<p>S/he has $27000 banked, and can borrow $6500, and earn a little more over the year. I think s/he should go for it. There might even be a little left over for junior year, and the OP can borrow $7500 more. OP might have to take a gap year then, but also might get a co-op opportunity then, so a ‘useful’ delay.</p>
<p>All that SAT testing and advice to go to CC is over and done with. Can’t change it, so just move forward. Pick a school and just start.</p>
<p>Different approach, but have considered a two or three year ROTC scholarship? All the branches have a unit at UTA, but would recommend Navy or Air Force as they really like engineers. Do a little online research, then call or stop by for a little visit; try to meet/talk with some of the students to see if it’s something you might be interested in. This is important because most people who have never served don’t know much about the military so you want to talk to one of the unit officers. If accepted you will get full tuition, books, fees, plus a monthly stipend. You can also apply to become an RA if you’re interested in free room and board too. Graduate debt free with a guaranteed job, as an engineer possibly. Serve for four years, then use your GI bill to attend grad school or get a real job. Most companies love to hire highly skilled veterans. </p>
<p>OP: Just a comment - morally speaking your parents should at least give you the amount of the American Opportunity Tax Credit that they may be receiving.</p>
<p>@4kidsdad:</p>
<p>Well, the OK says:
“UT Austin: $0.00 in scholarships/grants. $27,000/yr in loans.
Texas Tech: $6,500/yr for two years in scholarship money, and around $20,000 in loans”</p>
<p>That seems like a difference in loans of $7K/year to me. . . .</p>
<p>@cameraphone:</p>
<p>“They’ve already told me that they want nothing to do with loans: they want to avoid them like the plague.”</p>
<p>OK, so do your parents not want you to get a 4-year college education from a good school? They aren’t willing to contribute any money and they aren’t willing to take on any loans even though they have the capability to do both. Are they college educated themselves?
Why do they want to avoid loans like the plague? Did they not take on a mortgage? That’s a loan as well.</p>
<p>BTW, tuition at any public university in NJ is free to any NJ National Guard. Not sure you want to go that route, however. Deployment overseas is a high likelihood. </p>
<p>If your parents aren’t willing to take on loans, then the only route seems to be working, taking on Staffords, and stretching out your education. Maybe through the co-op program that Cockrell has.</p>
<p>Tuition costs at UT-Austin for in-state are actually pretty reasonable; about $5K a semester. Then a few hundred for books and stuff. The rest of the cost is just you living in Austin. What’s the cheapest housing and food arrangement that you can find?</p>
<p>@madison85:</p>
<p>“OP: Just a comment - morally speaking your parents should at least give you the amount of the American Opportunity Tax Credit that they may be receiving.”</p>
<p>Don’t the parents actually have to pay for tuition to receive the credit? It doesn’t look like the OP’s parents are willing to pay for any college (even though they actually could, with some sacrifice).</p>
<p>PurpleTitan -</p>
<p>The parents do not have to pay one cent toward qualified educational expenses in order to receive the credit. What matters is if the student is considered to be their dependent for federal tax purposes. If the student is dependent, the parents can claim the credit. If the student isn’t dependent for federal tax purposes, the parents can’t claim the credit. </p>
<p>Read all about it here: <a href=“http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i8863.pdf”>http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i8863.pdf</a></p>
<p>The American Opportunity credit can be claimed in four tax years during a students undergraduate education. If no one claimed the AOC for this student while he/she was at the community college, then there could very well be four tax years worth of AOC available to be claimed. Often three academic years will fall into four tax years, so this student might be able to still claim a total of 10k in AOC.</p>
<p>@oldfort
the student cant borrow that much since the parents wont co-sign.</p>
<p>the student needs to contact TTU and see if their offer is still good.</p>
<p>OP…what advisors told you that UT would give you more?</p>
<p>There are plenty enough very good employers recruiting at TTU. No need to fear that the student is going to miss out on good employment opps by going to TTU. </p>
<p>OP…will you need 3 years at TTU? what is the discipline area of engg that you are pursuing.</p>
<p>ask your parents if they will give the tax credit they’ll get from claiming.</p>
<p>In this case, the difference between UT-Austin and TTech in loans just isn’t that big ($7K/year for 2 years and the same for a 3rd year), so I wouldn’t advise the OP to go there if she/he really wants UT-Austin (and I do believe there are better opportunities there). </p>
<p>However, I don’t think the OP should freak out. Assume the worst case scenario that the parents won’t give a cent and won’t take on any loans. Under Stafford, a max of 12.5K loans can be taken. He/she says that they have $25K in savings, so be conservative and assume it will take 3 more years for an engineering degree. $8K/year. Tuition at UT-Austin is roughly $11K/year. That leaves $9K for housing, food, etc. during the school year. Not great, but should be doable by living with roommates. The cheapest housing option at UT-Austin is actually $9K: <a href=“http://bealonghorn.utexas.edu/whyut/basics/finances”>http://bealonghorn.utexas.edu/whyut/basics/finances</a></p>
<p>If the parents don’t sign the Plus, it seems that the only advantage that going to TTech would give the OP is more luxurious dorm conditions. Personally, I’d rather choose a worse dorm in UT-Austin over a more luxurious dorm at TTech, but that’s me.</p>
<p>And that’s without working at all. Assume 10 hours a week at $10/hour (when I went to school, there were always jobs like that around campus). $4500 in a school year. Co-op and summer internships could earn more money.</p>
<p>Does the OP need the parents’ permission to receive the Stafford? I wouldn’t think so, but want to check.</p>
<p>In any case, @cameraphone, I think it is more important for you to really determine if you want ChemE or MechE. Look at the ChemE and MechE courses in MIT’s open courseware: <a href=“MIT OpenCourseWare | Free Online Course Materials”>http://ocw.mit.edu/index.htm</a>.</p>
<p>Do problem sets of both majors as well this summer. You don’t have the luxury of trying one major and then trying another, so by the time you reach campus in the fall, you have to be prepared to look for and land co-op opportunities in your chosen major. In fact, if I were you, I’d call the co-op office right now, explain your situation, and ask them to help you land co-op and internship opportunities:
<a href=“Career Services”>Career Services;
<a href=“Co-ops and Internships”>Co-ops and Internships;
<p>In your case?
