Sell gear to go back to school?

[DougH 270]

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The problem is that I have been doing research for the last few days and I can't find any other way to finance school.

How much do you have to borrow to pay for this schooling?

It would be prudent to forecast your expected earnings, and how much you expect to pay for this education.

I'm projecting somewhere around $22k to $24k. The program is only $12k but apartments in Hollywood are outrageous.

12K for this round of schooling. And you mentioned additional schooling after this, what will that cost?

Do you know what the average individual in this field is making after 10 years of experience?

"The restraining order says you're only allowed to touch me in freefall"
=P

[NWFlyer 2]

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I'm projecting somewhere around $22k to $24k.

Have you done the math on paying that off on the salary range you're expecting post-graduation? I finished graduate school with about twice that amount of debt but was making considerably more than you project ... and it was still painful to pay it all off.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[Andy9o8 2]

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We're all capable of setting our own priorities and making suitable decisions...but it is possible to 'have it all' ...so to speak.

Re: "having it all" ... yes and no. Life, of course, is never risk-free. Driving a car every day is risky. Risk in skydiving per se can be mitigated by safety precautions, and it can be offset (at least financially) with health, disability and life insurance, but it can never be eliminated. The only way to completely eliminate the risk attendant to skydiving while raising young children is to not skydive. If you do skydive, some might say you're having it all, while others might say you're compromising.

I'm not knocking those who do or have been active skydivers while raising young children. But some choose not skydive (or ride motorcycles, etc.) at that stage of their lives, and it's not simply because it's expensive.

[Andy9o8 2]

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apartments in Hollywood are outrageous.

Hollywood? Pfft! You could be a cabana boy.

[skittles_of_SDC 0]

The additional 2 year program will be $40k for tuition plus living expenses. That program however qualifies for federal aid.

I couldn't tell you right now what I'd make. I've talked to admissions counselors at both schools but neglected to ask that. Most of my questions were just about the portfolio reviews and stuff like that.

While ya'll have me thinking about it, are there any other similar questions that are important to ask the school that I may have forgotten?

[NWFlyer 2]

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That program however qualifies for federal aid.

Federal aid will likely still come in the form of loans; just because they have a lower interest rate doesn't make them (significantly) less painful to pay off.

So for the three years you're looking at (conservatively) $80,000 in debt.

1) Do the math. (edited to add link to a place that'll do the math for you ... and give you a good reality check: http://www.finaid.org/calculators/loanpayments.phtml)

2) Figure out if this is something you really really really want to do, to the point that you can see living with 5 roommates and eating Top Ramen for the 10 (at least) years it's going to take to pay it off. Because at the salaries you anticipate (or, frankly, even twice or three times that amount), monthly payments on $80,000 in debt are going to take a massive chunk of your monthly income. You've already dropped out of college once and gone through multiple ideas about the next step in the last few months; is this something you are ready to commit to long-term, or just another wild hare? For that kind of debt you'd better be damned sure.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[skittles_of_SDC 0]

This is indeed something I desperately want to do. It was actually what I originally hoped to do right out of high school but I figured the career opportunities in graphic design were better. However the CA school has a 90% placement rate. I'm not sure what the placement rate for the FL school is. I have to ask them next time I talk to them.

[airtwardo 7]

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We're all capable of setting our own priorities and making suitable decisions...but it is possible to 'have it all' ...so to speak.

Re: "having it all" ... yes and no. Life, of course, is never risk-free. Driving a car every day is risky. Risk in skydiving per se can be mitigated by safety precautions, and it can be offset (at least financially) with health, disability and life insurance, but it can never be eliminated. The only way to completely eliminate the risk attendant to skydiving while raising young children is to not skydive. If you do skydive, some might say you're having it all, while others might say you're compromising.

I'm not knocking those who do or have been active skydivers while raising young children. But some choose not skydive (or ride motorcycles, etc.) at that stage of their lives, and it's not simply because it's expensive.

Yeah but we're talkin' financial considerations regarding Skittles and his education...I've seen the guy at SDC, and trust me, kids aren't in his future.

As far as risk assessment and raising children...I'd already been jumping 20 years when our 3 came along, I did however vow to refrain from running with scissors.

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[warpedskydiver 0]

'He is probably the only guy that could get a Gangbang chick to say "Sorry no minors or Donny Osmond look alike's"

Chicks need to concentrate to do their best work and laughing does not help.

[BIGUN 1,489]

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are there any other similar questions that are important to ask the school that I may have forgotten?

What is the accreditation?
Then do some homework on the accrediting association.

Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

[Nataly 38]

Here's my point of view, for what it's worth.

