<p>I am attending a public in-state 4 year college and have some questions about paying for my fees. My family has an income < 30,000 for a family of 5 and our EFC is 0. My Cal Grant B stipend for this year was applied to pay outstanding fees on my account so my parents suggested for me to borrow an extra 1,000 in loans more than I need for tuition and housing as an emergency safety net. This comes out to 5,800 in loans for the first year. </p>
<p>My questions are is this an average amount of loan debt for my situation? What should I do in this case because my family won't even be able to pay for necessary basic school materials and books. Should I try to find a normal on campus job or go through work study which only allows a maximum 2,000 cap for the school year?</p>
<p>You could look for both kinds of job. Lots of college students in your financial situation have more than one part-time job.</p>
<p>1) Go through Federal work study
2) Other campus job
3) Borrow if you still unsub Direct loans in your FA.</p>
<p>Did you work this summer? My daughter was able to make almost $3000 this summer.</p>
<p>No I wasn’t able to get a job this summer sadly. My parents are hesitant about taking out the unsubsidized federal loan because of the higher interest which also accrues while in school. I do still have the extra 1000 for the year in subsidized loans, would I need much more than this in addition to part time job money?</p>
<p>You have until the end of the school year to decide if you want to take out the unsub loan. If you find that you can’t meet your expenses with your part-time job(s), you can talk with the Fin Aid office, and arrange for the loan at that time.</p>