Cold, blustery, wet, and grey
October, you are not my favorite month.
Alas, it will be some time before I see perfect weather again. :)
Since the temperature has dropped outside, getting dressed in the morning becomes increasingly more difficult. Mainly, because the temperature in my office is more unpredictable than the Illinois weather forecast. One week, I don't think I took my coat off at work all week. I have a corn heat bag that I heat in the microwave and keep in my lap all day. I warm my fingers up in between bouts of typing. Then, the maintenance man finally got the boilers working. And the radiators were on full blast. I of course was loving the temperature, a nice 85, but my coworkers however, were not. I eventually conceded and allowed them to open windows. That lasts for a few hours until the school (on the other side of the building), complains and off go the boilers, on goes the coat.
I've been spending a lot of time at ICC these days with my clients. If I haven't said it before: just because the opportunity is there does not mean everyone has the same opportunities in place to get there.
When I went to ICC, I signed up online, completed my FAFSA, took out a loan, scheduled a time to register for classes, and I was in.
That is not how it works for people whose parents, socioeconomic status, family background etc. are different than the typical middle class family.
I literally feel like pulling my hair out trying to get these kids enrolled. It's exhausting just thinking about every way the system is so much harder for them.
Transcripts- most ICC students come straight out of high school, and maybe even sign up and send their transcripts in school, before they even graduate. My clients- lacking the stable family, being tossed around through DCFS, they have to call their high school, mail them paperwork and money, and wait, and wait, and wait for their transcripts to arrive after classes start.
Residency- most ICC students live at home with parents, or at least they can give their parent's address at the start of school. Most of them have their driver's license since the age of 16, and can provide that as proof of residency. My clients- no one ever went driving with them. At the age of 18,19, and 20 most of them still can't drive. A state ID is the alternative, but like with the transcripts the chances of them living in one place long enough to collect the paperwork to get an ID placing them in district is slim to none. This becomes a problem how? Cost of tuition. My clients, if I don't spend ridiculous amount of time with them gathering documents and running back and forth from ICC to the DMV, get charged a higher rate.
Financial aid- Now most middle class kids just take out a loan, pay out of pocket, or have their parents pay. My clients- most are eligible for a grant through the state. However, if they are registered as out of district. Financial aid will only pay the amount up to the in district cost. This leaves my clients with upwards of $1000 in debt each semester. That may sound like nothing, but to them, that is a huge set back. In one case, Financial Aid wouldn't pay at all, and my client had to drop all of his classes halfway through the semester.
I can hear the middle-class person inside of me saying "well they should just work." Ha. Note above where I said they can't drive. They have to take the bus. Which means an extra one to two hours, depending on the bus schedule, to and from class. Add an hour to and from work. And, that equals 25 hours a week spent on transportation alone. They can work yes, but not enough to cover tuition.
So, no, not everyone has the same opportunity to go to college. If I wasn't there doing all the leg work, some of my clients would have given up long ago, like many young adults in the community, and worked a McDonald's for the rest of their lives.
So from now until January 16th, the start of Spring semester, I will get to spend more time than I would like haggling with the financial aid office and the enrollment office.
On another cheerier note, last Saturday night, Wendi and I carpooled out to Larissa's personal shower. I barely get to see Wendi anymore so that was awesome to begin with. Then, I got to hang out with Larissa for the first time since she was engaged!:) There were a bunch of other good friends from various times in my life and it was wonderful to see them again too.
I'm so excited for Tristan and Larissa. Not only is she my good friend, Nathan and Tristan and great friends. :)
I hear snow is on the way this weekend. While I am not a fan ofall most things cold, pretty white fluffy snow does sound much better than this dreary rain.
In Christ
~Michelle
October, you are not my favorite month.
Alas, it will be some time before I see perfect weather again. :)
Since the temperature has dropped outside, getting dressed in the morning becomes increasingly more difficult. Mainly, because the temperature in my office is more unpredictable than the Illinois weather forecast. One week, I don't think I took my coat off at work all week. I have a corn heat bag that I heat in the microwave and keep in my lap all day. I warm my fingers up in between bouts of typing. Then, the maintenance man finally got the boilers working. And the radiators were on full blast. I of course was loving the temperature, a nice 85, but my coworkers however, were not. I eventually conceded and allowed them to open windows. That lasts for a few hours until the school (on the other side of the building), complains and off go the boilers, on goes the coat.
I've been spending a lot of time at ICC these days with my clients. If I haven't said it before: just because the opportunity is there does not mean everyone has the same opportunities in place to get there.
When I went to ICC, I signed up online, completed my FAFSA, took out a loan, scheduled a time to register for classes, and I was in.
That is not how it works for people whose parents, socioeconomic status, family background etc. are different than the typical middle class family.
I literally feel like pulling my hair out trying to get these kids enrolled. It's exhausting just thinking about every way the system is so much harder for them.
Transcripts- most ICC students come straight out of high school, and maybe even sign up and send their transcripts in school, before they even graduate. My clients- lacking the stable family, being tossed around through DCFS, they have to call their high school, mail them paperwork and money, and wait, and wait, and wait for their transcripts to arrive after classes start.
Residency- most ICC students live at home with parents, or at least they can give their parent's address at the start of school. Most of them have their driver's license since the age of 16, and can provide that as proof of residency. My clients- no one ever went driving with them. At the age of 18,19, and 20 most of them still can't drive. A state ID is the alternative, but like with the transcripts the chances of them living in one place long enough to collect the paperwork to get an ID placing them in district is slim to none. This becomes a problem how? Cost of tuition. My clients, if I don't spend ridiculous amount of time with them gathering documents and running back and forth from ICC to the DMV, get charged a higher rate.
Financial aid- Now most middle class kids just take out a loan, pay out of pocket, or have their parents pay. My clients- most are eligible for a grant through the state. However, if they are registered as out of district. Financial aid will only pay the amount up to the in district cost. This leaves my clients with upwards of $1000 in debt each semester. That may sound like nothing, but to them, that is a huge set back. In one case, Financial Aid wouldn't pay at all, and my client had to drop all of his classes halfway through the semester.
I can hear the middle-class person inside of me saying "well they should just work." Ha. Note above where I said they can't drive. They have to take the bus. Which means an extra one to two hours, depending on the bus schedule, to and from class. Add an hour to and from work. And, that equals 25 hours a week spent on transportation alone. They can work yes, but not enough to cover tuition.
So, no, not everyone has the same opportunity to go to college. If I wasn't there doing all the leg work, some of my clients would have given up long ago, like many young adults in the community, and worked a McDonald's for the rest of their lives.
So from now until January 16th, the start of Spring semester, I will get to spend more time than I would like haggling with the financial aid office and the enrollment office.
On another cheerier note, last Saturday night, Wendi and I carpooled out to Larissa's personal shower. I barely get to see Wendi anymore so that was awesome to begin with. Then, I got to hang out with Larissa for the first time since she was engaged!:) There were a bunch of other good friends from various times in my life and it was wonderful to see them again too.
I'm so excited for Tristan and Larissa. Not only is she my good friend, Nathan and Tristan and great friends. :)
I hear snow is on the way this weekend. While I am not a fan of
In Christ
~Michelle
2 comments:
Thank you for the insight...I feel so spoiled at how easy things were for me with college etc.
Interesting.
Wish I could have heard the Messiah there.
love, ak
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