College Scholarship Question

[tulsaoilerfan]

My son will be a Junior in High School this fall and we are really worried how we are going to pay for his college education; his cousin was a Freshman at OU this past year and his parents told me that the cost was between 12-15,000 per year to go to OU, so right now we are looking at 50-60K for just 4 years; we make too much money to qualify for alot of stuff, and we don't have enough Indian blood to get any help there so we are wondering what the hell we can do. I know he can probably get some help thru local scholarships but obviously it won't be 50K work so can anyone on here point me in a direction to look for help? Thanks,

john

[Collier11]

I went to OU and had the same kind of issues pretty much, OU costs about $4 grand a semester for the school and then you have rent and bills or if they stay in the dorm obviously you have that cost. At this point your kid either needs to work on getting as many schollys as possible, doing student loans, or going to a smaller school. One smart thing to do which I wish I had done was go to OCCC and get the electives out of the way, its very cheap. Then transfer to OU.

Regardless of what you make, go to www.fafsa.gov and see if you can qualify for any grants. Its worth a shot

[yankee]

maybe this can be a start, or maybe you've already looked at this i don't know...


you mentioned how you think you make too much money to qualify for aid, but i would still have him fill out a FAFSA form. it's worth a try, and you never know.

http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/


you also mentioned local scholarships. definitely look into those...like the OU Alumni Club of Henryetta. i have no idea if it actually exists haha, but keep looking around in the area for those kinds of organizations and they always have scholarships.

also, here's the freshman schollie page for OU. now it might change a little next year, but at least you know what you're looking at.

http://www.ou.edu/content/dam/recruitment/Downloads/FreshmanScholarships0910.pdf


hope that helps!

[Serge Ibaka]

Hey! Depending upon your family's income, you might qualify for the state's OHLAP program. If you qualify, there are minimal stipulations, and you receive free tuition to state colleges (and fees + books too at OU or OSU).

http://www.okhighered.org/okpromise/about.shtml

[sooner59]

In addition to what they said, definitely apply for the Sooner Heritage Scholarship. It is only about $700 per year at most, but it is something. Like 92% of all who apply (in-state) get it. Hope that helps a little. But yeah OCCC for the gen-eds are a decent idea. Definitely fill out the FAFSA and see what happens. There are also outside loans by banks that you can go after. If worse comes to worse, he may have to get a part-time job. Several of my friends in undergrad had jobs.

[Collier11]

It also depends on what kind of future job he might have, you can get private student loans up to $30k a year I think, dont want to do that unless paying it back is possible, lol

[olevetonahill]

Put him in the Army. then he can go on the GI Bill ;)

[Curly Bill]

Teach him to be really really good at sports. :D

[GKeeper316]

national guard = free tuition at any state school.

[olevetonahill]

national guard = free tuition at any state school.

Untill they get Called up .:eek: :pop:

[tulsaoilerfan]

Teach him to be really really good at sports. :D

He wants to play baseball but i don't see that happening; he's got some ability just not strong enough; hoping that might change over the next 2 years though

[tulsaoilerfan]

Hey! Depending upon your family's income, you might qualify for the state's OHLAP program. If you qualify, there are minimal stipulations, and you receive free tuition to state colleges (and fees + books too at OU or OSU).

http://www.okhighered.org/okpromise/about.shtml

Thanks for the OHLAP link but we make too much money to qualify for it

[GottaHavePride]

My son will be a Junior in High School this fall and we are really worried how we are going to pay for his college education; his cousin was a Freshman at OU this past year and his parents told me that the cost was between 12-15,000 per year to go to OU, so right now we are looking at 50-60K for just 4 years; we make too much money to qualify for alot of stuff, and we don't have enough Indian blood to get any help there so we are wondering what the hell we can do. I know he can probably get some help thru local scholarships but obviously it won't be 50K work so can anyone on here point me in a direction to look for help? Thanks,

john


Get him some PSAT study guides and have him start studying. Big work on the list of vocab words and analogies type stuff, and math if it's not a great subject for him.

