Is USC worth the money??

<p>I got accepted to spring 2010 and my parents are in and out of my life and currently they are out. i have a good amount of financial aid probably about half i have the independent status. for all 4 years i'd have to worst case scenario loan out around 100k if i live on campus with meal plan living expenses etc? Is it worth the money? I'm a comm major with an emphasis in the business aspects and plan on going to get my MBA. is it worth loaning out that heavy of a loan for an undergrad degree?</p>

<p>What are your other options? $100,000 would be a very large debt. You might try posting this on the Financial Aid Forum - they have lots of good advice to offer and calculators that can predict how much your monthly payment will be.</p>

<p>You could try some money-saving options…
-If you have AP credit and used your Fall semester to get some community college credits, you could go to summer school each year at community college and see if you can graduate in 3 years.
-You might look into becoming an RA to save on room and board - though being an RA is a LOT of work, requires a class, and is competitive - more students would like to be RAs than they need. <a href=“http://sait.usc.edu/ResEd/Employment.aspx[/url]”>http://sait.usc.edu/ResEd/Employment.aspx&lt;/a&gt;
-Some majors have progressive degree options that reduce the number of units (and therefore semesters) required for a Master’s:

[USC</a> Annenberg | Communication](<a href=“http://annenberg.usc.edu/CurrentStudents/UGStudentSvcs/Comm.aspx]USC”>http://annenberg.usc.edu/CurrentStudents/UGStudentSvcs/Comm.aspx)</p>

<p>That is just an example of a progressive degree program (the first one I came across in a quick search), you would want to search around the website to see if there is one that would work for you.</p>

<p>Only you know for sure if it is worth it to YOU. Best of luck with your decision.</p>

<p>my other options are pretty much to take the sem off and go back to school in fall 2010because it is too late to even register for classes at a junior college even if i wanted to. i guess i am willing to take that heavy of a loan cuz i think in the long run itll be worth it but when ur parents had left u promised money for ur college and it is taken away from u 2 weeks prior its really hard to deal with an alternative option.
yah i will look in the progressive degree options. thanks alot. is there a financial aid forum just for USC? would u mind linking me?</p>

<p>No, there is not a specific financial aid forum for USC - it is the general college confidential Fin Aid forum [Financial</a> Aid & Scholarships - College Confidential](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/]Financial”>Paying for College - College Confidential Forums) They will not have info specific to USC, but they have good advice to offer in general.</p>

<p>I am sorry you suddenly find yourself on your own. Have you contacted the financial aid office to discuss your change in circumstance? Unfortunately, when parents decide they don’t want to pay it does not usually result in an adjustment, but you never know. You may have special circumstances that could be documented by your high school counselor that might be considered - it is worth a shot.</p>

<p>from what I hear Annenberg is a great department</p>

<p>but i dont know if i could justify paying sticker for a communications degree</p>

<p>money was an issue for me, which was a significant part of my decision to become an RA. it helps A LOT.</p>

<p>they generally want to weed out the RAs who do it just for the free housing and pay. You need to want to be an RA before those considerations too.</p>

<p>100k is a lot of money, and could inhibit your ability to go to grad school >.<…if you know for sure you want an MBA and money is an issue, go to a public in-state university for undergrad…undergrad really isn’t that important for grad school, it’s more about your grades</p>

<p>MBA is all about gmat and work experience</p>

<p>and you’ll be working for a couple-several years before that so you might have enough saved up for a couple years at bschool</p>