<p>So I am wondering how students are able to pay a tuition thats around $26,000 a year for 4 years? The college I want to attend offers a few small scholarships, but compared to tuition it would not help much. But thousands of students attend, and I would love to too, I just cannot afford it and I don't understand how they are paying for it. I know about student loans but I do not want to be paying off student debt for 20 years! And, unlike anyone else I know who is attending college, I will not be recieving any kind of financial help from parents or any other family/friends. I got kicked out of my house at 19, and even before then I was not going to recieve much help. AND its not like I am particularly good at anything that would help me get a scholarship. I am having a hard time just getting a job to help support myself while I am attending community college now, so I wanted to know if anyone knew the secret to affording a rather expensive private college, or any college in general, because I don't know!</p>
<p>Jenny, there is no secret…it’s usually a combination of scholarships, need-based grants and/or parental contribution, loans, and work. Most kids who don’t have parental support do what you’re doing - start at a CC and transfer, but they often transfer to an instate public. Without significant grants, the private schools are often too expensive since they give the larger scholarships to incoming freshmen. Fortunately, you live in a state with good public choices. Are you eligible for need-based aid (ie Pell) now?</p>
<p>Agreed with sk8rmom. There is no secret. The kids at private schools generally come from a set of lucky circumstances. Either the parents/grandparents are able to contribute or the student is one of the very few that gets large scholarships. There is a third category, which is families who cobble together a horrendous amount of life-crippling loans (ie: read the thread about the student who is now $200,000 in debt for her degree!).</p>
<p>Right here in San Jose area we have two schools - SJSU and Santa Clara University. SJSU costs about 5K a year, SCU costs about 37K a year. SJSU has about 25,000 undergrad students, SCU about 5,000 undergrad students. So, simple math says about 5X more kids right here in my backyard attend public college… it truly is the rare (lucky) kid who ends up at the private school. </p>
<p>There is a hype about many privates, and they do often have some great programs. Oftentimes the alumni keep pouring in resources to build up their alma mater. However, in the end, most families can not afford the private tuition. It can be a bit shocking to look at the sticker price… here in America we have a myth that someone who works hard and studies hard will be able to get into an elite college AND afford it. The reality is that it is just a myth that does not hold up to reality. Private colleges, for the most part, are elite not just academically, but financially. A <em>few</em> kids from modest backgrounds will get big scholarships–just enough to keep that myth alive.</p>
<p>Most college costs get paid for by students and family. </p>
<p>BTW…you need to look at ALL costs…not just tuition. Costs include: tuition, fees, room, board, books, etc.</p>
<p>You may have to start at a local community college.</p>
<p>How old are you? What were your high school stats?</p>
<p>Well that was with everything (tuiton and fees and everything else)
Im 20, graduated in 2008. Graduated with a 3.1 and scored 24 on my ACTS, which wasnt too bad.
I recieved a pell grant for 5550 (2775 a semester) this year, which gave me enough to pay for community colege for this year, but Im wondering does what college you are attending effect your pell grant? (As in, if i was going to the university instead of a community college, would it have been any more?) My financial status now is worse than when I did my fafsa in january though, and I hate community college.
I heard most colleges funding comes from donations and such from private donators, not the actual students tuitions.
The college is a religious affiliated college, and me being religious with a religious family, I have heard that “if its what God’s plan for you is, than it will work out and you will find a way to pay for it”, but I need more of reassurance than that!</p>
<p>You got the max Pell $5550 no matter where you go to school.</p>
<p>What school are you considering? Most schools have little aid to give. However, perhaps this particular religious college has aid to give.</p>
<p>Liberty. I heard that they have a lot of different small scholarships available, but Im afraid most scholarships or aid are for freshman. But I am not sure what year I would be considered because I do not know if all colleges will take the certain classes Ive taken (and will take) and count them as credits.</p>
<p>If you went to a community college after high school, then you won’t be considered an incoming freshman. Most scholarships are from incoming freshmen. </p>
<p>However, you should call and ask. </p>
<p>But, if their scholarships are small, how do you expect to get enough to pay the whole cost?</p>
<p>Financial Aid Statistics</p>
<pre><code>* Full-time freshman enrollment: 2,847
*** Number who applied for need-based aid: 2,650
- Number who were judged to have need: 2,225**
- Number who were offered aid: 2,223
*** Number who had full need met: 346**
*** Average financial aid package: $12,954** - Average need-based loan: $3,224
</code></pre>
<p>** * Average need-based scholarship or grant award: $1,422
* Average non-need based aid: $7,209**
* Average indebtedness at graduation: Not reported</p>
<p>It doesn’t look like Liberty gives great aid when the average need-based award is only $1422. The average merit scholarship is about $7k, but since you’ll be a transfer student, you may not qualify for many of their scholarships.</p>
<p>The only other way to pay for the rest that I could think of is a student loan. I heard theres loans specifically for students attending private school, and some that you don’t have to start paying back until about 6 months after you graduate.</p>
<p>The student loans that you’re talking about will require your parents to co-sign. Bigger loans aren’t giving to students without co-signers to guarantee the amounts.</p>
<p>Also, some loans require interest-only payments while you’re in school.</p>
