<p>Some schools allow undergrads to serve as dorm resident assistants, providing free room & meals. Check the policies at your school, it is not a free ride, you work for it, but it would really save money for you.</p>
<p>Don’t forget to factor in income taxes on all monies provided beyond tuition, of course loans are not taxable, but your work study is and your summer job is.</p>
<p>The advice given here about small economies with books and meal plan would in my opinion come close to solving the $1,500 short fall. </p>
<p>Everything will be fine this year. </p>
<p>Congrats on your accomplishments.</p>
<p>Agree the that the OP would need to provide documentation of the “numbers” and validate their information. For privacy, bear and hugs can confirm this with the OP, see the necessary documentation, and let us know that all is legit (and a one-time deal).</p>
<p>New to this thread, tried hard to get all necessary information, but didn’t get anything other than OP needs 1570 to go to college. What college is he going to? What major? I think he/she will be getting out with 40k+ loans. Maybe OP’s parents know something that we don’t. 1570 is not a lot of money (a handbag?) If my kid were to come to me to ask for money (not saying OP is), I would want more info.</p>
<p>Not everyone needs to go to college, and there are also many options when it comes to colleges, we go where we could afford. OP doesn’t need to go to a CC, what about a school he/she could get merit (a full ride)?</p>
<p>“what about a school he/she could get merit (a full ride)?” - Those are pretty rare. The Op may or may not have sky high stats… but it’s too late in the game now. It’s good food for thought though for seniors reading this thread.</p>
<p>There is a reason why some schools give a full ride to some students.</p>
<p>So OP could go to college with additional $1570, what about years 2-4? OP could graduate with 40k+ college loans, then what? $1570 is easy, but not 40k.</p>
<p>There are some schools I am willing to go into debt for, but not all.</p>
<p>Oldfort, many really pushed the cc idea and the concerns for future years. And all the rest. What turned it around is the OP has a COA of 55.7 and is getting all but 11070 from the college (9500 loans and 1570 balance.) Some of us know this is less than he/she would have to finance at a low-tier school or cc in our states. That’s kind of the evolution. We don’t know the school, but it’s an OT major.<br>
There’s an awful lot we don’t know.</p>
<p>I’m also late to the thread…but just FYI…OT programs typically take FIVE years to complete…and if I’m not mistaken OTs now need to get their masters to be licensed in many places. This isn’t just a one time shortage…this is a five year shortage.</p>
<p>If the OP is short $1570 in BILLABLE costs (those are the ones that are billed directly by the university…tuition/room/board/fees)…then there is a problem. If it’s non-billable costs…(books, travel, supplies, personal expenses) then then that’s another story, Trim those costs. Don’t know if this was already suggested…but if the OP’s family has comparable health insurance that the OP is already on…the OP can ask the school to waive the health insurance cost…and that should cover the $1500.</p>
<p>Looking…“Mismatch to what? OP came up $1570 short.”
-No, it is not $1570 short. It is $1579 short AFTER LOANS that have to be repaid and they are not free at all, even government loans have fees attached to them, yes you have to pay to get a loan. It is a huge mismatch between “I want” and “I can afford”. Besides, paying for UG when you can get it free? I am sure if she is a top calibe student and her family cannot pay, she can get it free either being on full tuition/full ride Merit or combo of Merit/Need. We could pay and we did not, thanks to D. who has her feet on a ground.</p>
<p>One thing I would like to raise is to put yourself in OP´s parents shoes. If my kid was short of $1500 to go to college, I would have cancelled a lot of my own “luxury” or even taken up a second job to make up the difference. We can´t assume OP´s parents are mean or stupid people without more information from OP. The parents may be very concerned with all the loans OP will have after graduation, and afraid OP may not be able to get a job or get into a grad school from THIS school. For all we know, OP´s parents have been trying to reason with OP in going to a different school. I would be very reluctant in enabling OP to go against his/her parents´wishes.</p>
<p>^People can do whatever, but OP is asking for advice. If people wish to do whatever, they do not ask for others’ advice. This family does not look like having much “luxury” to cancel, and if they do and do not want to cancel, this is their business, the family is not asking for advice, the OP does. Going to college that you cannot afford is a luxury IMO, since I have been asked to provide advice just like you have…although your advice might be superior, I am not a judge.</p>
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<p>oldfort, I believe this student’s EFC is zero, right? If that is the case, I doubt there is a “luxury” to give up. </p>
