<p>Simba, you never can tell by screen names!!!</p>
<p>Co-oping is one thing to also consider as a way to put yourself through school. I don't know what your intended major is, but people at University of Cincinnati (where I co-oped in engineering) co-op in all sorts of majors such as business, architecture, computer related fields, art/ design... The advantages to co-oping are:<br>
1. You earn a much better salary that normal college student summer jobs
(the Univ. of Cinti website lists the salary range of their co-ops as 1700 to 2500 per month. )
2. You gain experience in your field of study
3. You aren't working while you are in school (at UCincinnati you work two quarters and attend school two quarters, so you can basically work 40 hours per week for 6 months each year after the freshman year.
4. Co-op is fun : )</p>
<p>The downside is that you graduate in 5 years instead of 4-- but many students do that anyway. </p>
<p>If you had an in-state school where you could co-op, the tuition and expenses would probably be do-able.</p>
<p>I just wanted to put something my dad said. "It's not how much money you make but how much you spend."</p>
<p>Btw after a hard road, you will learn something.</p>
<p>My son went through the Univ. of Cincinnati Co-op program, awesome! Father paid for 1st year in state tuition, room and board; son covered the rest with a part time job (about 10 hours per week) when he had regular classes and then with the co-op earnings. Spent six years in college and had $8K in debt, Chemical Engineering and Math minor. Worth checking out. He now works for his co-op employer. Middle 4 years one quarter school, one quarter co-op, 40 hours per week...full year, no breaks.</p>
<p>Another option for co-op is Kettering University. It's an excellent school, and students alternate co-op & school right from freshman year (5 year program). Of course,it depends on your academic interests ... they may or may not mesh with what Kettering offers. While it may not be a household name, Kettering grads are very, very successful in their careers (and they are sought after by the elite grad schools).</p>
<p>That is incorrect.....you must meet the criteria on the FAFSA to become independent!</p>
<p>I agree with most of the observations made on this thread but think that maybe Jlime18's parents are making the following statement to him:</p>
<p>For the kind of student you are, just above average by your own admission, your state universtiy will provide just as good an education as any private college or university you can get into. But if you want it, you are free to go anywhere you can get into but only if you are willing to pay the price. </p>
<p>Maybe, they also see Jlime as the kind of student who will party away his free time if he goes to his state u. and his parents pick up the bill.</p>
<p>Maybe they think if they just told Jlime18 these things he would hit the roof so they have hung it all on "we did it so you can too". </p>
<p>Just a thought.</p>