<p>Looks like all the adults in your family are self-serving immature brats. Learn from their example and always do the opposite.</p>
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<p>The problem is that they do legally, even though most would say that they should not in an ethical sense. Until the student is 24 years old, a military veteran, or married, the student is considered dependent on the parents for college financial aid purposes, so if the parents are uncooperative (for things like FAFSA and other financial aid forms), the student may not even be able to get federal aid.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, the student has no good options to pay for college (especially in Pennsylvania, with expensive state schools and poor in-state financial aid), unless s/he has an interest in enlisting in the military and then going to college after completing his/her enlistment (with veterans’ benefits and no longer needing the parents for college financial aid purposes).</p>
<p>Are you 18 yet? That will make a big difference in your legal options for leaving home and attending college. </p>
<p>There is more than one way to communicate with a college. Email, facebook, snail mail, telephone, try them all. If you really want to go to Temple, you have to reach out to them and make your situation known. If you don’t have access at home, go to the local library. Ask to use a friend’s internet/cell phone.</p>
<p>Accept the teacher’s offer of a ride to Temple. The more the admissions/financial aid people see you as a real person, the better the possibility is that they might try to help with additional funds. You will need to frame your story with some of your own passion of why you want to attend Temple, while adding in the needed facts of your family not willing to pay. You don’t want to sound completely negative, and you don’t want to sound “pie in the sky dream school” either. Strike a balance that shows you are mature and intelligent, and given a boost, you will make great contributions to their school as a student.</p>
<p>Best of luck to you!</p>
<p>You don’t owe them the money for your applications, tests, etc. I mean, they can SAY that, but you don’t have to pay back. Especially if they won’t support you past graduation. You leave and try to repair your relationship from afar because it seems that right now living together isn’t working out. Don’t cut ties but move away. That money your dad got in child support? It is to help him pay for your clothes, your books, your college apps, etc, etc. You don’t “owe” him for that.</p>
<p>Can your older brother help you? Can he take you in for a while, until you get your bearings and find a job? That’s assuming you’re not a screw up and will look for a job (he could legitimately not be too willing to take in a younger brother who’s trouble. I’m not asking you, just pointing it out so that he may be Plan B, but maybe not.)</p>
<p>While you’re still in high school, try to learn how to drive (cheaper driver’s ed). Otherwise, try at the community learning extension (various names for it, may be another one.) Unless you can’t drive (ie., physical disability, etc.) </p>
<p>Look for the cheapest area in which to live. I think Abington would be cheaper than Brandywine but I’m not sure. Considering your situation, you could try to find a branch campus near where your brother lives, or whichever campus is the cheapest to rent in. If you ask for a little-requested campus (ie., not Behrend) you’d be likely to get it. Checking out public transportation is another element for you to decide. Once you’ve looked at the different branch campuses and average rent for a studio (if you don’t know how to look, people here will be able to point you to websites) call Penn State and explain the situation: being on your own, needing to rent a studio, can they switch you from Abington to Harrisburg/Beaver (wherever, I don’t know all the branch campuses but there are quite a few!)</p>
<p>The fact you’re over 18 makes it easy for you to go to Temple with your teacher though. You can just …go. Email your teacher right now if you can, or contact him on Monday. Don’t forget to thank him for the offer and to be very polite (even if it’s an email, you should treat this like a “formal” letter, not a quick mail to a buddy - mentioning this because too many freshmen start on the bad foot with their professors because they don’t make the distinction! :p)</p>
<p>On another issue: I find it easier to fall in love and get married than to enlist. But then again, I’m not a healthy teen able to do very physical/exhausting/impossible-looking things. Plus of course there’s the moral issue - Pennsylvania, home of Quakers, so… 
)</p>
<p>That is what I am trying to do, I want to fix things but I am digging a deeper hole the longer I am in this house. My older brother is currently a student at PSU University Park - graduating this year. I am more than willing to work, trust me, i want to work (I am a girl by the way!) My school has no drivers ed & I am working on the permit. My counselor said she can probably switch me over to another branch easily since I am overqualified for many if not all. I don’t really know a lot about the housing deal with the branches though. I will talk with my teacher too. </p>
<p>You are going to continue to encounter unfamiliar situations as you pursue independent living and college. Please keep asking on cc for assistance. There is tons of knowledge and a willingness to help. </p>
<p>Just think, years from now, when you look back at the hurdles you made it through, you will realize you are a very capable person who can do much more than you might realize. It is worth it, all the struggles you are dealing with now. Keep your eyes on the prize!</p>
<p>Does your brother have a year-long rent or an academic-year contract? because if he has a year-long contract, it means he’s paying till August. He may or may not live there… but you can always try and live there with him because some of his roommates won’t be around, so it’ll be okay for the summer. Does he have job prospects? (One advantage of State College for one who can’t drive is the excellent public transportation system).
