Very Afraid of Paying for School

Paying for College
1

<p>I'm a senior, and I'm still applying to colleges. However, all of my first choice colleges are amazingly expensive. Syracuse, my first choice, is around $51,000 a year all-expenses, and Boston U is $52,000 a year total. </p>

<p>Frankly, I'm going into journalism and will not be able to pay off a large sum of loans. I was also a terrible student in my sophomore and junior years, and I am not receiving the merit aid that my friends are (from colleges that have offered me early aid -- not colleges I'm planning on applying to). In addition, my ACT and SAT were not stellar, and my parents definitely make over the need-based amount (I'm still applying need-based, however). </p>

<p>As you can see, I'm kind of stuck in a rut and it it really stressing me out. I don't think I should feel like this if I haven't even applied to colleges yet. I think that I will be stuck with my last choice college because it is the cheapest, and I won't be able to go where I really want. I'm kicking myself every day for what I did in the past. Now I feel as if I am going to be (literally) paying for my mistakes for the rest of my life. It's not a good feeling.</p>

<p>Does anyone have any advice/scholarship opportunities for someone like me? Is there some hidden loophole in the financial aid process that may help me go to the school I want?</p>

<p>Thanks :)</p>

2

<p>I think you’re a lot like I was when I first started applying to schools. I thought that in order to get into TV/film I had to go to a film school or art school that also focused on film. Or at least some private school that specialized in that.</p>

<p>The fact is that if you’re not going to be able to afford the school, DON’T GO. Having to search for a couple of thousand dollars for maybe one of the years is one thing, but figuring out how to pay $25K or more for one year? No thank you! This is NOT smart! Especially when you’re getting into a field like journalism because honestly, it’s tough out there! Going into TV I know I’m probably looking at $20,000/yr for awhile, or even part-time hours. That’s why they say only go into media if you absolutely love it ;)</p>

<p>Not all colleges are this expensive. There is absolutely nothing wrong with going to a state school and paying half that- or less- a year. Sometimes with media fields you can even get by with a technical or associates degree and just working on gaining experience, but you would have to look into that yourself.</p>

<p>So my advice is this: find a cheaper state school or go to a community college first and then transfer. During your first two years you’ll just be taking general education- math, science, history. Take these subjects at a community college and you could save $50K or $100K at these schools! Then you can look into transfer scholarships to help you out.</p>

<p>Of course, always look into all the academic/merit scholarships that you can. See if your state offers scholarships or grants you qualify for. Study the school’s scholarships books like you’re preparing for a test and apply to everything you think you qualify for. </p>

<p>When this doesn’t work and you’re looking at $25-51K PER YEAR, just DON’T DO IT! It’s just stupid to take out that many loans unless you’re 100% certain that you’ll have a job that’s going to help pay that back. And even then it’ll be hell. A lot of students don’t think about interest, and interest can add up! Especially if you’re not going to be able to get all these in federal loans! </p>

<p>It’s a scary, scary world out there, and now is the time to make sure you don’t fall into that trap! Ignore all the myths about “college experiences” and the top schools and all. Do what’s going to be best for you because the last thing you’ll want when searching for that first journalism job is to have to immediately start worrying about paying back $100K or more in student debt! These jobs aren’t going to pay you that much, especially at first. You may even have to work for free for awhile, at internships, and just do all you can to network and find something that at the least will pay the bills and rent. You’re going to have all these other expenses to worry about- rent, bills, insurance, car payment, etc. and it is just a nightmare to imagine having to worry about $100+ K in student debt on top of that! That’s a number that will haunt you all the way through looking for a house, getting married, starting a family. It will never leave you alone. Just listen into some of these talk shows and hear people tell their stories about how they’re married and still struggling with student debt while trying to pay for a house.</p>

<p>Just don’t fall into that trap. What matters in this field is going to be experience and talent- and networking/connections. Of course going to a good school that will be able to teach you that is important, but there are so many options out there that can save you from this nightmare :)</p>

<p>Sorry that I went on a rant, but this is just a trap that is seen too much with students. I know that it seems like there’s pressure to go to all these number one schools or some special school for media, but there are a lot of alternative paths that can lead you to the same places.</p>

