financial aid, pell grants?????

bumpa: I know it was just plain wrong. Even all the schools I was in contact w/ couldn't believe it. The clerk pretty much laughed at me and said there was no way I could qualify due to the fact that I had never done anything in my life that came close to resemble truck driving. LOL... This was last February.

232trucker: You should contact Bev at Sage in Rome. They do accept financial aid (Or at least they did last winter). I saved her e-mail, here it is:

Hello Louise, Allow me to reintroduce myself ... my name is Bev and I am the Program Director here at the SAGE Truck Driving School. Below you will find information on the Class "A" CDL training programs offered here at SAGE.

The Class "A" CDL training curriculum requires 150 hours of training. The TTD150 course consists of 104 hours in the classroom and lab and 46 hours behind-the-wheel. Class is held Monday-Friday 8AM until 430 PM. We are in class 10 days. The 46 hours behind-the-wheel are broken down into four hour increments; this means that you will have "11" four-hour drives. SAGE is the only truck driving school in the USA that offers ONE student PER truck ... this means that during those 46 hours you spend in the truck it will be you and an instructor only. You do not share your drive time with other students as some schools do. The remaining 2 hour drive time is set aside for the day of the road test. We do a 1-hr warm up, and the road test itself lasts one hour.

The total cost of the course ($5327) includes all the DMV fees up front, books, tuition to MVCC, and the DOT drug screen and physical, and MVR. A student is eligible to start driving as soon as he/she gets his permit. Some students choose to drive as soon as they get their permit; others choose to wait until all class room time is finished. This is completely up to you ... we ask what days/times are convenient for you to drive! The upcoming February day classes are scheduled for 2/6/12 & 2/20/12. Night classes are held Monday through Friday from 5:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. Drives again are scheduled seven days a week, 3 different shifts per day. The upcoming night class is tentatively scheduled for early February.
The brochure that you are looking at shows pictures of the students and instructor ... actual pictures taken from our class! We are a very hands on institution - if we are talking about something on the truck, we actually go to the truck so that the students can get the visual and the hands on experience of finding and identifying that particular part. For each chapter that we read in the class, there are handouts, movies, and power points that go along with it. At the end of each chapter, we have a short 10 question quiz - we do not move to the next chapter until we are sure that the students are comfortable with what was just taught. Another fine reason why we keep the class size small, so we can "speed up" or "slow down" the class as needed/if needed.
As I mentioned on the phone, you may want to call your local unemployment office and look into the WIA Grant. I am not sure if there is still monies available through that grant - but it is worth asking. The grant does not pay for the program in full ... but any "free" money helps! I also strongly encourage you to contact your local ACCESS VR (formerly known as VESID). This is the organization I was telling you about that helps individuals with disabilities. Again, I don't like that word ... but it is their terminology that we must accommodate to. Access does pay for the program in full - I have worked with ACCESS in that area, and they have also helped with the cost of the lodging here during the program, as well as fuel costs. Well worth looking into!
We also use Sallie Mae and Wells Fargo for our student loans. You can choose either funding agency to apply for a loan - if you apply for one and it don't go through, you can try the other. Please keep in mind, you may need a co-signor for both. Be sure to ask for the loan name that is highlighted below, even if they tell you that they have another loan that may have better interest ... the college only accepts the ones specified.
SALLIE MAE - SMART OPTION LOAN
1-888-272-5543
WELLS FARGO - EDUCATION CONNECTION
1-800-658-3567
School Name: SUNY @ MVCC
School Code: 002871
Start Date: 2/6/12 or 2/20/12
End Date: 6/8/12 or /29/12
Program: TTD150
GRADE: 1[SUP]st[/SUP] year/Freshman
You can't tell the banks SAGE ... we fall under the college so our name is SUNY @ MVCC. Just as you can't tell them truck driving, you have to say TTD150 ... they don't recognize it.
As you can see, I have also attached the student application. Should you decide to move forward, in addition to the completed application, I would also need a copy of your driver's license and social security card. You can set an appointment to come in and submit the information to get you started on your way, e-mail or mail the information to us.
Please take some time to review this information and should you have any questions, please feel free to give me a call, send me an e-mail, or even a fax. I look forward to talking with you further.

Thank you,

Bev

 

BTW, I did try to get the grant through Access VR, but I'm not 'disabled' enough to qualify. I didn't think I was either, but was encouraged to apply by the school and also the Access VR rep.

Goodluck to you.

 

I charged my truck driving school on my Mastercard and then lived out of my truck paying it off.
Newsflash: the government is broke. They can't afford to give you free grants. It's not free to the people that have to pay for it.

 

I don't know about Sage being properly accredited. But I do know you can go to a community college and use the FAFSA. They even have the category under Major/ Trade, Vocational Education/ CDL & Trucking. Then when that's approved you have to look for available scholarships. Then anyone can get a no qualifying Stafford Loan when the FAFSA is complete. You can also apply for a Pell Grant but don't expect to get much if anything. It's based on need, the cost of tuition and if you are attending school a full academic year or not. Like others said there are sporadic other grants that pop up and disappear.

It sounds like a lot, but once you contact the financial aid dept they will do all the dirty work. You just have to provide them with last year's tax return, your SS card and DL. A couple signatures and you are done.

Do a google search on Queens Community College and you will get a list of all the colleges in a 50 miles area or so. Then you just visit each site to see which ones offer truck driver training.

 

One of these days, they will stop with that BS that there is a driver shortage. There is no driver shortage, and never has been.

 

There are probably some schools in your area that have financing available directly through them. The school that both my hubby and I went through have their own financing. Sure, you're paying on that after you get out of school, but some companies offer reimbursement on the tuition also, and will pay a portion of or all of your monthly payment.

Just make sure that you will actually qualify to be hired by a company before you spend the time and money getting the CDL. No DUI's, no criminal background (certain crimes especially), a clean driving record (a parking ticket is OK, but not much more than that), and have your work history in order as well. Also make sure that you are prepared to be away from home for weeks at a time, ready to work odd hours, sleep at different times, and realize that this is not a 9 - 5 gig, nor is it a cake walk. It's hard work, dirty work at times, and traffic can really drive ya bonkers. Also realize that you will not make $50,000 your first year or two, you'll be lucky to break $30,000 no matter what the schools, company recruiters or jobs center tells you. They do not give people the reality, they give them the sunshine.

 

:golfclap:

Bravo sir....BRAVO!!