Step 2: Make damn sure he signs up to take the PSAT in October. If you can sign him up for an SAT or ACT before that as a practice run (and to let him know what areas he needs to focus on studying) do that, too. Also, make sure he fills out the form so the PSAT scores are sent to both the National Merit people AND OU.

If he can score well enough to be a National Merit finalist, OU will cough up a full ride for him. Well, nearly a full ride, but you'll only be paying an extra $1,500 per semester or so, depending on how many hours he takes. Which is a heck of a lot better than $12K / year.

Also, look into the OU Regents' Scholarships. They are also full rides (it's what they offer to National Merit people, but you don't HAVE to be National Merit to get one.)

[Collier11]

So nice you said it twice. :D

[GottaHavePride]

I don't know what the board's problem is lately. I'm not having trouble accessing the board, but nearly every post I make is doubled-up.

[Soonerfan88]

national guard = free tuition at any state school.


Untill they get Called up .:eek: :pop:


If he is enrolled in ROTC, he will not get deployed even if his Guard or Reserve unit goes.

Along with Guard/Reserve, he can apply for a ROTC National Scholarship which will pay for all tuition/fees + book allowance + monthly stipend of $300+. http://www.goarmy.com/rotc/scholarships.jsp

[C&CDean]

I've got one in the Guard now. He's doing his drills before Basic Training right now, and taking College Algebra at OCCC - on the Army's dime. He plans to go to OU eventually, and has been talking with the recruiter about the ROTC deal. He understand fully he will be deployed sometime next year, and he's good with that.

I'm very different from the average parent these days. So many of you feel like it's your duty to pay for your kids' college education. I say horse**** to that.

I told all of my kids I'd buy their books or tuition, but I ain't paying for the whole "college experience." If they want to go to school then they need to get schollys or a job that would help pay their bills and tuition. I don't buy them cars or pay their insurance or cell phone bills. Why the hell should I? You do that crap and they'll be on your tit for life.

I managed to get a couple degrees and my folks never had to pay a dime, and neither did I. GI bill and then my employer. Yes, I did miss out on the whole puking my guts out at some frat house experience, but I'll take all of the other worldly experiences I got any day.

[Ike]

He wants to play baseball but i don't see that happening; he's got some ability just not strong enough; hoping that might change over the next 2 years though

You might look into some of the JuCos around here then as well. They are cheaper, he might have an easier time making the team, and if he continues to develop and work hard, it could lead to a baseball scholly somewhere else after 2 years.


Oh, and teach him to throw a splitty and a knuckler as a backup :)

[badger]

More insight into Fafsa:


The federal government and the schools consider it primarily the family's responsibility to pay for school. They provide financial assistance only when the family is unable to pay. If a family just doesn't want to pay, that won't make a difference. Parents have a greater responsibility toward their children than the government or the schools.

More info on the parental responsibility here. (http://www.finaid.org/otheraid/parentsrefuse.phtml)

Like others have already pointed out, joining the military is awesome. It will also get your kiddo away from your higher income status and be able to be an "independent student status"


The Federal requirements for independent student status changed in 1992. Since then, the student must satisfy at least one of the following criteria to be considered independent if... The student is a veteran of the Armed Forces of the United States.

There are other ways to be declared independent, but most involve situations that you as a parent might not endorse - getting married, waiting till you're 24, having dependents (aka having kids!). So, if you're worried about having FAFSA shun your income, the armed forces is a good option for that reason too.

If you're not keen on having a military kid, your best bet for an automatic scholarship is Sooner Heritage. This basically cancels out the most recent tuition/fee increase with a $500-$1,000 annual award and targets middle income families that aren't OHLAP eligible.

Link with more info (http://www.ou.edu/give/home/where_to_give/student_scholarships/sooner_heritage_scholarships.html)

Very important: Apply for FAFSA before applying for Sooner Heritage. It's what makes you eligible for that. The first year they gave these out, everyone who applied got one... so long as they fiiled for FAFSA.

You can find out more about OU-related financial aid here. (http://www.financialaid.ou.edu/)

I imagine if your kid was a National Merit finalist you wouldn't have started this discussion, so I'll skip all that.

