<p>So after comparing this and that it looks to be the schools I got accepted to are asking about $15K a year. Lowest is $13K (and that's an in state!) with highest being around $16K. </p>
<p>However my parents can only afford no more than $6K a year....which means I have to find $10K...from somewhere.</p>
<p>But the problem is I DON'T KNOW WHERE!</p>
<p>I've applied to many scholarships but the problem is I don't find out if I win till AFTER May 1st. So I have no idea if I can afford the school or not.</p>
<p>What does this mean for me and my parents?</p>
<p>Do I just not go to school? Work for a year and try then?</p>
<p>The thing is I DID have a financial safety...my in state school...but they gave $650 in Grants, $3,500 in Sub Stafford, $2,000 in UnSub, $1,000 in both Work Study and Perkins. </p>
<p>That totals to be about $7K. I then checked the website for COA and it was $20K.</p>
<p>You need to find $4,000 it sounds like (have your parents promised that they can pay $6,000 eachc year and are you confident they can/will?). You can knock out $2000 this summer with a summer job. You might even be able to knock out the $4,000 if you are ambitious. My neighbor’s son takes a third shift factory job each summer so gets premium pay. If your parents are turned down for a PLUS loan then you can access additional loans. Are the only loans currently in your package Stafford loans? Do you have work/study in your package so you will have some cash coming in for spending money?</p>
<p>The thing is I DID have a financial safety…my in state school…but they gave $650 in Grants, $3,500 in Sub Stafford, $2,000 in UnSub, $1,000 in both Work Study and Perkins.</p>
<p>In a case like yours…an in-state school that you can’t commute to is NOT a financial safety.</p>
<p>Can you quickly apply to an instate school that you can commute to? If not, then you’ll have to work more to help pay for this. You’ll need to figure out how much you can earn w/o hurting your eligibility for grants next year. </p>
<p>For every school that I got accepted to I got Sub and UnSub Stafford, Perkins, and Work Study.</p>
<p>My parents say the most they can pay is $6000. So yeah hopefully they’ll pull through with that.</p>
<p>But one more thing.</p>
<p>Say it’s $15K a year. How do I pay the school?</p>
<p>Because what if I find a job (not work study - more like an outside job) during the school year? I mean it would bring in some extra money even though I’m not sure I would have the time.</p>
<p>I’m asking because if you pay at the END of the year, I would have enough money if I worked DURING the school year.</p>
<p>What is the breakdown COA for the cheapest school (the one that you’ll owe $13k)…perhaps we can find some ways to cut there.</p>
<p>COA Breakdown</p>
<p>Tuition/fees
room (this can vary by choice)
meal plan (this should vary by actual choice)
books
supplies
travel
personal expenses/misc</p>
<p>Certain costs get paid as you go…personal expenses, travel, etc. You can cut costs by choosing a cheaper meal plan, looking for cheaper used books, reselling books after use, not going home as often, etc.</p>
<p>Now what is the FA package breakdown of your cheapest school?</p>
<p>To break this down, the answer is “yes” you can find a job outside of the work/study jobs but there really isn’t any advantage to that during the school year. Work/Study jobs will give you a check every couple of weeks just like a job in the college town. Work/study jobs tend to revolve around the school year and offer more flexibility regarding exam times, etc. unlike outside the campus jobs. Sometimes you can find a job outside of the campus that might pay alittle more (say if you are an experienced waiter and you can knock out great tips). My son did external job freshman year and quickly sophomore year used the work/study because of the flexibility on campus with almost all the jobs with regard to exams, studying, etc. You’ll have the time to do work/study. Most kids are in class 15-20 hours a week. You still have to study but it’s quite different than high school. My oldest goes to class, works 10 hours a week, plays a club sport and still has time to study/write papers and go to labs, etc. </p>
<p>To the second part of your question, check how each school sets up it’s payments. Some do offer a “monthly” payment plan, other’s may want the money in total prior to the start of classes…so check each college website for that answer. My oldest son breaks the tuition payments into 8 payments (Aug/Sept/Oct/Nov for fall semester and Jan/Feb/March/April for spring). S2’s preferred college breaks it into 10 (Aug through May). Summer is different for each college. Regardless your first payment will most likely be in August…some colleges I’ve heard it’s July. Again, check your college websites. Bottom line is you won’t pay at the end of the year, you’ll pay by the semester/quarter etc. or you will be on a payment plan. Almost all colleges won’t let you register for the next term until the previous term’s bill is paid in full. Sometimes there is a small fee for setting up a payment plan. It think for my kids it’s only $40 but that can vary so check that also.</p>
<p>As suggested above, if there is a local state or community college that you can commute to, try to apply now. Perhaps one of those scholarships will come through for the other schools but you need a fall back plan. If the parental contribution can’t be more than $6,000 a year, it’s unlikely you can go away to school at this point. The most likely option is commuting for a year, getting good grades, saving up some money and trying again for the following Fall. Perhaps your parents will be able to give you a little more by then. But trying to work your way through with that kind of financial gap or taking out private loans would seem to be a whole lot of pressure.</p>
<p>Assuming by your screen name that you are in California, I looked up tuition costs (“fees”). Whether at a CalState or at a UC, you will be able to cover tuition. Assuming your parents have you on their health insurance, your problem is room and board. Is there anywhere you could live where you could commute to school? You could live at home and commute. You could live with relatives and pay a small rent. Perhaps you can find an apt to share with high school friends. (That might be too expensive an option since your parents would have to co-sign and there would be a deposit required.) Without knowing the specific breakdown of annual expenses, it is hard to give you any advice beyond that. I don’t know, for example, if a particular college has cheaper rooming and eating options (like a triple or fewer meals on the meal plan). </p>
<p>Before you give up completely, talk to your parents. If their income is low or there is an unusual circumstance, ask them to go to the financial aid office with you. Then call up and make an appt. Have everyone sit down and see if it’s possible to come up with a big more $. Right now, the gap is too big. You are unlikely to be able to come up with $10K on your own and the school already has you taking out a lot of loans. Realistically, if the gap is (accurately) $10K, you could earn 1/3 of that if you start working now (assuming you can find a job). I would ask the school if they can come up with a third and see if your parents can come up with 1/3 or take a PLUS loan for the 1/3. I realize California has budget problems and it may not be possible for the school to come up with more $, but you have nothing to lose.</p>