<p>Is this $30K grant only valid at USC and no other schools?</p>
<p>That one is just for USC. It was something I got from 21st century scholars when I used to live in Indiana.</p>
<p>I’m slightly familiar with 21st Century Scholars program but thought those covered instate colleges and that you had to actually graduate from an IN high school…aren’t you graduating in FL? Are we talking about University of So California or does USC stand for something else? Did you apply to Purdue or any of the IN schools that offer incentives for 21st Century Scholars?</p>
<p>Yeah I’m a 21st century scholars meaning that I could go to almost any schools that are in Indiana but the USC grant I got, I got it through something my mom applied for me and I got it because of many other factors one including that I’m a century scholars and her job and USC was one of the parterned schools.</p>
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<p>Is this grant guaranteed for ALL four years or just a one time $30K award?</p>
<p>It’s up to 5 years</p>
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<p>Quote number one makes a lot of sense. If the aim is to go to school in California, then going to the school that costs the least makes the most sense. Why then turn down a full tuition scholarship to another school? </p>
<p>Barbie, what is your backup plan if you can’t find work? The job market really is dreadful in SoCal. You have no work experience and will need to fit your work schedule around your class schedule. Employers will be looking at other applicants who have a work history and no schedule constraints. In doing your planning, you’ll need to consider what happens if you have no income.</p>
<p>One other thing to consider carefully is that CSU tuition will almost certainly rise over the next few years. It will be much easier politically to raise OOS fees. Plan on a 10% increase each year for the next four or five years.</p>
<p>Barbie…do you mean USC Calif or USC (S.Carolina)?</p>
<p>I thought Barbie said she was only looking at colleges in CA.</p>
<p>mom2collegekids: I mean University of Southern California.
Thumper: Yes, I am only looking at schools in CA.</p>
<p>To SlitheyTove and everybody: Ever since these past few posts, I’ve been thinking for the past few days and you guys are all right. I think I’ve made the decision to attend APU since I have a full ride or if I get into USC and they give me more financial aid or scholarships in addition to my 30k grant, I’ll go there. I’ve been so stuck up about CSUN. It’s just that I really loved the curriculum of their computer science program, I have a few friends who go there and it’s really close to Hollywood but at the end of the day, I gotta think of the long run too. It seems to me as good as CSUN may be, I know it’s not highly respected in California, I’ve heard stuff about it. Anyway just wanna thank everyone for your advices.</p>
<p>Barbie…</p>
<p>Best wishes for you. and, hopefully, you’ll get the aid you need for USC. Did you fill out FAFSA and CSS Profile?</p>
<p>Yeah I did.</p>
<p>I am still reading through all of your replies but I want to thank you all. I’m sorry I did not get to see this sooner but my computer is really acting weird. I would like to say thank you Barbie and I’m not worried about getting instate anymore because I have come down to it that if I really feel as if I want to go to CSUN, I will. Maybe if you go there one day I can say hello. So a quick question is are you going to be living on campus or with your father?</p>
<p>Also to all who said I can’t pay for this school: Pennsylvania in state schools aren’t the cheapest either I think we’re or close to being the most expensive state for instate schools. If I go to penn state which I was accepted to I would be paying just a little less than CSUN. All I’m saying is paying for college anywhere will be hard if I’m not prepared. I’m applying for financial aid and I know that won’t cover the full bills but I’m also going to take out a parent plus loan. I was just worried about having all these loans once I get out of college.</p>
<p>Another thing I would like to say about my income becoming too high for pell grants ect. There are ways you can work under the table at clubs (not as stripper) but if I could do that I would. If that is not possible I will be fine with making a lot more money and not getting as much pell grants because at least now I would have a job that can help support me.</p>
<p>I am not going to California because I think it is la di da life is great kind of thing. Again I have personal issues like Barbie that I do not have to explain over the internet. Really if CSUN becomes too impossible to go to then I will transfer back home. Not that much of a deal since I will still be considered instate in Pennsylvania.</p>
<p>Edit: For the cost of CSUN rising my plan is for CSUN to be a stepping stone for me living out in Southern California. If I had the money I would of moved out there and got a job, all the good stuff but we all know in that day of age that’s not possible. I also do not plan to stay at CSUN my whole time because I want to keep my grades up and then transfer out to USC.</p>
<p>To those wondering why I applied to CSUN: Has all the programs I want and I like that it’s not located in a bad area. I didn’t apply to CSULB because I wasn’t really sure if I would get accepted as an OOS since their acceptance rate was low and 99 percent of the kids were instate.</p>
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<p>Unless you are the parent, you cannot apply for the Parent Plus loan. Your parents must apply for this loan. It is in THEIR name only. If they do not apply for this loan there is nothing you can do about it…it’s their decision whether or not to do so. It’s their collateral that will be considered and their credit issues that will be impacted.</p>
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<p>Not sure about your math. For instaters, Penn State cost of attendance is similar to CSUN COA. But Cal State tacks on an additional $372/credit, or $12k per year. Since Cal State has a COA of $25k, that OOS fee represents a 48% increase. IMO, 48% is more than “just a little.” :)</p>
<p>btw: I do not care WHY you want to move west. The only point us parents are suggesting is that Cal States are not a good educational value at OOS rates. Plus, Happy Valley would offer a much better collegiate experience, than a primarily commuter school. If you do move, you might be better off deferring college and working for a year which would enable you to attend Cal State at 1/3rd the cost. But it’s your money.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
