<p>Can anyone offer a recommendation for a student who is not being supported by her family due to religious belief. She has been offered limited financial aide but does not have anyone to co-sign a loan or enough credit history to obtain a loan on her own. She has been declared independent by the university she plans to attend and has already completed one year at that university. Are there any organizations that offer help to students who do not have families to support them?</p>
<p>The only loans she can get without a co-signer or credit history are the federal loans. She needs to speak with the people in the financial aid office at her college/university to find out what options she has for increasing her aid package there. If they have determined that she is independent, they can help her access other federal and institutional aid that they consider her to be eligible for.</p>
<p>She also needs to start making her Plan B in case her current college/university proves to be unaffordable. She may need to attend part-time while working full-time to support herself.</p>
<p>In a word, no. She can look for work. College may not be the best priority for her. Most college students do go to school part time with at least a part time job for support. It’s the privlleged kids who have parents who pay for them to go to a sleep away college full time. It’s not an entitlement anymore than a trip to Europe, a new car, or any number of other things some of us get when we have family who can pay for these things for us before we can afford them ourselves.</p>
<p>And, she needs to be extremely aware that getting loans, especially well above the Stafford cap, is not always the wise choice, in the long run.</p>
<p>She would be able to pay for community college tuition with the direct loan in many cases. That loan is in her name only.</p>
<p>Will her parents allow her to live at home and commute if she takes a loan?</p>
<p>Her college of choice will not likely increase her aid because her parents object to loans. The college really doesn’t care how the family pays the balance not covered by any aid they offer. It can be loans, selling off property, paying with money stuffed in your mattress. They don’t care. But the likelihood of increased aid because her parents don’t believe in loans is VERY VERY slim.</p>
<p>Think of it this way…any student could claim the same…would the college be able to support this additional aid for lots of students making this claim? No.</p>
<p>This student needs a plan B for college which is affordable. As noted above, school part time is an option.</p>
<p>What are the parents suggesting this student do next year? Do they want her attending a less expensive college they can afford without loans? Do they want her to work? What are they saying?</p>
<p>And BTW…there are many families who won’t take out loans for college costs because they want to live within their means.</p>