My parents won't co-sign for loans! They don't want me to go to college! Help

Paying for College
1

<p>(skip to the very last paragraph for the question, if you don't have time to read all the info) </p>

<p>For my future career I want to go to medical school and become a doctor (not quite sure what specialty yet, but I can wait to decide on that until med school). Basically, this is gonna sound weird. Um, I started going to community college at 15. Yes, 15. I also worked about 30 hours at age 15 at an unofficial job, (nothing peculiar, just cleaning the house and doing chores and stuff for an elderly lady. Kind of like a personal assistant). I earned less than minimum wage, but I earned enough to pay for community college for a couple of terms. (I was going there while still going to high school). Then, when I turned 16, during my sophomore year of high school, I got into an early college high school program, where I go to community college instead of high school for like a couple years max, or until I get enough credits for high school graduation. However, I go to community college instead of high school, and get community college credits as well, for free. ANYONE can get into this program if they apply, even if they have a 2.0 GPA, as long as they're 16 years old. </p>

<p>Right now, I'm 17 years old, and I am completing my second year of college this June. I have only applied to two state universities. I live in Portland, OR, and only applied for Portland State and University of Oregon, and got into both. I haven't taken my SAT or ACT, so I had to apply as a "transfer" student. </p>

<p>Now that you know the background info, here are all the problems that I have so far:
My GPA in both community college and high school is 3.4 Basically, it's 3.4 in high school, and just 3.4 in community college. So my overall college GPA is 3.4
I have NO volunteer hours, because my mom does not want me to "work for free" and probably won't drive me to volunteer. I have no car, but I do have my license. I have work experience, I have been supervising a computer lab at my community college, and I worked there for a year. Unfortunately, I have to pay some bills, so the money is pretty much spent, so let's just say there is no money. </p>

<p>I haven't done any other extracurricular activities. Mainly because of parents, because my mom will not really drive me anywhere, and I guess I could take the bus, but if it ends late, my mom will not let me take the bus when it's dark because "I'll get kidnapped". And she is too "tired" to drive me because she's been "cooking and cleaning the house" all day. I am the only child, btw, and I live with my mom and step dad. Stepdad just listens to whatever my mom says. And I'm not allowed to come home late because they will be "sleeping, and I'll wake them up". So I don't really have much room for volunteering, on top of things that I have to pay for by working. </p>

<p>Basically, I didn't qualify for any scholarships (obviously) with these stats. Thing is, I will only be turning 18 in November. I will be 17 entering my junior year of college. I did not qualify for any grants. The parent contribution number that I got on the fafsa form is $9,990. Obviously, my parents aren't gonna pay anything at all, NOR will they cosign for loans! My mom is forbidding me to take out loans, she says that if I even THINK about ever taking out loans, she will kick me out, hit me, and never even talk to me. But basically, at 17 I can't really take out loans anyway! But, even if I wanted to take out a loan once I turn 18....... well, I need a credit history for that, which will take at least another few months to establish! So basically, I have no way of going to college next year, and this makes me sad. I put in a lot of effort at age 15 to get into community college early, and now I will basically waste a year. I really want to go to University of Oregon, but that means I have to move out and pay a lot more for living expenses (and no, the bills I pay are not living expenses). </p>

<p>And I really want to go to medical school. But because I am not exactly a smart individual, and it takes me a bit longer to learn information than smarter individuals, I really cannot work while doing my junior year of college, because I need to get some volunteer experience and research experience, instead of working, and concentrate on grades, because I will be taking hard classes such as Ochem. (already took a year of gen chem, got 1 C and 2 A's, and took a year of calculus, got one B and two A's.) I really really want to go to U of O, but IDK what to do! </p>

<p>So, my question is, how can a 17 year old, or someone who has JUST turned 18, take out a loan WITHOUT credit history, or a cosigner? And lets say I CANNOT get emancipated because my mom is too controlling, she won't let me. And parents under NO CIRCUMSTANCE will cosign for anything, or contribute anything for college.</p>

2

<p>No, you can’t take out private loans my yourself, however since you filled out FAFSA, you can take out those loans w/o your parents’ signature. I’m not even sure if they would even know if you took those.</p>

<p>I don’t like that “hit” threat. That sounds abusive. You’re under 18, others here may be able to better advise you. You may end up being able to get independent status if you’re in some kind of danger.</p>

3

<p>What do your parents want you to do now that you have exhausted your community college offerings? Do they want you to work? Go to a local college? Join Americorp? Join the military? Stay home and be the housekeeper? </p>

<p>Basically, you are free to do anything you please at age 18, and if things are that bad at home that you are imprisoned, you might want to find a job and spend some time in a homeless shelter which would then qualify you as independent for FAFSA purposes… There is no emancipation once you are 18 because you can just leave. You are an adult and your parents cannot force you to live at home. You have to find the alternatives, however.</p>