<p>What is your major? How much do you think you’ll be earning when you graduate? It’s VERY difficult to pay back big loans as a newish graduate.</p>
<p>jennynicoless,</p>
<p>The community colleges in Virginia have formal articulation agreements with the public universities in Virginia. If you complete your A.A. in a particular field of study with a certain GPA, you will be admitted directly into the third year of the bachelor’s degree program at the participating university. Make an appointment with the transfer counselors at your CC, and find out how this works.</p>
<p>I can understand that there may be a private college or university that is particularly attractive to you. However, in your situation, you should make solid back-up plans for transfer to a public university in case the money doesn’t work out for the private institution.</p>
<p>I know about the articulation agreements, I just really hate community college, and this whole area in general. I am making back up plans, but I just don’t understand why thousands of students can afford to go, and I cant. I doubt they all are being helped by family or some big scholarship. As of right now I am planning on majoring in English, most likely with a specialization in secondary education, but Ive been going back an forth on what I want to major in so Im not 100% completely sure. But if that ends up being the plan I guess I would be making the average pay for a starting high school teacher, so not much.</p>
<p>*but I just don’t understand why thousands of students can afford to go, and I cant. *</p>
<p>Yes, most college costs are paid for by family/students, scholarships, grants, and small federal loans. Why do you think so many low-income families can’t afford college???</p>
<p>The primary responsibility to pay for college is with the family.</p>
<p>You’ve said that you’re low income. Well, certainly you know that thousands of students are not from low-income families. Most students are from middle/upper-middle/affluent families.</p>
<p>*I am planning on majoring in English, most likely with a specialization in secondary education, but Ive been going back an forth on what I want to major in so Im not 100% completely sure. But if that ends up being the plan I guess I would be making the average pay for a starting high school teacher, so not much. *</p>
<p>If there is a chance that you will be a teacher than it’s SUPER important that you borrow as little as possible. Teachers do not earn enough to pay back significant loan amounts.</p>
<p>Is there another CC that you can commute to from home? If not, you’ll have to “suck it up” for 2 years knowing that you’ll be in a better place later.</p>
<p>I doubt they all are being helped by family or some big scholarship. </p>
<p>You seem to believe there is something else happening instead? </p>
<p>There isn’t a secret path toward affording college that has been hidden from view. </p>
<p>It may be helpful for you to start meeting and talking to a wide range of students who attend private 4year schools and see if you can get them to talk frankly about their financial arrangements. </p>
<p>At least at private schools, I believe you will find a vast majority of the students have parents who are involved in paying for part or all of their education. Even so, many of these students will be cobbling together 1) student work earnings 2) student loans 3) small merit scholarships of a few thousand dollars from the college itself 4) parent cash AND parents taking out loans (like PLUS loans).</p>
<p>Category #4 is critical – because I am guessing that for many families with kids in private colleges, the contribution from the parents is between 8K - 15K <em>per year</em>.</p>
<p>A student missing a contribution from category #4 is in a bind - because that kind of cash is almost impossible for students to come up on their own.</p>
<p>That is why students without parental support often find themselves at <em>public</em> schools and employing other strategies including</p>
<p>1) going part-time to (public) school
2) working a full-time job while attending public school
3) working a few years to save up money first before attending a public school
4) waiting until older than 24 to go to college
5) joining the military</p>
<p>etc.</p>
<p>So - if you don’t believe us here on the boards, then start asking kids at the private schools directly. </p>
<p>The idea that “if it is in God’s plans, you will find a way” leaves a lot up in the air. The reality is that most people do not suddenly win the lottery and large scholarships are more myth than reality (and reserved for students with unusual skills/stats). I am of the thought that “God has no hands other than <em>your</em> hands”…meaning, that God is not picking the lotto numbers to make sure I have enough money for college, and that when dealing with money, I have to use my own gifts and talents and energy to cobble together a job or career or to make decisions about how I earn/spend my money. From my point of view, trying to cobble together enough money for a private college is a matter of gravity and tangible assets…pressurized by time (since you want to go to college now and not 10 years from now).</p>
<p>Either the money cobbles together from the 4 sources of money or not. At the end of the day, the numbers add up or they do not. </p>
<p>Do you have a relative who wants to invest in your college? If not your parents, someone else? Beyond that, I think you have to start creating a “Plan B” with other more affordable colleges.</p>
<p>“I just really hate community college, and this whole area in general. I am making back up plans, but I just don’t understand why thousands of students can afford to go, and I cant.”</p>
<p>Nationwide, the largest single group of traditional-age college students attends community colleges. The second largest group is at home-state public universities. Numbers that I have seen reported are 50% of this age group at community colleges and 30% more at public universities, leaving something under 20% attending private colleges and universities. We hear more about private institutions than about the public ones because they have to work harder to advertise themselves, and they must go to greater lengths to convince families to part with their hard-earned cash to pay for that private education. If in fact you are at a cheap public institution, you are part of the majority.</p>