Has your family considered a community college? This will do the following:

1- Allow your kid to study and work from home, eliminating expensive OU room and board bills.

2- Allow you to keep an eye on your kid during those first few post-high school semesters, so they don't party too hard like a few Sooner froshies are known to do the second they're away from mother and father :D

3- Allow you to get the pesky intro classes out of the way at a much lower cost.

The best part is that your kid will still be able to transfer into OU and receive a full degree from OU... the same degree that the kids who spent 4, 5, 20 years on campus receive, at a fraction of the cost.

I am afraid that the news got worse for future Sooner parents fretting over college bills today, as regents voted to up tuition again.

Link (http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=19&articleid=20100623_19_0_ARDMOR215602)

I don't think any tuition freezes or cuts should be expected in the foreseeable future. Hope this helps!

PS: Even if your kid is a little slugger hotshot, don't expect much financial aid through baseball - teams get like 9 scholarships to split among 30 or so players, so most only get 25 percent aid. :)

[Ike]

More insight into Fafsa:

PS: Even if your kid is a little slugger hotshot, don't expect much financial aid through baseball - teams get like 9 scholarships to split among 30 or so players, so most only get 25 percent aid. :)

Jucos get more...they get 24 full schollys for baseball. Granted, thats only for 2 years though.

NAIA get 12
NCAA-DII get 9
NCAA-DI get 11.7

Anything-DIII gets 0

I should also note that while a full scholly for baseball is very rare, it's not all that uncommon for a baseball player to get a full ride or a near full ride through a combination of baseball money and academic money. At a lot of programs, coaches/ADs are very good at finding academic money that their players will qualify for.

[Leroy Lizard]

Where I live, junior colleges offer the better deal. The teaching is better and the costs are far lower. If your son goes to JC for two years, his credits will likely transfer.

[Ike]

Where I live, junior colleges offer the better deal. The teaching is better and the costs are far lower. If your son goes to JC for two years, his credits will likely transfer.

That's not terribly uncommon. It's a lot easier for JuCos to offer the first 2 years at a much lower rate (with better quality) for a number of reasons. 1st, they pay for teaching professors. Most JCs could care less about research. A large institution like OU or OSU cares a lot about research, and the teaching is kind of secondary (although this varies some from department to department). So first off, you are going to be taught by an actual professor rather than a 1st or second year grad student (TA) who is being thrown into the fire with little or no training. Second, the primary thing that professor has on his plate is teaching. Third, they don't have to pay for grad students, who in many (but not all) departments at large universities are heavily subsidized....

I could go on...but just suffice it to say that JuCos do have some significant advantages for offering those first couple of years of study.

[Frozen Sooner]

Get him some PSAT study guides and have him start studying. Big work on the list of vocab words and analogies type stuff, and math if it's not a great subject for him.

Step 2: Make damn sure he signs up to take the PSAT in October. If you can sign him up for an SAT or ACT before that as a practice run (and to let him know what areas he needs to focus on studying) do that, too. Also, make sure he fills out the form so the PSAT scores are sent to both the National Merit people AND OU.

If he can score well enough to be a National Merit finalist, OU will cough up a full ride for him. Well, nearly a full ride, but you'll only be paying an extra $1,500 per semester or so, depending on how many hours he takes. Which is a heck of a lot better than $12K / year.

Also, look into the OU Regents' Scholarships. They are also full rides (it's what they offer to National Merit people, but you don't HAVE to be National Merit to get one.)

This. Though back when I was in school, National Merit finalists usually got money back at the end of the semester.

The University of Alabama will also offer a full ride to National Merit finalists, btw. Florida used to, and still offers a pretty substantial package. That's what she said.

But yeah, being a National Merit Finalist is a sweet deal. Test scores in general are a HUGE deal in getting scholarships. My undergrad GPA is nothing to write home about, but my LSAT score got me into and scholarship offers from several Tier 1 and T-14 law schools.

Edit for clarity: got me into two T-14 schools and scholarship offers at several Tier 1 schools.

[badger]

btw, even though I linked it, the FAFSA site still can be a little full of themselves, can't they?


