<p>Have you done any babysitting? There are tons of babysitting jobs in the Boston area and it can be both quite lucrative and a source of immediate income while you look for something more permanent. Try registering at Sittercity.com and looking on bulletin boards at school.</p>
<p>One suggestion I don’t see that won’t solve your problem but could help: some schools will increase COA one time (usually freshman year) for items like a computer and/ or winter clothing for a southerner at a northern school. It is unusual and BU is not in the financial aid league of the schools I’ve known that do this-- so if you mention this, do it very gently (and maybe to the supervisor, when you finally write and/ or talk to him or her) and grovel a bit about it. Just say you know it’s unusual, but you have heard that some schools increase Coa one time for computer or winter clothing for southerner and, while you know it’s a lot to ask, you were wordering if, in the hopes of resolving the problem, BU would be willing to do this for you so that some of the outside money you won could go toward that and you would owe the school less.</p>
<p>As I mentioned earlier, and dodgersmom just mentioned too, summer camps within a couple hours of Boston are numerous, and they are looking for counselors as we speak. My D is working at one in NH and has to be there June 10 and stay until late August, just a week before starting back at her college. She will be paid around $3000 just for the summer and have room and board free. It’s not a ton of money, and it’s a lot of fun work, but considering room and board are included, that’s a great deal! The only thing she had to pay all last summer was for her laundry to be done, which was very minimal, and for gas when she went on a couple little trips on her days off. Volunteering is admirable, but it’s not going to help you pay BU. There is a website specifically for campjobs at a .com, so google it now! It really may be the only type of seasonal job that is still looking for workers and gives you free food and housing with pay.</p>
<p>TwoTravelin, the loan was given to me to hold the place while my scholarship money came in. Then they were taken away. Somehow I still ended up with $230 in loans though.</p>
<p>Everyone else, thank you so much for your feedback! It helps me ease my mind a little. I don’t know if I sound like I am whining, or whatever, but I do feel awful terrible about myself for this whole situation, even if half of it is the financial aid office’s fault. I guess it’s nice to tell someone, especially an adult, because I really can’t rely on my father for this (I told him, but he can’t really help me much and my mother doesn’t really care). I haven’t told many people about my situation .</p>
<p>I am definitely looking on sittercity.com (just created an account) and am looking on craigslist as well, though summer camp jobs are a bit harder to seek out in between the other postings. I did the search you told me about, though, dodgersmom, and I do see some openings and I am going to look into that. I think the biggest thing I worry about with doing something outside of Boston is how I’d get there and back, and what I would do with my stuff. Can’t afford to store it for the entire summer…or even for a little bit of time right now.</p>
<p>Since memorial day is today, I can’t call the financial aid office and set up an appointment with someone higher up, but I can definitely call on Tuesday. Also, I guess I should talk to my supervisor in my summer program and tell her there many be a possibility of me dropping out of the program.</p>
<p>I know this is hard for you. I just want you to understand that BU is <em>not</em> being unreasonable. Every school would ask for their money back and it is your responsibility now, as an adult, to be on top of your financial things. I had this happen years ago to me with a medical bill. The doctor’s office incorrectly refunded me too much money. It was a complicated insurance situation but I called the doctor’s office and they told me I was wrong, it was definitely mine. So I cashed the check. Almost a year later, their auditor went back and found that they had, in fact, refunded me too much money and I had o pay it back. So these things can come up in your post-college life.</p>
<p>Also, reread teachandmom’s last post for a website to look for jobs. Paying this back has to be your top priority so you can continue school.</p>
<p>Thank you, it is really hard. I completely understand that this is was an incorrect refund, and that they aren’t being “unreasonable.” I understand that I am an adult and have to take care of that. I get that and I have totally learned many things throughout all of this. I understand they made a mistake and want their money back (I mean, who wouldn’t?). I just hate that the mistake comes down to me possibly having to give up an education like BU, especially when I have limited resources for a situation like this. Like I said earlier, I left home for a reason and I’d rather not have to go back if I can help it.</p>
<p>Here is the bottom line: most of the time, like almost all of the time, if you get money to which you are not entitled due to a mistake, YOU are the one responsible for that overage, not the person/institution/process that gave you the money. I am feel badly for you, and I wish there were someone at that school that can sit down and work this out for you. But the bottom line is that YOU owe the money. </p>
