TSELF Youth Award

[Alyssa87]

Who just got her letter from the TRANSGENDER SCHOLARSHIP and EDUCATION LEGACY FUND?

Yeeea, that would be me!

I'm one of less than 20 eligible applicants.
But i think the letter i sent with my application makes me a shoe-in 8)

i'll let u know if they forked over the cash over the Xmas break.
my bday is 12/29 so the scholarship would be an ideal gift.
:fc

[Alyssa87]

They have other scholarships and grants avail also. most of the deadlines are in January, so go to the site if u need financial aid for school also ladies.

http://www.tself.org/awards.html

[trannybanger]

That is awesome, you deserve it. Best of luck!

[tgirlzoe]

i thought about applying for it when i was in school but i didn't. one of the requirements was to be out and an activist and i was neither. i certainly didn't want my dormmates finding out i had a penis!

with the (relative) massive number of out and proud tranny boys and female genderqueers on my campus, i figured there'd be a lot more qualified applicants.

i should have done it though.

CONGRATS!

may your student debt be less than mine...

[tgirlzoe]

Oh that's right, and it's Social Services, Health Care, Religious Instruction (all denominations), Teaching and the Law.

I didn't make it into the teaching college at my university, and dropped out instead.

But the out thing was the big one.

[Alyssa87]

wow Zoe u must be real real real!
congrats on being stealth on campus.

anywho thanks a lot. u too mister.banger 8)

[PatrickFromNYC]

You may be young but you are also very wise !
Best of luck Alyssa..

[Realgirls4me]

Congratulations, Alyssa! Great news.

I didn't really know such scholarships and grants aimed at assisting transgender students existed.

[tgirlzoe]

wow Zoe u must be real real real!

And you're not?!? You're gorgeous!


My college record is kind of weird:

* 2002-2003 (17/18.): Went to community college during high school to get ahead, also took AP and College in the High School classes.

* 2003-2004 (18/19): Lived in the guys' dorms. Was still living as a gay boy >.< But I was out as trans to friends (since 2001/16) and dating an FTM, who was also pre-transition (though he far along now). Met my first transitioned person (though he wasn't on T yet, he still had a name change and was fairly well-accepted).

* 2004-2005 (19/20): Didn't go back to university because I was planning to move in with my fiance and change schools. Went to community college again in the meantime. Started hormones in fall of 2004. My fiance broke up with me and I was stranded at my parents' house trying to hide my hormone use from my parents who were strongly against it.

* Summer/Fall 2005 (20): Went back to university, mainly to get aid money to live on. Going Summer was a huge financial mistake as I couldn't get grants and such. Lived off-campus with sympathetic people (primarily ones I met online and begged for a place to stay) a month or so at a time. Homelessness and scholasticism don't mix. I did the entire Summer quarter without books because they made me wait 6 weeks or something to get my financial aid because I was gone for a year. I finally made the legal change before Fall quarter started (Summer was really awkward a few times because of a different legal name than the name I used in class).

* Winter 2005 (21): I finally come up with enough to pay the deposit and move into the dorms. I don't tell Housing or my roommates. I'm trying to finally be normal.