Some parents feel that they can't afford to pay for college or are up to their eyebrows in debt. They don't realize that paying for your children's college education entails sacrifice. The parents will have to forgo buying a new or second car, clothing or big-screen TV, going on the annual vacation to Aruba, eating out every night, and a few other luxuries to help pay for their children's education. It won't be easy, but most families can afford college if they really try.

It's the equivalent of the great-grandfather telling us dumb kids to get a summer job for a few months to pay for college like he did back in the 20s... no, not anyone here, but we've all heard it before for the last 50 years.

:( I wish that this academic arms race between public institutions would stop.

[Frozen Sooner]

The world needs ditchdiggers too, Badger.

[StoopTroup]

The world needs ditchdiggers too, Badger.

Not in Arizona they don't.

[Okla-homey]

I second the motion you encourage Junior to enlist. A couple years in service equals a lot of growing-up, and absolutely free college, making him debt-free after graduation.

Plus, when he's ready to buy a house, he'll be entitled to a no-money down, no out-of-pocket home loan for up to $425K here in Oklahoma.

Most importantly, it will make him a man and the rest of his life he will have the peace that comes from knowing he served his country in the noblest way possible.

[GottaHavePride]

This. Though back when I was in school, National Merit finalists usually got money back at the end of the semester.

I got a check back too, but rent, bills, and food add up. ;)

[Frozen Sooner]

Yeah. When I was in school, it was enough to cover everything if I didn't live like a jackass. It was enough to cover room and board, for sure.

[tulsaoilerfan]

Well conner has discussed the JUCO route, so that's an option; we've still got 2 more years of school, so alot can change during that time frame; he took the ACT this past spring for the first time and made a 23 on it, but the surprising thing was that math was his lowest score and he's fantastic at it, but he hasn't had trig yet and he said there was alot of that **** on there

Thanks for all the input so far folks

[Ike]

Well conner has discussed the JUCO route, so that's an option; we've still got 2 more years of school, so alot can change during that time frame; he took the ACT this past spring for the first time and made a 23 on it, but the surprising thing was that math was his lowest score and he's fantastic at it, but he hasn't had trig yet and he said there was alot of that **** on there

Thanks for all the input so far folks

The great thing about that then is that if he's good at math, he can probably teach himself trig in a few weekends if he wants to.

[TUSooner]

If you won't go the military route - which I also highly recommend - be prepared to bust your hump scratching for all those little scollies that add up. There's no substitute for applying for all that stuff, even though it can be a hassle. My girls did not do that because they (we) relied on their excellent records in HS. But I learned that there's a surplus of smart white kids (especially girls) so school admission committees want something different or more or whatever. Good luck!

[SanJoaquinSooner]

You haven't said much about your son.

Does he have his heart set on going to OU? Is he a good student in academically oriented classes?

If the answer is yes to both questions, I'd do whatever it takes for him to go to OU.

I also have a son who will be a junior. I'll do whatever to takes to send him where he wants to go within state.... private or out-of-state if its a high quality program.

Community colleges serve certain students well, but if he's academically ready for a university and wants to live on campus, I think it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience not to be missed.

[Leroy Lizard]

You haven't said much about your son.

Does he have his heart set on going to OU? Is he a good student in academically oriented classes?

If the answer is yes to both questions, I'd do whatever it takes for him to go to OU.

I also have a son who will be a junior. I'll do whatever to takes to send him where he wants to go within state.... private or out-of-state if its a high quality program.

Community colleges serve certain students well, but if he's academically ready for a university and wants to live on campus, I think it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience not to be missed.

No one is suggesting that he skip attending OU to attend a J.C. Instead, he should consider taking two years of J.C. and then transferring. Overall, it's a smarter move. He'll get better instruction and save a lot of money on tuition. (The instruction at OU is actually pretty good for a four-year university, but not as good as at a J.C.)

When he finishes at OU, no on is going to care that he took his intro to psychology at OCCC.

