<p>If you only go spring semester, you get to use the entire freshman amount, $5500 because that’s for the 2014-2015 school year. Next August, it resets for the 2015-2016 school year and you get another full Stafford loan that yes, you’d have to split over the two semesters. Just a little quirk that can help you in year 1.</p>
<p>I get that, but I feel like that’s a lot to use on one semester, and I don’t think I would be able to “save” any of it because wouldn’t my school just take it all and apply it towards what I owe?</p>
<p>They will keep all of it if your tuition bill isn’t paid in full. Of course if it is, you’d have the money you were paying monthly on the installment tuition plan.</p>
<p>I think you are making a plan, and I don’t think it is unusual to want to start in a fall term to be with everyone else new. Many schools have kids start in the summer, and more are having being starting classes in the spring, but you need to do what is right for you, and what is common at your chosen school.</p>
<p>The school refunds the excess.</p>
<p>Here is what I’d tell one of my kids - you should try to get over your fear or reluctance of phone calls. This is your future and sometimes, sending an email doesn’t won’t cut it. CALL the admissions office. EXPLAIN your situation. TELL the person that you cannot make the past due payments and want to know about a short term interest free loan, or deferring your start date to the second semester.</p>
<p>(Didn’t you mention that you have an Aunt that you could reluctantly talk to about needing a small amount of money)?</p>
<p>I do feel badly for you that your future is being put on hold for lack of a few hundred dollars.</p>
<p>(Here is what one student did to raise money after her mother died: <a href=“Please Help Me Stay At Vanderbilt, organized by Cassie Wessely”>Please Help Me Stay At Vanderbilt, organized by Cassie Wessely; )</p>
<p>Well, this time today it wasn’t because I didn’t want to; I literally couldn’t. If I don’t get a response by midday tomorrow, I’ll call. It was an uncle, but it’s not going to happen. </p>
<p>Thanks. I’ll consider the second semester start, but I don’t think it would benefit me much because I’d already have about 1750 in loans applied towards that semester; with the rest of the $5500 covering my EFC, I’d probably only have less $1000 left over.</p>
<p>You can get an additional $2K in loans for freshman year, but you would see half of that first term, and the additional half would go second term. You can borrow up to $5500 as a freshman, $2750 per term with $3500 possibly subsidized. You can’t front load the loan and take it all first term, but you can take it all second term which is, as Twoinanddone calls it, a “quirk” in the system.</p>
<p>@callietorres Would you consider contacting your high school guidance counselor to ask if there are any scholarship funds remaining that the school could use to assist you with these expenses which are holding you back from beginning college next month?</p>
<p>@callietorres Did you have a chance to look at this thread for a less conventional way to obtain the shortfall?</p>
<p><a href=“Vandy Nation rallies to support a current student - Vanderbilt University - College Confidential Forums”>Vandy Nation rallies to support a current student - Vanderbilt University - College Confidential Forums;
<p>Perhaps @thestepmom has some advice for you on this method.</p>
<p>In the past couple days, I got an answer back about the deferral; they wanted me to call the financial aid office again instead, so we just got it down to an amazing price this morning. I have to take out the extra 2k but it’s fine. And she was so nice on this phone! I can’t believe it!</p>
<p>WOW, that is wonderful news!! Your persistence paid off! Thank you for the update. Best of luck to you for a successful freshman year.</p>
<p>Thank you so much and thank you and everyone else for all your advice! </p>
<p>Hugs to you, Callie. I’m glad it worked out. </p>
<p>Thank you!!</p>