Single mother works full time, wanting to earn Bachelors degree?

Question

I'm a single mother of a 2 1/2 year old. I'm a few classes away from my associates degree. I would like to go full-time but I have a child to support. I currently work for the state and its a great job, only I commute 4 hours per day and I can't transfer to a closer location to home for another year. I would really like to hold on to my job while I'm at the univeristy but the UC doesn't have too many online classes and my schedule won't allow night classes because the nearest univeristy is a 45 min drive from my home with no traffic. I don't want to go to a for profit school and take out a bunch of expensive loans. What should I do? continue working full-time for another year or so and save money then live off a on campusjob and scholorships? Or keep my job and take years to graduate taking one class a semester? any one know of accelerated programs at a reasonable cost?

Answer 1

Ask if you can transfer online credits from another university. There are many online now.

Answer 2

The answer seems rather obvious, but maybe I don't have all the facts.  First of all, if you are commuting 4 hours each day, you are spending a lot of money (cost of travel, either gas or tickets for public transport) and a lot of time just going back and forth.  

By getting rid of your commute you will save both time and money.   You can use the time to go to school and be with your kid.   Since  you say that you can't change your job location,  you must move closer to your work on the one hand, and find a school closer to your work on the other.   Doing that will integrate your two objectives - work and school.  That would be ideal

I suspect that you have a relative taking care of your kid at your present location and that this is the piece of information you did not mention in your post.  If that is the case then you still have the same challenge....  either get another job closer to where you are and where your school is, or move closer to work and get other means of child care.   In any case, your big problem is all that wasted time commuting.   Face it, and solve it.  

The fact that you like your job is secondary consideration to all that wasted time commuting.  And delaying your effort to go to school just delays your ability to move forward.