seeing as I don't have a degree, I'm working a mind-numbingly dull minimum wage job... so I've decided to get a degree. Thing is, they're not cheap! I might be able to get some assistance due to my husband's military affiliation but that's not guaranteed. I was wondering if anyone else had gone to college after moving here and if they got any assistance. I've spent a good while googling this and can't really find much. Hoping to hear from some sites that I submitted my information to. If it makes a difference, I'm wanting to do a bachelors degree in nutrition and dietetics online.

Thank you!

Best to contact the institution offering the course.

Have you obtained US citizenship yet? That would help immensely.

You can look at starting out in a community college to do your requirements (basically, the first two years of your study) and then transfer to a full four-year university for the courses in your major field of study. That saves quite a bit of money.

I should also note: is there much of a job market for a nutritionist where you live?

If your husband is active duty there should still be money from one of the funds that used to be available. Of course it is now much reduced. One of the first things the great man of the people did back in 2008 was to quietly cut that benefit for military spouses. Check militaryonesource for more info. I think there is about $6000 available for qualifying courses.

She is doing it on line.

Some companies, if you have worked with them long enough, might offer to pay a couple grand a year towards college, usually in a related subject though.

Might have luck with local chamber of commerce or church type groups. I know where the missus works, there's a women in business chamber, who have scholarship programs for women to get back into the job market after being SAHM's or what not.

Local library should have a big book of local sources for funding too.

tuition assistance has been stopped for all active duty military due to cutbacks.
You could maybe use your Husbands GI BILL

Thanks for all the advice. To answer Lolly, he doesn't have the post 911 GI bill so he can't transfer any of his entitlements to me unfortunately. And I think the Navy are still to cancel their tuition assistance... They won't be far off though I reckon.
And Bob, I've only just got a part-time job so they won't pay for any tuition.

Seeing as I applied for a lot of information I've had a few useful calls today and I've filled in all the paperwork online to see if I'm entitled to any assistance. So we shall see!

Thanks again

Have you checked the ed.gov web site? You may possibly be eligible for Pell grants or click on the left under Programs and then Eligibility on the following link to see a list of different programs.

http://www2.ed.gov/programs/fpg/eligibility.html

Thanks I've applied for financial aid and the pell grant is included in that. What I do qualify for is a 6 month course to qualify me as a pharmacy technician through the mycaa. I get it for free being a military spouse of an E5 active reservist. So why not?!? Can do that and apply for jobs in pharmacies and hospitals and hopefully get on the way to my degree after that.

I don't understand why mycaa programs were cut back. In 1996, Clinton by executive order allowed all veterans VA medical benefits but in 2003 in the middle of the Iraq war, Bush by executive order put back restrictions requiring low income levels to qualify for VA medical benefits although veterans that applied between 1996 and 2003 were grandfathered in. Then Obama again loosened the requirements by executive order by significantly increasing the income levels required to qualify.

Maybe money for mycaa programs can only be allocated by an act of congress and congress decided to cut back to save money.

Not sure why a stint in the Armed Forces should give you life time medical coverage.

If you put your life on the line for your country, then I'm of the opinion that your country should pay for your medical coverage once you're done. Not after a fall out though. I'm fine with differences of opinion

Here are a few reasons. They still aren't sure whether a person's illnesses were caused by agent orange during the Vietnam war, they don't know how many were affected by Gulf War Syndrome, and PTSD can show up many years later.

I do not have issue with issues that arose from service.

Obviously the percentage that see service in a war zone is relatively small.

So you work in whatever the Yanks call the Naafi and you get lifetime medical care?