loonybean

I think Perkins loans are offered to those considered low-income. Not sure the exact requirements, it's probably worth checking with the financial aid office. That ASHA article has some great info, thanks for posting!

You can receive loan forgiveness if you work in a non-profit or gov't entity for 10 years (most schools and hospitals) and stay current with your payments. After 10 years the balance is forgiven. It is worth signing up for income-based repayment if you plan to do this, which caps your payments at 10% of your income. Depending on the cost of the school, this could save you a lot. I don't think SLPs qualify for federal loan forgiveness programs for teachers, but some states have programs that SLPs do qualify for. Here is the link to the 10 year public service loan forgiveness plan. https://studentaid.ed.gov/repay-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service

I think it's worth noting if you take out the federal PLUS loans, you can pay back based on income, with a max of 10% of your income due per month. Additionally, if you work in non-profit or public sector (hello most schools and hospitals!) for 10 continuous years and pay your bill on time every month, the balance of your loan is forgiven after the 10 years is up. Of course there are a lot of 'ifs' in that, but theoretically the 25k school and the 70k school could cost the same in the end... It's probably not worth banking on, but it is worth considering.

It is unusual, and I don't think they're allowed to do that. I heard from a school administrator there was some agreement with ASHA that students get until April 15th or 2 weeks if notified after April 15 to decide. However, I can't find the info online anywhere. I have an email into ASHA and will post it when I find out for sure. I applied to their distance program. Hope to hear back soon.

University of South Carolina and East Carolina University also have online programs. There are a few more, but they start cohorts every 2 years. You can search them on ASHA edfind, go to 'browse' and there's an option for schools that offer distance classes. I don't know how a potential employer would know it was an online degree unless you pointed it out. Good luck! I have to do online as well, since I have family obligations that keep me in a rural area far away (5 hours!) from the nearest physical program. You still have to do clinicals, and you have to find them yourself in your area. I think that can be a plus because then you get to work with people who may hire you, as opposed to a university clinic where there's little chance of a job after graduation.

I don't know of any equivalent classes, but Idaho State offers two online clinical skills classes (one for adults and one for children). If you're not applying until next year you may be able to take it through them.

Do you guys think employers take school into account when offering jobs? It seems like the ability to get hired where you want when you graduate should be the main deciding factor. I had one of the Portland (OR) public schools administrator as an instructor one semester, and she said they just looked to make sure you had your CCC, didn't matter where it was from. Unless you want to pursue research or teach, then it would matter more. But if you just want to go into clinical work when you're done, don't think it matters... Anyway this is my assumption, so if you've heard differently, please share!

I paid to have them do it, and they abbreviated as it was on transcripts. Think that's good. Here are the instructions from CSDCAS on AP "If you received credit for the College Board AP Exam, list these courses under your first term at the institution which awarded you the credit. Your grade is “CR” for “Credit” and the course type is “Advanced Placement.” If no course prefix or number is issued, you may put “N/A” for “Not Applicable.” If you simply received college credits for a course while a high school student and did not take the AP Exam, these courses are dual enrollment, NOT advanced placement, and should be reported as if you were a student at the college." (https://portal.csdcas.org/csdcasHelpPages/instructions-and-faq/academic-history/coursework/index.html)

I'm also new here! A lot of schools ask for 2 letters from professors so they can get a sense of you as a student. I have a similar career track (history too) and asked for a recommendation from one professor from my original undergrad work, 8 years ago. All of my post-bac work was online and none of my more recent instructors had a good sense of my writing ability since I was never assigned essays in those classes. I pointed this out when making the request and I supplied a graded paper (knew my borderline hoarding would be useful someday ) and my transcript from that school in the email request. He said yes and actually got it written before any of my other references. I haven't gotten any acceptance letters yet, so maybe it's not a good call, but I wouldn't be afraid to ask. The worst they could do is say no and you're no worse off. And the basic tools of being a good student are the same no matter what the subject matter. Also, if you get a yes, you'll have multiple perspectives with different strengths highlighted. I would imagine 3 letters from employers would be pretty similar, especially if they were similar jobs.