Using financial aid for a laptop--Worth it? Possible?

Paying for College
1

<p>Hello. I'm about to be a freshman, and, as I'm sure most people would agree, it's advisable to have a laptop in college. I've been saving up for one on my own, though with the cost of textbooks I don't have nearly enough. While I know the "$400 or less" laptops will work for some people, I am exactly THAT person who needs an obnoxious amount of RAM, etc. I'm majoring in Graphic Design, though I also have a passion for digital painting and often use a high-quality tablet (Wacom Intuos) that in itself takes a toll on the RAM. Photoshop is, as you could guess, always up and running. Occasionally a professional-level video editor as well, since I do many of my school projects in documentary form. I'm afraid a cheap laptop would die on me very quickly. I planned on getting a Mac for the impressive hardware, but online research makes me think that it's either impossible to use loans and scholarships towards laptops, or that it would be a bad idea. I just don't want to buy an entry-level laptop for my basic freshman classes, and then one or two years later have to buy yet another one to satisfy my computer needs. It seems silly to buy two laptops for the duration of four years. And yet, my loans and scholarships are stretched pretty tight already.
Is it worth it in my situation?</p>

<p><em>The reason I have such expensive software and computer accessories amounts to years' worth of gifts and savings.
*</em>I cannot get a job. I would explain why, but just trust that, if I have all these financial troubles, I would have gotten one by now.</p>

2

<p>Will using financial aid for supplies leave you with enough for your other expenses?
What did you use in high school?</p>

3

<p>Probably not. In high school, I used my Emachines desktop. It can’t handle the things I do, though, and needs to be replaced soon.</p>

4

<p>This could be a little outdated- but sounds reasonable for college level.

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<p>You may be able to find outside scholarships or grants to fund your equipment.
What school will you be attending?</p>

5

<p>Those are the specs for the laptop I was looking at, yes! The retail for it is around $1700. I’ll be attending Towson. They have Macs in the classroom, but I’d like to be able to work on projects outside the time limits of the class and on breaks (and later a job) as well. I’ve been looking on Craigslist and being as vigilant as I can about making sure everything is legitimate…</p>

6

<p>I planned on getting a Mac for the impressive hardware, but online research makes me think that it’s either impossible to use loans and scholarships towards laptops, or that it would be a bad idea.</p>

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<p>If you have loan eligibility that you have not used, and if you would like to borrow that money to purchase a laptop for school, there is no reason you cannot do so. Your aid is for educational purposes … and the laptop is for educational purposes. If you have already borrowed the maximum in loans, you won’t be able to borrow any more for any purpose, though.</p>

7

<p>I should say (not from experience, but from more or less conjecture and a digital painting hobby) that a nice Mac screen, an Intuos, and a copy of the latest CS isn’t required right off the bat. The Wacom Bamboos are nice; I think they’ve gotten larger since the Fun/Crafts. They often come with some software (PS Elements + Corel Painter). You could buy a nice monitor and hook it up to a standard laptop (prob $700ish, not outlandish like a Macbook).
Btw, there’s loads of nice freeware like GIMP, FireAlpaca, and Inkscape! :slight_smile:
Best of luck!!</p>

8

<p>And for money, you could always take commissions or sell prints/whatever on StoreEnvy or dA!</p>