Go to UT. According to sources here on College Confidential, the total cost of attendance is much less than the advertised cost. However, you’ll need to accomodate yourself off-campus and get a few roommates.</p>
<p>@mom2collegekids
Most of the time I agree with you, but in <em>this</em> specific case, it seems that the OP would be better off by going to UT than TTech. Remember that we’re not talking about a 0 EFC freshman who has to borrow $60,000 total for his education and is unsure about his future - we’re talking about a mature transfer student capable of accomplishing his goals and much less likely to drop out of engineering. Plus, if the OP is wise enough, he can make UT as “cheap” as Texas Tech.
The only problem I see here is that the parents DON’T want to take on any loans… their decision is just inhibiting the OP’s education.</p>
<p>@Fredjan:</p>
<p>Yeah, UT-Austin’s advertised COA seems to include the most expensive room&board option.</p>
<p>And frankly, I’m disappointed in the OP’s parents (and that’s as mild as I can put it). I know that if my kids grow up to do as well as the OP, I’d try to sacrifice at least a little to get them set up as best as possible in their future career.</p>
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<p>no. this is a dependent student. if he has jr standing, then he can take out 7500. His parents would have to apply for a Plus loan (which they wont do) and get denied (no evidence here that they have poor credit) for him to get an addl 4k.</p>
<p>if he can get his costs covered, then going to UT is fine…but he should still see if the TTU option is possible as a backup.</p>
<p>If he can work a lot over summers, including this summer to add to his savings, that would be great. If he can work ten hours a week during the school year, that would also help…dont know if he can earn ten dollars an hour, though. …maybe. …sometimes these jobs pay minimum wage. </p>
<p>what are the fees, and course fees like at UT? at some schools, these costs for an engg student can be an extra couple thousand per year.</p>
<p>His savings would cover some of his tuition (engg 11k per year). However, the 7500 in loans isnt going to cover the rest of his tuition, housing, food, books, and misc costs. Off campus housing is for 12 months, so that will add to costs…particularly summer utilities. I would estimate that shared off campus housing in austin is going to run at least 700 a month when you add cable, elec, internet, etc. </p>
<p>dont know if off campus housing will require furniture to be purchased or if parents will give him stuff to take…setting up an apt costs money, too.</p>
<p>plus there will be food costs, which for a student who will likely either be purchasing convenience foods or prepared foods (fast food, campus, restaurants), the costs will easily run 100 plus per week.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>If the parents have completed the FAFSA, then no parent permission is needed to get the Direct Loans. </p>
<p>If the parents refuse to do the FAFSA, and the student wants JUST the Direct Loan, then the parents need to sing an affidavit verifying that they have ceased supporting the student in any way, and won’t be doing so in the future.</p>
<p>^^^
I think the parents have done FAFSA. the parents wont take out loans, but I dont think they have forbidden the student from staffords.</p>
<p>If the parents have completed the FAFSA, then the student can take out the Direct Loans without parent consent, or permission.</p>
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<p>You are quick to take on debt for someone else… there are parents out here who won’t even fill out the FAFSA so their kids can get federal loans, and parents who won’t let their kids apply to four year schools or live out of the house to attend college. The OP can take a gap year to earn money if needed. I personally also would not take out Parent PLUS loans, although I do help my kids with their college expenses. But you are quick to tell the OP to take the most expensive option and criticize the parents. It isn’t YOUR money or your debt to take on. Any ABET accredited college will get the OP where he/she needs to go. Texas Tech as well as UT-Austin. You have prestige stars in your eyes.</p>
<p>@intparent
The problem here isn’t so much about prestige. It’s that the OP can hardly afford to finish his education at any ‘decent’ four-year school, whether it be TTech or UT. Plus, the student in question already saved his parents thousands of dollars by attending a community college. </p>
<p>and @mom2collegekids Indeed, the OP should ensure that he can go to college this time.</p>
<p>He didn’t ‘save his parents thousands of dollars’. His parents don’t OWE him an education at all. He saved HIMSELF thousands of dollars. One thing I am not clear on is whether the OP has completed all the coursework he could at a CC that would transfer to a four year school. Just looking for ways for he/she to finish in 2 more years at a 4 year college vs. 3 more years. This was mentioned upthread, just not exactly sure of the situation. And in engineering, any ABET accredited program is going to get him a degree he can use to get work in his field. Students with limited financial resources need to be practical.</p>
<p>@intparent
Well, yes, “students with limited financial resources need to be practical.” However, OP is severely handicapped in this situation - due to his parents’ income, he does not qualify for need-based financial aid.
In the OP’s case, the absolute best option is to commute to the local school. Then again: does the OP’s local school even <em>have</em> an engineering program?
I am asking because the one in my town doesn’t, and it’s a fairly big town (population of just under 300k). All the engineering kids have to transfer out to TAMU after finishing their basics.</p>