I want to attend an out of state school but that is not financially feasible.

Paying for College
1

I was born and I live in a small town in Mississippi, and for the past ten years I have looked forward to living somewhere else (preferably in a big city). However, my parents do not support this goal and would rather I stay in state because it is financially easier on them. My family does not qualify for financial aid (household income is above 400K), and I do not think I would be able to take out such a big loan (considering the costs of a private or public out of state college).

What advice do you have for me?

2

Stay in state.

3

@DrGoogle is absolutely correct^^^^^

4

Or find a low cost / big scholarship school:

http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1678964-links-to-popular-threads-on-scholarships-and-lower-cost-colleges.html

5

It’s more than just wanting to get out of this town which has nothing to offer. My parents, my mother especially, have never agreed with me on anything since I was very young. I do not want to live near them for the rest of my life. I’ve waited years to get out, and the possibility of moving out for college is the light at the end.

6

Work at a job, save some money by going to a community college, then transfer to a school YOU can afford. You can’t demand what you don’t have.

Communication goes both ways. Can you go a full day without requesting something from your parents? A ride, cash, signatures, meals, clothes, laundry, etc? When I hear of a student saying they will never live near the parent as an adult, I begin to question the demands of the child.

What a wasted family life.

7

That seems a little harsh ^^

8

You can move after college. I did that because I want to experience four seasons.

9

You have high stats (3.85 HS GPA (UW), 760/800/750 SAT), according to another thread you started. Look through the scholarship lists at http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1678964-links-to-popular-threads-on-scholarships-and-lower-cost-colleges.html . Some of them are automatic for your stats (see http://automaticfulltuition.yolasite.com/ ) , so you can get free rides at several out of state schools. Examples of automatic ones:

Tuskegee
Howard
Louisiana Tech
Prairie View A&M

Automatic full tuition scholarships, remaining cost is housing, food, books, misc.:

Alabama - Tuscaloosa
Alabama - Huntsville
Florida A&M
Mississippi
Temple
Utah State

10

What was your score on the PSAT? With such high SAT scores I would imagine that your PSAT should be more than high enough for National Merit Semifinalist in Mississippi. This would open up even more options for a full ride out of state.

http://nmfscholarships.yolasite.com/

11

OPs previous posts suggests she wants Ivies and Elites. I don’t think she wants NM schools.

12

My parents do not think they can trust me to go out of state. Even attending a NM school out of state does not make sense to them as they are making me stay in Mississippi.

13

There are some family issues which have happened, I have heavy reasons for wanting to leave.

14

Service academy? Prestigious in ways the ivies aren’t, out of state, and practically no free time. Should be a good compromise.

15

Do they have any objective evidence for this? (even if you disagree with their interpretation)

Do they have any objective evidence of your maturity?

As other posters have said, you can make your in-state options work. Your parents know this. Whatever their reasons for preferring the in-state option- and whatever you think of those reasons- if you want to have any hope of changing their minds you will have to step and show them that you have thought through the options, looked at the costs and the benefits, and are presenting them with thoughtful, reasonable options.

Now, while it is all hypothetical, pull the amazing amount of help various CC posters have offered you on your various threads together into a few scenarios that work for you and that you can justify to your parents. We can’t do this for you- you know you, and you know your parents, in ways that we cannot, but as an example:

'I know you would like me to stay nearby for family reason X and financial reason Y. I understand X, and am showing that (this way). I understand Y, and have looked carefully at the costs of each of the colleges that I would like to apply to. I have done a lot of research into various colleges and am particularly interested in (a short list) for these reasons (Z). My first choice is Cornell, b/c (A,B,C): If I were to be accepted ED, would you let me attend? ’

The key point is to demonstrate that you have done some clear, focused, mature thinking that respects both your parents priorities and your own goals. For all colleges except Cornell you should do a cost comparison with your in-state options. Cornell has some specific advantages to it: it is an Ivy League school (parents may value prestige); your father went there (respect for your parent); very strong for what you want to study; and of course the ED + legacy bump.

What I can promise won’t work is (actually or metaphorically) stamping your foot and wailing ‘but I don’t wannnnaaaa stay home’, which is how some of your post comes across. On top of your ‘hey guys, what do you think about applying to colleges just for fun to see if I can get in?’ post it suggests that you haven’t gotten serious about making some hard choices about what you want to do and how you can get there.

A lot of people have given you a lot of great leads: now it’s up to you :slight_smile:

16

Find a full ride and you don’t need your parents’ permission. You’ll be 18 and out on your own.

17

In state could still work for you if you get to live on campus. You might be able to find opportunities to work on campus and stay most of the summers, too. It may not be your ideal location for 4 years, but for you it may still beat living at home,

18

Go to Ole Miss; take the scholarship you should be eligible for; see if you can talk them into putting some money away for grad school.

Enjoy the experience, work hard, study hard, don’t take a car to campus and go home on weekends. You’ll never be able to tell how far you are or aren’t from home.

19

@ucbalumnus, If OP qualifies for a free ride, would filing the FAFSA be necessary or does it depend on the school? If OP doesn’t need FAFSA, she could choose where she wanted to go, couldn’t she? She’d still need application fees, travel expenses, and living expenses, so a job is probably necessary. She may also need a plan for summers in case the parents don’t let her come home. But with those scores, it seems like there’s a real possibility of getting an OOS school.

20

OP, if you live in the dorms, being in state can feel a lot different than living at home. The kids that attend our nearby University say that it is like a different world, even though it is less than 15 minutes from their homes and high school. Plus, you can look into study abroad opportunities. Often there are grants/scholarships and the like available to help defray the cost. Some schools allow you to use the financial aid they give you to study abroad. Make the most of your in-state options:).