Did you get branch campus after applying to UP or did you not apply to UP? Switching campuses isn’t just a matter of academic qualifications, but rather of space. After March 1, they pretty much put you wherever there’s space. I don’t know whether you might get into UP, however finding out which branch campus is located in the cheapest-rent area would be crucial (and it won’t be UP, unless your brother sticks around and you share an apartment.) Some branch campuses have housing (Harrisburg, Behrend, for instance) but in other cases they’re mostly commuter campuses without housing, most students live at home and commute every day. </p>
<p>What is your brother saying?</p>
<p>He does everything through grants, loans and working. I don’t know exactly where he lives. I didn’t try for UP. He was there for Pre-Med and he doesn’t know if he is going to med school or doing research. so i dont know about his job prospects.</p>
<p>“The problem is that they do legally, even though most would say that they should not in an ethical sense. Until the student is 24 years old, a military veteran, or married, the student is considered dependent on the parents for college financial aid purposes, so if the parents are uncooperative (for things like FAFSA and other financial aid forms), the student may not even be able to get federal aid.”</p>
<p>That’s why I told her not to be rude about it. Either way, her dad may not give info for future years. If so, if she makes nice with her mom, she could use her info since she’s out of her dad’s house in May.</p>
<p>I’d like to introduce a note of caution here. The posters really don’t know what’s going on in OP’s household, and so I’d like them to step back from suggesting possibly irreversible actions by the OP. Things between parents and the OP will work themselves out. None of us like the seeming injustice/irresponsibility of the parents’ position, but we still need to recognize we’re only hearing one side of the situation. Perhaps we should stick to making more statements concerning college admission. My two cents.</p>
<p>Most seniors at UP live off campus, in the town of State College. There are student complexes all over town and buses going to all of them (this is standard for a college town). </p>
<p>If your brother wants to do research, it means he may stay at UP. If he got into med school, the med school is elsewhere. Ask him what he knows about his post-graduation plans and how he can help you. Even if you’re not a brat, he may not help you. However, if he had to go through this, he may be more willing to help you than most because he understands what you’re going through.</p>
<p>Why didn’t you try for UP - too unlikely?
The 2+2 system would work out fine, anyway, but you do need to figure out how to pay for things… which means a job.
A good side to your brother living in SC (beside potential housing for a few weeks) is that the students leave so there’ll be jobs if you start looking right now. Do you have a way to get to State College so you can drop off your resume?
When does your sports season end? Would you be able to find a job that you can walk to?
