<p>Hi, I despise my school and what they have done with my academic record. With the merit scholarship I have now - we are paying $15,000 per year after scholarships applied... however I really really want to transfer out to another reputable school in the area.</p>
<p>The school I really like is $22,000 per year though. I'm not sure how that would go over with my parents as I am trying to graduate debt free. </p>
<p>Has anyone been able to swindle a school into giving them merit or grant money is they have great grades (for schools with no transfer aid?) How about third party scholarships for students and transfers? Is it possible/likely that I could make up $5,000 in scholarships if I really tried hard?</p>
<p>Generally speaking, financial aid is better for freshman students than it is for transfers. Run the Net Price Calculator at the website of the college/university that you would like to transfer to, and see whether or not it looks like they would cough up the aid that you think you need.</p>
<p>Talk with your parents. Find out how much they can pay. If they are currently paying $15,000 each year, and the other place would be $20,000, you can cover that difference with a federal loan and a part-time job. Most students graduate with some college debt. As long as you can keep your debt load within the limits of the federal loans ($5,500 freshman, $6,500 sophomore, $7,500 junior and $7,500 senior year) you should be fine.</p>