OK about me:
22 year old wife and mother to 3 and 1 year old boys
Have Medical Coding and Billing diploma; went into the field because they said I could work right after graduation, but it turned out to be too many “complications”; was going to use that work to help me get through college
Need to work full time, but also need to go back to school
VERY little funds for school expenses

I am basically trying to go to school for SOMEthing at this point. I went to school online (Pinnacle Career Institute online) and received my diploma. Was going to get certified, but the certification I would receive was not cared for by employers, so I never did it. That was 2008, fast forward to 2010. I still have school loans, have not held a job for longer than one month (because of pregnancy) and when trying to utilize my “credentials”, no employer wants them.

I have been offered to finish out my diploma by enrolling into the school’s Medical Coding and Billing Associate Degree. Is there even a such thing???? The school is telling me this will help me greatly in the job market. Only problem: it costs $12,000 for 7 months (the remainder of the time I will need to do since I already have the diploma). 2 years in community college for Information Technology (what I REALLY want to go to school for) is the same amount split into 2 years, about $7000 a year. The admissions rep even told me that the IT field is saturated (True? False?), and medical coding and billing is the “2nd top position in the medical field”. What should I do?

The pros for the MC&B –
Online so I can work full time
Would almost guarantee some type of recognition in the job field
I already have gone through more than half of the program

Cons for MC&B -
I am not fully guaranteed that employers are going to like the sound of a Medical Coding and Billing DEGREE
It does cost a lot, and I already have loans to pay back
I will STILL have to go on for Health Information Tech if I want security in my job

Pros for IT:
The field I want to get into
It is an in-demand job
The school is reputable

Cons for IT –
I’m not sure if an Associate’s will be enough
I most likely won’t be able to work or will be working and going to school full-time
If the market really is saturated, I may not have a chance

What is the best decision? What would you do?

I have a good job that pays my bills and all that, but I’m not saving anything hardly, 95% of my paycheck goes to bills, food, gas, etc. I need to save money, partly so I have a safety net if I lose my job, and partly because I’m having a baby soon, and need money for all those wonderful costs that pop up with kids, and I will need a second vehicle for my wife in about 6 months.

Mowing lawns, doing online surveys, second job, garage sales, donating blood (sorry, bad experiences with needles) and other things similar that are either one time or very little I don’t want.

Anything that might help me would be greatly appreciated. Wife is also looking for something extra.
Also, I’ve removed any and all expenses that I don’t need, like cable and I’m not spending money on stupid stuff.

OK about me:
22 year old wife and mother to 3 and 1 year old boys
Have Medical Coding and Billing diploma; went into the field because they said I could work right after graduation, but it turned out to be too many “complications”; was going to use that work to help me get through college
Need to work full time, but also need to go back to school
VERY little funds for school expenses

I am basically trying to go to school for SOMEthing at this point. I went to school online (Pinnacle Career Institute online) and received my diploma. Was going to get certified, but the certification I would receive was not cared for by employers, so I never did it. That was 2008, fast forward to 2010. I still have school loans, have not held a job for longer than one month (because of pregnancy) and when trying to utilize my “credentials”, no employer wants them.

I have been offered to finish out my diploma by enrolling into the school’s Medical Coding and Billing Associate Degree. Is there even a such thing???? The school is telling me this will help me greatly in the job market. Only problem: it costs $12,000 for 7 months (the remainder of the time I will need to do since I already have the diploma). 2 years in community college for Information Technology (what I REALLY want to go to school for) is the same amount split into 2 years, about $7000 a year. The admissions rep even told me that the IT field is saturated (True? False?), and medical coding and billing is the “2nd top position in the medical field”. What should I do?

The pros for the MC&B –
Online so I can work full time
Would almost guarantee some type of recognition in the job field
I already have gone through more than half of the program

Cons for MC&B -
I am not fully guaranteed that employers are going to like the sound of a Medical Coding and Billing DEGREE
It does cost a lot, and I already have loans to pay back
I will STILL have to go on for Health Information Tech if I want security in my job

Pros for IT:
The field I want to get into
It is an in-demand job
The school is reputable

Cons for IT –
I’m not sure if an Associate’s will be enough
I most likely won’t be able to work or will be working and going to school full-time
If the market really is saturated, I may not have a chance

What is the best decision? What would you do?