<p>Don’t give up, and good luck!</p>

3

<p>There’s no hidden loophole or trick. </p>

<p>The first thing that I’m going to ask you to do is to talk to your parents and try to get them to give you a ballpark figure that they are willing to contribute per year for the next four years. The reason you need this number is because, however low (or high!) it might be, it’s going to be the baseline for how you proceed in the future. </p>

<p>[Next</a>, check out this link](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/148852-what-ive-learned-about-full-ride-scholarships.html]Next”>What I've learned about full-ride scholarships - Parents Forum - College Confidential Forums) and see if your SAT scores and GPA might be able to qualify you for some full-ride scholarships for some of the schools discussed therein. I know you said that they weren’t “stellar”, but that’s such a vague designation here at CC that it doesn’t really mean much. :D</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>It’s not going to be that way. College really is what you make of it. I’m not going to lie and say it’s going to be easy; few people really find this choice easy, either because they have too many options, or they can’t afford their options, or they’re concerned that they might not get in anywhere at all. But I think you can pull through this. Your feelings are natural, but the fact that you’re here asking for help and trying to figure things out is a good sign for the future. Since you’re still applying to colleges, you’re in a better place than a lot of kids who come on here, who have already put in deposits to
schools that they can’t pay for. </p>

<p>By all means, keep dream schools like Boston and Syracuse on your list, but don’t make the mistake of not choosing any cheaper schools (or only choosing cheaper schools that you hate); that’s a recipe for a heartache and one that’s avoidable if you are able to take the opportunity to learn about schools that are similar to your dream schools but cheaper. If visiting is onerous, you can probably just go to the College Search and Selection forum here and list the traits you’re looking for in a college; chances are, someone will be able to find lots of schools that fit the criteria (size, majors offered, location, etc.)</p>

4

<p>The above posters are right…</p>

<p>There is no loophole for scholarships or aid.</p>

<p>And, you don’t have to go to an expensive school to be happy and successful.</p>

<p>Stop kicking yourself…what’s done is done. You need to spend your energy finding schools that will be affordable.</p>

<p>Do not bother applying to any expensive schools that won’t be affordable.</p>

<p>What are your stats?</p>

<p>how much will your parents pay each year?</p>

<p>What state are you in?</p>

5

<p>Hey guys, I’m sorry that it took me so long to reply. Since posting this, I have visited a more affordable school… the University of Missouri, Columbia. I really, really loved it, and they are the top journalism school. That is also what I wanted to do. I read over your information and it helped me A LOT. It’s always great to get such valuable advice from people that have been through the experience. </p>

<p>I’m still concerned about financing my education, but my school officials have been giving me some scholarships to apply to, and I’ll be filling those things out. The only thing NOW is that the school I am sure that I want to go to is an out-of-state state school. That means that I will have a very limited amount of scholarships that I can get. I guess that means that I just have to go through the process and fill out the FAFSA and hope that something good will happen for me…</p>

<p>Mizzou is $18,000 OUS tuition only, and then with all other expenses it comes to about $31,000, which is a big difference from $51,000 but really… it’s still going to be hard :/</p>

<p>I remember reading somewhere that if you are planning on going into a low-paying field (and definitely because I love it :]), then you should not let your loans amount to more than $40,000 total.</p>

<p>Again, thank you all so much for you’re help! You can bet that I’ll be referring back to this thread with my parents. I would love to be able to graduate and actually make enough money to live.</p>

6

<p>Sounds like your feelings are already starting to settle. $30K X 4 = 120K which is already a $80K savings over where you started. </p>

<p>You don’t know what your ticket price is until April. Until then it is all guess work. Your best path forward are to do two things: have your parents fill out the FAFSA as soon as possible after Jan 1 (estimate amounts and file amendments later – the important thing is the date of the FAFSA submission. Earlier is better). And, two, you really need to look for an instate school that you like – it will be your “financial” safety. I assure you there are public, in state options that are of quality. (All it takes for a quality aspect is a collection of great profs – you are not in engineering, so you don’t need spiffy labs). </p>

<p>Then you are in a strong position in April. You will have (hopefully) the UM option and some other possibilities. Do NOT take admission to UM as a granted. They are going to have a lot of in state applicants that they will want to serve first. That is another reason you need an in state back up plan. </p>