* Spring 2005 (21): The end of my academic career. I dropped out and decided to wait until I was more secure in my life financially and especially emotionally to go back.

~~~

Well, I mean, my roommates just never said anything and I never said anything to Housing about it. I just marked the "F" box and moved in. They weren't the greatest roommates (2bd suite, 4 girls). I never really hung out with them much, just kind of people who happen to live in the same dorm and smoke pot together. I lived there less than six months.

I can't prove that my roommates didn't know I was trans. For all I know, they did and just didn't care. My feeling was that as long as they didn't say anything, that was good enough. I hate talking about it and I especially hate when people treat me differently because of it. I was really stressed that they would find out though, I had nightmares about it. Ugh.

I dropped out of college in 2006, I was 21. I'm 23 now, nearing 24, I would probably go back and change my major to something more profitable but I detest the whole academic system and anyway I'm too far in debt from the first go-around!

[SarahG]

there's a lot of truth to the "typical college student" being the "typical broke college student"- but if you get the basics done (hrt, name change etc) to the point where you can be in stealth & fulltime, it means that by the time you graduate you will have all of your career in order, under a consistent gender & name, from the start which is very very helpful even if you get outted in your field later.

Another benefit is that you can, as a fulltime student, take out private student loans to supplement any financial aid you get. Basically you have to go threw the fasfa shit first, then walk into a bank and get a private loan... generally they'll let you take out $45k minus whatever you get from the feds, every year- and unlike the feds who send money to your school, a private student loan will just give you a check, and not care how you spend it (can be for anything, computers, textbooks, alcohol, prostitutes, housing, food). If you do your homework you can get loans this way where the interest is also tax deductible. The problem is that you'll need a cosigner with decent credit, so if you've been disowned or your parents credit is tanked- you're pretty much out of luck.

It also means starting off with a shitload of debt- all the costs of the degree plus whatever loans you've taken out, and you can't just declare bankruptcy and get rid of it (student debt is binding after the Bush admin reforms), so if you default they'll repo everything you own (there are certain things they can't take, like tools relating to your field, clothing, but I think that's about it- not sure what they'd do if you've spend $30,000 on designer clothes using credit cards right before filing, I doubt you'd be able to keep them) and your wages would be garnished, your credit would be destroyed (in a market where it will be harder to repair it). But they can't, because it's not physically possible, repo surgeries, so if you're willing to lose every possible material possession, your credit, and a significant portion of your future wages (there are rules about how big of a % they can deduct from your pay) then it is theoretically possible to use loans for transitioning & then just default. I really don't advice it though, especially since then if you can't get a job after the fact (because you're trans or because the economy is in the shitfields, or because you never actually finished your degree and have all that debt and no qualifications, or because your credit is shot, and yes some fields care alot about your credit) later on, if you start doing sex work to pay the bills, if you don't declare it (so it can be garnished) you're looking at jail time for more than tax evasion.

Another benefit, if you want to do stealth, is in most states you can get a GED simply by taking enough college courses (they have guidelines as to how many you have to take in each subject to do it this way, but its an alternative). Why is this important? I know more than a few girls, including myself- who can't prove they went to high school because their K-12 district refused to give them a new diploma under the new name. Thus if you go to college, finish it and get a GED & a college degree, you never have to worry about it...

whereas without that, if you apply for a job and mention you finished HS, if the employer wanted to confirm your resume they won't have a way to do so (if an employer called my HS tomorrow the school would say: "we have no idea who you're talking about, no one ever went to this school with that name"-> and then the employer would think you're lying on your resume) unless you show them the original diploma, and the court ruling for the name change.

[flabbybody]

is there any doubt who will win the scholarship?

[tgirlzoe]

