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One of the biggest concerns you will have about returning to college as an adult is "How will I pay for this?" Financial aid is available, no matter what your age. Financial aid awarded may be in the form of loans rather than grants, but there is definitely money available if you want to return to school.Your first stop in applying for financial aid is to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) available at http://fafsa.edu.gov. You will need last year's tax return and some information about your family status when you apply. The FAFSA will calculate the amount of tutition and expenses that you will be expected to contribute towards your education based upon your family income and other factors such as family size, number of persons in the family enrolled in college, childcare expenses, etc.
One thing to keep in mind is that financial aid offices will let you appeal the amount awarded because of changes in family income or other circumstances. Make sure that you note any expected decrease in income or additional expenses you might incur. For instance, if last year's tax return shows that you had an income of $50,000, but now you have been laid off from your job, bring this to the financial aid officer's attention. Another situation might be you have had a child in the current tax year that is not listed on last year's return. Any change at all in your family status from last year--let your financial aid officer know so they can pull some strings for you.
Individual colleges may have additional paperwork for you to complete your financial aid application, so make sure and ask about this as well. In addition to filling out the FAFSA, check out scholarships that may be available to you. Colleges will have their own scholarships, and many benevolent organizations have scholarships and bursaries available for deserving students. If you are going into a specialized field such as nursing, employers will pick up the tab for some or all of your tuition expenses in return for a commitment to work for them for a specified period of time. If you leave their employ before your commitment is up, you will have to repay the amount of tuition they contributed towards your degree or credential.