<p>This can happen with taxes, bank mistakes, billing mistakes, insurance mistakes. The bottom line is that if you owe the amount, and you spent the overage, you owe it. I’ve seen some very sad consequences of this where poverty stricken elderly folks got an overage of social security or other benefits and then got their checks cut off to pay back the money leaving them with NO income when they were already barely making it. Doesn’t matter. They owe the money.</p>
<p>The way it works, is that you owe the $1500. Is there anyone at the school, a student affairs dean or anyone, that can sit down and work this out with you? </p>
<p>I don’t know if staying in Boston was such a good idea, for you. My kids do not qualify for any financial aid but always had to come home in the summer because they can live for little additional cost at home, and work and keep more of what they make. Even if they rented a 12 month apartment at school, they could sublet that. They have worked three jobs here to get enough of a stash for the school year and their personal wants, since we are paying what we can afford towards their cost, and they need to come up with the rest of the money and for any discretionary costs. </p>
<p>As for the "whys’:, the school made a mistake, multiple mistakes. They weren’t trying to cause an issue for you, you do realize that don’t you? It is rare for students to get more than COA, and they did not process this properly. The problem is that though it is their mistake, you got the money when you should not have, so you have to return it. That’s the way it works.</p>
<p>Do look for a student advocate at the school to work with you. So that you do not have to take off a year to get this straight. The problem with owing the federal government is that they will freeze any further aid to you. So you need to get this fixed this summer. </p>
<p>The school does not owe you anything in terms of finding ANY job for you now or ever. The summer is usually an extension of the school year, and you are over the limits already. You seem to think that the school has some responsibility for you. It’s a business. They have given you what they feel they can, and really the rest is up to you. Work study comes out of the financial aid pouch and you have to have need to get some. When you are over COA already, forget the Work Study, you are not eligible. </p>
<p>Your best chance to get this resolved is to ask the school for a one year interest free loan to get this straightened out, and then you do next year. You will then have to tighten your belt extra hard. Most people do not get much or any extra money when on aid. They scrape and scrimp. Few people get windfalls in financial aids. So this year, you will have to go through this gauntlet. BU is a private school and owes no one anything in terms of financial aid.</p>
<p>Yes, I understand that, which is why I am looking for a job. Please don’t undermine me. I understand I am the adult here and have to pay this off somehow. If I didn’t get it before, I definitely get it now. I’m trying to do what I need to. And, of course, I know they aren’t trying to make an issue for me, especially when that just creates more work for them. I understand that though it is their mistake, I still have to return the money. I recognize where I am wrong in this and I recognize where they are wrong in this. And I definitely know that it’s a business after this; I can’t forget now. </p>
<p>As to not living in Boston for the summer - this seemed like a better idea than living at home, where it is extremely difficult to find a job because of the high unemployment rate. The only time I have ever worked at home during the summer is through a national program for economically disadvantaged kids. That program paid me and any money I had left over was used for high school, my sisters, or to help pay bills around the house. Other than that, I’ve never had success with job hunting back home. At least living here in Boston, I am able to improve my resume because the program I am volunteering for is a national, prestigious program and I don’t have to pay for housing. It seemed like a better idea than lying around all summer, doing nothing. </p>
<p>Do you think they’ll give me a one year no-interest loan so I can work this out over the course of the year? Even if I don’t have a cosigner? Since you don’t need one for federal loans…If so, I can definitely try and talk to them about that. </p>
<p>A student advocate or a student affairs dean? I’m not sure if there is, but I can look into it.</p>
<p>Thanks for your suggestions; they’re really helpful.</p>
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<p>Gosh, I hate “stuff” - it can be a real pain! Ask absolutely everyone you know if they have any ideas about a cheap storage solution.</p>
<p>As for transportation, you can probably get reasonably close to any summer camp by bus - and I’m sure the camp would be willing to help you with the travel arrangements.</p>
