I am applying to ucm, ucr and a few other ucs and states and tuition alone for the schools that i actually wish to go to is around 15k plus i live no where near them so i will probably have to live off campus. So just to be safe, i am estimating upwards of 20 to 25k a year if not more because of books. Now my family makes too much money to get anything from fafsa ( i mean the calculators literally say i would get 0.) And from brief research, it seems that the max i can take out in loans is like 5k. I cannot co sign with my parents for loans because my parents said that they just refinanced the house and that they cannot take out money. So i have no idea how to afford college on my own. I mean i can probably take out bank loans but i have no credit and the interest would probably be crazy. Any idea on what i should do? And no i am not willing to go to a community college and i would only go to a state if i absolutely have to (if i do not get into a uc). I know people are going to tell me “there’s nothing wrong with states” i know, but im suborn lol. and yes i am applying to the lower ucs but that is not because i am not working hard in highschool. I just started too late. So what do i do? i apologize for my grammar and what not. I have been stressing already about getting into college and now my parents told me that they cant help me take out loans and we calculated the fafsa today so now im like crazy stressed right now. Why does fafsa assume your family is going to help pay for college? and why do you have to be 24 to claim independence? btw i wish to go to med school later in the future, how can i pay for that?
Colleges expect parents to be first in line to pay for their children’s education. If they paid for kids whose parents refused to pay, everybody would say they won’t pay.
You can only borrow ~$5500/year total. You can’t take any other loans on your own, and if you want to go to med school you need to limit the loans you take for undergrad. If you won’t qualify for need based aid you need merit aid or you need to find an affordable school within commuting distance of your home. Most students start at a cc or commute to their local 4-year college.
What are your stats? If your test scores and GPA are high enough, you may qualify for merit aid somewhere.
@mom2collegekids can tell you about med school. I think you have to take out loans if you don’t have the money and your parents can’t/won’t pay.
You can be the most stubborn person in the world and that won’t result in you magically getting enough free money/low interest loans for college.
Are there ANY community colleges or 4-year public universities that you could commute to from home?
How much do you have saved up from your summer job?
What is your projected FAFSA EFC? What is your parents’ adjusted gross ncome?
Do you have siblings?
What is your PSAT/SAT/ACT/GPA?
Just what I was thinking – being stubborn doesn’t make money appear. If you have high enough stats, you might have some options. If not, then realistically you are going to need to start at a community college or a college you can commute to.
What are your stats?
How much will your parents pay each year? Nothing? $5k? 10k?
You can’t get any other loans without a cosigner, so that’s out…and if you want to go to med school, then borrowing for undergrad should be kept to a MINIMUM.
Do you live near any of the CSU’s?
What are your stats? Not superscored.
Most med students have to borrow for med school. The fed gov’t will loan large amounts to med students, so that’s not a concern for you right now.
So your family income is a live the threshold,for the Calgrant? And it’s also above the threshold to receive a Pell Grant (that would be determined by your FAFSA EFC)?
You cannot take out bank loans without a cosigner. So set that idea aside.
What WILL your parents pay for you to attend college? Get that number!
Also, what are your SAT or ACT scores, and your GPA?
ETA…I found your stats.
You need to retake the SAT and you need to take the SAT…then come back here with those scores.
I’ll stick my neck out and say that admission to UC’s is not a guarantee with your current SAT score.
Welcome to the financial reality many high school srs face.
Stubborn is going to get you nowhere in the truest sense of word. You won’t have any college options in the fall bc you have to be able to pay in order to attend.
Lower your nose a few notches and look at lower ranked schools with merit scholarships. If you have good stats, several schools offer automatic scholarships.
Right now, this students SAT score is not sufficiently high to qualify for huge merit awards.
Most of the generous merit awards are for tuition or part of tuition, not full rides. We don’t know IF or how much the parents will pay annually…and without that number, any suggestions are a shot in the dark.
@thumper1 I hadn’t seen those stats. Yes, merit $$ is unlikely as a way of funding college.
If your parents won’t pay you should start working now to save money but going to CC for 2 years and living at home or with other relatives is going to be a necessity for you to pay and save money for the last 2 years. Your degree won’t be worth any less than students who went to the 4 year college all 4 years.
I know this may sound harsh, but you need to deal with the reality of your situation. Your stats aren’t great. they’re not likely strong enough for you to succeed as a premed at a UC or CSU. You’d likely be amongst the weakest students in the premed prereqs and soon be weeded out.
Many students want to be premed because they think becoming a doctor is so cool and exciting. It’s freaking hard work.
If you REALLY want a chance at becoming a doctor (and maybe you’re a late bloomer and your high school stats don’t really reflect your future potential), then go to a CC, do your best and transfer to a UC
Guess what? You “absolutely have to” if you plan to further your education. With your current GPA and SAT score, you won’t be getting in to the UC’s because you are not competitive (grades and test scores are below the average applicant) and those schools along with the Cal States are very competitive. Plus, you can’t afford the UC’s.
As noted above^ you might get in, but it doesn’t look good. Also, it doesn’t sound like you can afford the Cal States.
Well maybe your school grades don’t reflect that yet.
Alternatives - RN or Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant
I was the valedictorian of my (very large) high school. If I hadn’t gotten scholarships, I would be at a community college right now – and I wouldn’t be any less smart, or ambitious, or hard-working. And I would’ve sought out and found opportunities in my community and taken advantage of them. There is nothing about community college that you should be ashamed of. Many perfectly bright and overachieving students do their first two years at a CC because of financial realities.
I also am wondering if there’s a CSU within driving distance of your home? Your stats can get you in to many CSU’s. Are your parents literally not willing to pay anything?
OP has a 3.45 UC GPA and SAT score of 1190 so their EI is 3950. With an EI of 3950, OP @nick414 could get into most of the Cal states except for SLO, SDSU and CSULB. Tuition/Fees/Books are around 7,000/year. If you can commute, take out the student loan for $5500 and include some summer savings, it could work to attend your local CSU.
http://www.calstate.edu/sas/costofattendance/
What is the FASFA EFC for your family? Are your parents willing to let you live at home? There is nothing wrong with attending a Cal State and then applying to Medical school. Many students have followed this path and have succeeded.