<p>I am an incoming freshman for fall of 2012 and my parents do not want to pay for my college education at all. I am going to UC Merced and I recieved a Cal Grant Type A and a Bobcat Scholarship, together it is $17,000 but the average cost of attendance is roughly $33,500. What should I do? I am already on the list for work study ($5000) but I get paid by payroll. </p>
<p>What do I do? I want to go to college but if I can't pay, I can't go. I am just so tired of my parent yelling at me saying they can't pay and taking it out on me, when I am not I control of how much everything cost. </p>
<p>The $33,5000 COA is grossly over estimated. My son attends a UC and his off-campus cost is 1/2 of what the dorms charge. Books and supplies and transportation costs can be greatly reduced as well–take the bus, buy only used books, be thrifty in all areas.</p>
<p>You have 17K in free money/grants, 5K workstudy, you should be able to pull in 3K over the summer, plus at least 5000K in Sub and Unsub student loans for a total of 30K. I honestly don’t see the problem, you should be able to swing it if you are really proactive.</p>
<p>Another route is to go to a CCC for the first two year. Really. UC Merced is not such a major school that it matters if you go to a CCC first. PLUS you can “bank” your CalGrant the first two years!!! That means that 11K or so from CalGrant gets put into a piggy bank (so to speak) that you can draw upon when you finally transfer as a Junior to a UC. And maybe if you get good grades at the CCC you could transfer to a higher ranked UC as well.</p>
<p>If your parents income is so low that you qualify for CalGrant it means they are of modest means, especially living in CA where COL is so high. They really probably don’t have a lot to spare. Maybe if you handle it on your own (which the CalGrant will allow) they may more willing to pitch in for say, your books or other costs.</p>
<p>I absolutely know of students who attend UCs on CalGrants with ZERO assistance from their parents. The students work to earn the gap after CalGrant and loans. Your Bobcat scholarship is a little extra icing on your cake. If it seems too much for you, go the CCC route. Seriously. </p>
<p>What about the student loans in your package? If you didn’t get any, then call and ask for some. You’ll get at least $5500.</p>
<p>Also, work over the summer. how much can you earn? (work 2 jobs if you have to.)</p>
<p>Yes, the COA is grossly padded so that people can borrow up to the amount for various reasons…extra travel money, extra movies out with pals, etc.</p>
<p>Stop fighting with your parents. That won’t get you anywhere. Get the loans added to your pkg if they’re not already there. </p>
<p>What is your EFC? Your parents have likely “shut down” because they can’t come up with a large amount, but if they see that after loans and summer income, you only need help with books or things for your dorm, they may help out.</p>
<p>Please list exactly what is in your FA pkg AND list the breakdown of COA.</p>
<p>Here’s the COA from Collegeboard…don’t know how accurate it is.</p>
<p>…on campus…off campus
Tuition and fees … $13,070… $13,070
Room and board …$13,720… $7,040 </p>
<h2>Books and supplies…$1,385…$1,385 (this can be much lower)</h2>
<p>Basic Costs …about…$28,000 …about $22,000</p>
<p>Estimated personal expenses…$1,578…$1,506 (you can control this)</p>
<h2>Transportation expenses…$887…$1,708 (if your parents want to see you more, they can pay for more visits home.)</h2>
<p>Estimated Total …$30,640…$24,709 </p>
<p>Annika is right…there are many ways to save money…move off campus when you can, buy used books or rent them. Sell back your books, etc. Don’t waste money.</p>
<p>I would try to make this work. Merced is a nice, new small univ, so lots of attention from profs…like a private at a low cost.</p>
<p>Trust me, we are not poor, we a middle class and they make a combined income of $100,000 a year, I know this cause i had to do the FAFSA. They just don’t want to pay at all because they want to remodel their kitchen next year and they are paying for my brothers CCC, car and such since he still lives at home and does not have a job. </p>
<p>I am going to be working in the summer anyways. Hoping to bag at least a couple hundred or so in my savings. I don’t have a car so working two jobs will be they have to be close together. It is just that they don’t want to pay. I am pretty sure the transportation fee will be little to none cause if they are not going to help, I don’t see the point coming home. I would love to go to a CCC but that would mean living at home and I don’t want to. Wish me luck cause I will need it. Wrist comes to worst. I will file taxes as an independent and work nd go to school. I am sure part time minimum wage salary all year will be at least $15000, so that will put me though part of first semester and I hope I can count on loans, grants and scholarship to make up for the rest. We will see</p>
<p>Not sure what you mean about filing as an independent–it won’t change your financial aid status as FAFSA and colleges have their <em>own</em> set of definitions of what makes a student independent, and tax status is NOT a factor. (Generally you have to be 24, married, have a dependent, or are out of the military.)</p>
<p>In any case, if you get CalGrant and basic student loans, you should be able to cover the rest with far less than having to work fulltime all year. </p>
<p>And whether or not you WANT to live at home and attend CCC may still be a matter of what you NEED to do to make a college degree a reality. It is still an option.</p>
<p>Filing your taxes as an “independent” does NOT change the fact that you’re dependent for FA purposes. You will still have to use your parents’ income.</p>
<p>Did your FA pkg include loans? If so, how much? </p>
<p>If you work this summer, you should be able to save more than “a couple hundred”. You should be able to save “a couple THOUSAND.”</p>
<p>As we have all said, this is doable. Work with your parents for whatever help they can give you, because every cent will count. You are not likely to be independent regardless of filing your taxes as such, though doing so might give you the option of getting the the college tax credit. But for financial aid purposes, you pretty much have to be 24 regardless of how independent you truly are, unless you are married, have a dependent yourself, are a vet or have court papers showing you were emancipated before you were 18.</p>
<p>Trust me, we are not poor, we a middle class and they make a combined income of $100,000 a year, I know this cause i had to do the FAFSA. They just don’t want to pay at all because they want to remodel their kitchen next year and they are paying for my brothers CCC, car and such since he still lives at home and does not have a job. </p>
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<p>I know it s**ks, and life is not fair. However, this is the hand you were dealt, so you just have to play it. There is some great advice here. Keep the costs you can manage (that is, anything that is not tuition or fees) as low as possible, and it does seem like it should work for you. No cable, no data plan for the phone, basic living situation (roommates, ramen noodles, folding chairs for furniture) … it will be worthwhile in the end.</p>
<p>Only if you consider 36 hours/week to be part time. Unless you live in a city like San Francisco with a higher rate, California’s minimum wage is $8 an hour. Working full time (40 hours/week) would get you $16,640 (before taxes).</p>
<p>Shouldn’t you be able to put a lot more that “a couple of hundred” away from summer work? On the pay-as-you-go model, you’ve got to come up with a bunch of money before school starts since any work-study earnings will only come in well after school begins.</p>