<p>Obviously, since you have free housing in the city, if you can find a job there, that would be ideal. You’d be stuck paying for food, but you wouldn’t have to deal with storing stuff, etc. And $1,500 is not that much . . . although you should earn as much as possible over and above, so you have the spending money you need for next year.</p>
<p>Hang in there . . . you’ll find a way to make it work!</p>
<p>P.S. For whatever it’s worth, this happens all too often in life: no matter who actually made the mistake, you are the one who ends up having to fix it! Dwelling on the unfairness of the situation never helps - the best approach is just to focus on a solution.</p>
<p>The financial aid office is likely the one to give the loan, but you need someone to help you advocate. I don’t know what department or who you are supposed to contact when you are in trouble as a student, but you had better find out.</p>
<p>I think you are out of your mind staying in Boston, volunteering when you need money yourself. Even with housing covered, you will need some cash. I don’t think you get it. If you are a high financial aid, high need student, and I was one, so I can tell you how it is, you are not on equal footing with your peers who have parent that can cover costs. I have to remind my kids of this a lot, because even though we are paying their costs, we don’t have the extras that a lot of their friends have. My kids HAVE to find high paying jobs over the summer and during the school year, to go to the schools they want. Otherwise it’s commute to the local college. We can cover their living expenses if they do that. But if they want to go away to school, there is a gap, and they have to help meet it. That means they CANNOT volunteer for lots of hours. They need to WORK. One, two, three jobs even. 90 hours a week while the work is there. They are absolutely NOT on the same playing field as those kids whose parents are covering everything with room to spare. And you are on a whole other level than either.</p>
<p>You need to be making money. A lot of it. My son last year got a great opportunity to go to Europe with some friends, with a lot expenses covered. But he still had to kick in some money, and the time he took to go on the trip would have a cost since he would not be working those weeks. That and some other setbacks put him in the hole which is going take him TWO years to pay off. But you know what? If that had been me, like you, it would not even have been a possibility, because our parents don’t have ANYTHING to add to the pot, and we (yes I did the same) are/were going to very expensive private schools on a conglomeration of aid packages. That’s awfully thin ice. </p>
<p>You have to find something whether it’s cleaning port a johns or a government funded job. You cannot afford to volunteer. Save that for when you have the money to support yourself first. It’s ludicrous that you are on government money to volunteer and then are seeking more government funds to support yourself. You need to get yourself on your financial feet. Then you can volunteer all you want. For starters, you can volunteer at soup kitchens, and food banks and get some free meals and food for yourself in the process. How many hours of your time is this “free” housing going to cost you? You need to find a job bussing tables or being a dish washer. YOu cannot afford to have a summer where you cost anything. You need to come out of it with money. </p>
<p>At least at home your food and cot are paid for. I don’t see how you can afford Boston in your situation without finding a decent paying job for a lot of hours.</p>
<p>It looks like BU has an ombudsman’s office. Read through both links so you know what she does before you contact her. I think you should float some of our creative suggestions: one time increase of your Cost of Attendance to use outside scholarship money to include computer and additional clothing, one-year BU interest-free loan, etc. Do <em>not</em> sound angry. Make it clear that you want to resolve the problem so you can go back to school ft in the fall. If you have good grades (over a 3.0), bring that up. It’s in the school’s best interest for you to graduate on time.</p>
<p>[Office</a> Staff & Contact Information » Office of the Ombuds » Boston University](<a href=“http://www.bu.edu/ombuds/about/contact-us/]Office”>Contact Us | Office of the Ombuds)</p>
<p>[New</a> Ombuds Hangs Shingle | BU Today | Boston University](<a href=“http://www.bu.edu/today/2009/new-ombuds-hangs-shingle/]New”>http://www.bu.edu/today/2009/new-ombuds-hangs-shingle/)</p>
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<p>I think you are overreacting, cptofthehouse. The OP has already stated that his/her housing is costing 7 - 10 hrs. of volunteer time per week. That’s cheap - dirt cheap! - for Boston, and gives the OP plenty of time to hold down a paying job. This seems like a clever, well thought out strategy for being able to stay in Boston and work over the summer. As the OP already stated, no transportation issues, no storage expenses. The trick now is finding a job.</p>
<p>Yoyo…this is going to get worked out. The amount you owe is not insurmountable assuming you can find some jobs. Do you have any professors who might need house sitters, or pet sitters?</p>
