Paying for ND?

<p>I really really want to go to ND, but my dad doesn't think it is worth the $54k price tag. How hard is it to find a good-paying job, internship, etc that can fit into your schedule? Is it hard managing working and studying at the same time? Did anyone else have a hard time paying ND's tuition? What about taking out student loans?</p>

<p>Well as a current accepted student, I am having the exact same worries as you are having. The one comforting fact that I have read, somewhere on the ND website, is that ND will not give out loans that exceed $7,500 per year, with the average loan for students that need one is around $4,500 per year. The remainder of your financial aid will be made up of work study, grants, and scholarships. Hopefully this helps you with the financial aid portion of the question, unfortunately, I do not know much about the jobs on campus or internships.</p>

<p>This is the way that I believe the aid operates, but I could be wrong. Please double check my research before you make any decisions.</p>

<p>Many students do have part-time jobs, either on or off campus, but keep in mind that even if you can work 20 hours per week at $10 per hour, that is less than $4000 during the academic year. It won’t make much of a dent in the $54K price tag, assuming that you don’t qualify for any need-based financial aid. If your parents are unable or unwilling to pay the full amount of your “expected family contribution,” then your only real option is to take out some hefty student loans to make up the difference. You can also consider ROTC, or working as an RA in the dorms as an upperclassman to get free room and board.</p>