<p>I went to Central Michigan for 3 years, I left this past spring because I was still unsure about the utility of my intended degree. I went back home to live with my parents for a short time to figure things out and find my own place within the year. I pay rent, food, and split the utilities. My income is low, way under the amount to receive financial aid, but I'm still able to pay what I need to pay. However, because of two things, I'm considered dependent on my parents; my age, 22 and the 'Household Income' (~$70,000). These two things are what's holding me back from receiving Financial Aid, but I am far from dependent on my parents.</p>
<p>Won't get into details, but I also identify as Transgender, parents are not supporting. This is another reason why I'm not dependent on my parents, as they will not support me until I no longer identify as Trans. They gave me until 01/01/15 to be out of the house. This means that I'll be homeless come January as my current job is not supporting me enough, I've been looking for a second job. To avoid being homeless I'm applying to colleges for the winter semester, in Washington state. I would like to live in Seattle one day and work with LGBTQ youth. However, if I do not get accepted I will be at risk of being homeless. </p>
<p>I'll be paying out of state tuition, and I'm applying to Scholarships like no other. Even still, receiving Financial aid is what I so desperately need. Advice?</p>
<p>Even IF you were deemed independent, for Central Michigan, all you would get is a Direct Loan of $7500 plus an additional $4000 which independent students can take, and whatever Pell amount you are entitled to based on your income.</p>
<p>That money will NOT pay OOS costs to attend Central Michigan.</p>
<p>You are dependent for financial aid purposes because if your age…not your parent income.</p>
<p>CM does not guarantee to meet full financial need for all students. </p>
<p>You have a couple of choices:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Finish your degree IN state in whatever state you have resident status…at a public university. Look for the least expensive option. If you have relatives someplace near one of the schools, see if one of them will rent you a room in exchange for some kind of work.</p></li>
<li><p>Wait until you are 24 years old to complete your degree. Get a job in the meantime. Save your money.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>My suggestion is similar to that of Thumper’s. Find a job, place to live, around Central Michigan. Know any friends that will put you up till you find a job? Find a roommate, cheap digs, you know the area around the college. When I say cheap digs, I mean a roomshare in the cheapest of cheap places. I’ve seen international student scrimping like crazy, maybe 3-5 in a room, in a tiny apartment. SOmetimes that 's what it takes to get started on ones own. Find work to get by, and hopefully a little more. Maybe look for jobs at Central Michigan U that have tuition benefits. In any case, if you work for a couple of years, you’ll have your residency for the school and be independent to boot, have a cheap place to live and can hopefully finish your degree. </p>
<p>It’s not likely that you are going to be getting huge windfall because you are independent. With a zero Efc,you get about $5700 in grants. The rest you are going to have to borrow, which means you have to pay it back. Unless you are on some career track degree program where the jobs and pay are hopping, you are most likely going to have the same job prospects for a while even with a degree as you do without one.</p>
<p>I have a friend whose son has been doing just what you want to do. Living off of school loans as he gets his degree. Yes, he got some aid, but because he also works, he didn’t get that much. He got his degree and is more than $60K in debt and is still making not a dime more than before he graduated. His loan payments start coming due in a couple fo months. If he could have just gotten a university job, even low paying, he’d have been able to work and go to school for a long time and wouldn’t have needed those loans if he’d scrimped. Jobs are not magically waiting for you for the taking when you get that degree, you know.</p>
<p>How many more credits to finish your degree at Central Michigan? That’s the best bet for you as you are familiar with the school and it will likely take you less to get what you need to graduate. To go to Seattle or anywhere else, you need seed money for transportation, need to find a place to live, find a joy, eat while doing that and get familiar with things there Right now you know the Central Mich area, have connections, and you’ve already pretty much gotten your residency requirements there, and is it your home state? Seal the deal there and get your degree.</p>
<p>Agree to think about just finishing. You have three years invested. You aren’t sure abut the utility of whatever major it was, but many of us have tales of our own, our kids or friends, who made things happen without the usual degree.</p>
<p>In the case of counseling, some levels require a masters anyway. My kids have friends who went for a MSW with all sorts of prior majors. Or there are jobs where the work is a lower level and your experiences and skills matter more than a major or masters. Have you been accruing some experience? Have you been testing these ideas of working with youth? </p>
<p>Another thing to keep in mind…if you transfer to a different college, it is highly unlikely you will be able to complete your degree and major in ONE more year. </p>
<p>Most colleges want transfers to take 2 years at their college to get a degree. What degree were you working toward? What do you want to do instead?</p>