Ian is 19 years old and is in his senior year of high school. He is an individual who is seen as having overcome so much, and he is well-liked by his peers. Academically, he is at the top of his class - in fact, if all goes well, he will be the valedictorian and will be giving a speech at graduation. Ian is known as "Mr. History" around the school - he has not missed a question on any history exam for 2 years, and he recently learned that he scored a '5' on the AP exam for European History and also a '5' for American History.
Leila, for her part, is concerned that she won't be able to afford Ian's college experience. In fact, she knows she can't afford it. She is counting on Ian receiving financial aid, and she is likely able to help out with expenses for books and materials. She spends her time caring for Tyler who still lives at home. If financial aid doesn't come through, than Ian can't go. There is nothing that Leila wants more for her son than to go to college.
Ian has also had a girlfriend for the last few years. Molly is someone who cares deeply for Ian and sees the wonderful person that he is. She worries that if he goes to college, he will go far from her, and she is not sure what will happen. Ian worries as well, and he is torn between his desire to pursue a teaching career and his love for Molly.
* What kind of financial aid is available for Ian? Are there specific scholarships for which he is eligible?
* What post-high school options exist for Ian if a 4-year college is not an option?
* Compare JMU's Office of Disability Services with 4 other similar universities in the U.S. What are the services offered? What are the strengths of JMU as compared to others? What kinds of accommodations is Ian likely to need at college?
DECISION POINT:
Does Ian attend college?
Any amount of money that comes from financial aid services helps significantly in paying for a 4-year college education. A student planning to attend a university full-time can fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. FAFSA ensures that all eligible individuals can benefit from federally funded assistance for education beyond high school. With having one source of income from a single parent and having a physical disability, Ian should not have trouble getting some financial aid. Many scholarships will be offered to Ian and others that he can apply for. For his exceptional grades, Ian will definitely end up getting a scholarship to any school he applies too. Ian will most likely be offered more money from one school then another, which can become a major factor when making his final decision on the school to attend. Ian can apply for any scholarship he is eligible for such as having a family member in the military or being raised by a single parent. Thanks to the famous website of College Board, Ian can go online and type in his personal information to see what scholarships are available to him. Ian can also go to his guidance counselor for a list of scholarships the school is offering. Ian has lots of opportunities to acquire money to put towards his college education.
ReplyDeleteIf a 4-year college is not an option for Ian there are many other options and opportunities for him to succeed in. He could attend a community college for two years and would most likely get a full scholarship because he ranks in the top of his graduating class. Ian could also go on and get some type of internship associated with his interest in history. Internships can lead to jobs with full benefits and he would not have the burden of student loans from a 4-year college. Another option for Ian could be searching for direct employment right after high school graduation. It may or may not be the ideal job he had in mind, but with hard work and dedication Ian can work his way up the ladder and become very successful in the future. Additionally, Ian could take time off and work until he makes enough money to support himself at a 4-year, in-state university. He can then pursue a career as a teacher. As you can see, one has many options other then attending a 4-year college.
ReplyDeleteAfter searching through websites of other universities in Virginia, JMU’s Office of Disability Services is definitely one of the stronger ones. The commonality between JMU, George Mason, UVA, University of Richmond, and Virginia Tech websites on disability services is they all provide a mission statement on the goals each college wishes to accomplish. Additionally, all of these universities provide eligibility requirements, housing accommodations, on-campus accommodations, documentation guidelines, and rights and responsibilities of students. All of the universities seem to provide all the basic information one would need to know about the disability services offered. One big difference that stood out from JMU compared to the other universities was the link that connected to scholarships and internships for students with disabilities. After searching through the other four colleges, we were unable to find anything related to scholarships and students with disabilities on their disability services websites. Another strength of JMU’s Office of Disability Services, it provides specific instructions on how to request specific accommodations. JMU also provides transportation for those with disabilities, which makes it easier for a student to get around campus and make it to class on time. Not one person with a disability is the same and it is a major advantage to be able to contact the school to assist with accommodations that are specific to you, such as transportation to and from class or distracted reduce environments when taking an exam. At college Ian will most likely need an extension of time getting to class, transportation accommodations, and specific housing assistance. It would be to Ian’s advantage if his housing arrangements were near his class buildings and if his room is situated on the first floor so he does not have to travel up stairs to get to his room. Before deciding what college to attend, Ian should thoroughly look over the accommodations and mission statements of the disability services offered at that particular school.
ReplyDeleteResources:
ReplyDeletehttp://ods.gmu.edu/
http://www.wise.virginia.edu/dss/services
http://studentdevelopment.richmond.edu/disability-services/faculty-guide/accommodations.html
http://www.ssd.vt.edu/students.htm
http://www.jmu.edu/ods/Scholarships.shtml
http://www.hsd401.org/studentfamily/career/options.htm
http://federalstudentaid.ed.gov/about/index.html
http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/
Questions from Group 3:
ReplyDelete1. Are there any fund-raising opportunities that Ian could do, especially since he has a disability?
2. Will Molly and Ian stay together if he goes to college?
3. What are the pros and cons of a long-distance relationship?
4. What is the most money Ian could make without a college degree and in a wheelchair? Will he ever be able to support a family?
Group 7 Questions-
ReplyDelete1. Which college has the best service to students with disabilities?
2. Is Ian willing to stay close to home, or even commute, to pursue his degree and keep his relationship?
3. What is the process of taking out student or family loans to help aid his funding?