financial aid for college for cancer patients?

[cynnycal]

Such a thing exist.
i would love love love to go back to school after surgery is all said an ddone, but i'm sssoooooooo far in debt already, (and i haven't even had the real surgery yet) from radiation and chemo and all that that isn't covered by my insurance that my credit is/will be shot, and i wouldn't know how in the world i could ever afford it.
are there any programs out there that would help this out?
B

[Edward]

Hi Becca,

I would try to work this angle from a few different fronts. I would try the American Cancer Society, LAF, and then colleges or universities themselves. Alot of scholarships out there are tied to specific majors. I would say the easilest to obtain aid might be for the nursing profession, followed by social workers, and teachers. They also may have a service committement after graduation. Also try to seek employment at school that would have some time of tuition program.

Since your in Illinois, I would also contact Senator Barack Obama's office. He may not be able to help directly, but his office may be able to point you in the right direction.

[cynnycal]

Thanks Edward,
But I wanted to go back for filmmaking (specifically in the documentary area)
Those are good idea's though.
maybe something can pan out

[Bryan S]

There are lots of programs for people to go to college who do not have enough cash or income. SOme are loans and some colleges give grants. We just went through this with my son. Grants are sometimes based on ACT or SAT scores but not always. You need to talk to the financial aid dept at a college you wish to attend and ask them about it. You may also need to fill out a FASFA form (sorry I don't know what that stands for) but the FASFA form helps determine how much you can pay ... do bad and it can mean big bucks. Don't give on this you could still qualify for loans even with the bad credit. Good luck

[cynnycal]

Thanks Bryan,
well, i've already got my undergrad degree, so i'm very well versed in Fafsa, and hope credits, and direct loans, and sallie mae loans and MAP grants and PELL grants.
I know i've already claimed hope credit as many times as i can on my taxes. Currently i have $45,000+ in loans from the gov. and from sallie mae. they're being deferred.
(and probably will for a very very long time. since i also now have $70,000 in medical debt, and climbing)
i was just wondering if there was anything from specific groups (i.e. as edward said, the acs, or laf or something. that take into the consideration the enormous expenses a life threatening illness can incur...er...i dunno.
i just felt like as soon as all this started happening that it dashed my chances for gettign a second degree or a grad degree (which i had already started planning.

thanks for the suggestions though

[Christine]

I'm actually planning on going back to school for my master's degree next fall. I have been doing a lot of research on grants and there are tons out there. You just have to take the time to sift through them and find the ones that apply to you. Also check out the schools that you are interested in. The school I'm applying to has a $5,000/year scholarship specifically for students who have previously or are currently undergoing cancer treatments.

It takes some reseach, but there is money out there!

[Maggie]

Hi,
I don't know of specific groups that can offer you scholarships, etc for being a cancer patient, but I do know that when I was going to college, my mom had written the college an special circumstances letter explaining all that was going on and how financially, there wasn't anything left for me to continue with school and they actually took that into consideration when billing us. She has also done the same thing for my brother who is now in college (yeah, medical bills suck and they almost NEVER go away!!) You could try talking to the school you're looking into and see if they may make an exception. Hope this helps! Good luck and don't give up your dream to keep going to school!!
Maggie

[kha]

Here are two good sources for you:

http://www.finaid.org/otheraid/cancer.phtml
http://www.ulmanfund.org/Services/Schol ... fault.aspx

Good luck- keep your dreams alive!

[northern lights]

When I was trying to get funding to volunteer overseas, the library had a book that listed all sorts of funding sources. It listed bursaries, memorial funds, NGOs etc.

Check with your local librarian. I raised over $30,000 for my work.

Sharon