I say hang on to your rig. You're unlikely to be able to afford getting another one for the next 15 years, and the money you would get from it would likely disappear in no time anyway.. It's sort of a "drop in the ocean" in terms of what you will owe, but it's MASSIVE in terms of what it would take to save up and have all at once in order to buy it again in the future..

I think you're better off having a source of steady income to minimise the build-up of debt. If this course is intense, then you just need to work bloody hard for it. It's one year, right? People can't sustain full-on schedules for a long time, but if push comes to shove, if you set your mind to it you can get through one really tough year.

Have you considered prizes/scholarships instead of financial loans? Have a look.. Some prizes/scholarships are really obscure and specific - some you might be eligible for and get by virtue of being the only applicant. I put myself through a full bachelors on this basis - came out with zero debt. Word of warning, though: it was fucking hard work.

But that's just me..

"There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse."
- Chris Hadfield
« Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. »
- my boss

[xtravrtsoul 0]

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are there any other similar questions that are important to ask the school that I may have forgotten?

What is the accreditation?
Then do some homework on the accrediting association.

That one is HUGE!!! I will have to think about other questions. I was in a whirlwind when I signed up for school and asking the
right questions was key. And do check into the scholarships for sure.

I am going to be paying out my ass for my loans so MAKE sure yyou choose your schools and loans wisely. Especially the schools and when you talk to the schools ask to talk to the financial department of that school for your options. Not just the entrance person.

You create life, life does not create you.

[Nightingale 0]

There are tons of private loans out there. Credit unions have them, banks have them, big loan companies like Sallie Mae have them. They all have different terms. Do some more investigating on financial aid before making any decisions.

[skittles_of_SDC 0]

UPDATE: Went on a school tour on Monday for the Florida school. I had the chance to sit down face to face with an admissions counselor and he said the average pay is $600-$1,000 per week.

[NWFlyer 2]

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UPDATE: Went on a school tour on Monday for the Florida school. I had the chance to sit down face to face with an admissions counselor and he said the average pay is $600-$1,000 per week.

OK so now you have some numbers to plug into the calculator I linked to above.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke

[LyraM45 0]

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I found a school I want to go to really badly. The students put out excellent work (I have a second choice where the work isn't such high quality but is still good).

The issue with the school I want to go to is that it is a trade school and doesn't qualify for federal student aid. The only loans I can get are private loans and since this particular loan is designed specifically for people enrolling in trade schools they really screw you over. There is no deferment period at all. You have to start repayment pretty much right after disbursement. The main reason that is bad is because the admissions counselor at the school said they don't recommend having a job because of how intensive the program is.

There is an interest only repayment plan where you pay only the interest while in school. I think with the little bit of college savings I have left combined with what I could get for my main and reserve I would be able to make payments on the interest until I get out (1 year later) and could get a job to pay that off before going back to the same school to do another more specialized program (which qualifies for federal loans).

Well, I can offer my experience and take what you want from it. I wanted to fly all of my life. If I didn't fly, then something to do with aviation and/or weather. So, being such a specialized field, I had only two schools to choose from for an Aviation Meteorology degree and both were private and VERY pricey. I had already been skydiving for a year before I graduated high school, and just bought a really cheap set of gear before I went to college. I came into financial trouble right off the bat and sold the rig to help pay for the $1500 of tuition I was short because scholarships/loans wouldn't cover it all. Each semester was worse as tuition went up and up. So, I pretty much spent five years in college gearless and just skydiving here or there barely staying current. (hence why I have so few jumps since my 2002 registration)

So, I got a lot of shit from dropzone people throughout my five years at school poking fun at me for not jumping much. I just told myself that some day I will get out, get a job making pretty good money, and be able to have the gear I want, in the colors I want, every fine detail I want, and jump and travel to my hearts content. All I can tell you is that it was worth the wait. So, I just recently started to get back into jumping again. My weird schedule I work now really limits me time wise, but other than that I have no limits to stop me from doing or having what I want in the sport. Your situation is a little different as it is a 1 year trade program, but still similar in the fact that if the end result will be more rewarding for you and will put you in a better position, then I say set skydiving aside and get this next step of your life in order and it will help you eventually be more financially comfortable to skydive all you want.

Are you sure that you can not get these loans deferred somehow? I went to school in FL and my private loans were the only thing that had to be paid back while in school. I called them and told them my situation and they got deferred each semester when I called. I now have about 80K to repay just from my undergrad, but like I said, it was totally worth it.

Good luck!

Apologies for the spelling (and grammar).... I got a B.S, not a B.A. :)