[StoopTroup]

Remember...it's not the quality of the sheepskin you have....it's what you do with it once you have it. :D

http://img2.timeinc.net/ew/dynamic/imgs/080306/prehistoric-hotties/one-million-year-bc_l.jpg

[SoonerJack]

Oilerfan, you mentioned that you don't have enough Indian blood to qualify.

I don't know how it is with other tribes, but if you're Chickasaw and you can prove it, percentage doesn't matter.

My mother-in-law did the background checking to process all of the paperwork to register my wife and our sons as members of the Chickasaw tribe. At the time I was thinking "this is going to be a huge waste of time, but I'll be happy if they pay for one book." I was operating under the impression that our income or their low percentage of Indian blood would knock us out of the $$.

Needless to say, I was wrong. Very wrong.

It is definitely worth checking into if you can document the link to the tribal registry.

Good luck!

[Okla-homey]

Oilerfan, you mentioned that you don't have enough Indian blood to qualify.

I don't know how it is with other tribes, but if you're Chickasaw and you can prove it, percentage doesn't matter.

My mother-in-law did the background checking to process all of the paperwork to register my wife and our sons as members of the Chickasaw tribe. At the time I was thinking "this is going to be a huge waste of time, but I'll be happy if they pay for one book." I was operating under the impression that our income or their low percentage of Indian blood would knock us out of the $$.

Needless to say, I was wrong. Very wrong.

It is definitely worth checking into if you can document the link to the tribal registry.

Good luck!

Ditto the MCN. Blood-quantam does not have any bearing on the award of pretty substantial tuition assistance. I know a gal, 1/64 Creek, who is attending med school for free.

[sooner_born_1960]

Apply for ROTC scholarships.

[Collier11]

I think you have to be on the roll though

[Leroy Lizard]

http://www.chickasaweducationservices.com/index_90.htm

But note...


No student shall be considered for funding who does not have a Chickasaw Nation citizenship card or citizenship confirmation

[SanJoaquinSooner]

I know a gal, 1/64 Creek, who is attending med school for free.

Nothing like having an anchor ancestor!

[Leroy Lizard]

Good point.

I would add that if enough students start applying for Chickasaw schollies, the Chickasaw Nation would change eligibility requirements in a hurry.

Our government is not nearly as smart.

[tulsaoilerfan]

You haven't said much about your son.

Does he have his heart set on going to OU? Is he a good student in academically oriented classes?

If the answer is yes to both questions, I'd do whatever it takes for him to go to OU.

I also have a son who will be a junior. I'll do whatever to takes to send him where he wants to go within state.... private or out-of-state if its a high quality program.

Community colleges serve certain students well, but if he's academically ready for a university and wants to live on campus, I think it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience not to be missed.

He wants to go to OU, and takes all the challenging courses; Honors English both years, 2 years of Algebra, 1 year of Geometry, a year of Biology, and Gifted and Talented for 2 years; as a Junior he will be taking Trig, Zoology,Honors English,and Gifted and Talented; i just hope he keeps his head on straight and i think great things can come for him

[olevetonahill]

I Wish him the best bro
sounds like ya raising a good one.;)

[Leroy Lizard]

He wants to go to OU, and takes all the challenging courses; Honors English both years, 2 years of Algebra, 1 year of Geometry, a year of Biology, and Gifted and Talented for 2 years; as a Junior he will be taking Trig, Zoology,Honors English,and Gifted and Talented; i just hope he keeps his head on straight and i think great things can come for him

Tell him that we want him to burn out in his senior year of college or grad school, not in his first year of college.

It isn't a race. Two years of JC getting general ed out of the way, along with taking some cool courses for the fun of it, is what I suggest. That will give him time to assess what he wants to do for a major.

[tulsaoilerfan]

Tell him that we want him to burn out in his senior year of college or grad school, not in his first year of college.

It isn't a race. Two years of JC getting general ed out of the way, along with taking some cool courses for the fun of it, is what I suggest. That will give him time to assess what he wants to do for a major.

