<p>First of all, moving to NY, getting a place to live and finding a job are all big deal things that one cannot do with the snap of the fingers. Do you have family or someone who will give you an open ended stay option with them? Even so, you will need seed money to make the move. </p>
<p>Then after you do this, you have to find a school that will accept you, hopefully let you get away with instate rates or else you have to pay OOS ones, and transfer your credits from IL to there. Look at what it is going to cost you to do this, on top of paying for living expenses? Can you afford this?</p>
<p>Unless you have your parents fill out a FAFSA and it turns out that their financials are such that you qualify for PELL, all you can get on your own is $5500 in loans. Schools are not inclined to be generous to transfers either and being OOS is going to be a issue too. </p>
<p>My suggestion is to look at where you are at CC and check out what programs are available to you for your next step. Making the transition that way is probably the best way to go. A problem you are going to have is still funding, but you seem to be set in IL with living arrangements and you are doing well at your current college. Because of your age, getting a loan on your own is going to be nigh impossible is the big issue, let alone any grants or other awards sizeable to make a lot of options possible.</p>
<p>The question as to how much you can realistically pay for college is one you have to answer. Unless you have some sources of money to up the ante, all you can borrow is $5500 a year. If your parents will try to get a PLUS (Parent Direct loan) and are turned down, you can get another $4K. But again, we are involving them. If you can get independent standing, you are entitled to the same $4K additional in loans and maybe up to $5600 in PELL, but that is going to involve some drastic actions such as declaring yourself homeless and checking into a shelter and getting certified as such, and really you are not in that situation with a relative who is letting you live with her.</p>
<p>My advice is to check out what courses you need for what you want to do and soak your local college for what you can in getting them under your belt, and when you can’t go any further with them, ask for guidance from them–ccs typically have some transition department that can help you make a transfer to a school likely to take you. You have your great record on your side for this. </p>
<p>If you cannot make this work at this time, look into some certificate programs that can land you a job with good pay possibilities and get rolling on that, get a job and when you get yourself more independent and legally so at age 24, with some money saved, you can return to school with a lot more choices under your belt. You may even find a niche with an employer who can help you go make to school. </p>
<p>In your case, as a parent, I would make the investment of what it would cost and borrow if necessary to get you through the next couple of years or so in the program of your choice as you have demonstrated that you are focused and doing well at college. But when you don’t have someone who can do this, that avenue is closed. Whoever co signs any loans with you is equally on the hook for the amounts on their credit records and for repayment even if you die, disable, dropout, default which is big thing to ask them to do.</p>