Who's good at persuasion/proposals?

[Just Plain Ruff]

Does your company offer educational assistance?

Pm me, we can chat. There has to be a way to help you get the 11g's that you need. WE just have to get creative.

[KatieC]

I know I rarely post here, but I've been lurking for the better part of 2 years. I already PM'd Anthony about this, but anyway...

I'm in the same boat. I'm interviewing on 7/23 to try to get into the top paramedic program in my state. It's a full year of full-time work, so I will also have to quit my job. I've already remortgaged my house to come up with about a year's salary (luckily I am used to being poor and living cheap!). But I need a little bit more.

I currently volunteer in my hometown as an EMT-I. There is no paid EMS service here...too small of a town, too little call volume. I hope to graduate from medic school and work full time in one of the bigger cities around here. But I would still love to continue to volunteer here when I'm not working. My proposed plan was that if I signed a contract to volunteer for my town for xxx amount of years (3-5 maybe?) would they give me XXX dollars to go toward medic school? Then if I didn't fulfill my contract I'd have to pay the town back. I've already done this with my EMT-B and EMT-I classes, both of which the town paid for. I own a home here and really love the town, and don't plan on leaving. I'd be the only paramedic in about a 15-20 mile radius...I'm the only EMT-I in this area now.

The company I hope to work for does not offer any kind of educational assistance. They do not hire anything less than medics, but they do utilize volunteers for reserve staffing and standby events. So I volunteer for them and my hometown.

I'm filling out the FAFSA and all scholarships that I can, but the maximum amount of grant money from FAFSA is about $2000/semester, which isn't quite enough, considering I will need books/tuition and living expenses as well. Oh, and I'm a single mom.

I have done the math and will make about $8000-9000 more a year than I'm making now, and I'll be doing what I love to do, so this is something I want to pursue.

Anyway, if anyone would be so kind as to help me write a proposal as well, I'd be forever greatful. Feel free to PM me.

[Just Plain Ruff]

Ok, I'm gonna do something that I never thought I would do in a million years.

i'm gonna give out my supersecret search web page that if you cannot find what you need on this page with all of it's search engines then you won't find it on the web.

The link is http://oedb.org/library/college-basics/res...h-beyond-google

Please don't say I never gave you all anything.

To the two of ya who are looking for grant writing or proposal writing I believe theres some links that might help you out. Look under government or the education part.

[ccmedoc]

AnthonyM83 wrote:

I'm already $30,000 in debt from college. I'd say it's a pretty big deal

What ya been doing in college, dude??? Should have more to show for this sum of money..at least an associates I would think.

If your are asking someone to invest in you for Medic school, I think this may be an issue...Any investor is gonna want financials and what you have been doing with your time...Yes??

It may be better to finish college with a degree in something to show that you finish what you start...a little continuity goes a long way.Maybe by then you won't need investors.

Basically sounds like more trouble than it is worth...The best you could probably hope for would be a loan-not a subsidy that you would no doubt have to sign a contract for..

I have a bachelor's in biology...heavy coursework in Psychology and Spanish. I graduated 2 years ago. Since then I've interned with a clinical psychologist, worked a year as a teaching assistant in elementary school (which I've always wanted to do), supported/helped an Explorer program, gotten my EMT cert, took Japanese b/c I felt I had gotten fairly good at Spanish already, got hired at the most competitive EMT company in LA (not that it says much, but at least I'm not bottom of the barrel), and gained experience in a busy EMS system, while supporting myself. That's only in two years, if we go further back, I've done a whole lot more.

I also passed up a number of job offers, including one with a startup company that's now doing extreeeemely well. I'm where I'm at now, because I specifically wanted to pursue a job in EMS and I needed to get 6 to 12 months of 911 EMT experience (depending on the medic school). Sometimes I do feel like I should be further along, though....

[fiznat]

It's a full year of full-time work, so I will also have to quit my job. I've already remortgaged my house to come up with about a year's salary (luckily I am used to being poor and living cheap!). But I need a little bit more.

Holy shit!

I know that the siren call of EMS is often something that is hard to resist, and that the prospect of becoming a medic has both financial as well as non-financial draws, but are you sure this is the right thing to do?? You quit your job?? You remortgaged your house?? For medic school???

I'm sorry, and I hope I'm not being overly callous, but that sounds to me like some REALLY poor planning. Lost wages + a new mortgage + opportunity cost = WAY more than a (POTENTIAL, you're not hired yet) pay bump of 9k per year. Have you calculated how long it would take you to break even? ...To pay off a whole 2nd mortgage with a 9k pay raise? I cant imagine it is less than 5 years or more.

You're willing to make that kind of sacrifice for a paramedic patch? And you have a kid to take care of by yourself? Jeez... I mean I love this and I dont think I could give it up, but the job doesn't pay THAT well.

[KatieC]

Holy shit!

I know that the siren call of EMS is often something that is hard to resist, and that the prospect of becoming a medic has both financial as well as non-financial draws, but are you sure this is the right thing to do?? You quit your job?? You remortgaged your house?? For medic school???

I'm sorry, and I hope I'm not being overly callous, but that sounds to me like some REALLY poor planning. Lost wages + a new mortgage + opportunity cost = WAY more than a (POTENTIAL, you're not hired yet) pay bump of 9k per year. Have you calculated how long it would take you to break even? ...To pay off a whole 2nd mortgage with a 9k pay raise? I cant imagine it is less than 5 years or more.

You're willing to make that kind of sacrifice for a paramedic patch? And you have a kid to take care of by yourself? Jeez... I mean I love this and I dont think I could give it up, but the job doesn't pay THAT well.

Actually, my first mortgage was paid off. Bought the house cheap and fixed it up.

No offense taken. But yeah, it's better than doing what I do now. The job I have now has no benefits....no paid time off, no vacation, no sick leave. No 401K, no health insurance (I have to buy that myself), no dental insurance, no life insurance. I've worked there for 5-1/2 years and gotten 1 raise, since I am pretty much already topped out for pay at my level. Plus, I don't like doing it.

So yeah, pursuing my dream of medic school? Making a better life for me and my daughter and a chance to actually get ahead? While doing what I love? Worth it to me.

And don't forget, my cost of living is not that high....my new house payment, including taxes and insurance, is only $420.20. It's cheap to live here.

[cosgrojo]

Where did you say you lived again? This sounds like the place for me! I'm paying $1,700+ per month for my house.

[pacman]

I think she had a home equity loan. You can take out a loan and use your house for collateral until you pay off the loan. This is pretty good for people that already own their house or have already paid a significant portion of their original mortgage. I believe you can get a pretty good annual percentage rate (APR) on that type of loan as well. My brother did that a year ago to start his own business.

I don't know if I would have done all that to go to medic school, maybe for something thats going to rake in more money. However, if you're happy and you REALLY want to do this, then power to you girl. 8)

[cosgrojo]

I think she had a home equity loan. You can take out a loan and use your house for collateral until you pay off the loan. This is pretty good for people that already own their house or have already paid a significant portion of their original mortgage. I believe you can get a pretty good annual percentage rate (APR) on that type of loan as well. My brother did that a year ago to start his own business.

Yeah... I know. "T'was a poor attempt at humour." Jeremy Irons as Hans Gruber, Die Hard 3. :roll:

[AnthonyM83]

As an FYI, thanks to those who replied here and on PM. I've just started writing something up. I got distracted from it after my needle stick, then things became busier. I'm working on a very rough draft.