HELP for a friend involved with a crappy school

Paying for College
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<p>My friend Andrew graduated with very low grades, so he applied to all community colleges. He decided on the one he heard back from, Urban College of Boston. They're a 2-year school, but they seem VERY lax about everything and haven't given him his financial aid. They say they never got his FAFSA, but at this point, I don't think they have any financial aid to give him anyway; I think he'll have to do it independently.
They haven't even asked for a deposit. His school isn't approved for Stafford loans (***?!), his mom can't afford/qualify for a parent loan, and he didn't get any scholarships. He needs to come up with 5,000 dollars in loans FAST. There's no loan company that will give him that, because of 1. his school 2. his mom's credit 3. his lack of credit.</p>

<p>What can he do? He'll need his job to pay for his apartment. He's one of my roommates for the fall, so I'm really concerned, and so is he, but he doesn't know what to do at all. Are there any independent or federal loan companies that will/can help? It seems like a kid going to college should be able to take out SOME kind of unsubsidized loan.</p>

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<p>Perhaps your friend should wait and look for a better community college or at least reapply to the current school’s financial aid office.</p>

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<p>For $5000 he can go to one of the better Community Colleges like Bunker Hill CC or Middlesex CC and still have money left over. It soudns like he applied to those maybe, and did not get in or did not hear back? If he did not hear back from BHCC he should call them and ask, b/c i did not think they turned anyone away who was motivated to go there and learn. </p>

<p>Just to say: I live in the area and I never heard of UCB. Not sure what’s up with a college that can’t get qualified to give out Stafford loans, especially if they are in the FAFSA process – I thought the two were linked. i could be wrong.</p>

<p>Not sure what “never got his FAFSA” means, except that maybe he did not have it sent to them? If so, he can still have it sent and see if they can gfive him some aid. Schools still do have money to give, even this late in the game. Like ingegneriae said, try reapplying.</p>

<p>If he’s having second thoughts now about UCB, it will probably only get worse. And if he tries to take classes at UCB and it does not work out, he may then never go back anywheer and finish, and that would be a shame. Maybe he can look into MCC or BHCC where things are a bit more organized and he can be motivated and not be in a bad situation. </p>

<p>If his only choice is to go to UCB because that is the only place where he has been accepted and that’s where he has already placed some deposit, etc, then maybe they have a program there like paralegal certificate, etc, that he can start for less money until things get worked out either at UCB or at one of the other schools. </p>

<p>Lastly, if he needs to take a year off to gather money, etc, he should be sure (or you as his friend and roommate make sure) that he DOES go back in Fall 2010… but the safest thing for him to do is to go somewhere in Fall 2009 so he does not lose momentum. </p>

<p>Sorry for rambling but good luck and he is lucky to have you as a friend and roommate. Let us know what happens.</p>

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<p>UPDATE: I just checked out their website at: [Urban</a> College of Boston](<a href=“http://www.urbancollege.edu/]Urban”>http://www.urbancollege.edu/)</p>

<p>They are still accepting aid applications open until August 1st, so tell him to head down there or call them up. I think he still has time. Good luck.</p>