Scholarship Woes and Suggestions

[Silkspinner]

So, I started college pretty late for a number of reasons. To my dismay, found out yesterday that due to being over 25 I do not qualify for the HOPE scholarship. I was recently accepted to my dream college and was preparing to transfer this Fall. However, suddenly discovered that even though I qualify for almost every scholarship that this college I'm transferring to offers, and getting a job there as a Tutor, it won't work out. I'll still be having to take out maximum federal loans and even after that owing $5,000+ a year, not including schoolbooks, due to no longer having the HOPE as an option.

So, to put it mildly, I'm struggling to find options. Does anyone here, of current or previous college experience, have any scholarship suggestions?

Some background to help narrow down possibilities:
- White American male in Georgia
- Over 26 years old
- Agnostic
- Single, no dependents
- Was homeschooled and got my GED, so no high school grades
- SAT score of 1800 (meh, totally flubbed my math)
- Will have 41 college hours by Fall
- GPA of 3.7
- Outdoor Leadership & English double major (Biology minor)

If you need any more info to narrow down some possibilities let me know. Much appreciated.

[IthilanorStPete]

Have you applied for the Pell grant? That's been my primary source of financial aid throughout college.

[TaiLiu]

I don't understand: you mentioned a lack of high school grades, then listed a Grade Point Average.

[Silkspinner]

Pell is helping me, but it's just a drop in the bucket.



I don't understand: you mentioned a lack of high school grades, then listed a Grade Point Average.
Yes, a college grade point average. I've already been in a local college for 2 years and transferring (see the 41 hours I've already completed in my list there).

[warty goblin]

Your best resource is probably the college's own office of financial aid. The department you're studying in may also have specific scholarships which you can go for, or know of resources specific to your field.

[Tono]

If you have to take a loan, the federal loans are the best. the low intrest (2-4% depending) really is your best option, and some of them have a clause that say if you get a job in your field then they are cut to 75% of the loan instead of the max. Or at least it said that 5 years ago.
Pell grant got me most. that was boss. See if there are any grants your school could get that no one is bothering to apply for(When I went through there were a couple of those. Tended to be tedious, but w/e). Financial aid like the poster above said may be able to help with that.

I knew one guy(Engineering major) who interned at a company and they paid for some of his college on the condition that he work for them for ... I think it was 2 years? when he got out. Not as an intern again, but as a real employee. He was reeeealy lucky though, and the company loved his work.