Then you will have to do what your sister did…borrow and pay back.
OR move out, get a job, work full time, attend a college or CC part time. Or wait until you are 24 and are independent for financial aid purposes from your parents.
Cali…your parents have an EFC this year of more than they are willing to pay. It’s more next year too…and for years three and four it will double.
Try talking to them about schools that are in the range of being affordable.
Am I getting this wrong, or did you say you received a $5500 Merit award from Stonybrook? You can also take a $5500 Direct Loan in YOUR name only. The balance in the cost of attendance would be very close to what your parents are paying for your sister right now.
Try talking to them about affordable schools. It might be a better conversation than one that will require $190,000 of their money somehow for all four years.
@thumper1 Borrow from my parents or borrow from private lenders?
OP would be relocating to get a permanent job not for the purpose of education. OP would provide more than half of her own support, so parent’s couldn’t claim her. Education would be part-time all the time. Employment would be full-time. After a year of such residency, OP would be emancipated and qualify for in-state tuition. This would be for only 2 of the 6 courses per year anyway. The OP would be a continuing ed student at UMASS not a degree candidate. OP couldn’t even gain admission to a degree program at Harvard until she completed 3 Harvard courses as a non-degree student. For courses without prerequisites, I don’t think any transcripts of any kind would be necessary, so the subject wouldn’t even come up. OP could be matriculated at Harvard Extension by Fall 2016 with a plan to graduate in May of 2020.
I think a reasonable plan is to look for a job now, plan to move over the summer, choose a CLEP exam in something that she knows something about (American History requires only a modest amount beyond HS History) to self-study for, take the math and writing exams and register for 2 Harvard classes for Fall 2015 one of which is either E-25 Expository writing if the OP places into that, or E15 if she doesn’t. E-25 is required for admission to a degree program.
Take and pass a CLEP exam before the semester starts. A nanny position might be an excellent way to get introduced to the area as long as she would be given time to take her classes and study for them.
The CLEP could be a math course completed in HS such as college algebra or precalculus.
I think the OP should start to decline the schools with the biggest COA, after the meeting @ Northwestern, and tell parents as she declines each one. Perhaps seeing the pool narrow will shake the parents up a bit. Plan on a gap year, retake SAT, reapply for fall 2016 as I thought there is less merit money for spring. Don’t enroll at community college, get a job. If things don’t seem to be better by early 2016, move out. If the proposed alma mater is unacceptable, ask yourself if it’s better than community college. If the answer is ‘no’, don’t fill out the application for the alma mater. See if it’s too late to join Americorps or something which will get you away from your parent’s house.
I didn’t “research” OP’s other posts, but based on what other people have dug up, I believe OP knew her parents were going to contribute $0, but had some wishful thinking that her parents may come through. I feel very bad for OP. As a 17-18 year old, she should be able to count on her parents more. I suspect there are a lot of parents like that out there.
@Iwonderwhere You’re right. I need to start to let go. If things don’t work out at NU next week, I will have to say good bye. As of right now, it looks like for sure I’m not going to Miami, Northeastern, Syracuse, or Buffalo. I will decline my admission into those schools today so that other students have a chance to get in off the waitlists.
@oldfort Most of this is coming from my mom. I need to try to push my dad to have this conversation. It’s hard to explain. I don’t think my parents actually plan on paying $0. I really think they are just delusional in their thinking and are expecting on someone to make the COA $0 for me.
I had a big falling out with my father senior year. I was accepted to a private school with good FA, but my parents still had to contribute some. When I thought I was on my own, I decided to take the full ride plus stipend at our in sate public. In turn, my father was so impressed with my ability to take care of myself, we made up and he paid for his share at the pricey private. My point here is you make the best with cards you are dealt with. There is more than one way of getting a good education. If I were you, I would try to figure out what you can do with your parents $0 contribution.
I’d leave Buffalo for now, it’s one of the lower cost ones
@Iwonderwhy Financially, it is a strong option. But the professor who is the head of the Communications department all but begged me not to come. He said it would hurt me as an aspiring journalist. That’s alarming to me.
@calicash didn’t you say your parents were paying for your sibling, but expected to be paid back?
Have you had a conversation with them about your options…and the ability to do the same…for an amount similar to what your sister has being paid for her?
@thumper1 Yes, but the tuition at that school is really low and it’s something that my sibling can afford. If you include room and board, idk if my parents would be willing to let me borrow from them. I will ask of course.
I’m just really nervous about doing so because every time I try to talk about money and college, they get mad at me and end the conversation. There’s a complete lack of transparency.
Cali…maybe they are just concerned that younare going to keep bringing up the most exoensive options. Don’t. Keep them off the table.
Discuss the affordable options only. Places where your parents would need to pau $10,000 or less per year. Offer to do what your sister has done…have them pay with the agreement that you will pay them back.
Did you apply to the four year within commuting distance from your home?
@cptofthehouse I sent you a message.
@thumper1 No I did not. I don’t have any schools that would cost less than $10,000 per year. And I will offer to pay them back. A few weeks ago, I spoke to my dad and actually got a little bit out of him. He said something alon the lines of “What are we supposed to do once you graduate and we still have all these bills left to pay?” So I think you’re right. It’s definitely a concern for my folks.
I wouldn’t be closing off any options right now. Schools usually don’t open up the waitlist until May 1, so you’re not really helping anybody by closing off options early.
Cali…help me with the arithmetic here. At Stonybrook, you have a $5500 merit award. PLUS you can take th Direct Loan of $5500 without parent input. That is $11,000. The instate cost for Stonybrook is less than $20,000…so your parent net cost would be less than $10,000.
Did you get merit aid from SUNY Albany or SUNY Buffalo?
@thumper1 Yes, that is all true. But my mom didn’t say out budget is $10,000. She said it was $0 because she is expecting a school to go beyond my demostrated need. It’s not because I am a URM. It’s because I have to believe.
If I were you I would revisit the idea of asking your gramps, the worse he could say is no, right?
Maybe you can get you mom to buy a Lottery ticket and put her “believing” powers into that…