Another benefit, if you want to do stealth, is in most states you can get a GED simply by taking enough college courses (they have guidelines as to how many you have to take in each subject to do it this way, but its an alternative). Why is this important? I know more than a few girls, including myself- who can't prove they went to high school because their K-12 district refused to give them a new diploma under the new name. Thus if you go to college, finish it and get a GED & a college degree, you never have to worry about it...

whereas without that, if you apply for a job and mention you finished HS, if the employer wanted to confirm your resume they won't have a way to do so (if an employer called my HS tomorrow the school would say: "we have no idea who you're talking about, no one ever went to this school with that name"-> and then the employer would think you're lying on your resume) unless you show them the original diploma, and the court ruling for the name change.

That's an interesting idea. As much as I really wanted to get my name changed before I graduated high school, that requires parental consent (well, I turned 18 during Senior year, it would require parental consent not to get kicked out of the house!). If you can get your name changed under 18, that is very good because it's sealed, otherwise it shows up on a background check. My church did one so they could see I wasn't a convicted child molester trying to teach Sunday school (VBS actually) and it ended up in some information about my past being known by a few people in the church, including our former priest (who I never got up the nerve to talk to directly about it).

What jobs bother to check what high school you went to? Just get a college degree (either Associate's or Bachelor's) under the right name and you're good to go.

I should really try to shore up an Associate's degree since I probably have enough credits. I just have to transfer them to the local community college and probably take a quarter's worth to clean up and then at least I'll have something.

[Gh0strider]

Wont jinx you by saying congrats but definitely will say good things come to good people, so no worries, Alyssa.

Zoe its never too late...dont let anyone or anything(debt) stand in your way.

[SarahG]

What jobs bother to check what high school you went to? Just get a college degree (either Associate's or Bachelor's) under the right name and you're good to go.

If you're in college and haven't finished your degree yet, there is a chance your employer will want to see if you really went to high school.

But I am sure, once you have a degree- especially if it is a four year degree, they'll care more about that then where/if you went to high school.

However there are fields that care more about checking your background than others, and it would suck to be outted just because your high school refused to give you a new diploma, especially if it can be avoided by simply getting a GED to replace it in the new name... and in some states, you don't even have to take a test to get that GED if you have enough college courses under your belt ;)

I can't take credit for this idea, as much as I'd like to, one of my friends from K-12 told me about it while I was complaining about my high school's intolerance.

[TomSelis]

Make sure to send a pic with your application!

j/k

You're a definite shoo in, being intelligent and all. I'm sure it'll show in your essay. I wish you the best of luck!

[peggygee]

Alyssa, as always I am happy and proud for you. :wink:

I checked the link that you provided and they provide a variety of awards,
so ladies get your study on:

Award Descriptions

While TSELF awards several grants through its own fundraising efforts, it also awards grants sponsored by other groups and individuals. Sponsors could include community-based organizations, church groups, professional organizations, social network groups, and individuals. These sponsors might choose to target their scholarship toward a particular field or a particular type of student. The following section provides descriptions of some the various current awards that may or may not be given this year, including those sponsored by other groups and individuals:

TSELF General Achievement Awards:

TSELF will be awarding several, non-specific awards for students in the helping and caring professions. These include, but are not limited to, Social Services, Health Care, Religious Instruction, Teaching and the Law. We seek to reflect a broad range of interests, including social services, HIV/AIDS education, law, teaching and education, religious instruction (all denominations), medical and health care as well as the sciences.

TSELF Youth Award:

Eligibility is limited to youth under the age of 22 attending their first or second year of post-secondary education during the next academic year.

TSELF Schools Education Award:

Eligibility is limited to students seeking degrees in education and teaching. Special consideration will be given to students who have been involved in teaching primary and secondary school students and who can articulate how these experiences have motivated them to provide leadership in the transgender communities.

