Hello and hope this finds you well .
I am starting school at a local Community College in August. I had heard about Pell grants in the past and was under the impression that the process was lengthy and that few qualified. Boy was I misinformed. I called the CC and spoke with the financial aid dept who referred me to the Nafsa website. I applied for the grant on a friday and was processed by monday morning. Which meant that the school I had listed could review my request for a grant from that point. I contacted the CC again and was told to come and fill out a few more forms. I really had no idea that when I showed up to pick up the forms, that it would take me like 2 minutes to fill them out. I had to provide id and tax returns. That was it, I was shocked when the financial aid worker told me RIGHT THEN AND THERE that I qualified for an amount over and above the tuition amt (2500.00 total) and that I was free to register. I had been told initially by the CC that the process could take about 2 weeks, but 3 days? I was amazed. So I got all signed up. I am not sure if you know about the Pell, but for one thing it does not have to be repayed, ever. And you don't have to be unemployed or on state aid to qualify. It is federally funded so I think the rules are the same regardless of the state you live in, not 100% sure though. All I can say is that it is really worth looking into. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was. Tell you what, I have been paying taxes for a long time, and I have never applied for any manner of assistance. Further, from all that I have seen friends go thru, the gray area of the population seem not to have access to assistance as easily as some others do. Government programs are just not usually as accessible as this was. I hope this info is helpful. I know I am glad I looked into it. Good luck!
Cari

Is this the right place for this type of post?
Ty, Cari

Howdy all! Just to let everyone know, I too got a Pell Grant to go through a local CC Trucking school. It was also processed in only a few days. People looking for aid for driving school should check into it.

See ya on the road....

I don't get it. How are you guy's getting the grant's? I've applied for loan's, grant's etc and everything has been denied. Now the laon's I can understand because I don't have enough credit but is there something I'm missing about the pell grant that is preventing me from getting one for school? Without that there's no way I can go to school and it's really what I want to do. I'm just tired of the "Dear Charles, We're sorry to inform you that you have DENIED a loan/grant."

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"I'm not a truck driver. I'm a non refrigerated load relocation engineer".

it depends on the length of the class is what i was told. ours is 10 weeks = not eligible, had to get a private loan, but got it through a student loan organization, so i get roughly the same interest rate.

Go to your local job service and ask abot the WIA program. They are pretty easy to get.

WIA is correct. There are two grants you can apply for. One is state money which has obligations, contract. There is a Pell Grant which is federal money. As stated pell has less obligations.

Note that being a displaced worker helps. If the industry you are in has little jobs available, you would be displaced ie:Automotive factory worker ect.. Going through unemployment is the best way to get this done. You can also apply as being under employed, meaning you make less than XXX amount. Not sure what that would be.

I went through the Wia program and I belive that I was classified as under employed I have been delivering papers and they approved me quick.
I belive that the Wia money comes from the federal goverment too atleast that is what they told us.

I was approved up to 5k for school it only cost $ 4260.00 that included the school, permit, physical, drug screen, license it was a free CDL for me I only paid for my own gas to and from Denver CO about 80 miles round trip for 5 weeks.

Here in NJ there is a state grant and a pell grant. When I was laid off and wanted a CDL, there was no state money left, so my WIA Officer applied for a pell. I was listed as displaced. If anyone is interested in grants just contact your local state WIA/Job Workshops/Unemployment.

If you are employed and making above minimum wage, chances are it will be hard to get. It also depends on Children, married ect.

First time in 42 years I collected unemployment or anything from the state. I figured having a CDL would keep it that way, never seeing the inside of the unemployment office again.

Then again, everything here in NJ is a few clicks off the rest of the country ha ha!

Well, I average about $120.00 a week total and that's all I have to live on. I work in the lawn service and that pay is on a good week. Other time's it's much less. Slaving under the sun all day in extreme heat conditions. I'm ready for some freedom. I've been around trucks all my life and I never get tired of it and it's what I've alway's wanted to do. Ever sense I turned 21 I've been applying for boo koo's of loans and grants and everything denied. Here I am still trying everything under the sun to get funding for school. Diesel Driving Acadamy has two class'. One is a 20 week class and the other is a 4 week class. I don't need a 20 week class because I know so much already I could almost tear a truck completely apart and put it back together with my eye's closed. Rules, reg's. Do's/dont's. I already know all of it because I've spent 7 year's on the road and took it all in and learned everything on my own. The 20 week class is $3,500 I believe and the 4 week is $4,900 not including getting to and from school and lunch. I applied with another school and they wanted $6,??? something because I had to stay in a hotel in West Memphis, AR. Screw that. So I'm hoping what you guy's are telling me will work out for me because it's the last option I have. Other wise it's back to the same old back breaking labor. Thanks for the info guy's. I'll give an updaye when I find something out. Stay safe out there!

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"I'm not a truck driver. I'm a non refrigerated load relocation engineer".