So.
Months ago I applied to the Canadian College of Massage and Hydrotherapy, and my application has been accepted. It is a 2-year full time program after which you are certified as a registered massage therapist (RMT). Should I find a way to attend, my classes begin on August 31st at 8:30am.
I’ve met a number of the staff and teachers- all great. Took an introductory course at the school during which I met most of my future classmates- loved them. Toured the campus- it’s spacious, new and well equipped. Did well in the introductory course, and unlike other jobs I thought I’d be interested in, I’m actually passionate enough about the intellectual and technical side of things to look forward to going to work/school every day.
Every student graduating this year is graduating with a job. I hear it’s hard work and especially the first few years, but I know the pay is pretty good and I expect to have no trouble tackling any debt I may incur along the way. Being warned that the course involves enough after-hours clinical work and commitments to make keeping even a part-time job almost impossible, I was fully prepared to borrow both my tuition and living expenses.
My application for govn’t student loan was finally processed as of this past Thursday. They assessed me as needing $20K for my first year… And decided to loan me $15K. I called them and asked, “What gives?” Turns out there’s a yearly $15K cap on all student loans across the board, and no matter how much you need, you won’t get more than that.
This would be no issue if I could get approved for a bank student loan to make up the gap. But the bank refuses to approve me for a loan without a co-signer, and my father can’t co-sign because his credit’s in the shitter. I don’t have a mother in the picture nor any friends with good credit.
My tuition and books amount to ~$10K and my rent for a year in a small bachelor apartment would be just over $6K. I live very frugally now on $10K per year via temporary disability and would not be able to get by with less. Because I’m attending a private professional college rather than a community college, I am not eligible to continue collecting disability payments while attending school. I’d gladly switch to community college- except that they don’t offer a massage therapy program, and I’ve scoured their programs for any other job that interests me and found nothing.
I don’t want to just walk away from my dream and go to school for some other job that I’ll have to force myself to do. But I don’t know of any other way to come up with five thousand dollars before school starts. I’m hoping there might be some Dopers with more financial knowledge than I who can tell me of some way to still go to school this fall.