<p>You might want to spend the year, getting on your feet, studying for and taking the SAT/ACT to open up some options. You are young and have the time. Right now, with or without your parents signature, you can get $6500 of Stafford loans and if they refuse to fill out the forms, you can note that, and still get that loan. If you get yourself declared independent, you can get about $4K,maybe a bit more in loans, have some of the loans subsidized and if you did not earn much money or have much in your accounts, get up to $5600 in PELL grant for the year. That could be enough to pay for some schools if you do your research to find out what is available. As far as being independent, though FAFSA might look at it that way, schools can make their own determinations with their own money, and even if you were so considered, most schools do not meet full need anyways. Being a transfer does not help either, as they tend to have less funds available to them. You can talk to the department at your CC that can help you find schools that are most amenable to transfers from your CC and see what you can work out.</p>

<p>In order to do all of this properly, you will need seed money, so it might behoove you to take the year off to work and save some up. The fact of the matter is that most people do not go to school full time. They find jobs and get their degrees, little bit by little, saving to pay. So what you are seeking is a luxury that is generally supported by parents, both in the process and financially. Like being sent to a sleep away summer camp. It’s not a an entitlement and it’s a money maker, not something that is offered up, in general.</p>

<p>The other thing I suggest, is looking at your community college for career type courses that can land you some higher paying jobs, like medical transcription, billing, nuclear medicine tech positions, etc as a stop gap before going on to the courses for medical school prep. You are going to need money to get away from your parents. You are also going to have to pick up those grades. RIght now your chances for med school are not good. That C will be a problem. But you are eons away from that as you have immediate issues to address. </p>

<p>Back to what I started to say, which is, what does your mother want you to do next?</p>

4

<p>Take your SAT/ACT and see if they will let you apply late. You should be still considered a freshman applicant if you do not take any courses after you graduate officially with your high school diploma (and leave the early college program). I’m doing a similar program, and I applied to all of my schools as a first-time freshman, despite having been enrolled full-time simultaneously in a four-year university and high-school.</p>

<p>You might consider taking a gap year (and taking no more college courses) and studying for the SAT/ACT. A good score can often significantly increase merit money.</p>

5

<p>If you take the SAT or ACT and if you don’t take any classes at the community college after fulfilling the requirement for the HS diploma, then you can apply anywhere as a freshman applicant. Your GPA is in the range for some of the automatic full tuition/full ride scholarships in BobWallace’s thread in this forum. If you have a good enough SAT or ACT score to qualify for one of those, your money problems would be solved. Think about taking a year off, earning more money, prepping for and taking those exams, and then applying. You don’t have to start college right now.</p>

6

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

7

<p>Students here who are in a similar program apply to colleges as freshman. Then they transfer the cc credits and qualify for junior standing. I understand not taking the SAT yet has complicated your applications. Can you put off graduating from HS? It sounds like you would normally be a HS junior this year. I know you may have enough courses to qualify for HS graduation, but if you aren’t required to graduate can you do one more CC/HS year? Take the SAT and apply for freshman admittance in Fall 14. You’ll be 18 by then and legally out from under your mother’s thumb. It seems like you are rushing this whole process.</p>

8

<p>Going to med school will be really expensive. I suggest you look into the Army/Navy/Air force medical school programs. It is a way of coming out debt free.</p>

9

<p>Thanks for all the replies, I am wondering, how do I take out the FAFSA loans by myself, without a parent cosigner? What website do I do it on? Or do I have to do it on the website of the university I want to go to?</p>

10

<p>Did you file the FAFSA yet? If so, the colleges and universities that you applied to should have your financial information, and will be sending you information about the aid packages soon. When you get that information from the the place you want to attend, you will go online into your student account and check boxes to indicate which aid you are accepting. Then just keep following the links and instructions, and you will see what you have to do.</p>

11

<p>Please note you will be limited to a loan of $5500 as a freshman.</p>

12

<p>Firstly, congratulations on your attempts to educate yourself. Now let’s move on. Culturally, I went through something similar at your age. You will be turning 18. When you turn 18, you don’t gotta tell your parents NUTHiN! and they don’t have a legal recourse. </p>

<p>If your mother wants information, she’s going to have to COMPROMISE and help to get it. No compromise, no info. She sees that she’s losing you, as you become more independent, and “she don like it!” We old people here call it the “Empty Nest” syndrome. </p>

<p>It sounds like you need an ally at the financial aid office of your CC. Start visiting and bugging them; see what they suggest; let them get to know you and to “go to bat” for you at the uni’s. get them to get your SAT fees waived. Contact the FA office at U of O, ask for suggestions.</p>

<p>You want to go to med school so the best place to start is currently at your school. Hang around the Bio dept. Get to know who has connections to the uni’s and ask them if they want a free “helper” to get some lab experience. </p>

<p>Again, you “don’t gotta tell your Mother NOthing”. If she doesn’t want to pick you up from “school” because you’re staying late, just use her words: I guess I’ll just have to get “kidnapped” then. She’ll pick you up at all hours. Don’t you have friends at the CC with cars? Can’t they drop you off. Make friends with the people who have cars. I know very few 17 year olds who don’t have friends.</p>

<p>Some information is missing here so I don’t know what to think. How can she be tired from cooking and cleaning all day? Aren’t you an only child? Who are all of these people she cooks and cleans for all day. How does your house get so messy everyday? Does she volunteer somewhere? Does she have a debilitating disease? I get that you respect your mother but at a certain age, it has to go both ways. You pick your battles. Good luck!</p>