<p>I posted this in the financial aid forums but I thought that perhaps a few of you all wouldn't mind helping me out as well, thanks for your time :)</p>
<p>To give some background information, I'm 19, and applying as a transfer student from Florida Atlantic University to several schools in the Boston area (Simmons, Stonehill, Suffolk, Clark, Brandeis and BU). I am not eligible to apply for financial aid as an independent, and my parents absolutely refuse to contribute anything to my education mainly because they don't think I ought to be leaving my current institution in the first place (they think that if I must leave I ought to go to a state school, even though the state schools are much larger than what I'm looking for, are much stronger in the hard sciences than my intended areas of study, and have numerous other factors (such as lack of a major city or availability of related internship/networking opportunities due to geographical location) that completely preclude my going there).</p>
<p>So what do I do? I have some assets (50k in stocks and mutual funds) left to me by my grandparents, and it frustrates me that first of all, I have no access to these funds other than dividends due to limitations placed on the funds (even for educational purposes) and secondly, that they feel my having these resources completely eliminates any expectation for them to pay for college expenses whatsoever. In my father's words "Well, I guess you're just going to have to hope you have enough, have a nice life kid".</p>
<p>Are there ways for me to finance my education completely on my own without my parents, even if I can not classify myself as an independent? Would I need someone to cosign on loans? Any and all suggestions would be greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>Well, I can why Boston looks so appealing. </p>
<p>You are in a very tough situation. If your parents make enough money that you are not eligible for financial aid (or very much), then you pretty much have to be looking at schools with merit aid (which you seem to be doing) or a state school (instate), and taking loans, and working. Doing this without your parent's assistance is possible - but its going to be tough and will likely require more than 4 years. The thing is - if you could stand even one more year at home, then you would be looking at financing 2 years on your own - a much more feasible proposition than 3.</p>
<p>I agree with Ohio_mom that if you want to transfer to a school in Boston, you need to look for merit money if you do not qualify for financial aid. Keep in mind that for most of the schools you are considering in Boston, the $50k in stocks, even if fully available to you, would cover only one year of tution, room and board.</p>
<p>I would suggest that you get excellent grades and look to Boston for graduate school. There is more money for grad students, your masters or other degree are your real ticket to success anyway. And then you are out from parental control. If you can talk yourself into a less commuter-type school with their blessings, you might enjoy it more. But I still say that grad school is where to put your efforts.</p>
<p>I can not stay here another year, they'd be kicking me out next fall anyway, so I'd be incurring the same expenses. And instate really isnt an option because, again, weak programs for ir, lack of internship availability, and just not at all what i want from a college whatsoever.</p>
<p>If I stay at my current institution, they, well, don't have my major, for one. The classes are much too large and the environment in general is not lending itself to me being successful academically. It's a commuter school, so I'm not getting any sort of social growth or college experience whatsoever. It has little to no reputation with grad schools, little to no internship or networking opportunities. I mean, I could go on for pages, but staying is not an option. I actually never intended to stay, and only went to appease my parents to save them money later on, which they no longer wish to pay (we didn't really have a falling out or anything, they just refuse to pay).</p>
<p>Really, I just need some information on like, how I can apply for aid without my parents. Somehow, I'm going to get up north, my parents just won't be a part of the process. At least in terms of significant expenses, they'll probably drive me up and stuff so I don't want to make it out like they're not helping at all.</p>
<p>My parents are "kicking me out" next fall because they feel like I'm spending too much time commuting (15hrs per week) and that living at home is part of the reason why I'm unhappy. Which it is, but I really can't afford an apartment in Boca and housing is very limited at FAU because it's a commuter school (most students can't even get housing as a freshmen).</p>
<p>Are your parents typically unreasonable? I mean, you can't help the commute time and they want you to continue at THAT college since tuition is covered. Is there some other reasonable adult that they trust that can talk to them? Are your parents foreign?</p>
<p>are they "kicking you out" because they think that it will force you to go to a nearby state school (less commute)? Why do they CARE how long your commute is? college kids (who live at home) aren't home much no matter how close their college is.</p>
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Really, I just need some information on like, how I can apply for aid without my parents.
