<p>Hi. My mother seems to have lost her interest in helping me pay for my college education. My dad seems to just kind of go along with whatever she says. I need to be able to pay for college on my own (hopefully music major.) I have a job but don't make much money, and I am going to be a senior in high school. I'm mostly looking at schools in state to make it cheaper, but I still don't know how I can get loans and scholarhips and aid. My gpa is about 3.3 or 3.4, my SAT is 1960 and my ACT was a 29, so I have OK scores there. My parents make probably a combined $100,000 or over a year, and are paying for much of my sister's college. Since they don't approve of my choices, they don't want to help me. So basically, how can I go to school (not community college, a music major may be hard to do after 2 years of community college) and pay for it all?</p>
<p>Work full time, go to college part time.</p>
<p>Or make the choices your parents approve of.</p>
<p>What don’t they approve of? do they think that majoring in music won’t result in a good paying job?</p>
<p>Would it help if you double majored…majoring in something that you’re also good at that your parents will accept and major in music.</p>
<p>Also…check out the full tuition scholarship thread for some ideas.<br>
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships.html</a></p>
<p>“Paying on my own” is great if you can get the money. It is very difficult to do. You are not going to qualify for a lot of financial aid for need, given your family finances, and that your parents WON’T pay doesn’t enter into the picture for that. Only if they CAN. So you don’t qualify for Pell. </p>
<p>Most performing arts programs do not guarantee to meet need even if it is there, and there are very few full ride scholarships out there going only to the absolute tops in the field. If your caliber is there, it is a possibility and one you should discuss with your music teachers. Could you get into Curtis, for instance, which is free? Are there some programs at some local, state schools where you can get money? Enough to pay your way? </p>
<p>Otherwise, it comes down to what the other posters have said. Get a job and get through school on a part time basis. Really, that is the way most people get through college. It is a privilege, luxury to have parents who can pay ones way or help one through college. Talk to your parents and find out what they will pay for. Look for some affordable local , state choices. </p>
<p>Here in NY, if you have the transportation and can get accepted, SUNY Purchase offers a top rate music program for about $5K a year. That’s if you commute from home. Room and board is very expensive. Nearly any student can afford this with a Stafford loan which is pretty automatic if you are a US citizen, but you and your family have to fill out FAFSA in order to be eligible. THere are also any number of state schools with some good, strong music programs. But such availability might not be there where you live. Start looking at your local options. Just letting you live at home and eat there, is worth as much as $10-15K a year in support.</p>
<p>What are your career goals? I know that Troy Univ has a very good program for those who want to be high school band directors and the school gives generous scholarships for those with your stats.</p>
<p>My S is a brass performance major at Northwestern, but chose NU over University of Alabama, where he auditioned and we also visited (AMAZING trombone teacher). Their music department is excellent with some nationally recognized and accomplished music professors in brass (don’t know about other areas). He received a very nice music scholarship there and their out of state full ride tuition scholarship making his attendance free. Looking at your ACT score, take it again and bring up one more point and you qualify for below academically as a start. If you live in Alabama there is a lot available. They hold music auditions after Christmas and seem to have really good music scholarship funds. You could get a job in Tuscaloosa, too, and it looked like they had a great shuttle transportation system to help get kids places. Good luck!</p>
<p>UA Scholar
“An out-of-state first time freshman student who meets the December 1st scholarship priority deadline, has a 30-31 ACT or 1330-1390 SAT score [critical reading and math scores only] and at least a 3.5 cumulative GPA will be selected as a UA Scholar and will receive 2/3 tuition for four years.”</p>