I don't push him to take any of that stuff; he was in regular English at the beginning of his soph year and got out after 2 days cause it was too boring; i also asked him why Zoology and he said "i'm gonna need it if i go into sports medicine." Kid's got alot more gumption than i ever had in high school :D

[Leroy Lizard]

I don't push him to take any of that stuff; he was in regular English at the beginning of his soph year and got out after 2 days cause it was too boring; i also asked him why Zoology and he said "i'm gonna need it if i go into sports medicine." Kid's got alot more gumption than i ever had in high school :D

I was completely lazy in high school and did horribly.

He already has the work ethic and study skills. But I have seen kids burn themselves out. They often drop out of school for a year... and then never go back. He needs to take his time, imo.

[SanJoaquinSooner]

No one is suggesting that he skip attending OU to attend a J.C. Instead, he should consider taking two years of J.C. and then transferring. Overall, it's a smarter move. He'll get better instruction and save a lot of money on tuition. (The instruction at OU is actually pretty good for a four-year university, but not as good as at a J.C.)

When he finishes at OU, no on is going to care that he took his intro to psychology at OCCC.


Leroy, it's not so much about the OU name on the diploma or on the resume - but more about the journey to get it.

Living at home in Henryetta and commuting to Tulsa JC isn't that much different from going to high school. Probably a step down actually, if he's taking Honors English and Trig as a junior.

And it's less about getting really good instructors and more about becoming a really good student.

The live-at-home-go-to-JC makes sense if one is not really academically for a university or if there is no financial path.

Living on campus as a freshman is a great adventure. I'm sure the military service route to academia would be an adventure as well.

[SunnySooner]

Something no one has mentioned--CLEP tests. You can take them for most all of the basics, and you don't have to score all that high to pass. They are a lot cheaper than paying for 3 hrs. of tuition, and they're not all that hard. I passed the sociology one, never had a sociology class in my life. The poli sci was basically a test of my senior year US government class, etc.

I ended up testing out of 15 credit hours, that's a full semester. I was on the National Merit ride as well, but for someone who isn't, that's a full semester that you don't have to pay rent, buy food, buy books or supplies, etc. It ends up being a big savings, and even if you take the test and fail it, you're only out the test fee, which used to be around $100, not bad.

Good luck, I'll be in your shoes in a few years, we're pushing the Naval Academy at this point--that might be an option for you as well. All of the service academies are free and offer an excellent education. I think the payback commitment is 4 years of active duty, then several years of inactive reserve, where you don't do anything but you might be called up if needed.

[Leroy Lizard]

Living on campus as a freshman is a great adventure. I'm sure the military service route to academia would be an adventure as well.

Sure if he doesn't get killed. That has a tendency to put a damper on graduation plans.

Now most of the pro-military types in here (of which I am one) will probably object. But I am sick and tired of hearing about those that enroll in the service without a clue that doing so has its dangers. "I didn't think I would have to kill someone!" It's the military. It's your job.

[Leroy Lizard]

Good luck, I'll be in your shoes in a few years, we're pushing the Naval Academy at this point--that might be an option for you as well. All of the service academies are free and offer an excellent education. I think the payback commitment is 4 years of active duty, then several years of inactive reserve, where you don't do anything but you might be called up if needed.

Getting into the Naval Academy is harder than getting into Harvard. You really need to map out a plan for applying very early on. Tons of community service certainly doesn't hurt. And you will need to start lining up letters of recommendation. (I think you need one from a U.S. Senator, IIRC.)

[Okla-homey]

Sure if he doesn't get killed. That has a tendency to put a damper on graduation plans.

Now most of the pro-military types in here (of which I am one) will probably object. But I am sick and tired of hearing about those that enroll in the service without a clue that doing so has its dangers. "I didn't think I would have to kill someone!" It's the military. It's your job.

That's one of the reasons new enlistees grow up so much so quickly. It's a serious business that does not suffer fools or foolishness lightly. But the lessons learned are invaluable, and I submit a 21 year old college freshman, with an enlistment under his or her belt, is light-years more mature and ready to excel in college than an 18 y/o new HS grad. What's more, money to pay for it all is not a problem for the veteran 21 y/o freshman.

