HELP with paying for college

[steggyD]

[quote name='Actium' post='519082' date='Jul 31 2007, 12:20 AM']I thought the FAFSA determined total family contribution...?

this may be way off base, but maybe check again and make sure it doesn't say that the total amount you owe is $3500...and not the total amount they'll give you? It never hurts to be certain[/quote]
It kinda does both. My total contribution was always $0. But of course, I was out of my parents house, and married with children. But then there was a max amount allowed also. But, you know what. I think that was determined by the college.

[Actium]

[quote name='steggyD' post='519085' date='Jul 30 2007, 11:21 PM']It kinda does both. My total contribution was always $0. But of course, I was out of my parents house, and married with children. But then there was a max amount allowed also. But, you know what. I think that was determined by the college.[/quote]

yeah, I was always 0 too when I did it on my own. I guess our young friend here CCC has to include his parents' income, so that probably makes it harder.

But there is always a way around these things. Just talk to someone there and hopefully it will come together.

[ColorChanginClique]

[quote name='Actium' post='519082' date='Jul 31 2007, 12:20 AM']I thought the FAFSA determined total family contribution...?

this may be way off base, but maybe check again and make sure it doesn't say that the total amount you owe is $3500...and not the total amount they'll give you? It never hurts to be certain

also I thought the most you can get for federal stafford loans is $18,500. that's a mix of both subsidized and unsubsidized. that's how it was for grad school anyhow.

Did you get your financial aid package from the college? Maybe talk to them, as they may be able to give more helpful suggestions as they understand the situation better[/quote]

No I got my fafsa report months ago and my tuition bill is made. I got 3500 in federal loans and owe almost 9000 for the year. The max federal loan money you could get is only a couple thousand really. Grad school is different.

[steggyD]

Let's attack this from another angle. I'd hate to see someone give up on their secondary college plans. What college are you trying to attend? What's your major plan? Is there a community college nearby to start at that might be cheaper?

[Actium]

[quote name='ColorChanginClique' post='519092' date='Jul 30 2007, 11:29 PM']No I got my fafsa report months ago and my tuition bill is made. I got 3500 in federal loans and owe almost 9000 for the year. The max federal loan money you could get is only a couple thousand really. Grad school is different.[/quote]

Yeah I figured you knew what was going on but it never hurts to be sure

[ColorChanginClique]

[quote name='steggyD' post='519093' date='Jul 31 2007, 12:31 AM']Let's attack this from another angle. I'd hate to see someone give up on their secondary college plans. What college are you trying to attend? What's your major plan? Is there a community college nearby to start at that might be cheaper?[/quote]

SUNY Plattsburgh majoring in nutrition

There's Monroe Community College near me. How would going there help though? Let's say I could afford it for 2 years. I would run into the exact same problem 2 years from now if I tried to transfer into a real college. Unless I saved 90% of the money I'd make working part time the next 2 years, I'd have the same hard time trying to pay for college then

[steggyD]

Plattsburgh? My brother-in-law went there.

Here's how community college helps. Federal grants will pay for the tuition for two years, and if a community college helps and you can just finish the last two years at the other college, then you just need to take out enough loans for two years, instead of four. Or you could even prove to be such a great student at the community college, that you could apply for scholarships. There is so much money out there for college, you just need to be hungry enough to get it, and work your ass off to get every last bit of it.

[Actium]

[quote name='ColorChanginClique' post='519101' date='Jul 30 2007, 11:42 PM']SUNY Plattsburgh majoring in nutrition

There's Monroe Community College near me. How would going there help though? Let's say I could afford it for 2 years. I would run into the exact same problem 2 years from now if I tried to transfer into a real college. Unless I saved 90% of the money I'd make working part time the next 2 years, I'd have the same hard time trying to pay for college then[/quote]

did you look into private scholarships? there are a lot of them out there under the sun. some merit-based, others because of your interest, others because of your race, religion, whatever.

See about applying to all those. Are you black? If so maybe look into the United Negro College Fund. I don't know how all these things work, but it's worth investigating.

[ColorChanginClique]

[quote name='steggyD' post='519104' date='Jul 31 2007, 12:46 AM']Plattsburgh? My brother-in-law went there.

