<p>For the past three semesters, I have been attending a National Association for Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) accredited state university in the midwest as a studio art major with a writing minor. I landed a spot on the Dean's list with a 3.6 GPA in my second semester, although the compounding stress of Fall 2013 resulted in a slightly lower overall GPA at 3.2. However, I have been extremely disappointed with a rather lackluster liberal arts program, not to mention the fact that the school's financial aid offices house some of the least receptive, and utterly careless individuals I have ever met. Honestly, they made me reconsider the definition of the word aid with their blank stares and matter-of-fact statements, such as, Some come back and some don't. I would have liked to believe that financial aid counselors purport to do everything in their power to keep hard working and passionate students, but they proved my expectations to be contrary to that idea. Because of this, I need any help I can get in my efforts to find a school that can give a sufficient aid package. From what I understand, private schools are most likely to supply sufficient aid packages. I am not (I repeat, NOT) considering attending a community college, and will not be accepted for a plus loan with my parents' credit situation and an expected family contribution at zero (parents are both unemployed). I was lucky enough to have a cosigner for a plus loan in my first academic year, but am not having the same kind of luck this time around. I am a truly hard-working, intelligent, and motivated student and I can't afford to miss a semester. I will be promptly subjected to bills for my loan which I will not be able to pay them at this time and it would serve no purpose less than sabotaging my education. </p>
<pre><code>What I am asking is if anyone knows of any school that would supply a generous package. I am not trying to toot my own horn, but I am not deserving of the little help I have been given. Part of the reason my GPA isn't any higher has to do with the endless uncertainty of funding future semesters. If I were to isolate the classes for my major and minor, my GPA would be be somewhere around 3.7.
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However, transfer students often receive less financial aid from school.</p>
<p>I have no idea what you thought you were doing attending a school with a cosigned plus loan. Obviously you cannot afford this school. It appears you have high need. Unfortunately colleges that agree to meet need tend to be highly competitive (because they meet need!) and your GPA will make it tough to get in. What schools are in commuting distance for you? What is your home state?</p>
<p>Most colleges of fine arts have limited funds for need based aid. This is not unique to your school.</p>
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<p>The problem is that you also cannot afford to attend this school for another semester!</p>
<p>I understand that you want there to be a solution, and it would be lovely if there were one, but this was something that needed to be figured out before you started. At this point, with three semesters under your belt, you’d be a transfer student . . . and, as noted above, generous funding for transfer students is almost impossible to find.</p>
<p>You really need to stop and figure this out. Find a school you can afford and that you can commute to from home. Or, take a break, get a job, and save up enough money to attend school elsewhere. You don’t have to attend community college if you don’t want to, but you do have to attend a school that you can afford.</p>
<p>It is unclear if you are able to afford next semester at your current college tl;dr</p>
<p>But you are running out of time for transfer options.</p>
<p>How talented are you? Your options might expand if you are a gifted artist, what do your instructors think? Really, the excuses about how you aren’t doing well in class isn’t going over and has likely limited your options.</p>
<p>What state are you in?</p>
<p>Not sure how uncertainty about funding future terms can be blamed for your GPA.
That sounds like an excuse.
Someone could just as easily argue that uncertainty of funding should have motivated you to excel to prove that the money was well spent.</p>
<p>It’s too bad you dismiss CCs out of hand. Reducing costs as much as possible is prudent when working toward a degree that is unlikely to earn you much money right out of school.</p>
<p>You may not want a CC, but unless you want to be subjected to paying back your loans now, you better get yourself enrolled at one. pronto.</p>
<p>You’ve been very poorly advised and it’s shameful that the person who co-signed that Plus loan did that…because it just opened the door for a ridiculous decision…large loans for an major that won’t likely pay well upon graduation…CRAZY!</p>
<p>Transfers rarely get great aid. However, if you go to a CC that has a transfer agreement with other schools in your state, you may get better aid.</p>
<p>What state are you in?</p>