And yes, you can get killed. But you can also get killed driving to your civilian job. If you do the math, based on the total number of folks serving in all branches and include the reserve component, the number of people KIA or WIA annually is pretty darn low.

[Leroy Lizard]

That's one of the reasons new enlistees grow up so much so quickly. It's a serious business that does not suffer fools or foolishness lightly. But the lessons learned are invaluable, and I submit a 21 year old college freshman, with an enlistment under his or her belt, is light-years more mature and ready to excel in college than an 18 y/o new HS grad. What's more, money to pay for it all is not a problem for the veteran 21 y/o freshman.

And yes, you can get killed. But you can also get killed driving to your civilian job. If you do the math, based on the total number of folks serving in all branches and include the reserve component, the number of people KIA or WIA annually is pretty darn low.

I hear ya'. But all too often people look at the military as a way for paying for college. That isn't its purpose.

BTW, you can't include the reserve component in your analysis. If he is joining the Marine Corps and will be placed on active duty, then he needs to consider the number of Marines on active duty, healthy versus casualty.

I don't think it's fair to downplay the potential risk of joining the military. After all, they give you dog tags for a reason.

There is another reason I would not advise the military: The kid is ready NOW. After taking two years off and going overseas, who knows? All too often I have seen students take time off and never return to school. Chalk it up to lost momentum, I suppose.

[olevetonahill]

Once again limptard proves he don't know his *** from a hole in ground :pop:

[Okla-homey]

I hear ya'. But all too often people look at the military as a way for paying for college. That isn't its purpose.

BTW, you can't include the reserve component in your analysis. If he is joining the Marine Corps and will be placed on active duty, then he needs to consider the number of Marines on active duty, healthy versus casualty.

I don't think it's fair to downplay the potential risk of joining the military. After all, they give you dog tags for a reason.

There is another reason I would not advise the military: The kid is ready NOW. After taking two years off and going overseas, who knows? All too often I have seen students take time off and never return to school. Chalk it up to lost momentum, I suppose.

Newsflash Skippy. The reserve component deploys now. There is no longer any such thing as a "weekend warrior." Even the Marine Reserve. I bought a round for a group of Marine Reservists from BA just last year who were headed to Iraq. Therefore, it is completely appropriate, and in fact, necessary to factor the reserve component into per-capita casualty figures.

There is absolutely no down-side to a young man or woman enlisting out of HS, doing his or her duty a couple of years, then starting college paid for by a grateful nation. In fact, it offers numerous advantages for any healthy kid who can meet the enlistment health standards.

[Leroy Lizard]

Newsflash Skippy. The reserve component deploys now. There is no longer any such thing as a "weekend warrior." Even the Marine Reserve. I bought a round for a group of Marine Reservists from BA just last year who were headed to Iraq. Therefore, it is completely appropriate, and in fact, necessary to factor the reserve component into per-capita casualty figures.

Maybe, if all reservists see the same level of combat. I doubt they do.


There is absolutely no down-side to a young man or woman enlisting out of HS, doing his or her duty a couple of years, then starting college paid for by a grateful nation. In fact, it offers numerous advantages for any healthy kid who can meet the enlistment health standards.

This is just reckless advice. The kid needs to think about all that goes into serving in the military and make a thoughtful decision.

[Tulsa_Fireman]

Yes, he DOES need to think of all that goes into service, but that does NOT make Homey's advice reckless in the least.

[Leroy Lizard]

Yes, he DOES need to think of all that goes into service, but that does NOT make Homey's advice reckless in the least.

When someone says there is no downside, that is reckless. There is always a downside. One needs to identify and think about the downsides, THEN make a decision.

[Okla-homey]

When someone says there is no downside, that is reckless. There is always a downside. One needs to identify and think about the downsides, THEN make a decision.

Repeating. There is no downside. There is a remote* possibility of injury or death inherent in military service. Who in the world, over the age of five, doesn't understand that? sheesh.

*The casualty figures over the decade since 9/11 average approximately 116 hostile fire deaths per 100,000 serving troops. That's .001 percent. 80 accidental deaths per 100,000 troops, and 20 deaths due to illness per 100,000 troops.

