Paying for College - Alone

Paying for College
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<p>So, I'm getting to the point now where I might need to pay for a college as expensive as Lehigh University on my own. My parents aren't likely going to help if I transfer there. Well, my mother would; but she has about as much money to her own name as I do.
I posted a massive thread elsewhere on this forum about a whole different situation, so I'll try and make it shorter here.</p>

<p>Right now I'm at PSU Lehigh Valley. Hate it here. I got accepted to Lehigh last semester, but they didn't offer me any financial aid, and for the sake of my family's money, I didn't go.
My parents are divorced, and initially I lived with my mother, then moved in with my father just prior to this semester starting.</p>

<p>My father makes a significant amount of money when you consider the fact that he's been living by himself and paying only for himself for the last 20 years (he rakes in at least $75k a year; but he's never paid for anything aside from the required child support over the years) and could pay for my college single-handedly, but he's never contributed anything until I moved in with him. He never paid anything for my older brother and sister, either.</p>

<p>Even now, he is expecting me to take out a large amount of loans next semester to help pay for an education at a college that I don't even want to be at. It's amazing that he even paid for this semester at all.</p>

<p>Here's the problem: I really want to go to Lehigh. I'm in my third year of college, PSU:LV is now my THIRD college, and despite the fact that it would be incredibly foolish for me to transfer yet again and go off paying for a school as expensive as Lehigh on my own, that's exactly what I want to do.</p>

<p>The question is, HOW? How on Earth does a college student, with no job because he focuses solely on getting excellent grades, and no credit score whatsoever, pay for two more years at a $55k/year school, completely by himself?
I don't expect Lehigh to help me, at all. They didn't offer me a dime when they accepted me last semester because they claimed they "ran out of aid" to give, but I think it is because of how much my father and mother make combined (even though they are divorced, and my father wasn't going to contribute anything at all) that they refused to offer any financial aid.</p>

<p>This is all hypothetical assuming that I actually go through with it, but what do I do?
I'm not about to drop out and be a bum. I have very high aspirations for myself, and that's why I want to go to Lehigh. It's the first (and only) school that I've ever wanted to attend; and yet I'm at some second-rate PSU imitation school right now because of money.</p>

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<p>They don’t. They take the route like what I am taking- going to a school that gives good merit, working multiple jobs (and yet still getting excellent grades), and/or going to a school affordable by federal loans and work. </p>

<p>I really can’t help you with the rest, but I do wish you good luck. Do not take out massive loans for your schooling.</p>

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<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1302649-what-do.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1302649-what-do.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Here’s a thread for you to check out on this very topic. I noticed a similar theme in your post.</p>

<p>i.e. “They didn’t offer me a dime when they accepted me last semester because they claimed they “ran out of aid” to give, but I think it is because of how much my father and mother make combined (even though they are divorced, and my father wasn’t going to contribute anything at all) that they refused to offer any financial aid.”</p>

<p>Read the “what to do . . .” thread and take note of how it turned out for this student. Also take note of the student’s tone relative to your own.</p>

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<p>Took a look at the whole thread; but unfortunately it doesn’t seem that the OP ever came to any sort of resolution. I wonder what actually ended up happening with him.</p>

<p>Additionally, his situation seems vastly different from my own. The only similarity in tone is that we’ve both been left with a bitter taste in our mouths thanks to financial aid offices.</p>

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<p>^^ I rest my case</p>

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<p>I never understood your case to begin with. </p>

<p>It’s not doing anything to help the situation. You can play pretend with your self justifications all you want, but I’m looking for an actual solution.</p>

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<p>There is no actual solution for what you want. You either go massively into debt to go to your “dream” school (which isn’t going to happen unless someone cosigns with you). OR you go a realistic route which a cheaper school where you can possibly get aid (although not likely as a transfer).</p>