<p>It is a tough time of year for seniors. Hang in there!</p>

7

<p>Too many people spend all their savings and take on too much debt for their first 2 years at an expensive school. Then, they need to transfer to a cheaper school. They miss the advanced classes and the name on the diploma from the expensive college. That happened to one of my nephews.</p>

<p>It is better to start at a cheaper college and then transfer, if that will be necessary to complete your degree. It is best to find a cheaper college that has a transfer agreement and coordinated curriculum with the college you want to transfer to. </p>

<p>Just recognize that some selective private colleges accept very few transfers and some have strict rules on what courses will transfer.</p>

8

<p>The Scripps College at Ohio University is outstanding for journalism.
[WHAT</a> MAKES US SPECIAL | Ohio University :: Scripps College of Communication](<a href=“Scripps College of Communication | Ohio University”>Scripps College of Communication | Ohio University)
Annual oos tuition is about $18K; you may qualify for a scholarship.
[The</a> Gateway Award Program: Ohio University Admissions](<a href=“http://www.ohio.edu/admissions/gateway/index.cfm]The”>http://www.ohio.edu/admissions/gateway/index.cfm)</p>

<p>(I think that the closest thing there is to a “loophole,” as far as a way to go to college when you can’t afford it, would be an ROTC scholarship.)</p>

9

<p>*I’m still concerned about financing my education, but my school officials have been giving me some scholarships to apply to, and I’ll be filling those things out. The only thing NOW is that the school I am sure that I want to go to is an out-of-state state school. That means that I will have a very limited amount of scholarships that I can get. I guess that means that I just have to go through the process and fill out the FAFSA and hope that something good will happen for me…</p>

<p>Mizzou is $18,000 OUS tuition only, and then with all other expenses it comes to about $31,000, which is a big difference from $51,000 but really… it’s still going to be hard :/</p>

<p>I remember reading somewhere that if you are planning on going into a low-paying field (and definitely because I love it :]), then you should not let your loans amount to more than $40,000 total.*</p>

<p>Have you asked your parents how much they will spend each year? If not, do so.</p>

<p>You should not borrow more than about $27k total. If you borrow more than that, you will need someone to co-sign your loans and many parents won’t do that.</p>

<p>Federal Direct Student loans are limited to the following amounts.</p>

<p>frosh 5500
soph 6500
jr 7500
sr 7500</p>

<p>So, you can see that can be a problem without getting a good merit scholarship, help from parents, or financial aid.</p>

<p>It’s not a good idea just to fill out FAFSA and “hope” for the best. OOS publics like Mizzou don’t give need-based aid to OOS students to cover their high OOS costs.</p>

<p>What are your stats? Your GPA? Your ACT and/or SAT score (include SAT breakdown).</p>

<p>If your stats are high enough, we might be able to recommend some schools that will give you merit scholarships for your stats.</p>

<p>* but my school officials have been giving me some scholarships to apply to, and I’ll be filling those things out.*</p>

<p>Most/all of those are going to be only for one year - so you’ll be short of money for years 2, 3, & 4… You’re better off finding SCHOOLS that will give you merit for your stats.</p>

10

<p>You won’t need to pick a college until May 1st. Until then, do everything you can to keep your financial options open. </p>

<p>That means applying to one or more SUNYs before their deadlines. Then you can compare the net cost after aid between the private colleges and the public colleges in April, and make a well-informed decision. You are fortunate that you live in a state with some good public colleges that have low state tuition. Also, I understand NY State offers it own grants towards college expenses, which are mainly available to low and middle income students who attend a private or public college located within New York State.</p>

<p>I’d also add that most people are eligible for $2,500 of federal income tax credits for each of four years. If your family does not pay that much in taxes, the extra is usually paid back by the Feds in a check. </p>

<p>If you feel strongly that you want to attend a private college, you may find that the most merit aid is available to a student who is at the top 15% of a college’s applicant pool. That might require going to more of a safety school than a reach school, to make it affordable.</p>

11

<p>Are you in NYS? Definitely look at Plattsburgh and Oswego (maybe Albany depending on what your actual stats are). I’ve heard that Utica College also has a PR and journalism programs and, while I believe their undergrad degrees are still awarded by SU, it is significantly easier to garner merit aid from UC with lower stats…and their COA is about $10K less than SU’s.</p>