Lee Frances Heller Memorial Award

Sponsored by Julie Ann Johnson. Eligibility is limited to a Christian student, who is or will be attending a college, university or other institutions for religious studies. Please indicate how your transgender identity and your involvement in the Christian church have related to one another. Also, please identify your home congregation and any leadership experience you have had in the Christian church and/or transgender organizations.

The HIV/AIDS Prevention and Treatment Award:

Special consideration will be given to students who have been involved in HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment activities.

Chicago Gender Society Leadership Award:

Sponsored by the Chicago Gender Society. Special consideration will be given to students who have been involved in community building activities.

[blckhaze]

Congrats chica.

[MrsKellyPierce]

congrats mami

[santiago316]

Congratulations Alyssa!

[lupinIII]

All the best for it Alyssa, we're all hoping you get it. You deserve it.

Is uni debt in America really that much of a killer? In Australia it's all subsidised under the government's HELP (higher education loans program), basically if you're a fulltime Australian resident with a tax file number you automatically qualify for a student loan which gets paid off once you start earning a specific amount.

Is it a similar sort of thing in the U.S? or is it a more cash up front, if-you-have-no-money-fuck-off, situation?

[tgirlzoe]

All the best for it Alyssa, we're all hoping you get it. You deserve it.

Is uni debt in America really that much of a killer? In Australia it's all subsidised under the government's HELP (higher education loans program), basically if you're a fulltime Australian resident with a tax file number you automatically qualify for a student loan which gets paid off once you start earning a specific amount.

Is it a similar sort of thing in the U.S? or is it a more cash up front, if-you-have-no-money-fuck-off, situation?

It's rather complicated situation, a mix of private corporations with government backing, direct loans and totally private loans. They all have different rules.

But if you default, which I did, it's very hard to ever get them to give you loans again. I'm working on trying to repair my credit now and pay off these loans. I owe about $15k. I'm sure I'll pay over $20k by the time it's actually all said and done due to excessive interest and fees.

[tgirlzoe]

You think subprime mortgages are a bad idea, you should see the default rate on student loans...

[SarahG]

All the best for it Alyssa, we're all hoping you get it. You deserve it.

Is uni debt in America really that much of a killer? In Australia it's all subsidised under the government's HELP (higher education loans program), basically if you're a fulltime Australian resident with a tax file number you automatically qualify for a student loan which gets paid off once you start earning a specific amount.

Is it a similar sort of thing in the U.S? or is it a more cash up front, if-you-have-no-money-fuck-off, situation?

Financial aid does not pay 100% for most people, and what you get depends on what your parents make (if you're deemed a traditional student), even if there is no way in hell your parents are going to help pay for it.

I haven't seen my dad in years, he wouldn't help pay for my college expenses if someone put a gun to his head... and yet they use tax records to use what he makes to count against what I can get in aid. Even my step dad's tax records are used against me, at least this is how my accountant explained it to me- and likewise he's only related to me by my mom's marriage, he isn't paying for my college education.

They will even count the students' income, savings, and other assets against them, for me it was cheaper to be a student and NOT work than it was to be a student while working... because I lost so much in aid from working (talk about fucked up gov policies...).

So I pay for it using loans. How'd it work? Depends on where you go to school, when I was going to this one private school it was costing me about $45k a year when it was all said & done (textbooks-$2k, tuition-~$30, expenses-~$2k, dorm room- 8k, food plan- 3k, everything else etc- rough estimates by memory). A state school would have been cheaper, a community college I probably could have done in cash if I were commuting (there were none in my area that had 4 year degrees so this wasn't an option for me). The private school actually worked out cheaper in the long run because I was getting about ten grand a yr in financial aid, 15 grand from the school (long story), and the rest was debt. A state school wasn't going to "give me" 15 grand to go there, and the amount I'd save by being in a state school was less than that 15grand.

It's easy to leave a 4 yr school, if paying just with loans, with $100k in debt. But I'm talking about the idea of taking out -even more- so that you can cover stuff like trans surgeries, which'll make any existing debt problem far deeper.