<p>Agreed, you need to speak to someone higher up than the financial aid advisor you are working with. That person is not likely in the position to help craft a solution to this issue. </p>
<p>Keep looking for jobs…it sounds like you are on the right track.</p>
<p>^ I agree - I live in the Boston area and there are plenty of jobs in Boston, she just hasn’t been lucky enough to land one yet. As I said in a previous post, she can start babysitting right away, making $10-$15/hour in cash. Sittercity is just one option, there are many agencies that look specifically for college students with a little experience, as well as Craig’s list postings and parents who call over to the colleges looking for students to work. Working parents in Boston always need summer sitters as the kids are out of school and need supervision. If she finds a full time summer nanny job she can make a lot of money.</p>
<p>There are also multiple malls that are always hiring. If she is intelligent and personable (as she sounds in her postings) she should be able to land a mall job by expending a bit of shoe leather. I would suggest she visit the Prudential Mall, the Copley Mall, and the Cambridgeside Galleria, which would be a bit further away but easily accessibly by public transportation. Many of the mall stores have help wanted signs and managers available to take applications and interview immediately. They particularly like college students who can work over the summer and are also available for part-time shifts during the school year and at peak holidays.</p>
<p>Good luck, really - you seem to have the right attitude and you should be able to work this out!</p>
<p>I think that when schools give out too much money and then want the money back, they should really work with the student. These kinds of things really can mess up a low-income student’s education. They don’t have family that they can temporarity borrow the money to keep themselves on track and enrolled for school.</p>
<p>Hi, everybody! Sorry, I’ve been out this week - I’ve been busy with volunteer stuff at the hospital and catching up with clients! Plus, I’ve been job hunting around the city! :)</p>
<p>So I talked to someone in the work study office and they told me that, just like before, I can’t have a summer work study award until my balance is settled. They also said they are out of summer work study funding. However, they did tell me that if I find a work study job willing to hire me, then they may be able to find me funding. How they can be out of funding and then say they can find me funding is beyond me, but I didn’t question them. Lo and behold, I found a work study job willing to hire me not even a day after I talked to them! Then I talked to financial aid about that, and they said they may be able to make an exception for me. The prospective employer is going to talk to the student employment office and then they will talk to financial aid to verify some things. I guess I’ll find out next week if they will offer me any funding. Fingers crossed for that. I’ll be able to work and get some money to come in, which is good. Of course, I’ll have to find something on the weekends probably. </p>
<p>I also went to the office of the ombuds. Thanks for that suggestion, 2collegewego! She was very helpful. I told her everything I knew and made sure to remain calm and composed. She was very kind and understanding. I think the most important thing that I told her is that it makes no since that the financial aid office has no internal procedures to handle errors like this, especially since this is having a huge affect on my college education. I told her about the suggestion to visit the Dean of Students and she thought it was an excellent idea. I’m going to have to meet with him next week though. He’s out of town for a conference this week. I left a message with his secretary.</p>
<p>2collegewego, my GPA wasn’t that good last semester (ugh, general chemistry!), but I’m really proud to say that I had a huge GPA increase this semester. Even though I was hit with this financial situation, my grades really improved! I’m pretty pleased with myself. I’m expecting them to stay that way and keep improving, especially since I think I have a handle on BU classes in general. :)</p>
<p>I talked to an uncle of mine, my oldest sister, and my other three sisters, and they are willing to help me. They want me to find a job first so I can get an estimate of how much I can handle myself, and then I’m going to get back to them and they’re going to try and help me cover what I can’t cover myself. My oldest sister is willing to cosign a loan for me, but I want to avoid that if I can. She just graduated from law school; her husband and she have enough loans and bills to deal with as it is. </p>
<p>I also talked to someone about past-due balance loans and they’re looking into that. It really depends on whether I went over my budgets for certain things, like books & supplies, my laptop, transportation, etc. </p>
<p>In the meantime, I’m going to continue job hunting. Today I did some serious legwork around the Allston area. I’m going to go back though on Sunday and I’m also going to go through Brookline soon. I’m going to go to the malls this weekend and do some more footwork! I think that next week will be my week, guys. :)</p>