Here's how community college helps. Federal grants will pay for the tuition for two years, and if a community college helps and you can just finish the last two years at the other college, then you just need to take out enough loans for two years, instead of four. Or you could even prove to be such a great student at the community college, that you could apply for scholarships. There is so much money out there for college, you just need to be hungry enough to get it, and work your ass off to get every last bit of it.[/quote]

Taking out loans for 2 years instead of 4 sounds good, but how would I be able to do that? Unless I get a credit card and hussle my ass using it to buy shit I can't afford and try to pay it back and establish good credit in the next 2 years ( you need 21 months of good credit to quality for private loans) I still wont qualify for loans. And I would get the same low amount of federal loans 2 years from now which would put me in the same boat I am now. Community college seems like it would only stall the inevitable. Tuition at mcc is like 2500 a year which isn't that much cheaper than plattsburg anyways

[steggyD]

Hey, I'm just throwing all the variables out there. You look into all the options, and weigh them against each other. Ponder upon all your options before you give up completely.

One other thing to consider about community college. Many people change their minds while attending college about what they want to do for a living. So, maybe do something that allows you to be more flexible.

[ScarletKnight]

First thing is first, I know your situation sounds hopeless, but I am sure there is some way to work things out. I did not read all the posts, so if I am redundent in anyway I apologize.

To start, I had similar money troubles when I first started college. A great way to save money right off the bat is to commute. Yeah it might sound crappy because you want to live on campus but it shaves off a large amount of the price.

The next thing is to look into scholarships, there are thousands of scholarships out there waiting for high school graduates to grab....you just have to look. In fact, not all of them require a high GPA or SAT score. For example, you can get one for being left handed or part native american or just really patriotic....the list goes on. Borders Books has a book full of them, near the test prep books (i just bought an lsat prep test book taking it in sept!)

Also, although you may have a small scholarship now, after your first year that might change. When I first went to college I did not receive any scholarship, although i had a high GPA my SAT score was not a 1250 so I was over looked. However, after my first year they recognized that I was doing extremely well and I was asked to be in a scholars program and they let me go to school for free. Infact, I have not had to pay for college since. So if you work hard you may be able to solve your problem all together.

You MUST look into all the payment possibities. I know that at my school you can make monthly payments instead of having to pay large chunk all at once. As well, there is something called the federal work study program which allows you to get an on campus job that will actually help pay for your tuition. There are also other programs and some schools do different things so it is important to look that up

Lastly, think about going to a two year school community college first. They are much cheaper and if you take all the required classes for transfering to the 4 year school you want you can save tons of money. If you do well enough at the community college you will probably get a scholarship to it. Also, you can strap down and save up for the four year school.

I hope this helps, if I think of anything else I will let ya know....

[Actium]

[quote name='ScarletKnight' post='519115' date='Jul 31 2007, 12:11 AM']First thing is first, I know your situation sounds hopeless, but I am sure there is some way to work things out. I did not read all the posts, so if I am redundent in anyway I apologize.

To start, I had similar money troubles when I first started college. A great way to save money right off the bat is to commute. Yeah it might sound crappy because you want to live on campus but it shaves off a large amount of the price.

The next thing is to look into scholarships, there are thousands of scholarships out there waiting for high school graduates to grab....you just have to look. In fact, not all of them require a high GPA or SAT score. For example, you can get one for being left handed or part native american or just really patriotic....the list goes on. Borders Books has a book full of them, near the test prep books (i just bought an lsat prep test book taking it in sept!)

Also, although you may have a small scholarship now, after your first year that might change. When I first went to college I did not receive any scholarship, although i had a high GPA my SAT score was not a 1250 so I was over looked. However, after my first year they recognized that I was doing extremely well and I was asked to be in a scholars program and they let me go to school for free. Infact, I have not had to pay for college since. So if you work hard you may be able to solve your problem all together.

You MUST look into all the payment possibities. I know that at my school you can make monthly payments instead of having to pay large chunk all at once. As well, there is something called the federal work study program which allows you to get an on campus job that will actually help pay for your tuission. There are also other programs and some schools do different things so it is important to look that up

Lastly, think about going to a two year school community college first. They are much cheaper and if you take all the required classes for transfering to the 4 year school you want you can save tons of money. If you do well enough at the community college you will probably get a scholarship to it. Also, you can strap down and save up for the four year school.

I hope this helps, if I think of anything else I will let ya know....which school is it you want to go to?[/quote]



please think long and hard before you decide to go to law school. Being a lawyer is awful. Of course, some of my friends like how much money they make, but not all lawyers are well compensated, and they all work really hard. Please, if there's anything else you might enjoy, try that first.

I've been practicing for 8 months and am already miserable. Right not I am looking into trying to procure an intelligence analyst position with the FBI--I've always wanted to work in law enforcement.

