Are there student loans for continuing education programs?

April 13, 2006 11:26 AM

Are there student loans for continuing education programs?

There is a music program in Italy that I am trying to attend. I've been accepted, and I am trying to figure out how to pay for it: $2800 for the program, and I'm betting $1200 for the flight. I thought I would have enough money saved up by now, but I don't. I don't have the best credit (it is improving though) so I don't have much faith in a personal loan. I don't even know if I have time for a long application process since the money is due by the middle of May.

I haven't been able to find any information on student loans for those who already have college degrees, and not for grad school. Are there student loans for the in-between programs? I didn't use loans for undergrad so I don't know anything about this world.

So anyone have any suggestions? I really hope that you do. Please, please.

posted by scazza to work & money (7 comments total)

I did a TERI loan for something similar in the U.S. though, but I will admit that it was a pain to get certified.
posted by k8t at 11:39 AM on April 13, 2006

I work for a student loan company--a private lender. It's very difficult to get a private student loan for a school outside of the U.S. (I'm assuming you're from the U.S. as your bio says Chicago/Brooklyn.) Ditto for Federal loans, though I don't know as much about that sector. What about funding from Italian companies/the Italian government/through the school?

I don't mean to be terribly discouraging. But I know that our guidelines don't allow us to lend to students attending schools outside the U.S., and we also require at least decent credit (not that your credit isn't decent, but you said you had some worries about it.)

There may be other ways to get the money. $4000 is a lot, but it's not private U.S. school tuition.

Good luck.
posted by fugitivefromchaingang at 12:31 PM on April 13, 2006

I should say that it's program run by the Center for Musical Studies in Maryland. The program just takes place in Italy.
posted by scazza at 1:17 PM on April 13, 2006

Does the CMS have a financial aid department? If so, talk to them.

I studied for two months at a private institution in Sweden a few years ago, and I was able to get a student loan to cover expenses. However, I was a currently enrolled graduate student AND my department would give me academic credit for this study.
posted by luneray at 1:33 PM on April 13, 2006

CMS has very limited resources, so no money for me. And they're not TERI approved. TERI seemed like a great idea.

Again I'm not enrolled in a University. I did the same thing you're talking about in undergrad luneray. Thank you though.

Anything else like TERI out there? Any organizations that support music or arts students?
posted by scazza at 1:41 PM on April 13, 2006

The New York Foundation for the Arts has a searchable database of grants (this link for music), and one of the available criteria is "emergency grants". This generally means "I got evicted" or "I need rehab or other medical assistance" but at the very least if you contacted them they might be able to refer you to something similarly quick, but for professional development purposes.

">http://www.nyfa.org/nyfa_source_full.asp?program_id=4444

">http://www.nyfa.org/nyfa_source_full.asp?program_id=3540

http://www.nyfa.org/nyfa_source_full.asp?program_id=5738
will take care of the cost of any ongoing vocal training, for a year.

Found this irrelevant program through that site: it's very sweet:
http://www.mentalfloss.com/archives/archive2004-03-20.htm

posted by xueexueg at 6:15 PM on April 13, 2006

Sorry about my links. They looked okay in the live preview.
4444
3540
5738
posted by xueexueg at 6:17 PM on April 13, 2006