MONEY

Isnt it always about money? I went to 1 year at community college and absolutely hated it. So I talked my parents into letting me transfer to a university for fall 2015. I applied to U of I and got in which is absolutely my choice school. The only problem (I bet you didnt see this coming) is that my parents tell me that they cant afford that and they dont want me to go into massive debt. I got into the Chem program there, which ive heard is a great program to get a degree from. My parents have a large enough income that we didnt get any grants and I applied kind of late so I dont think I’ll get any scholarships. My gpa and act scores are that high so I doubt Ill get any merit scholarships as well. The real question is, is UIUC worth the post graduate debt? I feel like this day in age college debt is just a way of life. I really want to go to UIUC because I have some friends that go there and every time I visit the campus I fall more and more in love with it. Maybe provide some ways to save a lot of money if I do end up biting the bullet and going?

Yes getting a degree from a University is always it. Live very cheap and work a job.

Are you in-state for UIUC?

Did you only apply to one university? Chemistry is quite good at UIUC. If you have to pay approximately three years at in-state tuition for UIUC, it may be workable.

The way you stated your comment, it sounds like your parents can pay something, but not all of UIUC. If you are out of state for UIUC, that is understandable. But maybe you can work something out with your parents, plus loans. There is also next year for more workable options, if you didn’t plan well this year. That may be better than taking on too much debt this year.

Yes I applied, and got accepted, into other schools but I know I want to go to UIUC and don’t really want to settle for another school. Especially since I got accepted there.

If you want more assistance here, you need to be more forthcoming about your finances, in-state tuition, your parents’ potential contribution, and possibly what your other acceptances are. Otherwise, you are not giving us anything constructive we can help you with.

No school is worth going into a lot of debt. Having large school debt can impact your lifestyle for years to come. If you decide to continue to grad school, you are possibly looking at even more debt. In addition your parents would have to co-sign for anything over the allowed student loans. However, without knowing specifics about your finances it’s hard to know if it is worth it in your case. You could minimize your debt by sucking it up and staying at cc for one more year and then transferring.