<p>Fordham is my top choice school; It always has been. I got accepted, but my parents can't afford to send me here for $55,000. It's SOO expensive! Any suggestions? I really want to avoid being $240,000 in debt after graduation!!</p>
<p>P.S. I'm willing to do ANYTHING! I would go to the financial aid office and BEG for grants! ;)</p>
<p>Either your family is eligible for financial aid or they are not!
If they are not, then taking on private loans for the full cost of Fordham is very unwise. </p>
<p>If you are in-state for New York, then have you considered Oneonta, Potsdam, Geneseo, New Paltz, Binghamton, etc?</p>
<p>Paying for college is getting more and more difficult each day as tuition and fees rise faster than the rate of inflation and parents struggling to make ends meet. I assume you have filed the FAFSA, so you have an expected family contribution. Some parents are willing to forgo much to support their children; others believe that they have only a modest responsibility in this regard. Talk to your parents about this, but understand-it’s their choice about how much financial support they are willing and capable of giving. Fordham provided D2 some good financial aid to us while D1 was still in college. When D1 graduated, we had to pay full freight-but that was our choice. The bottom line is that I think you should not go hugely in debt to finance your college education. Fortunately, there are many public institutions which are relative bargains. These may be a better choice for you.</p>
<p>Wait for FA stuff to come in and if you don’t get good aid or scholarships then there’s not much you can do. DON’T EVER take loans to cover full cost. No school is worth that.</p>
<p>The national average for student loans upon graduation from college is around 25k. Fordham is no different. So while they will ask you to invest in yourself with student loans, they may well provide you grant money, particularly if you are a highly desirable student on their profile and submitted the CSS. Submit the FAFSA asap. Like now.</p>
<p>Some students do get gapped. Sometimes that is because of unique situations with their family wealth profile, such as a very big house or vacation property or lots of investments. </p>
<p>The reality of financing a college education is very daunting to many families. And sometimes they have to make other choices to make that possible, instead of their top choice. Whatever occurs with you, its wise to discuss this with Financial Aid at Fordham. If you got in EA, its likely you are a top student.</p>