Hey guys, really need some advice. So I go to a private school and come from a low-income family and from the way things are looking if I continue here I’m going to have at least over 70,000$ in debt after 4 years. I live in California so I’m considering to just either finish off the semester and then go to community, but the thing is I don’t know if I’ll be able to get my transcripts from my current school here because of a hold due to me not able to pay. Or I can drop out and just focus on the rest of the year and go to Palomar College and apply for TAG to UC Irvine. Would me leaving a semester from a private affect my eligibility for TAG and/or is it a good idea for me to leave based on financial circumstances? I really like this school, but it’s heckin expensive. Much advice needed. Oh and I’m talking to my financial aid advisors soon, but need some outside opinions.
Considering dropping out Freshman First Semester and go to community college to transfer due to cost
If you’ll owe the money either way then dropping out mid-semester won’t help. You’ll still owe the money and will have to pay it before your transcripts are released. If you can’t pay the bill at that school, you’ll have to withdraw after this semester because schools won’t let you attend classes if you don’t pay. Make sure you completely withdraw (classes, meal plan, & dorm room). How much will you owe? Can you work next semester & over the summer to pay it off?
I’ll owe the school about $2500. I’m gonna try to have get a part-time job to help if I do withdraw and attend community college at the same time. Regarding the transcripts would it hinder me from going into community college and transferring to a UC? I’m talking with my community college back home, but I’m just concerned about what would happen with my transcript.
It sounds as if you can’t afford the school that you are currently attending. $70,000 in debt is too much for a bachelor’s degree.
To switch to a community college, or any other university, you are going to need to pay the university what you owe them. I don’t know whether this means that you need to pay off your college loans, but my guess is that if you have federal loans you will need to pay them off eventually but not necessarily before you continue with your education elsewhere.
So the way it looks like I’m gonna owe my school the remaining balance at the end of the semester then. I’m working on campus rn, would it be smart for me to pay off as much as I can before I leave?
Yes, the Community College will likely want to see your transcripts before you enroll and certainly any future 4-year institution will require all your transcripts.
Please run the NPC for a UC before you make a decision. What if you get no aid there, and have to pay effectively $35-36 per year for your junior and senior years? You may end up with the same financial outlay, and much more hassle. I know you think you are low income, but make sure the UCs think you are. Their definition is different from a lot of people’s self-definition.
Ask your college bursar office (or related office) if they can put you on a payment plan and possibly release the hold on your account. They may not agree to do it, but my niece was successful with similar matter.
Take the leave at the end of the semester. Try to negotiate a payment plan to cover the remaining balance that will allow you to get your transcript right away. If you can’t do that, then enjoy your spring off from studying, and focus on getting the bill paid off. You won’t lose much time at all by starting in the summer or next fall.
Happykid had seceral friends at her CC who did what you are planning to do. All of them turned out fine. You will too.
Wishing you all the best!
Work as much as you can now without it impacting your grades and pay off as much as possible before you leave.
Make sure to withdraw formally from everything or thy might charge you for next semester too.
From the moment you start college you’re entered in a national Clearinghouse that makes it impossible to enroll somewhere else if you have transcripts on hold, so you need to pay off your debt as soon as possible to get these transcripts released next semester.
You’re correct, 70k is too much debt - twice the amount a college graduate can reasonably pay over 10 years.
Thank you guys so much! Means a lot, yeah it looks like I’m gonna be going to community college and need to talk with the financial aid office to formally withdraw and see what I can do with the remaining balance.
Hello, I was in the exact same situation as you when I was a freshman in college. I was a student from a low income family in California attending a private university. I finished off my first semester and owed the college money. I withdrew. My transcripts were on hold until I finished paying off the debt. I missed what would be my second semester of freshman year; however, I returned the following semester to community college. Contact the financial aid office and ask them to create a payment plan for you. Tell them you’ll pay $100 monthly (or whatever you can afford) until the balance is paid off. Good luck to you. I hope I was able to offer some help to you as someone who has gone through the same experience
That’s great to here and actually motivates me! By any chance were you able to send your transcripts to your community college during the plan?