((((kellydamnit))))

Wait, your school is blocking you from getting federal loans based on grades? Is this some kind of internal policy?

Generally, for graduate programs, the school just certifies how much you can borrow (of say, subsidized and unsubsidized Staffords and Perkins), and they don't have to put up any of their own money.

Sorry, kellydamnit. This sounds very frustrating.

Can you stay at the accepted school and take it slow? Take one or two classes a semester and pay by cash, or is this not an option?

Words fail me.

Seconding Nucleo. I'm going through this right now for business school. We're talking about a state school, right? Did you fill out the FAFSA?

I can't imagine why you wouldn't be able to access unsubsidized Stafford loans through FFELP program. Those loans don't require a credit check or co-signer since banks rely on the government guarantee.

Here's a website with some good info.

Feel free to email me if you want to hear the steps I've gone through to secure the loans I need.

I'm so sorry.

I'm sorry that you're going through this. It's such an unfair kick to the gut and the confidence.

I'm in basically the same situation, though employed, and staying in the job primarily because they give just enough tuition assistance to enable me to take a few community college courses a year without having to pay out of pocket (which I couldn't afford to do). I have almost memorized my main university's graduation requirements and the established transfer guide that it provides for people coming from the community college, and plan to take as many classes as I can at the latter, not only to heal my GPA the remaining .2 points it needs in order to qualify me for the money I was getting before, but also so that I won't have to pay even state school prices for core classes. Now that I've gone this far without student loans, I'm incredibly averse to taking any on, except maybe to finish the last two semesters of my Anthropology/Archaeology/History of Art and Architecture degree.

If I were you, I really would go in and talk with someone in the admissions office, explain the situation, and ask for help setting up a schedule of classes somewhere else (whether the smaller schools you mention, or a community college) that'll get you to the required GPA with the least amount of time and pain. You may even be able to retake classes elsewhere that you originally dropped out of at your former school- I've done this with two classes so far, successfully, and that's obviously the fastest GPA boost since the I or F is cancelled. If you don't have any more core requirements to take, see if you can take a load of eligible electives- I think New York is pretty good about accepting credits (considered moving there once to take advantage of one of their articulation agreements, actually).

Ohhhh, that suckkkssssss. Sorry to hear it.

Crap! I have no useful advice for you, but I do wish you much luck in making it work.

What notquitemaryann said about retaking the classes you screwed up. It doesn't help you immediately but it is a way to "erase" them from your GPA.

That sucks, kellydamnit. At some universities one can obtain a retroactive withdrawal. You might look into that.

*hugs* ....and the double finger to bureaucracy.

Wait, your school is blocking you from getting federal loans based on grades? Is this some kind of internal policy?

Yes, exactly. They refuse to authorize the paperwork to let me get stafford loans (or pell grants, which I would also be qualified for), due to my GPA when I dropped out seven years ago. It's .14 too low. (yes, that would be zero point one four)

Unfortunately going to community isn't an option for me unless I just take classes that won't count towards a degree, for the sake of easy As. I only need my junior/senior classes at this point, and my foreign language requirement is done.

One good thing is that my boyfriend's mom, who loves me, works at one of the better private collages around here. She's been there for years and knows just about everyone in every office, so she's going to make some calls tomorrow and see if she can get a contact for me. They have special grants for people who are returning to college after an absence, so long as you finished high school ten years ago or more.

kellydamnit: I had a similar situation years ago when I went back to school. I had dropped out due to a personal crisis and didn't withdraw. I was accepted back after many years, got good grades the first semester but had the old incompletes kill my gpa. The Dean of the school called me in and advised me to go to the counseling office and explain what happened and see if they thought it warranted the counseling office's intervention. I sucked it up and went to the person, told them what happened, and they managed to get the incompletes changed to withdraws.

Don't know if this will help you, but see if you have a compelling reason for them to work it out for you. This is what grouse is mentioning above.

You'd think that if they re-admitted you, that'd be grounds to overturn the academic disqualification. I hope you can convince them to see things your way. Good luck.

Time to go to a better school. Not being snarky. Give your money to a school that is being disrespectful over a 0.14 GPA issue from 7 years ago? Different school, better school, other school.

nth-ing everyone above. Few things in academia are set in stone. See if you can find a dean, provost, or someone else with the power to make things move, and prevail upon them to help you get financial aid, whether that means overriding the usual policy, fiddling with old incompletes, or something else entirely.

That sucks so hard. I wish I knew how to help. :(

I don't have any advice, except to say I feel you. Don't give up the faith.