Paying for College.... When You're Parents Have too Much

Parents Forum
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<p>Looking for parental insight here....</p>

<p>Bear with me people, I really need your help </p>

<p>Ok so this is what's happening, my father makes 170k and my mother 30k for a combined salary of 200k. Now nearly 80k goes to taxes for my father, including house and salary. In addition, I tried to force him to do the FAFSA and CSS Profile, but he stopped in the middle of it for a very good reason: my older brother or sister never got any aid. Now with 80k gulped down by the government, colleges look at my father's income and they see a "rich man." Unfortunately he pays full tuition for my older brothre who goes to Harvard and my sister who goes to an instate college (16k). In addition to paying for $6.5k for my private school. </p>

<p>In addition to all this, my cousins parents have both died and my father pays for his living costs (not college, things like cell phone, and car bills). In addition to this all my father also sends money to his poor relatives to help educate some girls and help his family run a business in Pakistan, about $600 a month! When it comes down to it, I would probably live the same if my parents earned 50k together, all the clothes I have have been passed down to me from my brother, I don't have the nice ipods kids who run around my school (who claim they are 'poor) have as they go partying every weekend. </p>

<p>Now I want to go to Williams or Chicago, but 45k is too much. It seems I may have to work over the summer 8 hours a day for 5 to 6 days a week, and part time during the school year. To top this hell all off, I'm Muslim, meaning no interest loan. Is there any way I can get my parents' bank to approve say a 10k loan, that would have no interest until after I graduated? So I guess I will have to work and apply for scholarships, but can anyone think of any viable solutions. For instance, what jobs can I search for that offer a lot of money for a high school grad (I am highly trained in secreterial duties, computers, and know 5 language at a native level).</p>

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<p>I am not sure what being Muslim has to do with interest loans? Your religion does not allow you to apply for interest loan?
Anyway, I think you should try to convince your father to apply for FAFSA yet. Even it is very late, but with family of 3 kids at college it is possible to get at least some Stafford loans, some work study option. Specially if your family can document and present case with helping other relatives with tehir living expences.
if you do it online it takes very little time to be processed and you might be pleasantly surpised.
BTW, my D has her ipod bought and paid for from her own money- she works about 20-25 hours a week. She also buys majority of her clothing from trift stores and does excellent job altering or remaking them. She also makes her own jewelry at the fraction of the cost and I am sure people at her school think she has unlimited budget for clothing....</p>

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<p>Since your family's religious background prevent them from getting a regular loan, have you checked to see if there are religious organizations out there who would provide an interest free loan? We are orthodox Jews so I understand the prohibition. We are not this strict ourselves, but I have heard of those who are. I believe that there are groups within the Jewish community who will provide loans without interest. Perhaps there are also Islamic groups like this?</p>