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SrCameron, I'm sorry that things aren't working out for you at your current school. But I don't think there's a way for you to apply for FA without your parents support. I think your best option would be to look at in-state options, or just finish what you can at your current school before transferring. Even getting loans will be very difficult without your parents' participation, and most FA offices won't offer aid just because your parents refuse to contribute financially. If that were the case, many more parents would take that approach. I hope you are able to secure merit aid. Good luck!</p>
<p>How bout looking into Flagler College? It's not Boston (it's in St. Augustine FL) but it's residential, with small classes (don't know if it has your major). The plus is it's relatively inexpensive ($15,000 tuition/room & board) and you might qualify for some of the FL scholarships.</p>
<p>SrCameron, you've got to make the best of a bad situation. Sometimes we simply don't have the options we wish we had, and the rules are against us. You absolutely need your parents cooperation when it comes to the FAFSA, so expecting significant aid from the Boston schools doesn't seem likely.</p>
<p>The greater Boston area is quite expensive. If I were you I would transfer to a florida public college and consider obtaining a loan to pay for living costs for your junior and senior years.</p>
<p>sjmom's advice is right. you can't get financial aid without your parents cooperation with the FAFSA papers. And, even so, their income may be too high for you to qualify for much. </p>
<p>I think you need to stay at your present school. You also need to either earn enuf to live near campus or convince your parents that you need to be able to live and home and still commute. Would they rather you simply "drop out"? </p>
<p>I'm trying to get "a handle" on your parents. </p>
<p>Do they dislike your choice of major? </p>
<p>Do they dislike your curent choice of school? </p>
<p>Do they want you to go to a nearby state school so that you will be "at home" more often so that you can do chores/etc around the house? </p>
<p>Do they think that your commute time makes you "use" their home as a "free hotel"? (That may be it) Many parents do not like it when their kids just use their homes as a place to sleep and eat but don't contribute with any chores, etc. Is that it? If so, then you need to "grow up" a bit and realize that you must contribute "somewhat" to the household if you are going to live there -do some laudry, pick up after yourself, take the garbage out, empty/fill the D/W, etc -- basic chores (you arent' a guest there).</p>
<p>If my last question/paragraph is "off target", please help me (and us) understand your parents' point of view.</p>
<p>"My parents are "kicking me out" next fall because they feel like I'm spending too much time commuting (15hrs per week) and that living at home is part of the reason why I'm unhappy. "</p>
<p>Huh? I don't get the situation. The parents think their child is commuting too much, yet they don't want him or her to go to another school...?</p>
<p>My parents aren't refusing to fill out the FAFSA, they just refuse to take out whatever loans they are eligible for in their name. If I qualify for government aid, I will be the one taking it out. I finally managed to convince them to cosign for whatever private loans I, and talked to a friend who paid her way through lawschool about things like forebearance, so I think I've reached somewhat of a solution.</p>
<p>The whole wanting me to leave but not wanting me to transfer to anywhere dichotemy doesn't really make any sense, and I guess part of the confusion regarding my parent's position is that 1) my mom can see that I'm unhappy and wants me to leave, but feels that I should compromise with my father and not go out of state (even though the plan all along was that I would sacrifice my freshmen year out of state to save on expenses and then try to transfer when I became more definitive about my plans/major), her solution is that I ought to get an apartment where I feel more independent and don't have to be as stressed driving, which is a nice idea, but isn't financially feasible and 2) my dad really is just about the money, even though he won't be contributing towards major expenses regardless of where I go - I don't think he views an education as an appropriate investment for my funds, and I think he'd prefer I spent it on something more material (a downpayment on a house, car, something), and because of this, he also thinks I should stay at my current instution so that I can save the most amount of money possible. I also think my mom doesn't want me to go so far away because we have a pretty close relationship, but my dad is really the one who makes all the major decisions. They don't really put up a unified front.</p>
<p>Again, I really appreciate all the feedback and help :)</p>
<p>I'm afraid I do not understand this at all. Your father is willing to cosign a loan that could be as much as $40,000 per year (the price tag on those Boston schools), but he isn't willing to do financial aid forms? That makes absolutely no sense. The forms one needs to fill out for getting a loan are just as cumbersome as the FAFSA. His income will need to be verified for those too as a cosigner of a substantial loan. And as a cosigner, HE will be as responsible as you for the repayment of the loans...an amount that sounds like it will be very high if you go to the Boston schools. AND some of the lowest interest loans, things like PLUS loans (which can be taken for up to the cost of attendance) are offered to those who apply for finaid. This makes no sense.</p>