Financial Aid Is Investing on Student’s Life

By Angelina Schoefer

Angelina Schoefer grew up in Iran under the stable government of the Shah, then was forced to endure life through the turmoil of the political and cultural revolution that followed. The Iranian revolution shook the country to its core, bringing the ayatollahs to power. Determined to get an education, she endured the hardship and havoc caused during the revolution. Angelina continued to improve herself. In the face of all the handicaps she managed to become a school principal and a district supervisor responsible for 12 middle schools and high schools, teaching students, teachers, and principals in various school districts. She accomplished all this while a single parent. This story shows the determination of one person overcoming impossible odds.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: May 20, 2021
• ISBN: 9781664175211

Angelina Schoefer

Angelina grew up in Arak, a large city in northwestern Iran. She travelled all over Iran teaching students in various school districts. She was in Iran when the 1975 cultural and political revolution occurred and still managed to obtain her BA in English. Determined to seek safety in the U.S., she endured many hardships getting her family to safety and later joining them. Encountering discrimination in California universities, Angelina finally obtained her Master’s degree in Education Counseling. She resides in California and her hobbies include music, sewing, crafts, knitting, and loves nature.

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Copyright © 2021 by Angelina Schoefer.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 05/20/2021

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Contents

Acknowledgment

Introduction

How Colleges Calculate Financial Aid

1986

Their Stories: The Doctor, An Obgyn Specialist

The Cardiologist Financial Aid Worrier

The Graduate Student

The MRI Technician

The MRI Doctor’s Story

A Different Story

Consider

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

Big thanks to Asad Sadeghi, for taking my author photo for this book.

With great appreciation to my family, for their encouragement and motivation.

I’m forever grateful to Dr. Morton Rumberg for his sincere feedback, guidance, and inspiration for me to write and complete this book.

INTRODUCTION

This is a true story told from the perspective of an immigrant to the United States trying to get an education. Navigating the myriad of conflicting and confusing policies and procedures of various districts, cities, and states, the U.S. government provides a huge obstacle for anyone, let alone a newcomer to our shores.

This story is part memoir and part essay on events the author observed and encountered in the education system and the forces that influenced her. It is not just that getting a college or graduate education in the United States is expensive, but it also presents a daunting challenge. What are the differences and advantages between the various grants and loans, and how do you deal with the massive interest and taxes that come with them? These are the questions the author encountered in her quest to become an education counselor.

The author is forever grateful and would like to thank Dr. Mort Rumberg for his help in writing this story. I am forever grateful to him.

Angelina Schoefer

May 2021

College is the system that connects students to success and opportunities, not a profit organization. College boards should help students prepare for successful transitions to higher learning programs and services. In the United States, millions of students and their parents, when applying for financial aid, find the process confusing. The paperwork and the guidelines are both full of expectations and unbelievable, incomparable terms. Parents are desperate to learn and understand the various financial aid programs and the price of education.

HOW COLLEGES CALCULATE

FINANCIAL AID

Financial aid comes from two sources: government money in the name of loans, and the college’s own institutional money, usually in the form of grants and scholarships. How much aid students should get is called the federal methodology. This is for aid coming from the government. Some colleges will also use it to award their own institutional funds as well. The federal methodology has its own federal financial aid forms. Some colleges and scholarship programs use a different formula called institutional methodology, also with its own financial aid sources. The choice of student’s major course of study will sometimes impact earning potential after graduation, and the different potential income commands different loan cost.

Students will be charged interest on the loan after graduation. The sources students receive financial aid from use different formulas based on the major course of study chosen. With so many different kinds of forms, searching to find a way to obtain an education can be too much. These are the events that encouraged me to tell these stories.

1986

My husband’s work was over in Europe, and we moved to the United States. When we arrived in New Orleans, I was surprised to see the wide highways. They were totally different from Europe. John had a temporary job in New Orleans for seven months then was transferred to Fort Bragg, North Carolina. I applied for and received my own job as a teacher in North Carolina. I started to teach in the public schools and then got a full-time job as a college instructor. I had plans to continue my education to work on my master’s degree in education counseling.

After three years of working in North Carolina, I moved to Sacramento, California. Following my plan to go to back to school, I hoped to continue teaching, but unfortunately, getting a job in California was totally different from other states. I had a difficult time getting hired as a teacher. There were different policies and procedures. My background