<p>OP, were you able to talk with the FA office today? Please update us.</p>
<p>Also, very strangely, if this is the school I think it is the charges for fall semester are WAY more than spring semester (you mentioned this, IIRC, but the size of the difference is surprising). Perhaps you could ask them if they could shift some of your spring aid package to the fall. With your work/study job you could likely save some of your earnings so that you could pay a small billable amount in the spring semester. Also, with you out of the house, your parents will have some savings in groceries, hot water, electricity, gasoline, etc, so they might be able to kick in a hundred or two for spring semester (if they are willing), or you may be able to come up with some assistance/scholarship from someone in your community by then. Depending on how far away you are going for school, your parents may be able to take you off of their auto insurance policy, which will save them some bucks. Depending on how long your winter break is, you may be able to get a job and save some bucks there for the spring bill.</p>
<p>My kids’ 2nd semester charges are posted in November and due December 1. I think that may explain why OP has the last payment “due by the middle of November.”</p>
<p>Thank you for everyone’s comments, suggestions, and advice. I don’t have time to respond to everything but I read it all. I appreciate that you tried to help, even if it didn’t work out. I’m really busy trying to work things out right now. The FA office asked me to express my concerns in writing (should I have tried to talk to someone anyway? would that be better?) so I’m working on that letter so I can send it to them today. My older brother bought my plane ticket yesterday (it was only 60 dollars luckily), so as of now I do have transportation to the school. I’ll respond again when I have more time!</p>
<p>ellemenope
“D’s school charges for the year’s health insurance all in the fall.”</p>
<p>-You did not have to buy school’s Med. Ins. They are still covered by yours if kid is your dependent. You just needed to let them know, there are forms to fill.</p>
<p>^ You are assuming the parents have health insurance. Or that the parents’ health insurance meets the school’s requirements, my S’s school has a list of coverages that my insurance has to have for him to be exempted from the school’s insurance.</p>
<p>OP didn’t complain, that’s why we followed.<br>
At a certain point, as much as we love sharing our thoughts on CC, we have to let an OP make his or her best decision.
Best of luck to the OP.</p>
<p>Did not read all the posts. To me, $1570 short is not a problem at all. </p>
<p>First of all, that $55K a year COA includes about $5K persoanl expenses. One could easily save that amount by buying low cost books and no new clothes etc.</p>
<p>2nd, one should be able to find a summer job that pays more that. </p>
<p>3rd, there are many tax credits your parents could claims if they pay any of your education expenses. </p>
<p>I haven’t heard back from my school yet (it’s so late in the game, I don’t think they’ll be able to do anything anyway). But no matter. I have been browsing the school’s job website and found a few work study jobs that offer more hours, and if I get one of those, spend 83% of my earnings on the bill instead of 50%, and use the money I was going to spend on a laptop for my bill too (that changes the 3 payments to ~330 instead of 520), I think I will be able to make it work. I’ve been searching around the community for possible funding too, but mine isn’t in the best shape so no luck there yet. I’ll keep looking though. Also, I might be able to get some help that I’m not allowed to mention on here. </p>
<p>I’ll update if anything changes. Thank you again for the advice and responses. Wish me luck surviving this year without a laptop. :)</p>
<p>Son used his desktop all 4 years. There should be computers available for your use on your campus. My biggest regret for college was living on too tight a budget- state U with scholarships plus work. Do try to find funds to max out your school experience, the reason you are there is not just the in class work. Work on next year- transfer, finding more funds.</p>
<p>If she has a desktop she can take with her, she can get by without a laptop. I was assuming that she’s using a family computer and it would stay at home.</p>
<p>If you are REALLY short on money, you need to reconsider the laptop you are purchasing. You do NOT need a $1200 Mac…you should be fine with a $500 (or less) PC laptop. OR buy a few flash drives and use the computer labs at your school.</p>
<p>Edit…there are folks saying that schools and professors EXPECT students to have laptops? DD graduated one year ago…she NEVER took her laptop to her classes…not one time. She did need to have a computer so she could email papers, get info, etc…but she COULD have used the computer lab in her dorm (and a flash drive)…and she would have if we had been short money.</p>
<p>Apologies to the OP…Am I reading this correctly? It sounds like you are NOT getting a new laptop and will be diverting the laptop money to your student account at school. Is this correct?</p>
<p>The OP to this thread got some excellent advice on how to deal with their financial shortfall…and also posted (a week ago…the last post they made on this thread) that she/he had come up with a viable solution to the issue.</p>
<p>That being said…what else is there to say on THIS thread?</p>
<p>And I notice you say you INTEND to work summers. In this economy, that may be problematic. Those loans are killers. This eceonomy doesn’t make things any easier.</p>