How to talk to the Vocational Rehabilitation People to Pay for my Tuiton

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sheila022

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Hey my AD peeps <3

PFH and Jiro were talking to me about getting my local Vocational Rehabilitation as a way to pay for my college tuition...preferably for MIT.

They said they will be tough on me, and make it harder to get them to pay for MIT....

PFH had said about that if there is something MIT offers that the other schools in MA/CT doesn't offer, then it is likely that VR will pay for my tuition....but the thing is...you know MIT is a smaller school and bit more specialized than other local schools in my areas such as University of Connecticut....But I love MIT a lot....I really can't imagine myself at anywhere else.

I know I'm sure that other people here on AD, such as matajan had their VR to pay for their college education out of state...but they are deaf-dominant schools such as RIT and Galludet. Am I right?

But despite this odds, I am still willing to take the time and fight for MIT, if it will result in them paying up for MIT...so...do you have have any suggestions or anything you want to share in addition to what PFH and Jiro said? Such as "how to talk to the VR people and say the right words". (I still kinda suck in that department...talking to people like that >.<)
 
Well, I guess, if it were me, I'd start off by visiting the Boston VR office website and read up on what's available for you, etc.....
 
Tousi said:
Well, I guess, if it were me, I'd start off visiting the Boston VR office website and read up on what's available for you, etc.....
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I'm actually in Connecticut right now, and I live in New London area. The nearest VR office is in New London.
 
You mentioned out-of-state. What state do you actually reside in?

I live in MN and I went to RIT. I didn't have any problems with getting VR support for there.

If you are out-of-state and envision running into problems with VR support, is considering changing your state of residence an option for you?
 
sheila022 said:
I'm actually in Connecticut right now, and I live in New London area. The nearest VR office is in New London.
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Ooops, then peruse the New London VR website. I don't know how much time you have but if there's a better chance with the Mass. VR, then you most probably will have to meet their residency requirements.
 
AlleyCat said:
You mentioned out-of-state. What state do you actually reside in?

I live in MN and I went to RIT. I didn't have any problems with getting VR support for there.

If you are out-of-state and envision running into problems with VR support, is considering changing your state of residence an option for you?
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I actually live in Connecticut, but you know that I go to school in MA.

Well, the thing is, RIT is a school dominantly for the deaf, and likely to be on the list of "approved schools to fund for"...but I don't think anyone deaf in my area went to MIT in decades. VR might be more willing to pay for schools like RIT and Galludet, but not for expensive out of state private schools (maybe regardless of its caliber).

I don't know if changing residency will help or not, especially if MA VR will pay for my tuition?
 
Tousi said:
Ooops, then peruse the New London VR website. I don't know how much time you have but if there's a better chance with the Mass. VR, then you most probably will have to meet their residency requirements.
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Been looking at it carefully..but New London doesn't seem to say much...I'll look into Boston VR.
 
sheila022 said:
Been looking at it carefully..but New London doesn't seem to say much...I'll look into Boston VR.
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I wonder if you could establish email communiques with a VR case worker who is familiar with deafness....in the New London office? This way you could glean information and if it pans out to be a good possibility that they'd help, then have someone drive you to an appointment there?
 
They have specific criteria that has to be met in order for them to do tuition assistance, and the schools to which they will reimburse is also limited to a few schools. Basically, you will need to show them that schooling is necessary for you to maintain employment and become gainfully employed. The criteria are not set by the local VR offices, but are federal standards.
 
Tousi said:
I wonder if you could establish email communiques with a VR case worker who is familiar with deafness....in the New London office? This way you could glean information and if it pans out to be a good possibility that they'd help, then have someone drive you to an appointment there?
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They should have a counselor that handles the deaf clients. They are willing to use email for contact in my experience.
 
jillio said:
They have specific criteria that has to be met in order for them to do tuition assistance, and the schools to which they will reimburse is also limited to a few schools. Basically, you will need to show them that schooling is necessary for you to maintain employment and become gainfully employed. The criteria are not set by the local VR offices, but are federal standards.
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So, the rules are the same across USA, no matter what states? Is there any online version listing out those rules that I can look at?
 
can't I say that if I get rich in the future, I"ll donate $$$ to CT VR for helping me out now? xD xD xD
 
My VRS never paid for my tutions but they did pay for tty and alarm clock for me, as well as gas money to to and from college. You need to apply for grant. That's how I got my college paid for .

But on the other hand, I heard AGbell offer scholarships somewhere unless I'm very mistaken. you seem like a good candidate for it.
 
deafgal001 said:
My VRS never paid for my tutions but they did pay for tty and alarm clock for me, as well as gas money to to and from college. You need to apply for grant. That's how I got my college paid for .

But on the other hand, I heard AGbell offer scholarships somewhere unless I'm very mistaken. you seem like a good candidate for it.
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So you went to that website and found grants to pay for your college, right? I'll poke around the website and let you guys know what I find.

Well, I did win the AGBell scholarship last year for my freshman year. I won the $10,000 scholarship, and I can't apply for it now, but I will next year...

I think they gave me the $$$$ last year because in their letter to me, they said they were specifically impressed that I did some audiology research with a MIT professor the summer before at this teaching hospital and co-authored a research poster with him. My other deaf MIT friend got lesser amount of $$$ from AGBell, so I doubt I'll get that lucky again.
 
no, My community college had a financial aid dept. That's where I applied for financial grants. My older deaf sister, and my younger hearing sister did the same thing. But I think it only pay for 2 years, but I am not sure. you have to ask.
 
$$ support

i always thought vr support was also dependent on your parents income? most grants and financial assistant are dependent on the parents income.
 
DDU said:
i always thought vr support was also dependent on your parents income? most grants and financial assistant are dependent on the parents income.
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Then that makes the problem worse =/ Can you please confirm this info?
 
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