Furthering My Education

[Slash]

Hey guys, as you might recall a while back, I made a thread discussing where I plan to take my life. Recently, I have been presented with an opportunity to further advance my education into the automotive field.

As some of you know, I'm currently enrolled in a trade school where I am currently working to become a licesened and NYS registered automotive technician. Currently, I've taken 1 of the 2 required years and I have completed 3 lengthy sessions of advanced health and safety hazard precaution training via SP2.org to improve my credentials. My next step is to begin looking for places to apply for 3 weeks worth of internships in order to graduate. After graduation my goal is to work for Ford at some level and work my way up.

However. I was recently presented with an opportunity to attend a very good, highly accredited technical college called the University of Northwestern Ohio. Now, a good friend has visited and enjoyed it, and from what I see has everything high performance related that I enjoy doing. Has anyone ever visited or attended this college so I can get real-world opinions instead of hearing it from their rep?

I'm very seriously considering this option. Right out of school it is likely I will be making on average $12-$14 an hour. Going here that jumps to anywhere between $16-$28 an hour.

If I attend, I'll be taking high performance and automotive classes, as well as being able to take all 8 ASE tests to become an ASE certified master technician over 18 months. I'll also be able to get a masters degree and CDL licences I and II. This process would take anywhere from 5-6 years for everything. Combine that all together and we are looking at a grand total (including apartment style dorms with full size kitchens/washer/dryer) of about $40,000-$45,000, possibly over $50k depending on what I do. $26,000-$35,000 just for the core classes, and another $4,800-$5,200 per add on (Diploma, 3 Degrees and CDL's).

My concerns is this. It's 6 hours from home, and I don't like sharing rooms let alone a dorm. I'm not too keen on having to learn an entire city over again.Grants and scholarships are good, but not everyone can get them. Where do I get money besides financial aid? My parents have said they will help but obviously not everything will be covered. I don't want to be stuck with a loan after school. I want to make money, not give it back so as you can see, option are limited. Suggestions?

 

[edawg456]

My cousins friend said that they really enjoyed the school. And for money, you can get a part time job some where near the campus so it can help you pay for school. That's what I'm doing to help pay for college. And if your looking for a place to stay, you can get an apartment if you want.

 

[lbsf1]

If you will enjoy it and it allows you to make considerably more money afterwards then go for it. The loan will be easily payed for by your extra earnings.

Fair enough not wanting to learn a new city and share a dorm however go for it, go outside your comfort zone, if you don't like it drop out, however the last thing you want to do is turn it down and regret it for the rest of your life.

 

[Villain]

Student loans generally have interest rates less than the rate of inflation - in other words you might be able to pay for the better school with what can amount to free money when viewed over the amount of time you take to pay it off.

Also, there is a trend where more expensive schools have more money to give to students in aid so check with that rep and see what you can find out about your financial aid options through the school.

Some times having a better school name is the difference between getting hired or passed over as a candidate.

 

[Slash]

My cousins friend said that they really enjoyed the school. And for money, you can get a part time job some where near the campus so it can help you pay for school. That's what I'm doing to help pay for college. And if your looking for a place to stay, you can get an apartment if you want.

That's what the rep I talked to said. He said it's very easy to get a part time job since classes are only 5 hours a day, Monday-Thursday. I'm thinking about taking the apartment route if I go there, as the rep said the cost of living is very low and most apartments are generally cheaper than the dorms.

If you will enjoy it and it allows you to make considerably more money afterwards then go for it. The loan will be easily payed for by your extra earnings.

Fair enough not wanting to learn a new city and share a dorm however go for it, go outside your comfort zone, if you don't like it drop out, however the last thing you want to do is turn it down and regret it for the rest of your life.

I see your point. My thing is I don't like to share my personal space with people, and if I go a dorm would be like my getaway from everyone. I don't want to have to come home to a stranger every night.

Student loans generally have interest rates less than the rate of inflation - in other words you might be able to pay for the better school with what can amount to free money when viewed over the amount of time you take to pay it off.

Also, there is a trend where more expensive schools have more money to give to students in aid so check with that rep and see what you can find out about your financial aid options through the school.