<p>(and I say this as a parent who has put my kids’ educations and debt for their educations above all else)</p>
<p>^ I also put kids’ education above all, but not debt. I do not have debt and I refuse to have debt, no mortgage, no car loan, no student loan. Which we might consider to be position of this family also. We just do not know. People are different, we know only child’s prospective, we did not hear from family.</p>
<p>Right, but my point is that saying that the family could just cut out a luxury item to come up with this $1570 shortfall is insensitive to the reality that a family with an EFC of zero likely doesn’t have many extras to give up. It is easy for someone with money to talk about what they could give up. And while we don’t know about this family, we do know their EFC and so one doesn’t have an EFC of zero and have lots of extras they could trim in their budget. That was my point. </p>
<p>I added that my point was coming from someone who has been willing to sacrifice for my kids’ education…so, I was trying to show that I believe in putting kids first above all else, as I have done in my own life but I still can be sensitive to the fact that there are people, such as those with an EFC of ZERO who cannot afford much or to cut anything from their budget to come up with this money.</p>
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<p>Do you seriously think that EVERY kid with an EFC of $0 is going to get a full ride from some college, somewhere? If so, you have a very unrealistic idea of FA. So this kid is not as perfect as your D. Does that mean s/he shouldn’t go to school? Because that may be the alternative here.</p>
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<p>It is quite possible that the OP’s parents already have second jobs, or that they can’t take second jobs because they have young children who must be cared for after school. (Remember the babysitting?) It is quite likely that a family with a $0 EFC does not HAVE any “luxuries” they can give up. (Sometimes I wonder what kind of universe people here live in, that they can’t imagine that people can’t AFFORD gym memberships, or lattes, or cable tv, or other “luxuries” that are easy to give up.)</p>
<p>In answer to another suggestion upthread, it is quite likely that they don’t have health insurance at all, or that it is minimal coverage with a high deductible, which a college would not accept. Or that they pay for insurance for the parents themselves–or go without–and it is provided for the children only through their state, which colleges also will not accept. BD/DT.</p>
<p>Wis75, I believe, said this kid was “whining.” I take exception to that characterization. I think that it is the fact that the kid was NOT whining that made a number of us want to help out.</p>
<p>Finally, no one is suggesting that the parents are not caring. They are simply saying that it sounds like this kid has thought things through pretty well and deserves a chance, and they’d like to help make that happen.</p>
<p>With an EFC of zero this family may be in this situation-<a href=“Most Americans can't afford a $1,000 emergency expense - Aug. 10, 2011”>http://money.cnn.com/2011/08/10/pf/emergency_fund/</a></p>
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<p>and I doubt they are buying $1500 handbags</p>
<p>Consolation,
"Do you seriously think that EVERY kid with an EFC of $0 is going to get a full ride from some college, somewhere? "</p>
<p>-No, not at all and it was not what I said. I have never invetigated that, so it is not my place to say anything in regard to need based scholarships. I asumed that OP is a very good top caliber student because she was accepted to selective college. And I know a lot about Merit awards, since my D. got them at every place, because she applied only to those that are known for generous Merit awards. So, my advice was based on my personal experience and OP’s statement about her family financial situaion.</p>
<p>I am going to try one more time because people are quoting me out of context and not quite understanding what I am saying here. </p>
<p>I am not saying OP´s family is buying $1500 bags, I am (and would be happy to give up a bag if it could help OP). I am also not saying OP´s family has any luxuries to cut. My exact point is it doesn´t appear as OP´s family has any extra money to fund that $1500. For that precise reason, maybe that´s why OP´s parents are opposed to $40K loans for OP to attend this school. If 1500 would solve OP´s problem, it would be a no brainer. I could, and many families, could afford 40K loan without necessary putting ourselves in the poor house, but not the case for OP. </p>
<p>My other point, was similar to MiamiDap´s, maybe OP should be looking at schools where he could get a full merit aid, just like MiamiDap´s daughter. I also stated this in my other post.</p>
<p>This is a $40K problem, not a $1500 problme.</p>
<p>OP - Hoping you made progress with your college/FA talks! Good luck ;)</p>
<p>MODERATOR’S NOTE:</p>
<p>I admire your altruistic motives, but solicitation of any kind is not allowed on CC. It could get out of hand pretty quickly.</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>