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/RL32492.pdf

The worst year of the war (Iraq/Afghanistan) was 2004. 1,887 total DoD deaths, with 900 of those occurring in Iraq and Afghanistan. Out of 1,474,000 in the regular component and another 1,458,000 in the reserve component.

That's .00064 percent if you count the reserve component. .0012 if you just count the regular component. I say again, a remote possibility of death exists while serving in the US military.

[Leroy Lizard]

Repeating. There is no downside. There is a remote* possibility of injury or death inherent in military service.

Homey, you're not advising; you're recruiting. Recruiters only tell you the positives.

I already listed some downsides to joining the military, and the fact that the kid is excited about attending college NOW is a huge one.

Read below: The kid doesn't even want to attend a JC for two years because he wants the full university experience and soon. He isn't going to get that in the military.

[delhalew]

Doesn't ROTC allow you to attend school first and then enter the military as an officer?

[Leroy Lizard]

Doesn't ROTC allow you to attend school first and then enter the military as an officer?

That's an affirmative. ROTC would be a better option, but you still have to serve once you're finished. Does OU have such a program?

EDIT: They do. http://www.ou.edu/rotc/army/

[Okla-homey]

The kid doesn't even want to attend a JC for two years because he wants the full university experience and soon. He isn't going to get that in the military.

I get it. And I did not intend to hijack the thread. But, IMHO, based on having experienced both, the "full university experience" pales in comparison to the "full military experience" in terms personal growth and learning early in life you can endure and overcome challenges you might otherwise have thought were insurmountable.

Fortunately, an American kid can experience and reap the benefits of both, close together in time. I just want this young man, and his father, to be aware it is possible to earn a bachelors degree while a full-time student, living on campus or in an apartment, at the public or private univeristy of his choice, without giving a second thought of how to pay for it all and with no student loan debt on the backside.

[delhalew]

In retrospect, ROTC would have done me a world of good. I'm not sure I would want to deviate from the path I took, but it would have resulted in a more focused and more financially stable existence. I would have had to go without my college dropout rockstar lifestyle...who knows.
A more focused path would have certainly made my parents more at ease.

[Leroy Lizard]

In retrospect, ROTC would have done me a world of good. I'm not sure I would want to deviate from the path I took, but it would have resulted in a more focused and more financially stable existence. I would have had to go without my college dropout rockstar lifestyle...who knows.
A more focused path would have certainly made my parents more at ease.

Obviously, it is a good option to consider.

[TopDawg]

Back to the point of the thread...

OU's Housing and Food Services department offers a great program for students who live in the residence halls and don't mind working in food services.


The Room and Board Work Program is a separate employment opportunity for students who live in the Residence Halls or OU Traditions Square. Preference for this program is given to students who qualify for Federal Work Study.

Students on the Room and Board Work Program generally work about 18 hours each week to pay for their room and board.

I haven't done the math, but I imagine it's a good deal for the students.

[badger]

Back to the point of the thread...

OU's Housing and Food Services department offers a great program for students who live in the residence halls and don't mind working in food services.



I haven't done the math, but I imagine it's a good deal for the students.

NP did this for awhile I think - since he's stuck in Texas still I'll share his little tale and he can correct it later.

Basically, the worst possible assignment to receive is this big ol' frying pan that foreign students like to use to really, really boil their veggies.

NP said the student would get done and the veggies and pan would be incredibly black and they'd look at NP with a big smile, commenting on how delicious it looked, while NP is trying to be nice and smiling back, thinking about how many hours he would have to scrub that pan till it was clean after all of that crazy burnt charcoaled-on vegginess was gone :D

If food work sucks, anyone on here have any good RA stories? I think that covers your dorm room, your meals and a monthly stipend. Alas, it also means you may have to wake up at 3 a.m. some morning before an exam because someone called to complain about an imprompty beerfest on the 10th floor of Walker Tower :)

[TopDawg]

fadada1 and I were RAs together one year. I thought it was a great job. Not without it's obvious downsides, but considering you get FRAB (free room and board) and a modest stipend, not a bad gig.