<p>what happens if your family earns enough to not qualify for financial need/aid, but not enough to pay for all of your college expenses? if anyone's been through this and doesn't mind sharing, i'd like to know how you paid for college...
i've tried outside scholarship searches, but they seem impossible to get...hundreds/thousands of people apply for like 10 scholarships...i've sent in a ton of scholarship apps, but haven't received anything, so i'm really starting to lose hope
can someone elaborate on work-study? is that a common way to find money for college?
also, does anyone know of any scholarships that aren't quite so difficult to get...especially for someone who doesn't qualify as "in need"</p>
<p>I don't really know your situation, and I won't pretend to be an expert on this, but I guess I have a few tips. First, fill out FAFSA even if you think don't know if you qualify. If your financial situation changes, you may not be able to apply later on. As far as easy money goes, I'm not so sure there is any. Always check the local scholarships. Less people do them. Merit based scholarships through the school you want to attend are fairly easy I guess (to get mine I just had an interview and a essay).
I don't really know about work study. I think you have a normal job, but it's through the school and you get a regular paycheck and you can put it towards tuition and personal expenses. I think. :P
Good Luck!</p>
<p>"can someone elaborate on work-study? is that a common way to find money for college?"</p>
<p>Yes, it's a common way to fund one's college education. However, it only pays so much--and no amount of work-study will be able to completely cover $40,000+ tuition a year . I got work-study for ~$2,000 a year, but I've seen some people get as much as $5,000 a year. Preference (who gets what jobs and sometimes if there are a limited number of jobs) goes to those who got it as part of their need-based financial aid package.</p>
<p>"isn't it too late to send in the FAFSA?"</p>
<p>It depends on your school. I urge you to contact them and see what they can do (you never know what will happen!)</p>
<p>This is very, very common, and the reason many choose state schools over private colleges. There is no magic. Many families can't really afford their EFC. Some take loans. You and your parents will need to decide how much in loans you're comfortable with. Many families take out home equity loans. Short of that, you need to choose a college that is affordable for your family.</p>
<p>zagat, i've already sent in my deposit to Penn and have no intention of changing that, since Penn is my dream school and i've waited too long for such extraordinary excitement and elation :)...i'm not as worried about paying for college as i am med school
i was hoping that i could find money somewhere to lessen the burden of college expenses so that paying for med school wouldn't be quite so painful...
for anyone that knows, how long does it usually take to pay off loans for four years of med school if you plan to go into a surgical specialty w/a 7-year residency?</p>