I'm not saying you won't enjoy the law, but as a warning--most people don't. You will become cynical and jaded very fast.

end hijack

ETA of course my view is tempered by the fact I was an awful student and was bored all the time and now no firm will hire me. I am the legal leper. So take that into consideration

[ScarletKnight]

[quote name='Actium' post='519116' date='Jul 31 2007, 01:17 AM']

please think long and hard before you decide to go to law school. Being a lawyer is awful. Of course, some of my friends like how much money they make, but not all lawyers are well compensated, and they all work really hard. Please, if there's anything else you might enjoy, try that first.

I've been practicing for 8 months and am already miserable. Right not I am looking into trying to procure an intelligence analyst position with the FBI--I've always wanted to work in law enforcement.

I'm not saying you won't enjoy the law, but as a warning--most people don't. You will become cynical and jaded very fast.

end hijack

ETA of course my view is tempered by the fact I was an awful student and was bored all the time and now no firm will hire me. I am the legal leper. So take that into consideration[/quote]

HAHA, I hear mixed reviews from people who have become lawyers, I have a cousin who is a prosecutor in NJ and absolutely loves it. Then I hear from others that it is terribly boring. A large part of the difference has to do with the different types of law and which one you would like to practice. I absolutely love college and am the dork that sits in the front of the class asking questions and participating in discussion. So I am excited about law school, but also aware of the challanges and many sleepless nights.

I am personally interested in constitutional law, and although I wouldn't mind the "big bucks" I see myself doing more nonprofit law and helping those less fortunate. Still, if I do not become a practicing lawyer going to law school can do no harm. I am extremely into politics and many politicians took the path of going to law school before hand. The Dean of my college went to law school but did not become a practicing lawyer. She taught a scholar class of mine and I have had a few discussions with her outside of class....she has so far informed me that law school is a good idea no matter what. So, I am just going to go with the flow so far and see where it takes me!

[Actium]

[quote name='ScarletKnight' post='519119' date='Jul 31 2007, 12:37 AM']

HAHA, I hear mixed reviews from people who have become lawyers, I have a cousin who is a prosecutor in NJ and absolutely loves it. Then I hear from others that it is terribly boring. A large part of the difference has to do with the different types of law and which one you would like to practice. I absolutely love college and am the dork that sits in the front of the class asking questions and participating in discussion. So I am excited about law school, but also aware of the challanges and many sleepless nights.

I am personally interested in constitutional law, and although I wouldn't mind the "big bucks" I see myself doing more nonprofit law and helping those less fortunate. Still, if I do not become a practicing lawyer going to law school can do no harm. I am extremely into politics and many politicians took the path of going to law school before hand. The Dean of my college went to law school but did not become a practicing lawyer. She taught a scholar class of mine and I have had a few discussions with her outside of class....she has so far informed me that law school is a good idea no matter what. So, I am just going to go with the flow so far and see where it takes me! [/quote]

Well good luck, but don't expect too much from it. It's not really all that fascinating and many of the people in law school are not cool. They'll stab you in the back in a second. All for something that doesn't really matter.

I hope you like politics because the law is quite political. special interests rule everything and are ruining the profession.

And it's extraordinarily expensive, so beware that too.

Believe me, you might start off fighting for a cause but you will become jaded. I too hope to help the less fortunate but don't idealize them. They will lie to you and screw you over. It's happened to me.

You don't really have to do all that much work in law school--although it's advisable. There's only 1 test, and that's your whole grade. I usually did nothing all semester and studied for about 2 hours before the test. That was not smart. I may have done better and then I wouldn't be in my current situation if I were a better student. But the problem is, I can't study all the time. It was a miracle I did as much for the Bar as I did.

I am very bitter about the whole thing and would not do it again. I'm warning you, don't listen to just the successful people. I owe a fortune and am not making much right now--I still work as a law clerk because no firm will hire me, and I also work for my own firm. I know I am a great attorney and have already had a jury trial--very rare at this point in my career--but no one cares. Some friends have already jumped from one firm to another and I can't even get 1 job. I have to think something is wrong with me. There's no reason why someone won't give me a chance. But they won't.

Bear all this in mind when evaluating what I say. But most lawyers make peanuts, and the top-tier make $150,000 starting (and that's what raises the average salary). 90% won't even sniff that. And the thing that makes me maddest is that I have done far more already on my own than they will dream of doing in 3 years. They won't even get to take a deposition until their 3rd year. They just now are allowed to talk to client contacts after a year or so.