<p>It’s nice to be able to tell some people this and get the word out. Of course, I know there are federal regulations and whatnot, and definitely that the aid office didn’t do this on purpose. But it sucks that I have to pay this balance. And I’m not trying to sue the financial aid office (cause honestly that’s a lot of work and money), but it also sucks that I have to pay $1500 I don’t actually have. Being a low-income student, it would make more sense to save money earned over the summer for books and other expenses, than to spend it paying off a bill. </p>
<p>But oh well. At this point, I just want to get it paid off and go on with my college life. </p>
<p>Thanks, everybody, for your suggestions! I’m trying them all out and looking for more solutions everyday. :)</p>
<p>Thanks you for the update. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you and the jobs! It sounds like this will all work out somehow!</p>
<p>Please keep us posted . . . :)</p>
<p>Thanks for the update. Hope it all works out and that everything is smooth sailing from now on.</p>
<p>I really admire the way you are handling this. It is a difficult situation and you are handling it with great maturity. Good for you.</p>
<p>Hey, so it’s been a suuuuper long time since I’ve replied. So so sorry about that - it’s been a long, busy, work-filled summer. So to update you all:</p>
<p>I was given work study finally around that second week of June and started working at the abovementioned job. That job paid minimum wage and I did some calculating and realized that I would get nowhere near to finishing my work study award or paying off a large chunk of the balance, so at the beginning of July, I picked up a second work study job tutoring English literacy. I also started working in the dining hall as a non work study employee. So basically for the month of July, I had three jobs simultaneously. The dining hall job ended at the end of July though so I’m back to working two jobs, which are my work study ones anyway. The second job will end this week though and then I will be back to one job. Working three jobs did help a ton, and I was able to knock out about half of the balance, combined with what I paid during the school year. I ended up spending a ton of money on apartment appliances and food and my phone bill and incidentals. Two of my uncles paid the remaining balance and I am now officially settled for fall 2013! Yay! 
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<p>Of course, now I have to worry about books and supplies and whatever incidentals pop up before school starts in September. It still sucks that I had to pay that balance because now I’ve exhausted ALL my savings and I don’t have much for books in the fall. If I’m being honest, I don’t have any money for books really. Instead of saving summer work study earned, it wad all spent on living expenses and that balance. I received my financial aid award for the 2013-2014 year and there are too many loans, so I am appealing for aid now. The problem is that I actually am at the limit for normal federal loans, which would be fine, because it covers me for the year. But I have to take a couple summer courses next summer and I have to take out an additional $4000 in unsubsidized loans (that is, when my mother is credit denied for a parent plus loan). But I’m not entirely sure if $4000 is enough because I’m paying my uncles back, have to buy transportation tickets for the holiday breaks, plus incidentals. It should be enough for one summer course (even if it’s at BU) but whatever is left will not cover both courses. I am trying to take the second course at BU because it has a qualitative lab portion included and it might be difficult to find a school that has the equivalent quantitative orgo lab course. Maybe.</p>
<p>The ombudsman and the dean of students weren’t very helpful in my case. No one suggested really was (though I appreciate them greatly). I was actually literally working this out on my own, like an adult. They basically told me the same things the aid office told me and the ombudsman really isn’t in a position to do anything about a situation like this. At least not quick enough to help me. </p>
<p>I only finished paying the balance last Saturday so I have to alert the dean of students and the ombudsman about that update. And my therapist too. The financial aid office also suggested one of the female cooperative houses to me. If I live there, I won’t be paying for room or board, and I’d only have a small monthly rent fee that covers room and board. Plus I would get my housing deposit back (though I wish they could have just given that back. It would have helped my balance) and I could use that to pay my uncles back. I have to be financially determined first (I was denied at first because I had no financial aid award for the 2013-2014 year to base a decision off of). I really really hope that works out though. </p>
<p>I guess in the meantime I’m just working on my financial aid award appeal. But I wanted to come back and update you guys, first because you asked for an update, and second, because you really deserved an update and I really appreciated the many suggestions given to me when I was freaking out about it. Hopefully the appeal works and I can get a few more thousand, and knock off some of these loans.</p>