Financial Assistance

[Catch22Kid]

Hello everyone,
I'm a 21 year old male living in the Canton, Oh area. I just moved out here about 8 months ago. I'm looking to get my EMT-B certification. I was taking a course back in my home town about 3 years ago, but ended up not being able to make the payments for it and had to drop out. I still want to get certified but I'm in the same position. I just can't afford it on my current pay. I'm wondering if there is any sort of financial assistance available to me, whether that be loans, grants, or a payment plan of sorts to help get me where I want to go. I loved the class when I was taking it and it's a path I would really like to pursue in life, but having bills to pay and working for peanuts at wal-mart it's just not affordable right now.

Thank all of you for any help or advice you may be able to offer me.

 

[IRIDEZX6R]

Take it at a community college. Mine was paid for by financial assistance, I just had to buy books and uniforms.

 

[Catch22Kid]

Cool, thanks. Were you able to get assistance for just the EMT-B or did they make you go all the way through paramedic or a degree in EMS?

 

[dstevens58]

Check out some of your volunteer departments. Some departments will pay for your school, in exchange for your volunteer services (mine did).

 

[SARcastic1]

hi iride is correct, look into your local j/c do a bog waiver (if they have that in your state) and than a fasfa which is up to 5k... a fed stafford loan a might be a good way as well but requires parental income info because your under 24! id do these loan papers in December for the spring 2012 semester cause it takes forever to due everything n get ur pay out! just go to the financial
aid office they can set you up! good luck

 

[Flightorbust]

Do FASFA. A trick I was told is that you declare that your going after your associates and then change your mind after the class.

 

[SARcastic1]

umm never heard that but makes perfect sence!!! they are not gonna go through all the b/s for you to take just one class! but if ya got the funding y not take more then just emt-b? go for emt-a or paramedic! or start towards a cert program and then an a/a or a/s? lots of cert programs can be done in 2-3 semesters while working! your only 21 dont put all your eggs in one bastket! like emt it great but then decide in ten+ years you want some thing else or advance! if any thing alittle at a time but u get there! just my two cents ive been there!

 

[Catch22Kid]

Thanks, everyone. You guys are really helpful around here. Far moreso than most forums like this. But then I guess a forum for people working in the field would probably be a bit different than your average internet affair.

How long does it usually take for EMT-B? I've seen 2-day-a-week courses and one-day-a-week courses in a couple different places and I'm just wondering how long it took you guys, say from the start of your course till you passed your registry. I'm really excited about getting back into classes if i can.

 

[Catch22Kid]

umm never heard that but makes perfect sence!!! they are not gonna go through all the b/s for you to take just one class! but if ya got the funding y not take more then just emt-b? go for emt-a or paramedic! or start towards a cert program and then an a/a or a/s? lots of cert programs can be done in 2-3 semesters while working! your only 21 dont put all your eggs in one bastket! like emt it great but then decide in ten+ years you want some thing else or advance! if any thing alittle at a time but u get there! just my two cents ive been there!

You do have a point here. While I'm excited to get back into it, I don't want to be tied down to getting a full education in it if it turns out not to be my gig. I'd like to hopefully get as far as paramedic, but maybe not right off. A lot of it too is, EMS is kind of a backup plan for me. I'd like to get certified and work in the field while i pursue an education in audio recording, somewhat of a lifelong passion of mine. And if that doesn't work out, then I'm still a certified paramedic, with a good job that (hopefully) is satisfying and fulfulling. And there's a very high chance that just might be the case.

In any pretense though, It's still a job I think I would enjoy, a job I think I could excel at, and an area that I'm very fascinated by and interested in. Not to mention useful skills off the job as well.

 

[bstone]

Community College. Apply for FASFA and the Pell Grant will probably cover the entire thing. Befor you take it, tho, take a course in Human Biology and maybe an Anatomy and Physiology class.