I am currently beginning my first semester of my sophomore year in university. I recently discovered that the FAFSA application, despite the fact that I should theoretically qualify and have been qualified to receive financial aid for the past two semesters, won’t provide any financial aid. (I require approximately $9,200) Additionally, I have not received any financial aid elsewhere via scholarships or grants. I desperately have been considering private student loans to simply maintain my attendance at my university as my advisors have notified me that If I do not present a viable source of funds urgently, they will have to take further action to terminate my current course schedule. This could potentially affect living status (I live in a dormitory complex) as well. One reason I am cautious to continue my approach towards private loans as currently my parents are in approximately $7,000-$8,000 in credit card debt.
I had no intent to continue down the path of a “gap year” or “gap semester” for that matter, as I fear my educational progress will halt tremendously, resulting in me being thwarted relative to other people. Many on these college confidential forums have warned about students who have taken gap years and who have ostensively never returned for years. Is this true? Despite this, It seems to me that I have no choice but to temporarily vacate the university and work full time/volunteer in order to strengthen my resume, discover my true interests/a major I am truly interested in, and aggregate money to pay for my attendance to the University.
Can anyone aid me in any more appropriate suggestions? Pros and cons of the gap year/semester? Difficulties of re-entry in to university? How to re-apply to the select university after leaving for a semester or year?
If you can’t go to school because you can’t pay, i would work as full time as you can to make money. Also make sure that there are no issues/problems/ wth the FAFSA
I must admit that due to circumstances, that I wish to not disclose, my FAFSA application was submitted before the deadline but later that I usually would. I don’t recall any information entered into to the application to be of any error or inaccuracy. Perhaps my submission “tardiness” (not tardy per say inexpedient untimeliness, since I submitted it before the deadline)
Yes, I did in fact submit the fafsa information before the deadline but slightly later than is considered timely. I will consider your advice to contact FAFSA and my own financial aid advisers directly seriously (not that I didn’t before) ! As far as I can recall (yes, I understand human memory can be faulty), I didn’t enter any information incorrectly.
Despite my efforts, I believe I will inevitably adopt a so called “gap year/semester” due to the great cost. Becoming the beneficiary of this perceptibly disgruntling situation is paramount and I will do whatever is necessary of me to shorten this gap period as much as possible, preferably only a semester, but an year at most. During this period of time, I may not necessarily gain employment that directly relates to my intended major of Physics and minor of aerospace engineering/business (technically business could be applicable but never the less), but I will try my best.
Just for my own mental clarity, I feel it necessary to reciprocate my objectives for this gap period:
Earn income from a full time or part time occupation
Earn my drivers license
Seek and participate in relevant volunteer opportunities
Seek and participate in relevant “gap year” programs
Seek and potentially pursue if timely, Work abroad programs (both in the United States and in foreign countries) (foreign countries require a work permit) (for example : Help X)
Possibly pursue the adoption of a ‘student friendly’ credit card checking account (to build credit history early on) (US bank is one i’m considering due to their partnership with my university)
Earn General Education (GE) credits at my local community college ( I would assume most general education credits they offer are transferable)
Take the leisure to travel in limited spurts in order to strengthen relationships with colleagues and acquaintances ( Of course this is not my priority)
To be frank, I am actually quite jaded due to my parents hysterical reaction that will inevitably occur as a result of me announcing my decision to take a gap year.
Again, I am quite honored, impressed, and most thankful for your response. It’s truly reassuring that this period of my life, although meager and fleeting, could be revolutionary!
Do you know the dates you need to withdraw by in order not to owe tuition? And do you know if your housing contact even lets you out of the coming year? Usually you have to pay that, period. You need a job, not a gap year. You can get a job and go to school at the same time. Where are you located? Are you a US citizen?
@CypressWood do you plan to return to your current college? If so…I think you need to ask if you can take a leave of absence. If yes, this would mean that you would take the year away from your current college and do something else…with the intention of returning after that year.
What makes you think you should qualify for need based financial aid? Does your college meet full need for all students? Is your parent income low?
How did you pay for the first year of college if you got no aid…and you needed it?
I really wonder what makes you think you should have received aid.
We’re you selected for verification? Did you complete that process if you were?
My courses have been automatically retracted today, they have also eliminated the charges associated with those courses. I still owe approximately 5,109 USD. I wonder if I voluntary retraction from those will result in the automated elimination of those costs as well. I’ll have to acknowledge the housing contract concerning that matter. If I am not mistaken there is a fee imbedded in retracting from housing ranging from a couple to a little over 1,000 USD.
I have no quarrels with finding a job, in fact I’ve had quite a few part time jobs in the past. The total that I owe for this semester (Fall 2019), is nearly 10,000. I require a full time position for that considering I am gaining no financial support from any other outside party.
Since all offices have been closed recently due to the Labor Day weekend, I am left to consult them today and tomorrow.
A gap year may be unavoidable, but despite that I do intend to return as soon as possible. I have been keen on the next semester, spring semester, or the next year, fall semester. This way I am able to renew my fafsa to potentially be granted a deferred federal loan.
I just evaluated the EFC factor and although I didn’t calculate a specific amount, I suspect the EFC and cost of attendance were too close in proximity to qualify. This, I find incredibly odd considering I qualified two times in the past. Perhaps If I applied for more courses, thus increasing the price of attendance, I would have qualified?
The first semester I took approximately 5 classes
The second semester I took 7 classes
This semester I am taking 4 but I intended to take 5 classes
Yes, I am considering transfer as a hypothetical possibility as I am not satisfied with my current university and the city it resides in. I am able to overlook such perceived faults just for my accessibility to education.
UNLV will have plenty of non trad students that work PT study PT, study over all 3 semesters. LV will have loads of jobs with flexible schedules. You will want to set up a payment plan with UNLV, and discuss with your GC when you can reenter (job first, place to live, then possibly reenter in fall).
I think you need to be clearer about what you owe. UNLV looks to have a 75% housing buyout fee for the whole academic year. That alone looks more than 4K. You need to be talking to the Uni people and presenting a case for appeals based on ???
Where are you living now you are off campus?
Is English your second language?
What exactly happened to your FA? Do you owe FA back due to your error? A transfer won’t fix your problem as you need to pay UNLV before they will release your transcript. Whatever your FA problem is will be a problem elsewhere until you address it.
I sure do wish you would answer questions. You would get much better advice with complete information.
What makes you think you should have qualified for financial aid?
If you plan to return to this college...why didn’t you ask for a leave of absence?
Do your parents know that you have withdrawn?
And some comments…
From your responses above, it sounds to me like you just don’t want to be at this college. You have a long list of other things you would prefer to be doing…at least this year. That list in post 8…it’s impossible to do ALL of that in one year. You need to focus a bit better on what you really want to do…and why.
I’m going to say…I doubt that leaving this college is solely related to your finances. There are just too many other things you are mentioning…and your mention that your parents won’t be happy bout this makes me really wonder if the finances are the issue…at all.
Two other questions.
Did you have a federally funded student loan for your first year? If so, you will have a 6 month grace period after which you will be required to start payments if you are not back in college.
How do you plan to get a student friendly credit card if you are not a student?
It’s fine to want to take a year off of college for any number of reasons. But you are blaming finances…and then coming up with a list a mile long of other things.