But its also not going to be an option for anyone who needs to use that full $45k/yr to pay for college :shrug Remember what they will lend you will be no more than $45,000 minus whatever you get from the feds. So if you get ten from the feds, and need 20 to stay in school- the most you can borrow from a private lender is $15k/year (for other expenses).

[Alyssa87]

thanks for all your well wishes and kind words everyone
:grouphug

[lupinIII]

Well, I guess that's the difference, whereas higher education in the U.S. is a highly diffused and diverse business with a lot more independent private institutions etc, not to mentio way more government schools in Aus it's a far far smaller enterprise with only a relative handful of government unis and even fewer private ones, meaning its much easier for the government to provide more blanket funding for people attending. I feel bad for the international students, they're ones hit hardest here since they aren't eligible for a lot of the government grants.

And the other thing, the interest that accrues on our student debts is relatively low compared to other debts that we will accrue such as home loans etc. so there's the old maxim here that your HELP debt is your favourite debt.

Sorry if I sound like I'm gloating, I really do feel terrible for what you've had to go through on top of everything else in your lives. It's a fucked up situation, no question.

[Thatiger23]

congratz Alyssa and good luck to you :D

[BrendaQG]

Wow great score. Way to go Alyssa.

Don't fall into the loan trap like I did. I'll be a slave until I win the lottery, or pay them off in 10-15 years. :-?

[AsiaMei]

thanks for all your well wishes and kind words everyone
:grouphug

good luck mami =]

[Solitary Brother]

Congrads to you alyssa!

[tgirlzoe]

Financial aid does not pay 100% for most people, and what you get depends on what your parents make (if you're deemed a traditional student), even if there is no way in hell your parents are going to help pay for it.

That is one justification I had for dropping out. It would be much better for me to wait until I'm 24 to go back because then my parents' income doesn't count as mine. I figured I would pay my loans down a bit and go back when I turned 24. But I was unable to make a decent income (part-time minimum-wage is going to pay the rent but can't pay my loans) so I ended up defaulting which is a horrible, horrible mess financially. Avoid if at all possible.

So the first time when I would be eligible to go back to school would be the 2009-2010 year coming up because I'll be 24 then. But I can't because of my default. Anyway, like I said, I detest the academic system and I don't work well within it. I enjoyed college life for what it's worth in terms of openness and personal growth. I don't believe I really learned anything of any importance or use there, especially not something worth $15,000. If you want to use it just to have the shot at getting a higher paying job, which is what universities are selling these days, then it's a very risky gamble but if it's worth it to you, then take it.

To me, it's not a big deal whether I make $15,000* a year or $50,000. If I made $50k, I'd just end up spending more and probably have a higher-stress job. If you live smart, then you can make $1200 a month like me and still have money left over for the little luxuries in life like buying plenty of $2.50 beer and $5.25 chocolate bars and finding plenty of clothes at vintage and consignment shops. No, I'm not able to get surgery or buy a house, but I'm still kicking it and it's a lot better than when I was homeless. I just feel that had I done things differently, I would have not gone to school (I didn't want to, my parents expected me to but they couldn't pay for it either) at least not right away.

Also, if you want to make money, you don't have to go to college to do so. You just have to have an interest in that sort of thing. I went to school to be a teacher, and that usually requires a degree, but the educational college at my university is very competitive and I've seen friends go through it and it's not my style, even if I could get into it. I'm not sure what I'd do if I went back but probably something rather business-like and traditionally masculine -- probably computer science major with math minor so I can actually design algorithms smarter rather than just doing whatever is most straightforward. I could pursue a computer job now and probably make over twice what I'm making now but I have largely lost my interest in programming.

Do what makes you happy.


* - I gross $18,200 and net about $15,600 of that. I don't do anything under-the-table, so that's the whole of my income. It's livable if you know how to live.

[Alyssa87]

UPDATE




i got it
i got it
i got it!!!!

3G's bitchez 8)

i wont have to pay anything for tuition next semester.
just books. but thats what half.com is for.

[flabbybody]

I knew you'd get it

[PatrickFromNYC]

UPDATE




i got it
i got it
i got it!!!!

