I joined the Navy in 1981 & got out in 1987. VEAP (veterans educational assistance program) was offered at the time. This was between the old GI bill & the new GI bill.Financially, it was a bad deal for the vet. You paid $2,700.00 into a fund & after you got out of the service & went to college later, you would recieve a total of $8,100.00 total for your college expenses. Full time students would recieve $300.00 per month, part time got $150.00 per month. I went part time & $150.00 per month didn't go very far. I went to college sporadically over the years, but got good grades. I was "volunteered" to be an eyetech (ophthalmic tech) my second year as a corpsman due to the "needs of the Navy". When I got out I became an optician because it was what I knew. I tried to go to college part time & work full time but after struggling with both, I was unable to get a degree, so I have in essence, from ages 19 to 49, 7 colleges I have attended ( three I attended while in the Navy).
In 2006, I had two hip surgeries on the same hip. In 2008 I had another one on the same hip & recently had the fourth. Hopefully this is the last one.
I am currently receiving SSDI after the fourth surgery and I am looking forward to getting back to work. However, I am now a single parent & need to make more money. I am tired of treading water & sinking!! Opticians in Texas don't make much, even experienced ones. To get to my question: How do I go about getting decent financial aid to go back to college & finish what I started?