Financial aid isn't enough, what shall I do ?

Paying for College
1

<p>Hi </p>

<p>I have recently applied to Penn State university as they confirmed to me that they have enough spaces for new students. So, I am wondering what shall I do if the financial aid award from Penn State doesn't cover my tuition fees, as Penn State declares that they may not be able to provide every student with federal loans and the educational supplemental grant, so I 'll have to pay 20 000 a year and I may not be able to.
So, is there any options I can in order to afford Penn State ? as I really don't want to lose the chance of attending a university in the US, instead of a community college.</p>

<p>by the way, I am US citizen living in Palestine- Middle east.
As for academics; 3.83 GPA and 1520 SAT for CR and Math. </p>

<p>Thanks in advance</p>

2

<p>Find a job while on campus.</p>

3

<p>Take a gap year and apply again in the fall. Apply in a timely fashion to several different universities. You have to apply by the schools’ stated deadlines in order to be eligible for merit and need-based financial aid. (At some schools, you even have to apply early for certain merit scholarships.)</p>

<p>Getting “a job on campus” is not going to cover a $20,000 shortfall!</p>

4

<p>Are you a PA state resident? Because Penn State costs way more than that for OOS. Even with in state tuition, you are looking at about $25K. Are you able to get housing? If not, you are going to have to have some extra money when you get there for a temporary place to stay while you find off campus arrangement. It’s not easy to find cheap housing there at the last minute.</p>

<p>As a freshman, if you are entitled to borrow $5500 in Stafford loans. If your parents cannot qualify for PLUS, you can get an additional $4K in loans. If they can get PLUS, they should if they can afford it, since THEY, not the school, are responsible for paying for your college education. You do need to file FAFSA for eligibility for any of these loans, and if you EFC is low enough, you may be eligible for PELL.</p>

<p>As the university has informed you, it is doubtful any Perkins or SEOG funds will be left. Penn State is not generous with financial aid anyways. Your stats are high enough for consideration for the Honors college, and if you are accepted into that program, I believe that there is a grant that is associated with it. But the amount is about $2500 or so, not going to make a huge difference in meeting your need. So how are you intending to pay the tuition, and living expenses, since the university is not going ot come up with the money. Yes, you might be able to find some work, and maybe there will even be some work study funds available if you qualify for need, but you have the upfront problem of having to have about $8000 or so to pay that first semester tuition, not to mention paying rent and getting food, supplies, books, You will also need health insurance as the school will not let you enroll with out it and that is expensive too. </p>

<p>As for a community college, where would you live while you attended school? The room and board issue is a big one. </p>

<p>Are your parents putting any money at all into this endeavor? What do you have in your own funds to pay for this? College in the US when you “go away” to school is expensive. You have good stats, so if you had applied, picking some schools where your profile would be in demand and at schools that have the money, you might have gotten some merit awards. If you qualify for financial aid, some schools that meet full or close to all of need would have been possibilities. At this late date, finding a full ride is probably not possible It might be wise for you to start afresh next year, since transfer students are not as eligible for as much aid or scholarship money. Maybe come and spend the year making some money to put towards your education.</p>

5

<p>Where did you get that $20k figure from? That isn’t right. </p>

<p>If you don’t like in PA, then you’re OOS for PSU. That means that the cost is about $40k+ per year. I don’t know where you got that $20k per year from. PSU costs a lot more than that. </p>

<p>You will not get much aid from PSU. How much will your parents pay? </p>

<p>If you can’t afford PSU, then you need to take a gap year and apply to schools that will work. </p>

<p>Why are you apply so LATE to PSU? Where did you apply earlier???</p>

<p>I think it’s too late for you to be considered for Schreyers honors college. </p>

<p>I don’t think you should go to a CC, because then you’d miss your opportunities for big merit scholarships elsewhere. You need to take a gap year and reapply.</p>

<p>*Find a job while on campus.
*</p>

<p>That’s not going to work. PSU costs too much.</p>

6

<p>non-resident PSU costs…</p>

<p>Tuition and fees … … … $28,066<br>
Room and board … … … …$9,420<br>
Books and supplies … … … … $1,456<br>
Estimated personal expenses … … $3,222
Transportation expenses … … … $702 (and this doesn’t include international travel)
Estimated Total … … … … $42,866</p>

7

<p>Mom’s numbers are right on. When you get your package from PSU, see what is left for you to pay after what they can offer you. In your case, I think it would be worth it to give it a go next year and go for some scholarships form schools more likely to give money than PSU, but do give them a go as well. At this point, most funds are gone, so you aren’t likely to get much. But PSU does not tend to give a lot of money. Your chances would be better with schools like Pitt, Alabama, and others aggressively looking for those high stats and willing to pay for them.</p>