3G's bitchez 8)

i wont have to pay anything for tuition next semester.
just books. but thats what half.com is for.

Way to go Alyssa !!!

[BluegrassCat]

Congrats. It must have an easy decision for them, and definitely a good investment. It's unreal how smart (and gorgeous) you are and that's based only your brains showed off on this bawdy little site.

[Alyssa87]

Well hey, http://l.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/mesg/emoticons7/26.gif thanks guys.

[scubaman]

Congrats

:peanutbutter

[LAGent4ts]

Congratulations Alyssa. Nice to know that there are organizations and individuals out there that have the insight to make scholarships and grants avaliable to an under served group of deserving individuals.

I have a good friend who is graduating from a local University this Spring and looking to attend law school. She attended under grad on scholarships and am sure she will be seeking financial aid and scholarships to make it through law school, so I will pass this site onto her. Enjoy your Winter break.

[EyeCumInPiece]

Who just got her letter from the TRANSGENDER SCHOLARSHIP and EDUCATION LEGACY FUND?

Yeeea, that would be me!

I'm one of less than 20 eligible applicants.
But i think the letter i sent with my application makes me a shoe-in 8)

i'll let u know if they forked over the cash over the Xmas break.
my bday is 12/29 so the scholarship would be an ideal gift.
:fc

Thats really cool. Im happy for you. I hope you get it. The credit crunch has really been fucking everybody up so its been much harder to squeeze anything out of the system lately. Ive had financial aid reject me 3 times in a row and im not exactly making alot of money. Damn, do i gotta become a tranny to get a scholarship?

[justatransgirl]

Congratulations Alyssa! Good luck in your school efforts.

And good comments Sarah and Zoe. Sorry you had to learn the lessons you learned.

As an "old lady" if I may be so presumptuous as to sound like your parents and give you and the other girls the same advice I gave my partner Jessica who will graduate next fall.

1) Go to school. IF you can get accepted, do not drop out. I just read that UCSD had nearly 60,000 applicants for 7,000 openings for 2009. That's one out of 10 who will be accepted. I read that to get into Harvard you need at least a 4.25GPA.

If you quit and wait until you are more financially solvent statistics say you will never return. In part because you will probably not be able to earn the income you need to ever become financially independent - unless you prostitute.

Without an education you probably won't even make the money in prostitution you could make if you knew things like html, marketing, and accounting 101. That's one reason there are so many low income TS prostitutes.

2) DO NOT under any circumstance take a STUDENT LOAN. NO-NO-NO!

They will ruin your credit, they can NOT be disposed of in bankruptcy anymore. They will chase you to the gates of HELL if you miss a payment. They will garnish your wages, they will seize tax returns, bank accounts, anything of value and there is no way to stop them short of moving to Bolivia. Say "thanks Congress."

3) DO NOT under any circumstance go to a "trade school" - University of Phoenix, Art Institute, ITT, etc. Their degrees are WORTHLESS, their units DO NOT transfer. Their job placement claims are mostly bullshit. Check it out - ITT and the Art Institute OWN the accrediting agency that "accredits" their curriculum. They will ROB you of your money and time.

They will run up huge student loans. We know because one year at the Art Institute left Jessica $25,000 in debt. I have a prostitute friend with over $120,000 in student loans, who can't get a job because of her worthless degree.

Anything taught at a private trade school is available at any community college - and your credits transfer to a 4 year school.

*** The single EXCEPTION is going to a private Flight School to get your commercial pilot's license. There has been a need for pilots, particularly for corporate jets. The economy may have changed that for awhile though.

If you can't get in or can't afford a 4 year degree - get an AA or Certificate. An A+ Network Certificate or Cisco Cert with some HTML and SQL, etc. will get you a $50,000 a year job out the gate. An LVN or RT will start in the upper 30's. Your income will nearly double in 5 years.

4) If you are going to make the effort and expense to go to college - get your degree in a field that pays you a good income. Nursing, medicine, computers, law, etc. Social work is commendable, "art" is esoteric, but it pays $15,000 a year. A garbage collector in San Diego earns $70,000. Be an RN if you want a girly job - it pays six figures after a few years.

Or... marry a rich man. :-) :-)

Anyway, best of luck to all you ladies on your way up! Do your best and make us all proud!

Hugs,
TS Jamie :-)

[Gh0strider]

Congrats, you deserve it just stay on task...Fear nothing, anything you want to accomplish is within your reach.

ps great job on your grades this semester