How will I be able to pay for college?

Paying for College
1

<p>Hello! I'm a junior in high school and I'm already getting very worried about paying for college. How does it work? I've tried to talk to adults about it, but it just gets kind of fuzzy. I've tried applying to various scholarships via Cappex, Fastweb, and more. My mom has told me she is not going to co-sign any loans for me. I don't plan to apply to top schools. I plan on applying to state schools and some small private schools. How will I be able to pay for it? How does it work?</p>

<p>I have a 3.6 GPA. I got a 155 on my PSAT.</p>

2

<p>

Ok no loan from mom, but how much will she pay for your education?</p>

3

<p>I don’t think she will be paying much, by the sounds of it</p>

4

<p>If your Mom will not be helping at all, you need to be looking at mostly state schools, especially any that may be within commuting distance. You will be eligible for FAFSA loans (you do not need a co-signer for these) 5500 first year, 6500 second and 7500 third and fourth. This, with a summer job and part time job starting now and saving all of the money could give you enough for tuition (but not room and board) at a state school. You also may need to look at community college and living at home for the first 2 years, and then transferring to a state school.</p>

5

<p>Okay, the 155 on your PSAT is not even in the ballpark. You should try the ACT sample test that’s available online (at the ACT website) to see if that’s a better test for you. Then you need to start prepping (NOW!!!) to take one or the other of them this June. If you can get your score up (on either the SAT or the ACT - doesn’t matter which), then you can start looking at these schools:</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships.html&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“Competitive Full Tuition / Full Ride Scholarships - Financial Aid and Scholarships - College Confidential Forums”>Competitive Full Tuition / Full Ride Scholarships - Financial Aid and Scholarships - College Confidential Forums;

<p>You don’t need a lot of money if your GPA and SAT/ACT scores are high enough.</p>

<p>And those outside scholarships (available on Cappex, etc.) are a great supplement . . . but you absolutely can’t count on them as a way to pay for school. Most of them are good for your freshman year only, and then what do you do for the next three years? The very best scholarships are the ones offered by the colleges themselves. So take a look at the lists I’ve given you . . . and get those test scores up!</p>

<p>And, as njmissy said, you’re eligible for at least $5,500 in federal student loans and, if you’re low income, you might be eligible for federal grants, as well. And if you can’t afford anything else, then you start with community college and work your way up!</p>

6

<p>You need to ask specifically how much your parents can contribute per year to pay for college. You really shouldn’t star the process with no idea what you can spend. Take that amount + the 5500 you can borrow in your own name and find at least one place you can pay for with that amount. It’s likely to be a community college or a smaller state school you can commute to. This will be your safety school. Branch out from there. </p>

<p>Look for schools where your unweighted GPA and test scores put you in the top 25% of applicants. These may give you some merit aid, hopefully enough to bring down the price to what you can pay. You won’t know until you apply and get an aid offer. If still unaffordable, well you have a safety to fall back on.</p>

<p>Check out the link above to see what kinds of test scores you need to set your goals for.</p>

7

<p>Are you low income? If so, then you might qualify for a Pell grant (which isn’t a lot). </p>

<p>Since it sounds like your stats aren’t high; your PSAT suggests that you might not score very high on the SAT or ACT, but maybe with practice you can get some better results. </p>

<p>I see that you’re in New Hampshire.</p>

<p>What state schools can you commute to?</p>

<p>What is your likely major?</p>

<p>Get a job this summer and save your money.</p>

<p>Don’t waste time on scholarships sites. You likely won’t win andy and many are ONLY for freshman year. They’re not going to help you pay for four years of college. </p>

<p>ask your parents how much they’ll contribute each year. Are your parents married? divorced?</p>

8

<p>

You really need to find out how much she can pay for your education.
From FinAid

</p>

9

<p>the most she’s told me she’d pay is maybe for books, but that depends on her current financial situation (which fluctuates throughout the year because of her job)</p>