Please forgive this rant--sometimes I forget how pissed off I am about the whole situation. If you do decide to go into law, don't make the same mistakes I did. Study hard, and work as a clerk throughout law school. Godspeed

[|BlackJesus|]

[font="Arial Narrow"][size=3][b]My tips ... (as someone who has had to seek finances for a Bachelors, Masters, and now a PhD)


1. Don't sign up for the military

2. Do some online research into grants ... search under the field you would like to work in ... also if you are a minority there are many different funds set up ... you could also claim to be 1/3 Cherokee

3. A college loan provider like Sallie Mae usually will give you the full amount without credit ... check into them.

4. Remember the option of Community College for 2 years .... then you can always transfer to a state school ... and get the pre reqs out of the way for much cheaper and save up $.

5. Move to any of the other industrialized nations of the World (Canada, Europe, etc) Where college is free. On your way out remember to give Uncle Sam the finger. [/b][/size][/font]

[-GoBengals-]

[quote name='ColorChanginClique' post='519046' date='Jul 30 2007, 11:35 PM']Dont you have to go to bootcamp still no matter what you do? And couldnt I be potentially sent to iraq if I enrolled in the army?[/quote]


yea.. anyone telling you to join the service for college money is looney tunes. no offense to those who are insane, dont ever do anything you truely dont want to do to get some college loot.

getting a private loan wont be too hard, with NO credit history, a few grand loan wont be tough, BAD credit will screw you, but NO credit usually doesnt.

i paid cash for my school and did fafasa fed loans for the one simester i couldnt pay for. i would recomend going to a branch of the university at first, what school is it? its about half the cost.

[ickeyshuffler]

[quote name='BlackJesus' post='519124' date='Jul 31 2007, 01:57 AM'][font="Arial Narrow"][size=3][b]My tips ... (as someone who has had to seek finances for a Bachelors, Masters, and now a PhD)

2. ... you could also claim to be 1/3 Cherokee
[/b][/size][/font][/quote]


one of my favorite go-bengals qoutes of all time.

[BengalBacker]

Establishing good credit isn't that hard if your just starting. Recovering from bad credit is different.

Go to community college for a year or two. Get a part time job. Get a couple of credit cards. Every time you use one, put the money aside to pay for it.

Never think of those credit cards as anything but a tool to get you in college. Pay the balance in full every month. One or two larger purchases, like a tv or something might help. If a family member is going to go buy a new tv and pay cash, have them give you the money, put it on your card, and pay it off as soon as you get the bill. The danger is if you're too stupid and immature to use credit cards wisely, and responsibly.

In a year (or 2) you will have established some credit, earned some college credits, matured, possibly have a different direction you want to go with you education, and saved lots of money.

[|Bengal Migration|]

I was once in your shoes and found my way through just fine, and you will too. Some tips:

1- consider community college. I wasn't excited about it when I went, but it was the best thing I ever could have done. I started going to classes part time while working, which allowed me to get used to post HS education, study a range of subjects so I would know what I actually wanted a degree in, and establish good grades so I could get into any school I wanted. All while working and paying the bills so I wasn't building up debt. It's a MUCH cheaper option, and a good one imo, for those paying their own way. After a year or two you can transfer to a school that matches your decided field of study.

2- if you decide that's not what you want to do, you really need to get to work with the Financial Aid office where you are going to school. Actually, you should have been doing this over the past several months... I used to work in Financial Aid at Georgetown University, and did work study in the FA office at UVa when I was there. You've dropped the ball somewhere in this process. You should have known since April or May what your financial situation was going to be, and have had plenty of time to get shit in order. There is no reason whatsoever why you should be trying to figure this shit out this late in the process. I'm not saying this to bust your balls, but to make a point that you need to remember very clearly if you're going to be paying for this yourself. If you're going to be relying on the efforts of the FA office to meet your costs of schooling, you need to meet every deadline in the process. If you do, you will find that the folks in that office are much more willing and able to help. I know this is a big transition from being a HS kid with no worries, to trying to finance your own education - it's a huge difference. But YOU have to be the one to stay on top of the process. No one will hold your hand through it, especially if you aren't meeting deadlines, and reading the material they send you along the way. (yes, I'm off on a rant, but this is the best advice I can possibly give you. The difference it will make over the length of your education will be huge. Trust me on this..)