Some times having a better school name is the difference between getting hired or passed over as a candidate.

I'll give the rep a call and discuss it with him when I can. As far as I know, it shouldn't be any trouble getting some amount of money. The school, as far as campus size, is pretty large. Spans about 1 mile from end to end. The city was built around the college and is a bit bigger than my home town.

I've heard very good things about this school that's why I asked to see if anyone has every attended.

 

[Jubby]

However. I was recently presented with an opportunity to attend a very good, highly accredited technical college called the University of Northwestern Ohio. Now, a good friend has visited and enjoyed it, and from what I see has everything high performance related that I enjoy doing. Has anyone ever visited or attended this college so I can get real-world opinions instead of hearing it from their rep?

I have a close friend that attended that school and by my recollection he said a while back that he loved it and would recommend it. He does odd jobs relating to the field now, but is a successful promoter of a racing series in New England.

My concerns is this. It's 6 hours from home, and I don't like sharing rooms let alone a dorm. I'm not too keen on having to learn an entire city over again.Grants and scholarships are good, but not everyone can get them. Where do I get money besides financial aid? My parents have said they will help but obviously not everything will be covered. I don't want to be stuck with a loan after school. I want to make money, not give it back so as you can see, option are limited. Suggestions?

Post secondary school is an investment. You may see a big return, a good return over the long term, or nothing at all and suffer a loss. If you know you are good at what you do, and are going to be flexible with good credentials, I'd say go for it, especially if you love working in that field!

 

[Slash]

I have a close friend that attended that school and by my recollection he said a while back that he loved it and would recommend it. He does odd jobs relating to the field now, but is a successful promoter of a racing series in New England.

Post secondary school is an investment. You may see a big return, a good return over the long term, or nothing at all and suffer a loss. If you know you are good at what you do, and are going to be flexible with good credentials, I'd say go for it, especially if you love working in that field!

Well it definitetly involves what I love, having places to build your own 4x4s and drag cars and test them. So I'll likely be going here.

 

[Exorcet]

The thing about loans is that they can pay off. I graduated with debt, but I never would have got my job without a degree. It depends on how much money you want, and how fast you want to make it. Short term, it's better to just work ASAP. Long term, the extra schooling should pay off.

Just check on how much financial aid/scholarship money you can get. My loans were actually pretty small compared to my tuition.

 

[Dennisch]

My concerns is this. It's 6 hours from home, and I don't like sharing rooms let alone a dorm. I'm not too keen on having to learn an entire city over again.

Get over it. It is your future. You don't want to be a simple greasemonkey the rest of your life. You need to become super duper advanced greasegorilla with deep pockets.

 

[Villain]

Get over it. It is your future. You don't want to be a simple greasemonkey the rest of your life. You need to become super duper advanced greasegorilla with deep pockets.

👍

 

[NissanSkylineN1]

Slashy, just do it. Education goes a long way, man. I'm sure you'll be able to pay off your student debts and also will benefit from the better pay.

 

[Slash]

The thing about loans is that they can pay off. I graduated with debt, but I never would have got my job without a degree. It depends on how much money you want, and how fast you want to make it. Short term, it's better to just work ASAP. Long term, the extra schooling should pay off.

Just check on how much financial aid/scholarship money you can get. My loans were actually pretty small compared to my tuition.

Ah ok, I follow you. I mean I knew that would be the case but I would prefer to graduate debt free. I'm thinking about working out a deal were I can get it paid of ASAP right after I get out.

Get over it. It is your future. You don't want to be a simple greasemonkey the rest of your life. You need to become super duper advanced greasegorilla with deep pockets.

I was waiting for this. And for the most part it's not a big deal, I can live with it. I'm just picky. Right now if I follow what my economics class is telling me (for once I'm actually paying attention in school), I should be very well off when I get out as far as money goes. Small increments of money can go a long way if you use your interest rates....

Slashy, just do it. Education goes a long way, man. I'm sure you'll be able to pay off your student debts and also will benefit from the better pay.

That's what I'm thinking. I outta be applying asap then.

 

[NissanSkylineN1]

How much is tuition?

