What Film Schools will accept my Americorps money as a Non-MFA student?

March 26, 2020 9:37 PM

I need to use my AmeriCorps education award to take classes at a university/college to beef up my portfolio so that I may apply to Film MFA programs overseas, with a feminist focus. Most programs have pre-requisites that I took at another film schools, but I fear they will likely not accept those credits as valid. Since I'm a non-degree student, does that limit what kind of classes I can take, and what schools will have me? My ultimate goal with that money is to beef up my portfolio so I can ultimately get into a European Film School.

Are there online film forums where I can ask these questions? I am very interested in feminist filmmaking/learning directing from female filmmakers as that is finally being spoken of as a separate genre?

How do I find schools that can help me meet my needs? I only have 5K for the award.

(I already have a BA and an MS in non-film, and used a prior 10K scholarship on a terrible NYC film school, called "Digital Film Academy.")

My ultimate goal with that money is to beef up my portfolio so I can ultimately get into a European Film School.

posted by Kombucha3452 to Education (4 answers total)

In my experience using an Americorps tuition voucher (twice) if the school is set up to use regular US Federal financial aid systems, there should be no problem-- eventually.

What I mean is that both years I used it, there was no one at my school's Financial Aid office who had ever even heard of an Americorps tuition voucher, and both times I had to spend several weeks walking them through the process. This was at a state school with 20,000 students in the Pacific Northwest. The last time it was so bad I was escalated to the head of the Financial Aid department who eventually said to me, "I'm sorry we are so messed up. I am just going to credit your account from my own discretionary funds for the cost of your tuition voucher until we get this figured out." I assume they eventually did. So be ready for something like that to happen at your school.

As far as I know, there is no requirement that your funds be used only in a degree program. Also you don't have to tell them this is just for prerequisites for entry to another school. As far as the US film school and Americorps need to know, you are in a degree granting program at US school. If you later "change your mind" and decide to go another school, well that happens thousands of times every year and no one will think anything of it.

Finally, the best people to answer your question are at the Americorps education hotline. They were very helpful to me in my troubles using my aid, even going so far as to research my case and tell me, "No, your University received our check in your name on April 3rd, and cashed it on April 20th. They definitely took our money and should be applying it to your tuition." That was pretty good customer service from a hotline, I thought. Here is their phone number:

"If you need additional information about the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award, you can contact the National Service Hotline at the toll-free number 1-800-942-2677"

Good luck with your plans-- it sounds like you know what you want, and you should definitely be able to make this happen in a legal sense with some pushing and handholding for the school coming from you.
posted by seasparrow at 6:41 AM on March 27, 2020 [1 favorite]

I used most of my AmeriCorps voucher as a post-baccalaureate student at a college where I did not ever seek a degree. That was always my plan, and it was very easy to do.

(I used the rest to pay fees during grad school. None of those 3 large universities had any trouble using the voucher.)
posted by hydropsyche at 9:18 AM on March 27, 2020

I was unable to use Americorps funds at a community college as a non-degree seeking student and that situation created a big mess with my taxes that year. I'm glad to hear others have had success. Contacting the school's financial aid office and asking about their familiarity with Americorps funds upfront may save you a lot of stress.
posted by entropyiswinning at 11:52 AM on March 27, 2020

Where are you, and what are you looking to get out of this? When you say "beef up your portfolio," is your ultimate goal to have the resources to make some films that you can use as part of your application process for a European MFA Program?

Good production classes are very difficult to replicate online, they will almost certainly be done in person.

I'm a film professor, generally familiar with the state of film education in the U.S., so I'd be happy to offer suggestions, but are you willing to relocate to do these classes? If not, where are you located, so that I might point you to film programs nearby?
posted by MythMaker at 9:04 AM on March 28, 2020 [2 favorites]