<p>I am going to attend SUNY Oswego and my financial needs require that I have $6000 dollars in loans a year...Cant I apply for scholarships to help fill in this need?</p>
<p>You can apply for scholarships, but there is no guarantee that you will get them. SUNY Oswego is a good school but as a public school its aid package is fairly limmitted. Your best bet will be to apply to outside scholarships but those are hard to get and very labor-intensive.</p>
<p>Do you have any saivngs from friends, family, or your own personal savings? If you don’t, you might have to take the federal Perkins and/or Stafford loans as well as any New York state grants that might be available. Alternatively, if you can check the school’s websites there might be some departmental grants available depending on your major. There are billions of dollars in scholarships available but many of them go unclaimed because people focus on outside scholarships like Fastweb instead of on better institutional aid available from the college itself that are given to certain students because of need or merrit.</p>
<p>I am going to attend SUNY Oswego and my financial needs require that I have $6000 dollars in loans a year…</p>
<p>What is in your FA package? Is there already $5500 in loans? </p>
<p>What is the breakdown of your FA package?</p>
<p>What is the breakdown of the school’s COA</p>
<p>How much can your family contribute each year?</p>
<p>What was your EFC?</p>
<p>Without knowing more of your situation,we can’t help you. Mom2collegekids has some questions that would give us some info to give some pointers.
I interpret your question as needing $6000 more than what Oswego has present to you and after maxing out your federal and state loans and grants in your aid package. That means finding $6K form an outside loan source. If your parents cannot co sign or take out a PLUS, then you need to contact the school and ask for any advice on where you can find unsecured loans with your signature only.</p>
<p>I guess I’m confused as I saw on another thread that you applied for EOP, which would indicate you’re likely eligible for a full Pell and full TAP award. That would amount to over $10K, assuming no ACG, SUSTA, or other university grants were awarded. Were you accepted as an EOP admit? If so, the $6K must be before your Stafford/Perkins loans? In any case, the SUNY’s require that any outside scholarships be reported to the school. They will apply them to unmet need first, which would reduce your $6K, then to self-help awards such as Stafford loans and work study. Good luck finding scholarships! </p>
<p>If this $6K is somehow on top of the standard $5500 Stafford loans and you’re having second thoughts about the level of debt you’ll end up with, you may want to check the articulation agreements Oswego has and start at a CC. I think Oswego awards merit aid to transfers from community colleges. Also, I know that Oswego is a big school for education majors, do you plan on becoming a teacher? If so, please look into the federal TEACH grant - I’m almost certain Oswego participates in this program.</p>