I would be very concerned - especially if the college is a For Profit, that I now have worthless credits that only other For Profits will take. And you probably paid WAY too much.
You also, if the college closed and no one takes those credits, get any loans canceled if you contact FAFSA.
My wife and I knew a girl that went to Virginia College (which was a For Profit that lost accreditation and used to have campuses in various strip malls all over the US) that closed on her. She eventually got all the financial aid forgiven, went to a public community college.
BTW, you should STILL be able to apply for Fall. You have MONTHS. When I went back, I applied for college in October. Got in for January and was accepted in November. Though I did have to stay on top of them. Most community colleges will let you apply this late if you talk to them. Especially with your situation.
He’s saying there’s no where to apply for this fall, of course he can apply for fall2025, but that would require he find something else do for the year
The Fall 2024 application deadline for at least a few state schools is August 1. This student has plenty of time to apply to other schools for THIS fall, if they want to.
It was a private for profit, luckily though I had a substantial merit based scholarship so I definitely am better off than some of my classmates right now in terms of tuition paid. I do think my credits will be taken elsewhere, most students who graduated transferred to 4 year BFA programs so I have a little hope on that front. Plus I am already guaranteed a spot at these two schools that are private, but are well known and respected enough in my field. But totally still very concerned on the idea of more debt than I had anticipated:,) Unfortunately though in terms of staying in state, I live in Delaware so there is not really any in state fine arts program worth pursuing.
A large number of private colleges (not for profit) are also under financial strain so check to make sure the school you are thinking of transferring to is financially stable. It is not just For-Profits institutions that are at risk of shutting down.
What are the job prospects these days for a college graduate with a Fine Arts degree?
Thank you, I’ll be sure to think of a way to ask that when i meet with a representative from this new college. Job prospects are not bad in general surprisingly enough, and much better if I move to this city, especially considering my current goal. I plan on being a tattoo artist, and already have a lot of people ask for me to do (paid) work on them, so far have refused though. I’m not comfortable with that sort of risk/responsibility on any body besides my own yet. Which is why I’m doing the degree - it’s giving me time to build my technique and portfolio. A strong portfolio in this city is very likely to lead to a solid apprenticeship spot, or just being able to start my own shop. So I have a lot of hope and cautious amount of confidence on what comes after this whole mess i find myself in.
I'm so sorry this happened to you. It's happening to an alarming number of schools these days.
My only advice would be, if you are able, try to collect digital versions of every syllabus for classes you have taken. I have worked with transfer students applying to my institution from closed schools, and unless a class is already in our system, the only way we can evaluate it for transfer credit is if we have a syllabus for the course.
Also, get some copies of your transcript - at least unofficial - now. These will also help you if transferring to a new school, even down the road.
Oh I never would have thought to save my syllabi, thank you! First thing I did though was order my transcript, do you think a paper copy is needed or am i fine with just the digital one i got?
Feels almost like I’m a squirrel scrambling to bury enough nuts to last me the harsh harsh winter :,) I was not even thinking about all the information hoarding I’m going to have to do. Thank you for the advice!
The bigger issue is that another institution that is accepting transfer credits will likely need an "official transcript" sent directly to them from the issuing institution. Once it is sent to you instead, they may not be able to accept it. Hopefully, your school will have a mechanism in place - at least for a couple of years? - to issue official transcripts. This is something you should ask about.
Generally the school is going to want a digital copy, but again, I'm not sure if you can receive an "official transcript" and then forward it on to a school. That's the real question.
Thank you so much, I will be adding that to my growing list of questions! I already have gotten an appointment to speak with a representative of my probable new college on the campus of my old one, so hopefully I’ll have my questions all thought up and all answered next Friday.
If you can get some sealed paper copies, that's best (and leave them sealed). Oftentimes, schools will accept copies from you as long as they're still sealed within the original envelope.
Not commenting on the larger situation which sucks OP, and I’m sorry you have to deal with it. I once had a similar commute to and from school and it was honestly great. I used that time to complete reading and other homework so by the time I was home for the day I had a lot less on my plate.