As someone mentioned earlier, Sallie Mae, etc should be willing to provide you with a commercial loan to cover the remainder of your educational expenses. This will not be a need based loan, so the interest rates will be quite a bit higher, usually by 3-5%. But the money IS available, should you decide to go this route. Also, unlike the need based loans, the interest on these types of loans begins accruing from the day the loan is disbursed, meaning you are going to pay a ton more in interest over the life of the loan. On the plus side, you can start school full-time immediately. On the minus side, you're going to pay a LOT more money for your education if you go this route. Proceed with caution. I have no idea what type of salary you should expect to make with a degree in nutrition, but you'll be spending a large chunk of it on paying back loans for a good long time.

FWIW, here's what I did. I took a year off after HS graduation, worked full time, put aside a bit of money, and got hungry for going back to school. Then I did about 2 years of working full time and attending classes at CC part time, eventually actually working and going to school full time, which was a lot of work. This was good for several reasons. First, I came to a clear decision about what I actually wanted to study in college when I went full time (which was quite different from what I thought I would study when I left HS). Second, I had no student loans to pay back for my first 2 years of college. Third, I earned good grades that let me transfer to a great school. And the biggie, I had established my financial independence from my parents. This is no small point. This meant that when I finally went to school full time, my parents financial info could no longer be included in the financial aid application process (not that they had any $$ laying around anyway). The big difference here is that I was now eligible for need based financial aid for almost every single $$ of my education. I received some $$ in grants, some in loans, and only needed a minimum of supplemental loans to make up the difference. Made a big, big difference in my debt load when I finished school. (this part of the deal is no gimme, you will have to clearly establish that you have being paying your own way for 2-3 years at least in terms of rent, bills, education, etc to get any consideration. but it can be done)

And now that I've run on for about 10x more than you wanted to read, I'm off for another cup of coffee. Hope at least some of that is worth reading..

[ColorChanginClique]

The problem with Sallie Mae is that they offer federal loans, which maxes out at 3500, and I already got that. The other ones are private loans and they of course mention right off the bat that credit is necessary from either you or a cosigner.

[bengalrick]

are you sure that subsidized federal loans max out at 3500? I was about to go to ITT tech a few years ago and got all the student loan papers together... and i had student loans for over 10,000 dollars a year... i'm not sure where you're getting that 3500 dollar figure, but i'm not quite sure your right...

[|Bunghole|]

[quote name='ColorChanginClique' post='519153' date='Jul 31 2007, 04:31 AM']The problem with Sallie Mae is that they offer federal loans, which maxes out at 3500, and I already got that. The other ones are private loans and they of course mention right off the bat that credit is necessary from either you or a cosigner.[/quote]
I really fail to understand how you cannot get the loans you need. If your parents can't or won't pay for it, then somehow their income is being used against you. My parents have a decent amount of money, and I had absolutely zero problems borrowing the full amount I needed for tuition and books, and then i was 24 and had NO credit history.

[|Bengal Migration|]

[quote name='bengalrick' post='519160' date='Jul 31 2007, 12:52 PM']are you sure that subsidized federal loans max out at 3500? I was about to go to ITT tech a few years ago and got all the student loan papers together... and i had student loans for over 10,000 dollars a year... i'm not sure where you're getting that 3500 dollar figure, but i'm not quite sure your right...[/quote]
He is right. 3500 for a freshman, 4500 for a sophomore, 5500 for juniors and seniors in college...

[|Bengal Migration|]

[quote name='Bunghole' post='519163' date='Jul 31 2007, 01:34 PM']I really fail to understand how you cannot get the loans you need. If your parents can't or won't pay for it, then somehow their income is being used against you. My parents have a decent amount of money, and I had absolutely zero problems borrowing the full amount I needed for tuition and books, and then i was 24 and had NO credit history.[/quote]
This was after your years in the service, yes? You were likely qualified as being independent of your folks by then, so you would qualify for more need based/subsidized funding.

I have no doubt he can get the money, but he's going to pay stupidly high interest rates if his folks won't at least co-sign on the loan.

[bengalrick]

[quote name='WhoDeyUK' post='519164' date='Jul 31 2007, 08:37 AM']He is right. 3500 for a freshman, 4500 for a sophomore, 5500 for juniors and seniors in college...[/quote]

i was a junior when this happened, and i had over 10,000 dollars of federal loan money allocated and ready for me...

granted, i had good credit, but that isn't the argument here... he is saying that the federal gov't will only give a freshman 3500 dollars, which i don't think is right...

<edit> I might be wrong, but if i am this law is royally fucked up... i say this b/c i read the bottom of [url="http://financialaid.ucdavis.edu/undergraduate/types/Loans.html"]this[/url] link... someone reread this and make sure i'm right... the reason i was able to get that is b/c i was an independant undergrad...