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<p>You do know that even people who are paid in cash are required by law to report their income for tax purposes, and all of the “benefits” of this type of arrangement really only benefit the employer, right? I would not recommend committing tax fraud and certainly do not underreport your income for FAFSA in order to commit FA fraud! It’s not worth risking two federal charges…and could get very expensive! I strongly recommend that you stay on the right side of the law, if only because you’ll sleep better at night.</p>
<p>Btw, these ideas lead me to believe that you have some value issues/confusion, which concerns me as you’re such a young woman…have you actually discussed these plans with your parents?</p>
<p>I really have becomed annoyed with people who respond to these questions. You do not have to be so rude because your response isn’t going to make me not want to go to CSUN because you do not like the idea.</p>
<p>I also already know a parent plus loan you have to have a parent sign. Obviously anyone would know that and I have parents that will do that. They have the credit to do so I just do not want to take their money to pay for college but if they can help me sign a loan for me to then pay off I’m fine with that.</p>
<p>Also I do not have value issues. Just because I said I would work as a waitress at a strip club doesn’t mean ****. Seriously if you have a dream and you want to make it possible you can if you have the drive to do so. If I have to work at places like that then I will and yes I have already spoken to my mother about this. She just gave me this sad look because she wish she could help me out but she has gotten to realize that it’s just to get me on my feet. I am not a insecure, a skanky type of person…I just do not have the money to pay for college right now.</p>
<p>Sk8ter: Guess what, tons of people work under the table! If I had a job and pulled in money while working under the table I would. Oh and if you come at me with anymore responses about it being a federal crime I won’t even read it. My friends work under the table at legit jobs and have never gotten in trouble and I’m sure if I waitress at a strip club that will not be a hard thing to do. I’m not going to get into that because that has nothing to do with what I posted at first. I also wouldn’t be worrying about doing so at all so the phrase sleeping well at night doesn’t even apply to me. If you’re wondering why my response is so rude back to you it is because you tried to judge me merely on the fact of what type of jobs I want to do. Also I do not have confusion at all I know the big scenario I just wanted to see the other side but I clearly have seen enough.</p>
<p>Also to blue: I’m not moving to Los Angeles for just an education and I do not care that it’s not a top school for it’s money. Guess what I get that and the only reason I’m attending school there is because it will be a stepping stone for me moving to Southern California. I do not care that it is a commuter school either because I already have friends over there and there still is live on campus if you do life there, which I will be doing. Also if you looked into it or the previous post you would realize that I will not get instate by staying in California for a year working because I’ve been declared a dependent on my mother’s tax returns for the past year. So if you don’t read important things in a thread do not reply to me.</p>
<p>I want to leave you guys with this. I’m applying for FAFSA, most likely getting the full cash for pell grant and the loan they give, then I will have one of my parents sign the parent plus loan.</p>
<p>I am not worrying about the big loans I have to take out because the job I plan to do will pay off. Also don’t tell me the job market is bad in LA because I already know that but in the San Fernando Valley there are enough strip clubs around and I’ve already checked into it (they’re hiring a lot of the times). I will not be a stripper but a waitress there.</p>
<p>Also I’m not saying I will work under the table I’m just saying that could be a possibility but if I’m pulling in enough money that it would lower my FAFSA then I guess it wouldn’t be that much of a big deal.</p>
<p>xx, I don’t see that people are being rude to you but obviously you just don’t want any advice that might be point out any pitfalls or alternatives to your own plans. Thumper merely pointed out that you can’t take parent loans, bluebayou gave you accurate cost information, and I pointed out that working under the table and not reporting wages is illegal for both the employer and the employee. Just because tons of people do something doesn’t make it right, or even less illegal. What you don’t know is that some of them do report the income properly and have to pay double the employment taxes because their employer did not pay their share. Some find out the hard way that they aren’t covered by worker’s comp when they’re injured on the job and have zero income if the business closes or they’re fired unjustly because they have no employment record. Many people run afoul of the IRS and do get caught and then are slapped with heavy fines, penalties, and back taxes. I know of a dozen or more businesses that have been caught doing this and they were forced to close. If you think that pursuing some dream puts you above the law, and you’re not concerned at all about that, then I’d say that you do have some value issues.</p>
<p>I don’t know if you’d actually be hired by a reputable club, or for any other waitress job, since you have no experience…and you have no way of knowing this either. Our main concern is that you’d enroll in CSUN and not be able to afford to stay and wind up in a bad position financially without a degree of any kind. There have been many, many posts from other students on this board who ended up with that problem. But, you obviously have your mind made up to pursue this “dream” at any cost and are an experiential learner, so good luck with that.</p>
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<p>I apologize if facts and logic are ‘rude.’</p>
<p>It doesn’t really matter what you may think. I know the state residency law rather well. California is one of the easier states in which to gain residency. </p>
<p>If you move to California, get a job, pay some bills, for just one year, you WILL receive instate tuition status at a UC or Cal State. Yes, you will probably have to appeal (bcos you have an OOS high school transcript), but in 99% of the cases, the appeal will be successful. After living here, working and being financially independent for one year, you will be a resident of the state and eligible for all the benefits that it offers, which means in-state educational fees. So, you can work for a year and save $12k+ each and every year you attend college. Indeed, many, many 18-year olds move here every year and do just that.</p>
<p>It will not matter if your mother continues to claim you on HER tax return. (Well actually, it will bcos she will be making an improper claim, but that is her issue, not yours.)</p>