I am so scared of being abandoned and losing my family. Please help me.

Paying for College
1

<p>Here's my situation. I live with my single mother. My mother and I immigrated from Korea. She is my only family member in America. My father died when I was two. </p>

<p>I am headed for a great college (Yale). But, the situation isn't great with my mom. We don't get along, and I am worried that she will refuse to contribute the parental expectation in my financial aid package in the future. I'm scared because I have no other family members to rely on in America. I have no siblings/cousins/father/grandparents here. If she does stop paying, what do I do, with regard to paying tuition? I would essentially be an orphan, right?</p>

2

<p>No, you wouldn’t be an orphan if your mom chose not to contribute to your education.</p>

3

<p>What do I do if my mom stops contributing?</p>

4

<p>Get a job? Find someone to cosign a personal loan for the family contribution share? How large is your mom’s financial contribution?</p>

5

<p>So try to repair your relationship with her because she is your mother not because you need her money.
If she stops paying your tuition then you have to leave Yale.
You have to support yourself with a job and get on with your life.
You are an orphan if your mother dies, not if she stops supporting you.
Doubtful you are going to Yale if you don’t know the definition of orphan.</p>

6

<p>If your mom’s contribution is low, then you can take out a Stafford loan. How much is her contribution?</p>

<p>Since you seem to be more concerned about the future, if she were to not pay your second year, you could borrow $6500 for that year. After that, you could borrow $7500 for your junior year and $7500 for your senior year.</p>

<p>What is going on between you and your mom? You must be a fabulous student to have gotten accepted to Yale. Are the problems culturally related? Is she upset that you’re going far away?</p>

7

<p>Wow, I was actually in the EXACT same situation as you! My parents are divorced, and I also live with just my mother, and I’m also headed to Yale next year (I’m assuming you’re Yale 2014?)</p>

<p>My father makes hardly any money (he can barely support himself, let alone me) so I had to move with my mother, who makes a great deal more. For the same reason as you cited (we don’t get along very well) she tells me she won’t pay my tuition. Sometimes I think she is not being serious, but I know it’s not below her to leave me stranded financially.</p>

<p>How much is Yale giving you?? If they are giving you a lot already, I am sure you can pay for it. I actually talked to Yale’s financial aid office, and after they saw my father’s tax and financial aid reports, they actually increased my aid by quite a bit. I’m now at the point where even IF my mom refused to pay tuition, I could get a job and some loans, and support myself. That’s what I think you should do. Talk to the aid office. If your mom is well off financially, this could be difficult…but still give it a shot. Also, you could even try for some merit scholarships in your area, school, or even national ones. There a lot out there (but hurry, deadlines are passing :() </p>

<p>The point is, with some degree of aid from Yale, you can almost certainly find a way to pay for your education some way or another, if you try hard enough. Take loans out, apply for scholarships, get an on campus job.</p>

<p>Also, you’re forgetting perhaps the most important thing…you’re going to Yale :slight_smile: Yale has great resources and advisers. There are plenty of people to talk to about your situation that know a way to help you. If you’re determined enough, Yale can find a way for you to graduate in four years.</p>

<p>Sorry for the long response; I just know exactly how you feel. Feel free to message me too :)</p>

8

<p>If your going to Yale and you are a good student why would she stop paying for your college education(president bush went to Yale :stuck_out_tongue: ). Later on your moms going to need you and your going to need her like it or not. How much money is she going to have to pay anyway?</p>

<p>Once your 18 your considered an adult, which you will be in college. You wont be an orphan. I know people who live on their own after high school. Their not orphans. Make your mom optimistic of the future. Maybe she does not understand how big going to Yale is. Third best in the country.</p>

9

<p>Can you talk with a counselor or another trusted teacher at school? Try talking with a trusted adult.</p>

10

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<p>That’s true, but the FAFSA doesn’t consider you an adult at this time (unless, of course, you actually are an orphan for other reasons other than alienation).</p>

11

<p>Yes, if a parent who is deemed able to pay a certain amount, by a college’s financial aid analysis, decides not to pay, the student is going to have a problem. Loans and jobs on the part of the student will have to make up that amount unless the school makes an exception in the case. </p>

<p>Parents have no more of an obligation to pay for private college tuition than they do for private high school and lower grades. If they don’t want to pay, the student has to find a more affordable option.</p>

12

<p>Thank you for the advice, ccers.</p>

13

<p>Get a job…?
Go to another school?</p>