<p>I am a HS Junior and am very serious about musical theater and I am sure that this is the major that is right for me. I go to a high school that is has very competitive music and theater programs which are typically "seniors first" meaning that the highly talented seniors get the shows selected for them and only the best underclassmen get into the ensemble. This year I was cast as the lead in our musical. It is the first time in the history of my school that an underclassmen ever got cast as a lead over very competitive and talented seniors. I've always known that I want to major in musical theater but my parents want me to pick a "real major" and get a "real job" one day and have announced that despite being financial capable, they are not paying for my college education, no matter the major. This left me unsure of where to turn. I have come this far with no financial and emotional support from my parents and I have been fine on my own. (For instance, little dance experience, no professional voice or acting lessons, etc. I have taught myself and I have gotten my voice and drama directors to help me.) My directors are very impressed with me and encourage me to follow my dreams and attend a mt school with an excellent program and right now my sights are set on CMU (like everyone, right?) :) but I am very concerned with my financial situation. How can I afford a $41,000+ school when I will be recieving absolutley no financial support from my parents? I have a few family members who will contribute what they can but I know it won't even put a dent in my living expenses muchless my tuition. Do you think that financial aid and maybe some scholarships will be enough? Or should I give up my dream? Please give me advice I have no where to turn.</p>
<p>Hi broadwayashlee!</p>
<p>I know that the cost must seem really scary to you, because 2 years into CMU, it’s still really scary to me! Some things to start looking in are, FAFSA. Which is government federal aid. You fill it out with your parents the year before the newest school year, and the government, based upon your parents financial situation will give you money. There are other options such as scholarships and grants, and the university itself gives you financial aid packets upon your acceptance.
Scholarship are great, once senior year hits, make sure to start applying as soon as you can to ANY you see!! They can be small ones in your community to big ones nationally, but apply apply apply!!
I hope this helps.
Break a leg!</p>
<p>Thanks so much! I really appreciate your help.
If anyone has anymore advice, I’d really appreciate it.
Thanks :)</p>
<p>Broadway- It sounds as if you are very talented. Before you settle in on any one school, take the time to really go thru the threads on this forum to learn all you can about the audition and acceptance process. There is a lot of discussion about coming up with a list of schools that may fit your needs. You have to realize that out of all of the talented people out there, CMU only accepts a very few. No matter how good you are, the chances are very slim that you will be accepted. It is no reflection on your talent; you may just not be the type they are looking for that year. So you must make sure you have a list that offers you the best chance of success. That being said, there has also been a lot of discussion about financing the MT program. All the FAFSA does is determine how much your family is able to help in financing your education- not how much they WILL finance, but how much they should be able to. It does not guarantee that you will receive any “free” money- in fact it will almost certainly not result in your costs being covered. You may take out loans but of course those have to be payed back. And you may receive talent or scholastic merit scholarships, but again usually not enough to cover your expenses. Look at the thread “Money issues… is it worth it?” to get an idea of what it would take to pay back loans- it is definitely not worth it. Make sure to apply to state schools and a variety of private programs to give yourself plenty of options when it comes time to choose a program. Good luck!</p>
<p>Takeitallin,
I am very happy that you responded. I am very debt adverse and the above mentioned post was more than a little frightening. Just yesterday I read about a young women who went to her atm and found the bank she owed money to had gotten a judgement and emptied her bank account. Not only did she owe the money but also interest, late fees and legal fees. Together the fees tripled her original loan balance. Students, parents, I hope you understand debt can impact future job oportunities, travel and vacation oportunities and where and how you live. Your chances for buying investments or saving for retirement while you are young, (and able to take advantage of compounding interest) is very very low. Years of rent instead of purchasing a home will hurt your chances of wealth accumultation. Find a program you can afford without a lot of debt after graduation then you can afford to be an actor after graduation.</p>
<p>broadwayashlee - My D is a senior this year so we have spent the past year going through this process. The majority of the “big” scholarship money my d received were academic scholarships, not talent. She did receive talent awards and some were very nice, but definitely the money was there for academics. So do the best you can in class and make sure you don’t blow off the SAT/ACT. Some schools post what you need for GPA/SAT score to get academic money so take time now to look at those numbers as you are compiling your list of schools.</p>
<p>We gave my D an amount we could afford to pay going in to the process so she knew the rest would have to come from scholarships and her student loan. So if you can pull together an idea of what those other family members would be willing to contibute that will help you see where your gap is so to speak. We were thrilled when my D was accepted to NYU/Tisch and anxiously awaited their financial aid letter. While she did receive a nice Tisch scholarship, it left a gap for us of $40,000 a year. While we “might” be able to pull together/borrow that amount, we would be paying those loans back when my D graduated from college so would not be able to help her at all as she moves to New York and pursues her career. She decided that she would rather attend one of the other great schools on her list knowing that she will not graduate with debt and her parents will be able to offer support post college.</p>
<p>One of the best things we did was put together a spreadsheet with her list of schools, with columns for tuition, room and board and misc. expenses, plus columns for academic awards, talent awards and other awards. We then totalled each one to see what was left for us to pay. It was a very good tool for us going through this process so you may want to do the same.</p>
<p>You sound like a very talented young lady and I am glad you are looking at this now. Break legs at the auditions next year and I am sure you will have lots of great options at the end of the process.</p>
<p>Thank you so much everyone for the great advice and the support on this issue!Austinmtmom-I will take your advice about the spreadsheet. That is very helpful and a great idea. Thanks so much for posting :)</p>
<p>When it comes time to fill out the FAFSA next year your parents will be required to provide financial information. A lot of loan packages will include Parent Plus loans. I believe that for the most part students are only able to borrow $5500 in the freshman year in stafford loans.</p>
<p>You will not be able to take out large loans yourself, and your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) will be calculated with the assumption that your parents will help with college, I believe. This is a good question to ask your college guidance counselor at school and the financial aid offices at the schools where you apply.</p>
<p>Wait- your parents want you to get a real major, but even if you do choose a major other than musical theatre, they will still not pay for college? If that’s not the case, than the easier solution would be finding a school that allows you to double major.</p>
<p>If your parents won’t pay for college either way (ouch), then I’d suggest a 2-year conservatory program like Circle in the Square. They’re typically much cheaper and are phenomenal. :)</p>
<p>Another option is to attend your local community college and then transfer to a BA program in MT. And no, don’t give up your dream of MT, but maybe consider some different ways to get there.</p>
<p>May I suggest that you consider The University of Wyoming? They have a very low out of state tuition, give very nice academic and talent scholarship, and have a very nice facility. My son was accepted there and he and my husband visited - they both like the campus and found the professors to be very supportive. The program is growing, and will send you off to a great start - you can then focus on a masters at one of the top schools. Although my son is not going to go there, I do think that kids should start looking at this school.</p>