<p>Parents will not contribute nor co-sign. I've mentioned this in other threads before.</p>
<p>After hashing through my expected budget, it would only be possible to attend if I could produce $30,000 or so on my own over the next four years (I've already calculated direct loans, expected changes in grant/etc.) Is this possible?</p>
<p>Caveats:
My first two summers I am sort of locked into a low-paying job that only pays $1,000 for the whole summer.</p>
<p>I would need to earn work-study money on top of the $3,100 I need to earn that is part of my "work-study grant".</p>
<p>I don't want to be miserable in college, and if I should so choose I have a full merit scholarship to my local University of Scranton.</p>
<p>Take the full merit scholarship to UScranton at LEAST for the first 2 years. </p>
<p>During those 2 years, you’ll be able to determine your earning capability. If it’s good, then transfer…if you realize that you can’t earn the money, then you’ll have UScranton.</p>
<p>You don’t want to give away that UScranton deal. You can NOT get that back later. It’s a one time offer. </p>
<p>(It’s highly unlikely you could earn the needed money - especially with the 2 summer limitation).</p>
<p>Highly, highly doubtful that you could earn that much. Most students are able to earn $2000 or more in a summer, and perhaps $3000 more working during the school year and getting a winter break job. You’re already limited on the summer earnings for whatever reason.</p>
<p>Take the full merit scholarship to Scranton and see how you do with setting money aside for junior and senior year. I still think it will be very tough, but you might well have some financially viable transfer options as a junior.</p>
<p>30K total is $7500/year…is that before or after taxes? If you’re able to actually find a work study job at all, it may not give you that many hours (your award seems pretty high) and it probably won’t pay more than minimum wage (which is taxable, but not subject to FICA/Medicare…I don’t think). But, optimistically, $3100/10 months is only $310 or about 40 hours a month (but don’t forget about breaks). Then, you’ve got another $3400 to come up with…so looks like another 10-15 hours at a non-work-study job somewhere else. Do you think you could work 20-25 hours and keep up with school? Are you going to want to have to do this for all four years?</p>
<p>It sounds a bit iffy to me…and what’s up with the $1k summers? That’s really your prime earning time!</p>
<p>$30k seems pretty doable in two summers (and that’s basically how much time you have if you’re locked in with a low-paying job for two years in a row – yikes!) assuming your name is Pablo Escobar.</p>
<p>Thanks for the rapid responses. Everyone seems pretty unanimous.</p>
<p>A few things to add:
I do have $10,000 or so in personal savings, but I’d rather not be completely broke upon graduation.</p>
<p>It would be really wonderful if I could find some outside scholarships, but that really doesn’t seem like a possibility.</p>
<p>If I theoretically found a co-signer among my innumerable aunts and uncles, would it be worth assuming a combined debt (Stafford + other) of $40-45,000?</p>
<p>While you’re at UDayton, you’ll get a good idea of how much you can earn/save for the last 2 years. If you aren’t able to save much or enough, you’ll have your answer and stay at UDayton…</p>
<p>UDayton is a very good school.</p>
<p>What is your likely major and career?</p>
<p>I think while you’re at UDayton you will quickly learn that you’re enjoying a full campus experience and know that you won’t have time to devote to studies, enjoy some campus life, and also earn a lot of money.</p>
<p>I can promise you that you will be very stressed out trying to juggle everything to make your preferred school work, and that one bout of mono will send the entire house of cards tumbling. </p>
<p>You have a good option that you can afford. Why don’t you use that, and take some of the money you would otherwise have been saving and spending on school and use it to fund a semester abroad or save it towards junior and senior year elsewhere if Scranton isn’t where you want to finish.</p>
<p>You keep desperately hoping that someone is going to come along and say, “All that debt? Don’t worry about it. It will all work out. Go for what you want – the future will take care of itself.” If so, I think you’ve come to the wrong place.</p>
<p>Bloom where you’re planted. Choose to be happy. If you go to Scranton determined to make it a miserable experience, it surely will be. If you go to Scranton determined to make it the best possible college experience for you, you can do that too. It is your choice, and your life. Some people are victims, some survivors. Figure out which you want to be.</p>