<p>spring… A very large part of Michigan does not have bus systems.</p>
<p>And again Sea, have you tried MiWorks?</p>
<p>Seaside, what is your COA? How did you pay for last year? My guess is that you need to live at home and commute to a state school. Your Stafford loan would cover your COA if your family helps you in terms of living expenses by letting you live at home.</p>
<p>I’m confused. You say your “loan” is only $4000…but the Stafford loan max for freshmen is $5500. You should be eligible for ALL of it as an unsubsidized loan as your EFC is quite high. The amount of the Stafford loan is NOT contingent on the cost of attendance or your family finances (although I don’t think you can get federal aid in excess of the total cost of attendance). </p>
<p>So…if you got the $5500 Stafford, and got some job at a fast food place…or two…you should have enough to attend your local community college…and yes, I know this would mean dealing with your family. BUT it would not put you in debt.</p>
<p>Have you had a conversation with your parents about college costs? Have you had a conversation with your parents about what you want to do when you graduate from high school? You should do this regardless of the “other” issues in your family, if it is possible to do so. </p>
<p>With an EFC of $69,000, your parents are earning about $200,000 a year…or so (is that right?). What reasons have they given you for not helping you with after high school education costs?</p>
<p>Before I answer all these individual questions does anyone know where the quote option is located in these forum? I can’t find it anywhere, but someone used it in the thread so I must just be overlooking something?</p>
<p>[ quote ] text [ /quote ]</p>
<p>Remove spaces from brackets.</p>
<p>The US Government wants you to join the military.</p>
<p>Bottom line – that’s why the aid system is structured the way it is. </p>
<p>Does the University you currently attend have a ROTC program?</p>
<p>SeaSideBay – your story makes me really sad and I hope you will be a better parent to your own children. I have a different take than some of the other posters, I think you need to move out of your house. I know it is hard to find work but you need to find it anyway. Once you get away from the verbal abuse you’ll start to feel better about yourself. Since you are going to be putting yourself through school I think the community college option is a good one.</p>
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<p>In the past I was getting a scholarship ever year. That scholarship is no longer offered because the business that offered it is doing to poorly. That scholarship was only based on merit. I have extremely high grades. That scholarship was paying for 100% of my college.</p>
<p>I do not qualify for any of the private donor scholarship associated with the university nor the private donor scholarships associated with the local community college , because they are need-based in addition to merit based. I did not qualify for an university scholarships either because I was not incoming freshman or did not transfer with enough credit hours.</p>
<p>If your parents are abusive, you need to seek help somewhere in person to get help. I agree with Pea. </p>
<p>But that isn’t going to help you with the college bills right now. Is there anyone in your family…an aunt or uncle, grandparents…who you could speak with. Or a trusted clergyman?</p>
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<p>That’s because I’m not a freshman.</p>
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attend your local community college…and yes, I know this would mean dealing with your family. BUT it would not put you in debt.
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<p>Staying with them is NOT an option.</p>
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Have you had a conversation with your parents about college costs?
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<p>Of course. More times than I can count. Those talks never ends well, obviously.</p>
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Have you had a conversation with your parents about what you want to do when you graduate from high school?
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<p>I’m not in high school.</p>
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With an EFC of $69,000, your parents are earning about $200,000 a year…or so (is that right?).
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<p>right</p>
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<p>They say that now that I’m an adult I have to pay for everything on my own.</p>
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Seaside, what is your COA?
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<p>with housing, about 20,000 per year.</p>
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Seaside, what is your COA?
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<p>with housing, about 20,000 per year.</p>
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<p>You put the backslash before the q not after the e.</p>
<p>Housing is $20K per year?? where do you go to school? My kids go to college where the real estate is MIGHTY expensive and their ROOM (housing) and board (food) costs to live on campus were about $11, 000 a year.</p>
<p>DD lives off campus in a very nice house…$650 a month for rent and utilities, and $200 a month for food. For 12 months, that is $10,200. And yes…she has roommates…and yes she even shares her bedroom with one other person.</p>
<p>Sea- maybe we could offer better assistance if you gave a summary of your situation. What year are you in university? What area of major (science? humanities? etc?)</p>
<p>If you are not a freshman, how many years/units do you have? We can be more helpful with more specifics</p>
<p>Seaside, there’s no way your Stafford limit has decreased to $4,000 unless you already have $27,000 in Stafford loans. Stafford limits are $5,500 freshman, $6,500 sophomore, and $7,500 junior and senior. The maximum you can borrow as an undergrad is $31,000. So talk with your school again, because I’m pretty sure you misunderstood. Also, your EFC does NOT affect how much you can borrow. You can have a 99,999 EFC (the highest) and still borrow the maximum Stafford.</p>
<p>Hey Sea – This may or may not be an option where you are, but it worked for one of our students. Check the employment benefits at your college; see if there’s a tuition waiver. If so, scour their job listings for something you might qualify for without a degree. I don’t mean the student jobs or work-study, I mean staff positions. Especially if there’s something in your department, or someplace on campus where they already know you to be a bright, hardworking, lovable student.</p>
<p>This is how I funded my grad degree and how one of my former student workers managed after his merit scholarship dried up. His total TRB was close to yours. Now he has a job on campus; it’s fairly low-paying, but it puts money in his pocket and he pays about $100/year in tuition to attend part-time. Sure, it’ll take him an extra year or two to get the degree, but he doesn’t care since it’s hardly costing him anything and he’s adding career-type work experience to his resume at the same time.</p>
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<p>No, housing is not 20,000 per year. Housing and tuition together is 20,000 the last year I went.</p>
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<p>Is that rule different for different states or schools? If not, than I don’t know. Maybe there is something I missed?</p>
<p>It seems to me that you are currently living with your parents and want to move into your own place. I am guessing that you have been commuting and that your tuition was covered by a scholarship that is now discontinued. My guess is that your tuition is under $4000 which makes your COA at that point since you are on the record as a commuter. That is the only way I can come up with a $4K Stafford loan for the 2009-2010 academic year.</p>
<p>What is the tuition for your college? Is the $4k figure for the unsubsidized stafford for the entire year or for a semester?</p>
<p>You are not giving us enough info to help you.</p>
<p>Stafford limits are consistent across the country. You are limited to receiving no more aid than COA, which would include tuition, room, board, books, transportation, fees, and a set amount for personal expenses. If you have been living at home you likely have a very small room/board component in your current COA. If you move, make sure you update your FA office who will increase your COA.</p>