 

[Slash]

Depending on what I go for, anywhere in the ballpark between $25k-$50k. Going to be closer to $50k I think if I get both CDL's and my Masters Degree after the core high performance/auto tech classes.

 

[Joey D]

There are a bazillion and 1 scholarships out there that take only minimal effort to get. Some require you to read a book and write a short paper on it, or to write about your goals in life, or any number of things along those lines. There's also millions of dollars of scholarships that go unclaimed each year because no one applies for them. Just really do your research and you'll start finding them.

I would say student loans should be your last resort, but shouldn't prevent you from going to school. You really don't need to take on a huge load of debt so early in life when there are options out there the greatly reduce your cost. I managed to get through paying very little for my education and I graduated debt free. Even now that I'm going back to school I'm paying for it out of pocket versus loans.

Another great cost reducer is community college, take as many classes as you can there and save the classes geared towards your major at your main school. This saves thousands and thousands of dollars. Also there's nothing wrong with community college, I know people think there's some stigma attached to it.

Also if you are going to want to work on cars for the rest of your life I'd probably look at specializing in a certain brand and trying to get hooked up with a dealership. Another good move would probably be learning hybrid systems and EV's. By the time you are out of school the auto market will be very different then it is now. Sure high performance sounds fun, but think of the market, doing dealer service or just basic repairs is going to give you great career opportunities.

 

[NissanSkylineN1]

Depending on what I go for, anywhere in the ballpark between $25k-$50k. Going to be closer to $50k I think if I get both CDL's and my Masters Degree after the core high performance/auto tech classes.

$25-50K? A high end Medical school here costs $20k a year......

 

[Joey D]

$25-50K? A high end Medical school here costs $20k a year......

Except you can't get into a Canadian medical school, I work with several Canadian residents that all tried and couldn't. Quite a few of them ended up at Ross in the Caribbean.

$25k isn't that unusual for a private university.

 

[NissanSkylineN1]

Except you can't get into a Canadian medical school, I work with several Canadian residents that all tried and couldn't. Quite a few of them ended up at Ross in the Caribbean.

$25k isn't that unusual for a private university.

I have a few family members that did get into med school here in Canada. Its hard, but definately not impossible.

Aren't there any public universities in the US?

 

[Dennisch]

a certain brand

Hmm. I wonder what brand that could be.

 

[Slash]

There are a bazillion and 1 scholarships out there that take only minimal effort to get. Some require you to read a book and write a short paper on it, or to write about your goals in life, or any number of things along those lines. There's also millions of dollars of scholarships that go unclaimed each year because no one applies for them. Just really do your research and you'll start finding them.

I would say student loans should be your last resort, but shouldn't prevent you from going to school. You really don't need to take on a huge load of debt so early in life when there are options out there the greatly reduce your cost. I managed to get through paying very little for my education and I graduated debt free. Even now that I'm going back to school I'm paying for it out of pocket versus loans.

Another great cost reducer is community college, take as many classes as you can there and save the classes geared towards your major at your main school. This saves thousands and thousands of dollars. Also there's nothing wrong with community college, I know people think there's some stigma attached to it.

Also if you are going to want to work on cars for the rest of your life I'd probably look at specializing in a certain brand and trying to get hooked up with a dealership. Another good move would probably be learning hybrid systems and EV's. By the time you are out of school the auto market will be very different then it is now. Sure high performance sounds fun, but think of the market, doing dealer service or just basic repairs is going to give you great career opportunities.

For sure. It's not going to be the same when I get out, I'm aware. High performance is just what I'm interested in but I will take more in order to advance myself further if it means more opportunities and higher pay.

$25-50K? A high end Medical school here costs $20k a year......

It's cheap compared to most.

Except you can't get into a Canadian medical school, I work with several Canadian residents that all tried and couldn't. Quite a few of them ended up at Ross in the Caribbean.

$25k isn't that unusual for a private university.

It's actually one of the cheapest options out there...

I have a few family members that did get into med school here in Canada. Its hard, but definately not impossible.

Aren't there any public universities in the US?

Yes.

Hmm. I wonder what brand that could be.

Lol