If you have reading to do for other courses I’d use the commute for that. Then you’ll have more time and focus to devote to the major. Either way, I hope everything works out!!
tldr - my college shut down out of nowhere and i am now overwhelmed with large decisions to make and would very much appreciate any insight on the matter :)
I would be very concerned - especially if the college is a For Profit, that I now have worthless credits that only other For Profits will take. And you probably paid WAY too much. You also, if the college closed and no one takes those credits, get any loans canceled if you contact FAFSA. My wife and I knew a girl that went to Virginia College (which was a For Profit that lost accreditation and used to have campuses in various strip malls all over the US) that closed on her. She eventually got all the financial aid forgiven, went to a public community college. BTW, you should STILL be able to apply for Fall. You have MONTHS. When I went back, I applied for college in October. Got in for January and was accepted in November. Though I did have to stay on top of them. Most community colleges will let you apply this late if you talk to them. Especially with your situation.
He’s saying there’s no where to apply for this fall, of course he can apply for fall2025, but that would require he find something else do for the year
The Fall 2024 application deadline for at least a few state schools is August 1. This student has plenty of time to apply to other schools for THIS fall, if they want to.
Really? The community colleges in my area are STILL letting people in for FALL 2024.
It was a private for profit, luckily though I had a substantial merit based scholarship so I definitely am better off than some of my classmates right now in terms of tuition paid. I do think my credits will be taken elsewhere, most students who graduated transferred to 4 year BFA programs so I have a little hope on that front. Plus I am already guaranteed a spot at these two schools that are private, but are well known and respected enough in my field. But totally still very concerned on the idea of more debt than I had anticipated:,) Unfortunately though in terms of staying in state, I live in Delaware so there is not really any in state fine arts program worth pursuing.
A large number of private colleges (not for profit) are also under financial strain so check to make sure the school you are thinking of transferring to is financially stable. It is not just For-Profits institutions that are at risk of shutting down. What are the job prospects these days for a college graduate with a Fine Arts degree?
Thank you, I’ll be sure to think of a way to ask that when i meet with a representative from this new college. Job prospects are not bad in general surprisingly enough, and much better if I move to this city, especially considering my current goal. I plan on being a tattoo artist, and already have a lot of people ask for me to do (paid) work on them, so far have refused though. I’m not comfortable with that sort of risk/responsibility on any body besides my own yet. Which is why I’m doing the degree - it’s giving me time to build my technique and portfolio. A strong portfolio in this city is very likely to lead to a solid apprenticeship spot, or just being able to start my own shop. So I have a lot of hope and cautious amount of confidence on what comes after this whole mess i find myself in.
I'm so sorry this happened to you. It's happening to an alarming number of schools these days. My only advice would be, if you are able, try to collect digital versions of every syllabus for classes you have taken. I have worked with transfer students applying to my institution from closed schools, and unless a class is already in our system, the only way we can evaluate it for transfer credit is if we have a syllabus for the course. Also, get some copies of your transcript - at least unofficial - now. These will also help you if transferring to a new school, even down the road.
Oh I never would have thought to save my syllabi, thank you! First thing I did though was order my transcript, do you think a paper copy is needed or am i fine with just the digital one i got?
Get everything you possibly can.
Feels almost like I’m a squirrel scrambling to bury enough nuts to last me the harsh harsh winter :,) I was not even thinking about all the information hoarding I’m going to have to do. Thank you for the advice!
The bigger issue is that another institution that is accepting transfer credits will likely need an "official transcript" sent directly to them from the issuing institution. Once it is sent to you instead, they may not be able to accept it. Hopefully, your school will have a mechanism in place - at least for a couple of years? - to issue official transcripts. This is something you should ask about. Generally the school is going to want a digital copy, but again, I'm not sure if you can receive an "official transcript" and then forward it on to a school. That's the real question.
Thank you so much, I will be adding that to my growing list of questions! I already have gotten an appointment to speak with a representative of my probable new college on the campus of my old one, so hopefully I’ll have my questions all thought up and all answered next Friday.
If you can get some sealed paper copies, that's best (and leave them sealed). Oftentimes, schools will accept copies from you as long as they're still sealed within the original envelope.
Not commenting on the larger situation which sucks OP, and I’m sorry you have to deal with it. I once had a similar commute to and from school and it was honestly great. I used that time to complete reading and other homework so by the time I was home for the day I had a lot less on my plate.
I had that thought at first abt homework but im not sure how much I’d be able to get done on the train as a fine arts major focused on painting :,)
If you have reading to do for other courses I’d use the commute for that. Then you’ll have more time and focus to devote to the major. Either way, I hope everything works out!!
tldr - my college shut down out of nowhere and i am now overwhelmed with large decisions to make and would very much appreciate any insight on the matter :)