If your HS doesn’t have driver’s ed, how do students learn how to drive? Would your brother be willing to teach you?</p>
<p>okay.I will have to talk to him about his future plans and how things may work out. As for UP I thought the price was just too much & I was unaware that branch campuses had no dorms until after I applied. - I had tunnel vision for TU anyway and always saw PSU as my brothers school. However now PSU is a strong contender, potentially more if I played my cards right. My brother may be down to visit soon or I might be going up to see his graduation. As for sports I quit to look for a job so thats done. As for jobs down my way I applied everywhere the only problem is, its limited (very sparse suburbs) and college kids are flooding in. With driving, my school dropped drivers ed, kids learn on their own/w. parents. My brother is very willing to help so maybe if he is around.</p>
<p>TStuart95 -</p>
<p>The Pell Grants in your packages indicate that your dad and stepmother don’t have a lot of money to be helping you pay for your education with. Staying on their good side long enough to have them file the FAFSA every year is something that you should try to do.</p>
<p>All of the packages have full federal loans and Pell grants. Slippery Rock is offering $2000 in federal work study, so what you need to pay is the $3000 + $2000 = $5000. Temple right now is offering only $1000 in federal work study so what you need to pay there is $8000 + $1000 = $9000. If Temple comes up with the scholarship that you are hoping for, Temple and Slippery Rock will be the same price. Until that happens, Slippery Rock is the closest thing to affordable for you.</p>
<p>The important thing to know about federal work study, is that you do have to find that job on campus, and you do have to work and earn that money. At some universities it is easy to find a work study job. At others it isn’t, and students end up being unable to earn the amount of money that they had been originally promised.</p>
<p>I am working on that. In the end should I try for SRU &/or TU or should I go to CC and transfer out when I have things settled out? I mean I have to get a job, learn to drive etc. and I would rather start out at a college and stay and get out of this mess. but in the long run if CC is better I will do it. I dont want to break my back trying to get into a college. My parents already made me aware if I choose TU im cut off they want nothing to do with that school so im in a pickle here.</p>
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My parents already made me aware if I choose TU im cut off they want nothing to do with that school so im in a pickle here.
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<p>???</p>
<p>I thought you were already going to be cut off from your dad/SM after graduation because you didn’t diss your mom?</p>
<p>???
are your parents immigrants? they just don’t sound like American born/bred parents to me. </p>
<p>Are they the type to threaten “cut off” as a manipulation? If so, expect that for the rest of your life. At some point, you’ll have to POLITELY and nicely call their bluff.</p>
<p>they are going to cut me off regardless but with temple they just think I am a fool for even wanting to go there. They said it themselves the other night if I go to temple and I got shot and ended up in the ER I am not to call them they dont care. So yeah they hate temple a lot. With the other schools my dad said he might visit me - but again its his school choice and he isnt paying. but its frustrating they wont help pay and like I said financially I will be cut off. Nope they are not immigrants and this isnt a bluff I know they will do it (I was already thrown out for not cutting off my mom). I just need to know I have somewhere to go next year?</p>
<p>Sorry if I sound contradictory its just a very messy situation and they are constantly adding on new conditions for me to stay in this house & things that will be changing the day I graduate. </p>
<p>Talk with your brother about how he handled things.
Make plans for the day after you graduate. When he comes this weekend (or whenever, soon), give him some bags that you’ve packed (with winter clothes, favorite books, stuffed animal/memories…) so that some of your stuff is “safe” no matter what. Do so discretely if possible so that your dad does not know he’s lost one aspect of his control over you and so that not to anger him.</p>
<p><<<<
They said it themselves the other night if I go to temple and I got shot and ended up in the ER I am not to call them they dont care.
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<p>If they really used those words, then make nice with your mom and cut those people out of your life once you’re out of their home. Get out asap so that you can use your mom’s info on FAFSA next year. Any parent who says something like that is mentally ill.</p>
<p>If you can, reconcile with your mom (invite her to your graduation…lol), and then move in with her and leave those awful people behind.</p>
<p>I was rather appalled they said that but they did back it up with we dont hate you but you need to grow up and cut the ties. I honestly just want to go to college, keep my family together and have all 3 parents involved. and look how it turned out (: However I have gotten off topic, back to the main question here is what should I do about college, try to lower tuition,wait a year & work, CC & work? </p>