I’m going to try to get a private loan.
And the audit indicated you needed two terms, not one, right?
Try to talk with the Dean directly.
I’m so sorry that this is adding to your stress level and hectic days. 
I’m joining this conversation late to say that this is a systemic issue across many, many colleges. (I work in higher ed policy.) Students do not get the credit they are due because colleges get on their high horse about meeting their specific degree requirements. Colleges give transfer students “credit” but if it’s elective credit it doesn’t really count toward a degree and, as in this case, hurts financial aid!! It’s financial costly and takes a human toll. Anyone interested in this topic should look into the transfer research being done by the Community College Research Center at Columbia and at the Aspen Institute. Millions of credits ‘lost’ each year due to students transferring (and it impacts 4-year to 4-year transfers too.)
The solution is better CC advising (which is difficult b/c they have limited resources) and 4-year universities very clearly and proactively mapping out for CC students exactly what they need to take in CC to be on track to transfer with Junior status… And sometimes higher ed systems need to intervene with academic VPs to require them to be more generous in what courses they count toward a degree – because too often faculty won’t ‘do the right thing’ and penalize students b/c they are too picky about what courses to articulate toward a degree.
I’m sorry OP for hijacking your post – just wanted to weigh in on this to let you know you are part of a system that needs fixing.
I’m sorry you’re going through this.
I already did an audit! I have two semesters left after this one. That’s the fastest I can go.
If you run out of federal aid then I think you lose your ability to take more federal loans. @MYOS1634, does that sound right? So if OP needs $10k for the last year, the actual gap will be nearly $18k ($10k + the $7500 federal student loan she’ll no longer be eligible for).
Can you speak to someone to see if you have enough credits for any degree, not just the one(s) you’ve been working toward? If your family income is $14k/year, I don’t think you can count on getting a private loan
Make another appointment with the Dean. Thank the office for their suggestion of an audit, but specify you already had one, last year, and thus need help since with a family income of 14K for the year your family can’t help and with one semesters to go after this one, there has to be something for the last semester.
If you belong to a faith community, talk with them, too. See if they can help. Perhaps someone can offer free housing in exchange for yardwork or babysitting, and thus free up the costs of rent and utilities toward paying tuition.
Try the above. Also I suggested making a gofundme page or the like… You have nothing to lose. Are there any co-ops with any program you can do. This way you make money for college.
Maybe you get get a room with a family in exchange for babysitting.
Also talk to some professors. They might have some suggestions or connections.
I talked with an admissions person at my daughter smaller liberal arts College. Similar like… Situation… He worked it out that he would work for them but most everything went to schooling. It was a special circumstance but the college worked with him to graduate. He has been a full time admission counselor for 7 years now… Look at the job offerings, internships, co-ops.
@stsherma I am so sorry you are going through this awful situation. You have had a lot of good advice here, and I can’t offer much better. Can you be a squeaky wheel and insist on meeting with a person with more authority, and possibly showing them some of the most helpful posts on this thread? Their endowment is huge, it’s hard to believe they can’t do something to help you. What an outrageous situation.
How about asking a good friend or relative to set up a Go Fund Me? Or, (I know, eye roll), a real long shot and probably crazy, but have someone contact the Ellen Show on your behalf. Contact the PR companies of some famous alumni, like Tom Brady or Lucy Liu. Maybe someone like that could intervene on your behalf. It could be a total waste of time, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Next summer, be sure you have some kind of paid posititon set up, and earn as much as you can. Meanwhile, use Craigslist, and look up Gigs. Those can often be fairly well paid one or two day jobs that you can do in any time you have off.
On the positive side, being in debt isn’t unusual after college. You will have a very valuable degree. Is there any family member who could co-sign a loan for you? Best of luck OP, I’m sorry you are in this position.
I talked over the phone with the same people today, and got really upset. I admit, I may have lost my temper a little. However, I was not rude to the people I was talking with.
They told me a few other things that I can try. So I’m going to try to do those things. They told me to contact the Center for the Education of Women. The Associate Dean of Students put me in contact with a person who serves as the University Ombud for students. And a woman named Angela is going to see if I actually do not qualify for scholarships anymore. They also said that I need to at least check about a private loan.
Re: #82 @AlmostThere2018
That is exactly the root cause of the problem that the OP ran into, as described in replies #35, #36, #51 of this thread.
You may need to take time away from school and work. If it is a co-op or internship through the school, your student loans will stay in deferment status. You need to work and save. When you return to school you need to work, and if you don’t qualify for work study, get another job.
I mention the student ombudsman at like the start of this thread… Just don’t read follow up on the suggestions. Don’t lose your temper and it’s always best to do this in person .All negotiations are much better to do face to face if you can.
Don’t use the phone, meet with them in person. They have to actually see you.
When you feel like you’re about to lose your temper, take a deep inspiration. I know, easier said than done.
While all of this is going on, see if there’s a paid internship/co-op you could get for the Spring. While you’d be working and earning money it’d be “for school” and therefore your loans wouldn’t have to be repaid while you eanr money.
An ideal outcome would be for the OP to get a job at the U. Then tuition might be mostly covered if the job is almost full time. These policies vary by university. The federal and private loan options don’t seem realistic.
Great idea! Maybe she can get some sort of job in the admissions office advising transfer students.
Hi guys!
I’m going to graduate next semester! I went to see a woman in the biology department. She was very nice and waived a requirement for me by making a class count towards my degree that didn’t previously count.
After that, she made a plan for me to graduate in just one more semester! It’ll be a hard, 14 credit semester, but still. So, yeah, looks like next semester I’ll be graduating.
Thanks for everyone’s help.
That is great news, congratulations! Clearly your persistence paid off…All the best for the rest of the school year and beyond.
Congrats. So that wasn’t so hard afterwards