<p>you know what, this sucks for you, but you can't go to stanford. your father is not paying for you, so that is very sad, but unfortunately it's reality and it won't change if you complain or vent. if your father won't pay, you will have to pay on your own. that means you have to take out loans. 60,000 is a lot of money, but that's not going to change because it's unfair and you don't want to pay. you were dealt a tough hand here, but whining won't fix it. either take out the loans or look into another, cheaper school. sorry.</p>
<p>I'm not a parent, but I will give you advice. Either take out the 60K loan and finish your school or drop out of your college and seek for other profession- like auto-mechanic, electrician, garbage collector just name a few. QUIT acting like a whinning boy on a treetop.</p>
<p>I dont think he's whinning. He just wants useful suggestions.Not criticism and insults. Just respect that. I dont want to get in the middle of all this though so---
Maybe you should apply for merit aid. Especially the African American scholarships. You obviously have good grades- otherwise you wouldn't be applying to stanford. Check out the links at the top of the fin aid forum. If PSU isn't for you, and you're better of at Stanford, then by all means attend. You just have to hussle though. You're obvioulsy on the right track. You're doing an internship and you work during the school year.</p>
<p>I agree with DUDE, he's not whining, he asked for suggestions to reach a specific goal, but 75% of these past posts have had nothing to do with his goal except to tell him to abandon it. And yes he is getting screwed, just because he may have known the rules for a while doesn't mean the system isn't screwed up, when a fully self-supporting individual isn't considered independent and is still looked at in the shadow of his father.</p>
<p>"....doesn't mean the system isn't screwed up, when a fully self-supporting individual isn't considered independent and is still looked at in the shadow of his father."</p>
<p>No the rule of the game is that parents have a stake in their child's undergraduate education and have moral obligation to pay for it. The only practicle way to demonstrate your independence is to get married and file income tax as a married couple.</p>
<p>In absence of a strict rule, the system will be subjected to lots of fraud. Families can get a divorce on paper, kids could rent an apartment and claim he is independent....so on.</p>
<p>and no he is not getting screwed.</p>
<p>You think its not subject to fraud now? I actually know someone who got married just for that purpose: both of them agreed that getting married would help both of them get $$ for college, got a drive through marriage and ba-boom- legal independence. The system is screwed up, however you like to look at it. Elite colleges like stanford try to improve their reputation by making it free for under 60k incomes(not saying this is a bad thing), then turn a cold shoulder to someone in the OPs situation-someone probably making a LOT less than 60k and independent in the true sense of the word.</p>
<p>Not meaning to stir up a hornet's nest -- but I have a problem with the definition of "independent" meaning someone that is borrowing money and accepting scholarships and grants to go to school.</p>
<p>My personal definition of independent is someone who works full-time and uses that money to support at least themselves, including living arrangements. The independent person also pays taxes, state and federal. </p>
<p>I know that isn't the legal definition -- but students who keep saying that they are really independent and should qualify for financial aid are rarely truly independent. Most times they have just switched their dependency from parents to student loans and government aid.</p>
<p>I'm wondering why, if you're having financial trouble NOW, you'd even consider getting into deeper financial do-do at Stanford?</p>
<p>A college education is a consumer purchase like a home or a car. Some people can afford the great ones, most people can't. That's life! Don't try to buy a Ferrari if you don't have the dough and don't apply to Stanford if you don't.</p>
<p>I dont think thats the best analogy. A ferrari is a luxury item. You dont 'need' to buy a ferrari to be able to go to work. You can get a much cheaper car. I think its safe to say he's smart enough not to go to a school just because it's prestigious. If he'll be better off at stanford ie. happier, more academically challenged, better job opportunities, etc., all legit reasons for transferring, then by all means he should apply.
I dont think he should compromise what he needs/wants from his college experience just because of financial issues.
The guy is basically asking "I plan on attending stanford next year, give me some suggestions as to what i can do to defray the costs of my tuition as much as possible(for someone in my circumstances)." Trying to dissuade him from applying to stanford isn't addressing his needs.</p>
<p>Man, I am a truly independent student and I am really tired of this thread. I totally commend what dude is trying to say. But, there are too many folks on this thread who are getting a tad bit silly. Shoot, I just found out a while ago, that my university says I do not qualify for a pell grant and I earn a good 85 thousand dollars less a year than o/p's dad. </p>
<p>If o/p is really living independently and not relying on their dad for anything, then they need to become an emancipated minor and move on. Or, withdraw from university, and work really hard until they are 21. Gosh darn.</p>
<p>Dude,
[quote]
I dont think he should compromise what he needs/wants from his college experience just because of financial issues.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Easy for you to say! ;) But someday you'll understand that many important decisions in life are trade offs with what one can afford versus what one "wants," and a $180,000 investment (ie Stanford education) vs. an $80,000 investment (Penn State) certainly falls into that category, whether you like that fact or not.</p>
<p>I'm not saying he shouldn't go ahead and apply to Stanford - why not, except that you might waste the application fee (a minor issue). I'm just saying that once you are in college, and especially if your parents aren't loaded and generous, it's time to get real about money. No one wants to - but it's just reality.</p>
<p>And I do think the Ferrari example is apt. One does not need Stanford to get a great education (and at its price tag it most certainly is a luxury item), just as one does not need a Ferrari to get to work.</p>
<p>merlinjones -- unfortunately, the college financial aid office does not recognize emancipated minors as independent adults for financial purposes. also, you need to be 24 and not 21 to be independent.</p>
<p>Whether the system is right or wrong means nothing because we aren't going to fix it in time to help the OP.</p>
<p>My suggestion to the OP would be to apply to Stanford. First, you don't know if you will get in and if you do, you really don't know how the financial aid package will work out. It could be that the cost would be the same at Stanford as where you are now, so you wouldn't be any further behind. </p>
<p>Talk to the financial aid office -- that is the best you can do there. Tell them you have no contact with your dad, no support, etc. </p>
<p>Look for scholarships (not at Stanford -- no merit based scholarships there) and spend the year applying for those.</p>
<p>Get a job.</p>
<p>sorry, but I don't think there is any magic answer to your problem -- it is a problem faced by many, many students each year. What you can afford and what you want are two different things. And what colleges expect your parents to pay and what they can and actually will pay are also often very different figures.</p>
<p>^ A wise mom has finally spoken. Yeah follow her advice and hope for the best</p>
<p>You should apply to a few more schools than just Stanford. Find a few others you like too. Sounds like this is really consuming you to get out of Penn State so you should have a match & a safety in case Stanford doesn't accept you.</p>