[Cabs-talk] Receiving Financial Assistance from the DOR for College Expanses

Sat Sep 20 20:01:45 UTC 2014

Hello,
Thank you to everyone who has taken a time to reply to my emails either 
on list or off list.
Brandon, Marianne, your replies made me laugh for different reasons...
What I am frustrated about is the discrepancy that exists within the 
same service provider (DOR of California) as displayed in this very own 
email thread. Someone is receiving surplus of funding for whatever 
reason while I am continuously feeling that I am misinformed and 
unfairly treated. Why is this so?
I do have a part time job which I am learning a lot from and receiving 
enough money for me to not have to ask my parents for allowances. 
However, this is not sufficient at all for textbook purchases and costs 
for attending an UC institution.
The DOR is certainly frustrating because of the burucreacy that exists 
and discrepancy that I find from what I experience and other people 
whom I know with different counselors experience.
I am not trying to receive money I do not deserve if the government 
finds that my family makes too much money in their standards. I am just 
looking for information from a source I can trust and something that I 
can navigate easily if I qualify for the funding.
Miso Kwak

-----Original Message-----
From: Marianne Hewitt Robbins via Cabs-talk <cabs-talk at nfbnet.org>
To: California Association of Blind Students Mailing List 
<cabs-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sat, Sep 20, 2014 12:33 pm
Subject: Re: [Cabs-talk] Receiving Financial Assistance from the DOR 
for College Expanses

Brandon,
Seriously!?!? Your message makes me want to scream!
You state you are a student of performance. Perhaps your email is 
indeed a sarcastic, cynical performance. If so, I'd give you an A+.
Many, many deserving people who are blind or have visual impairment 
struggle just to maintain themselves and perhaps, to achieve 
educational goals to better themselves.
I'll bet your DOR counselor would love to know what a cavalier attitude 
you have. Perhaps he or she could provide you with assistance in your  
struggle to decide what to do with your excess cash and accumulation of 
adaptive equipment.
Miso, who is seeking support and assistance with sincerity does not 
deserve this reply!

On Sep 20, 2014, at 12:28 AM, Brandon Keith Biggs via Cabs-talk 
<cabs-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:

> Hello Miso,
> DOR will only pay for CSU costs unless you can prove that that major 
is not offered at a CSU system in any way shape or form.
> They will pay for CSU costs though. They don't need to pay for 
Community College, because you get the board of governors scholarship 
to pay for that.
> They will pay for textbooks, you just need to have a dip of cash you 
can pay using a card because the textbook voucher won't come in till 
after you need the books. Then you take both the voucher and your 
receipt to the bookstore and they will refund you.
> You need to be a very squeaky wheel when it comes to DOR, 10-20 
emails for one issue and about 10 calls is normal.
> You also need to be very very firm in what you want and ask for the 
paperwork rather than asking them what they can do.
> They also can buy you equipment that will help you both in school and 
in the workforce for the job and plan you are under at DOR.
> I don't know what major you are, but for me as a performer (got to 
love the vagueness of that description) I have gotten so much awesome 
stuff from them, I swear I'm almost an accessibility office in my 
room...
> I must say that my counselors have been super super good, explaining 
to me what DOR could do and me being a fan of free money and found it 
was a better use of my time sending and hounding DOR than getting a 
full-time job at this point...
> So I googled, talked to people and really treated my funding hunting 
a full-time job. I get around $24000 a year in funding now and I'm now 
in Italy, going to school at the most expensive college in Milano. It 
is really worth being blind in college and there is no better thing one 
can do than hunt for scholarships.
> I am, how ever, very week when it comes to what to do with all the 
extra money I get. I have like ... a lot of money in the bank for 
school and I hate it, it is just sitting there and I don't know too 
much on investing it in a way that I can pull it out kind of fast, or 
steadily. If you do know something on this please let me know! :)
> Thanks,
>
> Brandon Keith Biggs <http://www.brandonkeithbiggs.com/>
> On 9/20/2014 1:17 AM, Miso Kwak via Cabs-talk wrote:
>> Hello CABS,
>> What procedure (if any) do you usually go through when trying to get 
financial reimbursement for textbook purchase?
>> In the end, if any, what kind of assistance do you get for your 
textbook purchase?
>> I was told by my counselor that she can only reimburse up to $100 
with prior approval. Is this true?
>> Also, in addition to textbook purchase, I am having a hard time 
communicating with my counselor about financial assistance for college 
tuition. I was once told from an adult who attended university in 
California that I am eligible for state university tuition but my DOR 
counselor says that for my first two years the DOR can only provide up 
to community college tuition when certain conditions are met.
>> I think this is mainly a problem of miscommunication and 
misunderstanding on my part to a certain extent.
>> How could I find out accurate information regarding these matters?
>> Best,
>> Miso Kwak
>>
>>
>>
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>
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